Walkable neighborhood on a budget? (Austin, Buffalo: apartments, lease, landlord)

[havecamerawilltravel]

I've pretty much decided to stay in my adopted town of St. Louis, but I so wish for the hot weather of the South (where I'm from). I'm now on disability for chronic migraines, if you can believe they're that bad, so moving across the country seems like a huge challenge...but even my doctor has said that the Midwest is the worst area of the country for migraines because of the huge swings in weather! So I'm debating whether the process would be worth it.

I'm not elderly, though, and I'm hoping to get back to work when I can get these under control. I've heard about Austin as being great for artistic things (I love writing and photography)...but mainly for now, I need a walkable neighborhood (for times when I can't drive, although I do have a car) that has apartments within my budget. Which is very small for most parts of the country...I could probably pay $800/month maximum.

Any places like this, or am I looking in the wrong city entirely? St. Louis is nice in that it is affordable, but the weather is awful, in my opinion...though this year has been especially bad. I wouldn't need nice restaurants or bars to walk to...just a grocery, drugstore, the basics would be good. Any options?

Thanks so much. I've been looking at padmapper and other places but have seen only places just out of my price range. Edit: I'd like a 1-bed, 1-bath, that allows for a cat.

[havecamerawilltravel]

Oh dear...when I finally found a place at the top of my price range, I found this review on Yelp (and laughed and cried):

"SUNSHINE LOLLIPOPS AND RAINBOWS...

Totally NOT this place. This is the place where Buffalo Bill would live, and the gang of feral cats will stick you for some scraps. There is a delicate science to getting the water just right, and even if you do beware the SLIME that comes out of the drains. The cockroaches are the LEAST of your worries living here. Have fun walking to do laundry while a group of the "locals" sit and hang around their pick up trucks and STARE, while they get drunk in the parking lot and blast tejano. There's a playground for the kiddos! too bad it's tagged up with graffiti (not the banksy kind), and located right behind the charred ruins of a never-gonna-be-fixed burned out building. FIN."

(from: Bainbridge Villas - 78704 (South Austin) - Austin, TX | Yelp)

[joqua]

Originally Posted by havecamerawilltravel

I'm now on disability for chronic migraines, if you can believe they're that bad...

The FDA recently approved a new electronic device for prevention and treatment of migraines that is reported to be very effective in reducing the frequency if not the intensity of the headaches. For now it is not inexpensive, but still within in affordable range for chronic sufferers, it appears.

http://www.fda.gov

[ppp38]

You are in the wrong city. You will not find an apartment in a walk able neighborhood for 800 a month.

[havecamerawilltravel]

Originally Posted by joqua

The FDA has just approved a new electronic device for prevention and treatment of migraines that is reported to be very effective in reducing the frequency if not the intensity of the headaches. For now it is not inexpensive, but still within in affordable range for chronic sufferers, it appears.

Thanks...yes, the Cefaly, I think you must be referring to...I've kept up with the news on it, and I'm very hopeful about it. As you said, not cheap, but worth it if it helps. I'm going to try it...my plan right now is to move locally (I have to move soon because my lease is ending, but I was wishing I could move somewhere warm!) and try to get the headaches under control...then find my warm place! Thanks for mentioning it.

[havecamerawilltravel]

Originally Posted by ppp38

You are in the wrong city. You will not find an apartment in a walk able neighborhood for 800 a month.

OK, thanks very much...confirms my decision to stay put (in a nice area of the city...it's just a COLD city, in my mind!) for now. Does sound nice there, though...I describe my ideal weather as "sauna!"

Edit: I have to say that I'm grateful, then, for how affordable St. Louis is...I've found a huge place (in my mind, something like 1100 sq ft!) in a very walkable area for that price, with a nice landlord, and it's not particularly unusual for that area. Guess I've been spoiled!

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by havecamerawilltravel

I've pretty much decided to stay in my adopted town of St. Louis, but I so wish for the hot weather of the South (where I'm from). I'm now on disability for chronic migraines, if you can believe they're that bad, so moving across the country seems like a huge challenge...but even my doctor has said that the Midwest is the worst area of the country for migraines because of the huge swings in weather! So I'm debating whether the process would be worth it.

I'm not elderly, though, and I'm hoping to get back to work when I can get these under control. I've heard about Austin as being great for artistic things (I love writing and photography)...but mainly for now, I need a walkable neighborhood (for times when I can't drive, although I do have a car) that has apartments within my budget. Which is very small for most parts of the country...I could probably pay $800/month maximum.

Any places like this, or am I looking in the wrong city entirely? St. Louis is nice in that it is affordable, but the weather is awful, in my opinion...though this year has been especially bad. I wouldn't need nice restaurants or bars to walk to...just a grocery, drugstore, the basics would be good. Any options?

Thanks so much. I've been looking at padmapper and other places but have seen only places just out of my price range. Edit: I'd like a 1-bed, 1-bath, that allows for a cat.

So you've decided to stay in STL, but you're just asking for fun?

Do you have any ties here at all? What made you think Austin would be right for you?

Are you sure that your migraines are triggered by changes in weather? Have you kept a migraine diary and detected a pattern?

If you just need to be somewhere affordable with a mild climate and finding a job isn't necessarily an issue there are many better places.

As far as writing and photography for a career are concerned, is it something you have a lot of experience in? The talent pool here in Austin is pretty saturated. You have to have connections.

You could rent an efficiency apartment (studio) in central Austin for under $800.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by ppp38

You are in the wrong city. You will not find an apartment in a walk able neighborhood for 800 a month.

That's not true. There are MANY studios in Hyde Park for under $800.

[havecamerawilltravel]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

So you've decided to stay in STL, but you're just asking for fun?

Do you have any ties here at all? What made you think Austin would be right for you?

Are you sure that your migraines are triggered by changes in weather? Have you kept a migraine diary and detected a pattern?

If you just need to be somewhere affordable with a mild climate and finding a job isn't necessarily an issue there are many better places.

As far as writing and photography for a career are concerned, is it something you have a lot of experience in? The talent pool here in Austin is pretty saturated. You have to have connections.

You could rent an efficiency apartment (studio) in central Austin for under $800.

As to your first question, I'm close to "settling" on staying in STL...I'm asking in the hopes that there might still be a chance I could make a leap to a warmer climate before my lease runs out.

No, I don't have ties there...I have noticed that the swings in weather here do affect my headaches after keeping a diary. I'd like to find a place that's warm and affordable...I've thought of Baton Rouge, possibly. Good medical care would still be important.

I do have a good bit of experience in photography...I worked as a freelance photographer for a local paper for a while, and I've been published in literary journals. Writing, maybe less so...research is more my field...but I thought it could translate. I probably need time and more thought put into this (yes, bad sentence structure, I apologize!).

OK, thank you...I just start feeling impulsive when it gets cold here, although it makes the most sense to stay.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by havecamerawilltravel

As to your first question, I'm close to "settling" on staying in STL...I'm asking in the hopes that there might still be a chance I could make a leap to a warmer climate before my lease runs out.

No, I don't have ties there...I have noticed that the swings in weather here do affect my headaches after keeping a diary. I'd like to find a place that's warm and affordable...I've thought of Baton Rouge, possibly. Good medical care would still be important.

I do have a good bit of experience in photography...I worked as a freelance photographer for a local paper for a while, and I've been published in literary journals. Writing, maybe less so...research is more my field...but I thought it could translate. I probably need time and more thought put into this (yes, bad sentence structure, I apologize!).

OK, thank you...I just start feeling impulsive when it gets cold here, although it makes the most sense to stay.

I don't blame you one bit. I can't stand the cold. But just hang on, summer is right around the corner.