Safety - South Shore District (Austin, Spring: low income, apartment complexes, crime)

[ice10]

Hi,

We are a young couple moving to Austin and want to live somewhere close to downtown. South Shore District seems like a nice place that fits our budget but we weren't sure about the area? Is the area sketchy? Is it unsafe? And can you walk to downtown (6th street area) from there or is too far of a walk? And does anyone have any opinions/reviews/comments on that apartment complex?

Thanks so much

[JT-3]

Nice place, lived there. I would definitely recommend it and the area is improving. We only walked downtown a few times, would usually cab it.

Welcome to the the forum - please post back/contribute to what you eventually decided.

[petro]

Originally Posted by ice10

Hi,

We are a young couple moving to Austin and want to live somewhere close to downtown. South Shore District seems like a nice place that fits our budget but we weren't sure about the area? Is the area sketchy? Is it unsafe? And can you walk to downtown (6th street area) from there or is too far of a walk? And does anyone have any opinions/reviews/comments on that apartment complex?

Thanks so much

That area is a bit sketchy by Austin standards, but I wouldn't call it unsafe. I think you could bike downtown (a few miles) but I don't think it's walkable. Some nice perks would be having the boardwalk so close and access to the lake.

[CptnRn]

You can easily walk to 6th street from there, its only about 2 miles one way. There is a nice new hike and bike trail from the boardwalk just north of the South Shore District to Congress Avenue or S. First Street bridges north into downtown. Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

It does have limited hours.

Hours: The Boardwalk is open from 5am to midnight each day, with a curfew between midnight and 5am.

But you can still walk or bicycle back along Riverside Drive if you have a late night out.

E. Riverside Drive is rapidly improving with lots of nice new apartment complexes being built. The area further East is historically one of the higher crime areas in Austin, but I think we will be seeing that rapidly changing with all of the investments that are being made in upgrading that area.

//www.city-data.com/forum/austi...ecome-new.html

[ice10]

Thanks guys - we are also looking into Sabina, AMLI-Eastside, Eleven, and Zilkr on the Park. Should make a decision by Friday or Saturday so will let you know what we decide.

[buffettjr]

I lived in South Shore District before it was called South Shore District 8-14 years ago when the area was much sketchier, and even then I wouldn't have considered it unsafe for normal folks doing normal things. I lived in the complex called The Breakers which is just west of there and can remember when all that was just a tiny busted Radio Shack. Things have only improved each year safety wise since then with gentrification. There used to be a huge low income housing development several blocks away where one could see street walkers at night and crack dealers, and even then the places actually on E. Riverside Dr felt clean and safe (at least near the highway). I didn't have a problem with my wife jogging by herself in the daytime nor me at night, although I admit I wouldn't have wanted her jogging by herself at night there. That low income housing was entirely razed since then and is now a huge development, and the Radio Shack is now a $60 million mixed use development.

With that said, I disagree with CptRon's (feels weird to say that!) post that one can easily walk from downtown. It is quite a trek and not something I think people would want to normally do when going out. If you're in tennis shoes and athletic clothes, sure it's easily doable, but after a night drinking that's a long walk. You'll find it too short for a cab (they illegally slam the door and drive off if you don't get in first), too long for a pedicab, and not a fun walk.

You mentioned the other places you were considering...if Zilkr on the Park is anywhere remotely similar in price to Southshore, I would choose Zilker 1,000 times over. It is in a much, much nicer area, it's brand new construction, it's not sitting right on I-35 (yuck), and you're right next to Zilker Park and Barton Springs, the crown jewel of Austin! That can't be beat. The quality of life on the west side would be so much higher in my mind that it would be astonishing. You'd be just steps from the hike and bike trail, but on the beautiful west side part as opposed to the less used, more industrial, less naturally beautiful east side part. In fact I live in that area now, so I myself have made the move from the East Riverside area to the Zilker area, and I couldn't be happier. I never want to move if I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay.