Why is Austin so popular? (Houston, Dallas: rental, house, neighborhood)

[sojourner77]

Originally Posted by riaelise

The east schools and south schools that aren't southwest aren't trending upwards. They are for the most part below average. They were below average five years ago and they still are.

Mark is right, as far as I'm concerned.

As for the OP, beats me. I like it here but I do think it,s overrated now.

Living in Round Rock - 25 miles north of town, and you've been tracking the trends of AISD south and east for the last 5 years? Where you planning a move down here?

[sojourner77]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Travis HS, LBJ, and the Eastside schools are AISD's more troubled high schools, true.

But Anderson, Bowie, Akins, McCallum, Austin, LASA, and Ann Richards (if you are a girl) are all AISD high schools too and none of them are bad schools.

The point I'm making is you can live in the the district and have decent schools too. The biggest problem is in E. Austin and that needs to be improved.

I'd go even further and include Crockett. The city is gentrifying in every direction, and lower income folks (and their school-aged children) are being pushed to the suburbs. In say, 20 years, I see the average-to-good schools (austinite listed above) in AISD staying open, and continuing to improve, while the 'bad' schools with dwindling enrollment like Travis HS are turned into magnets like LASA. They already did it with Porter MS - they turned it into a highly rated all-girls school, and now there is talk of Covington MS turning into a boys equivalent.

There was another post about Austin's gentrification as it's following trends in other cities.
//www.city-data.com/forum/36589842-post144.html

[TXEX06]

Yes, Austin's national publicity is about the great schools!

[sojourner77]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

Yes, Austin's national publicity is about the great schools!

I agree with you!

LASA (AISD) is ranked #8 nationally.

//www.city-data.com/forum/austi...1-tx-8-us.html

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by sojourner77

I agree with you!

LASA (AISD) is ranked #8 nationally.

//www.city-data.com/forum/austi...1-tx-8-us.html

No doubt! Let's celebrate!

[MiaMia411]

Too be honest, i dont know why it is so " Popular ". It is extremely over rated and over inflated , but then again i come from the east coast from north NJ so im used to a real city like NYC. I been to downtown Austin many times and its outer areas. Everything is run down and old, just like the city itself minus all the new construction. I am glad that it is turning into something better then what it was , but they should really focus on improving traffic rather then keep on shoving people into Austin.

I feel like the things that are being added to Austin are not something new and unseen, but these things should of been part of a city a long time ago. Everyone goes wild when they see a new park being added like they have never seen a park located in a city before lol.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Travis HS, LBJ, and the Eastside schools are AISD's more troubled high schools, true.

But Anderson, Bowie, Akins, McCallum, Austin, LASA, and Ann Richards (if you are a girl) are all AISD high schools too and none of them are bad schools.

The point I'm making is you can live in the the district and have decent schools too. The biggest problem is in E. Austin and that needs to be improved.

It was never my intention to say that you couldn't live within AISD and attend decent schools. There are decent and good schools within AISD. What Mark is saying is that Austin's suburbs still offer great value for what you get, including good to excellent schools. Very often within AISD, many of the neighborhoods that track to the decent to good schools tend to be more affluent and, unless you're renting, out of reach of many working and middle classed families.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by valsteele

Aside from SXSW, what is there that any other college city can't offer? I find it interesting how it's put in the same league as places like Portland as far as being "hip" and open-minded.

Austin has a much lower suicide rate compared to Portland as well as very low violent crime.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by valsteele

Aside from SXSW, what is there that any other college city can't offer? I find it interesting how it's put in the same league as places like Portland as far as being "hip" and open-minded.

Austin is so popular, it caused you to start this thread.

What is the name of the "league" to which Portland belongs and what are the criteria for membership that Austin lacks?

Steve

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Well what data are you basing your statement(s) from? I derive my assertion from test scores and Greatschools ratings over the years (as much as I loathe GS ratings). You mentioned Crockett upthread. Crockett is a "4" and has historically hovered around that ranking for years. Maybe it's moved from a "4" to a "5" and now it has returned to a "4", I don't know. Probably the only really banner school in the South is Bowie, but are the neighborhoods that zone to that school track still affordable?

Despite what you think, Austin will always have enough working class and lower income people to keep things real.

If we're talking about trends, Akins is trending upward by the same measures. The school used to be rated a "4" five or so years back, but is now rated a "6" on Greatschools. I'd also say that the 78748/78747 area is still considered affordable (although I'm sure housing costs are ascending too) by most standards.

I do agree that Bowie is still (and will still be for the foreseeable future) the academic heavy-weight in South/Southwest Austin and has been so for decades now.