New Housing Developments?

[Ariel_Austin]

You will find opinions on schools to vary even among the claimed better schools. It really depends on your focus (mainstream, academics, athletics, special needs, etc). You may want to dig deeper into the Texas Educational Association (TEA) ratings which give a more statistically objective comparison of schools. For example, the TEA ratings do not line up with more subjective ratings such as Niche, Austin Monthly, etc. Once you have an idea of the schools you would like to focus on I would take the time to visit the schools as well. From there you might want to focus on the actual developments that are zoned to those schools.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Your price range gives you options closer in, I'd never work downtown and live in Steiner -- I'd never live in Steiner period as master planned communities give me hives!

Have you looked at NW Hills? big lots, you can get a renovated home in your price range, good schools too! If you have have new and shiny, look at SW Austin, master planned communities with new construction in your price range and with a better commute to downtown.

Originally Posted by Austin97

It would be incredibly dumb to live in steiner because you are already used to a 1.5 hour commute. The whole point of moving to austin is to live a less expensive, easier lifestyle.

look at northwest hills or great hills and your commute to downtown can be 15 minutes not in rush hour and 30 in rush hour. You might also look at lost creek which is in the eanes district.

At 700-800k you can afford something closer in. People originally used to live in steiner because it was affordable and master planned (plus nice views). Californians seem to love it though..

Agree with these sentiments.

And California "traffic" is different than Austin. I'd rather do 1.5 hours in CA than 45 minutes in Austin. I grew up in California and learned freeway etiquette and best practices there. I was appalled when I got to Texas in the 1980s. And most recently I drove smack through San Francisco to San Jose last year(?) during the BART strike, and even that traffic snarl seemed ok compared to a normal day on Mopac.

There is something about Californians. They just seem to know how to make the best of bad traffic. Austin is the opposite. Our drivers are idiots, no concept of the "fast lane", no observance of informal "zipper merge" situations, or motorcycle lane splitting, or even just letting a bro get in for crying out loud.

Assuming your 1.5 hours in CA is not way better than a Steiner to Downtown Austin daily sufferfest may be a calculation you later regret.

Steve

[MrCurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I grew up in California and learned freeway etiquette and best practices there. I was appalled when I got to Texas in the 1980s. And most recently I drove smack through San Francisco to San Jose last year(?) during the BART strike, and even that traffic snarl seemed ok compared to a normal day on Mopac.

I don't know. California drivers in the 1980s and 1990s were a lot better, in my opinion, than the half-a$$es out there on California highways now.

I will agree Austin drivers are pretty terrible, though. They seem to erratic and unpredictable -- might be all the newcomers from various places comingling.

[CarnivalGal]

I live in Steiner, and I love it. But I have to say that there is no way I would live here if I worked downtown; we both work on this side of town (me on 360 and husband on 183).

As far as schools go, they are all great (rated exemplary). But of the three elementary schools, River Ridge would actually be my last choice. My kids go to Steiner Ranch Elementary, and we love it. It's also the least crowded of the three schools and the only one that is not over capacity (we are actually a little under, although that will probably change in the next few years). River Ridge, although good academically, has a culture of "my house is bigger than your house" and it shows in the parents and kids. There is a palpable division of those who live "behind the gates" and those who don't. It's sad, really. It's also really crowded, but then again, so is Laura Bush. The only difference is that no new houses zoned to Laura Bush will be built, which is not true for River Ridge. So River Ridge will actually become more crowded over the next few years.

And it's kind of all a wash because they will all end up at the same middle school anyway.

[Californian12345]

Originally Posted by Austin97

It would be incredibly dumb to live in steiner because you are already used to a 1.5 hour commute. The whole point of moving to austin is to live a less expensive, easier lifestyle.

A very valid point, however the commute is just 1 of a million factors to consider. I really liked the Steiner schools and I liked the community, plus we have friends in Santaluz already so it would be a less scary transition. Yes, the commute would be terrible, but something has to give. There's pros and cons to everything. Plus, my wife likely wouldn't have to work (the benefits of working in the silicon valley for a number of years and then moving away....thats what people are doing, work in the bay area for a number of years, move away and your quality of life goes up substantially) so she would be able to take care of kids/daycare/school which means I'd be able to leave early/late for work to avoid traffic.

A very valid point tho, and I'm most definitely considering what traffic would be like.