Cedar Park to Downtown Commute: Am I Die? (Austin, Round Rock: best neighborhoods, house)

[Bucky Badger]

Hello All, I'm being relocated to Austin this summer for a job which will have me working in the Frost Tower downtown. However, with only a 250-350k budget for a house, and schools being the top priority, it seems we are limited to far NW Austin/Cedar Park based on just some basic research. Is the commute horrible even if my schedule to drive in/out of the City is flexible? Are their other realistic options in our price range that still have decent schools and a more palatable commute? I also don't have an issue taking the train assuming that is a reasonable option. Family of 4, with kids going into 4th and 7th grade respectively. Wisconsin beer and cheese to those that can help!

[Austin97]

I would go south over cedar park. South is much more up and coming so you will get more for your money.

If you do live north you could try metro rail, just live close to one of the stations.

Also there are some relatively affordable areas around parmer/mopac, duval/mopac (yett creek, duval estates) that are in your price range. With all the high tech right there, those areas will probably gentrify fast.

try a zillow search, it makes it much easier to find properties on their map based search.

You should help us a little with square footage and other criteria that you are looking for. You can read the sticky at the top for what information helps us.

[Bucky Badger]

square footage-1600+ would be ideal. Not afraid of older home if it has good bones. Schools then commute to downtown are really the priorities (within price range of course) Thanks!

[scm53]

You certainly can find what you want South. For example, thus house is in one of the best neighborhoods in S Austin, and an unmatched school track, elementary to middle to high. 35 minutes downtown at rush hour.


https://www.redfin.com/TX/Austin/491.../home/31795201

[sojourner77]

I agree - south Austin is the way to go. Northern burbs are fine if you work somewhere NW or in Round Rock, but it's not the best choice if you work downtown. Cedar Park is also a larger area, so online "basic research" keeps steering people there through sheer magnitude of numbers ( as more people move to CP, it begets more "advice" to move to CP). Lots of people in Cedar Park came there to work up north at Dell, IBM, etc. who tell others (who work downtown) to move to CP - which is why the highways between CP and DT are now a complete disaster.

Yes, there is a single light rail Band-Aid from the north side for traffic, but it's a PITA to drive to a station, park, wait for the next train, walk to your work from the station, and then do the reverse when you go home. No flexibility, unless you don't need flexibility. Others will pipe up soon to defend it, but an hour+ commute door-to-door is unacceptable to most people.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by scm53

You certainly can find what you want South. For example, thus house is in one of the best neighborhoods in S Austin, and an unmatched school track, elementary to middle to high. 35 minutes downtown at rush hour.


https://www.redfin.com/TX/Austin/491.../home/31795201

45 minutes at rush hour, according to google.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/4913...2!8j1436428800

[vlan1]

You can definitely find a 3br house in South Austin for 250-300k. i know I just did for less than that.

[scm53]

Nine times out of ten, 35 minutes.

According to someone who drives it regularly - me.

[hooky hornstein]

Originally Posted by Austin97

If you do live north you could try metro rail, just live close to one of the stations.

Word!

The LCP (Leander-Cedar Park micropolitan area) is the best place, IMO, to live outside of Austin in a bedroom community because of Leander's longstanding commitment to Cap Metro. And despite all its shortcomings, Cap Metro does a good job of getting people from the LCP into Austin in the mornings and taking them back to the LCP in the afternoons.

[riaelise]

FWIW, I live in far eastern Round Rock, close to Hutto. My job is on 6th and Congress. I like my job and I love my house very much, so neither is negotiable. You won't die commuting from the northern areas. I take Metrorail. If you're not driving, commuting is really no big deal to me. I'm a New Yorker. You're born commuting.