Dangerous neighborhoods in Austin? Plus any other tips/advice? (Holliday: best neighborhood, apartments)

[kellison339]

Hello! My boyfriend and I are moving from western Colorado to Austin this summer (probably early July) and we're starting to research which neighborhoods to move to. We will be renting, and have a fairly low budget (probably no more than $1000 per month). I have been having trouble finding a good crime map to get a general idea of what neighborhoods we should avoid. I am ok with living in an area with a "normal" amount of crime, I just don't want to live in an area that is known for being unsafe. From what I can tell, south and east Austin tend to be cheaper than the rest of the city, so that's the area we're looking at as of right now


I was also wondering if anyone had any insight on the rental market. We will be visiting for a week the first week of June to start looking for a place to rent, but because I have always lived in much smaller cities and am not familiar with apartment hunting in a large city, I am worried that the rental market may be very competitive and that won't be enough time to find a place in our budget. Is one month beforehand enough time? Should we plan on moving a bit later? I have enough saved for a deposit, first and last month's rent, and I have a pretty good credit score (in the mid-700s), so I'm hoping that will help my case.


Some (possibly) relevant information about us


Age :24 and 26


Rental Budget: No more than $1000 month, maximum. Cheaper is obviously better, and is really the most important influence on our neighborhood choices. Optimally, we wouldn't pay more than $800.


I have two senior dogs (a pit bull mix and a chihuaha). I would love a small place with a small yard, but it looks like most rental options are apartments, which I can adapt to.


Lifestyle: My boyfriend is a bit of a home body, but we are both very attracted to the alternative lifestyle, culture scene and outdoors activities that Austin seems to offer. We are both very liberal (we currently live in a red zone) and we don't really want to live too far into the suburbs of Austin, unless it is substantially cheaper.


Commute: I understand that the traffic can be terrible, but how terrible? If I were to work downtown, for example, and lived in, say, the MLK neighborhood, about how long would it take? Is public transportation a viable option?


Any other tips? Is there anything you wish you would have known before you moved to the area? I would appreciate any and all advice for us newcomers

[FalconheadWest]

Most anywhere under $1000 is not going to be the best neighborhood, and good luck getting your pit accepted, as most have restrictions on the "traditionally violent breeds".

You should look into sites online about pit rentals to see who can help you there. Something that has a management company, more than likely, will not accept it because of insurance reasons.

[RunninJT]

Well I thought it would be impossible even in my area but there are a couple of houses for rent at just under a thousand that do allow dogs.

Lets see if a link works!

This one would have a yard.

You do have to remember that these areas are "bad for Austin", Locals consider it extremely dangerous but somebody from the rough side of Detroit would wonder what all the fuss was about.

As for tips: visit first so you know what you are getting into. If you cant afford it then at least you are still young, plenty of decades to recover from a bad move.

[centralaustinite]

Goodness, this is going to be tough.

Do you have jobs set up? Some landlords will want to see paystubs to prove you can pay the rent. Good credit scores will help but they like to see adequate income too.

Apartment locators in Austin are legit and free to you. They can save you a lot of time and legwork.

Two dogs is often a problem. Roscoe Properties do not have breed or size restrictions (not sure about number) and they also have reasonable rental rates (expect to pay "pet rental" on top of the regular rent and pet deposit). Any chance your family could keep one or both dogs for a year or so until you get better settled? Even then, you should be aware that many private landlords of single family houses will not accept a tenant with two dogs, sadly the dogs will hugely limit your rental options.

If you work downtown and rent on MLK, then yes, you can take public transportation. Look at Capital Metro to see where the buses run.

[ashbeeigh]

Look into Roscoe properties. They do not have breed restrictions. They gave one property in east riverside which might be a good fit. Check into some if the affordable housing units via the Austin tenants council (quick google, click resources and affordable housing guide). Avoid 78752 and 53 if you find any apartments within your budget. It's on the way to being a better place, but not there yet. If you find anything in'57 or '58 drive around at night first. It can be spotty.

[DCtoTejas]

I'll do the obligatory "why Austin" post. Have either of you ever been here? Ever spent significant amounts of time here? One thing to be aware of is the weather - it is extremely hot in summer (June - September) and winters are fairly nasty as well, this last one being an exception. Not mountains of Colorado nasty, but not southern California or South Florida either, think damp, dreary and chilly.

[CBB_bear]

Pretend your pitt is a boxer mix or something to that effect and you will have a much easier time finding an apartment. It's a pretty common thing to do in Austin.

I personally have found even the supposedly higher crime neighborhoods of Austin to not be that bad relative to other cities. There isn't a huge amount of violent crime, and it's mostly just having a lot of working class neighbors and the occasional bike theft.

[clarksvillemom]

Look on East side. Austin is safe in general.

[Kthnry]

Originally Posted by CBB_bear

Pretend your pitt is a boxer mix or something to that effect and you will have a much easier time finding an apartment. It's a pretty common thing to do in Austin.

+1. Is there any way you could plausibly call the dog a boxer/lab mix?

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by CBB_bear

Pretend your pitt is a boxer mix or something to that effect and you will have a much easier time finding an apartment. It's a pretty common thing to do in Austin.


Kthnry: +1. Is there any way you could plausibly call the dog a boxer/lab mix?

Yeah, those are great ideas.....especially since I don't believe there are any small children living in apartments in Austin.