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OP, I lived in Allandale for 25 years, raised my children there, and found it to be a friendly place to live. My children loved it, and made neighborhood friends that will last a lifetime. However, I didn’t find it all that walkable. That would be my one complaint about it, and I don’t see that it’s changed in that regard since.
I agree with this. We lived in Allandale for about 10 years and we took a lot of walks IN it, and I loved the place and our neighbors, but the neighborhood itself was not at all walkable, as I think that term is generally used.
For people that want walkability circle C and mueller are night and day differences.
You can drive to amenities anywhere in austin, that is not the point. In mueller kids can walk to every single one of the amenities.
also the drive time at rush hour is night and day between circle C and right downtown. You can use google's depart at feature to try 8am tomorrow morning
Circle C drive times are 28-55min to downtown
Mueller is 10-22 minutes
Mueller and circle C are almost completely different. I do agree that both are suburbs and neither is urban.
Mueller is completely walkable and close to downtown but has bad schools. Circle C is not walkable, a bad commute to downtown, with decent schools.
Ill reserve great schools for the ones that feed into westlake, westwood, and vandegrift. If Im going to live in far flung suburbia and schools were my top priority I would look in those areas first.
I personally took worse schools and closer in (nw hills and anderson vertical). Moving from slightly further out and better schools (great hills and westwood). There were other reasons such as getting large acreage
Commute home from my husband's work at 6:08pm is 27 minutes. Commute to Mueller is 22 minutes.
There are certain areas of Circle C that are absolutely walkable. It's a much larger neighborhood, but as a resident I would disagree with your generalization. There are different aspects of walkability too. For example, a large percentage of kids walk and bike to our neighborhood schools. Mueller kids can't do that I presume since they don't have a neighborhood school.
Commute home from my husband's work at 6:08pm is 27 minutes. Commute to Mueller is 22 minutes.
There are certain areas of Circle C that are absolutely walkable. It's a much larger neighborhood, but as a resident I would disagree with your generalization. There are different aspects of walkability too. For example, a large percentage of kids walk and bike to our neighborhood schools. Mueller kids can't do that I presume since they don't have a neighborhood school.
Actually, I know several families that bike to Maplewood AND Blanton. Middle schools may be tough, though. Circle C is a great bike to school location, I agree. The trails allow great kid access to Gorzycki. I’m not sure about Bowie but for sure all the elementaries are bula le. However, to say Mueller isn’t bikeable to school is wrong.
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Originally Posted by AMJ27
My perspective as a middle aged parent is probably going to be a little different than yours. My priorities might be a bit different. I'm also not advocating Circle C for the OP. I'm just pointing out that Mueller is suburban and actually pretty similar to other master planned communities, but with a couple of distinct differences to many of those communities in Austin (price point and schools).
I can't comment much on gyms since it's been a while since I've made a donation to one of those establishments (haha), but there seems to be a ton of them. OTF has classes pretty much every hour and there seem to be tons of happy Camp Gladiator folks. As a past member of both 24 Hour Fitness and Lifetime Fitness, I can say that both have indoor pools. I have no clue about the quality of the instructors at any of these places, but I imagine that is very subjective.
Parks- As you pointed out, there is the big park in the neighborhood that is quite nice in my opinion and huge. The off shoot neighborhoods all have parks with playgrounds(Wildfower, Avana, etc). Families utilize the elementary school parks when they aren't in session all the time. I think it might just be for residents, but the swim center has a playground. There are a lot of other places where kids will meet up and play. My own kids never really played in our backyard when they were younger because all the kids around us would just play out in the front and in nearby culdesacs. My old master planned community in a different state in a very suburban area had more of the little parks throughout the neighborhood. I don't think one way or another makes it more urban or suburban really.
Restaurants- What are the good restaurants in Mueller? Torchy's, Mod Pizza, Chipolte, Jamba Juice is what comes to my mind when I think of Mueller. Torchy's is local, but there are a lot of chains around there. You're right that you can drive over to the east side for some interesting places, but it's not really in the neighborhood. I can drive to William Cannon or South Lamar. District and Satellite in Circle C are actually pretty good local restaurants located within the neighborhood and feasibly walkable for many. There are others like Torchy's, a pizza place, Waterloo (ick), Starbucks, a couple of ice cream/yogurt places, etc. It seems pretty similar to Mueller's offerings, but more sit down establishments. Does the Alamo at Mueller have a bar? 400 Rabbits is pretty nice at our neighborhood Alamo.
Retail- I think we are not looking at this the same way. You are correct that we don't have any big box stores in Circle C, unless you count our HEB. Mueller does. However, this is what makes Mueller seem so suburban to me (and the mass produced housing). I'm from suburban Chicago and big box stores and strip malls like what is around Mueller are exactly what the suburbs are like there. I'm not sure what someone from Houston would define as urban vs. suburban though. I'm just pointing out that Mueller doesn't seem urban to me and a big part of that is all the big box stores that surround it.
Commute times- I'd agree that the South Mopac Target is about 10 minutes from downtown. It takes me 7-10 minutes to get over there depending on how I hit the traffic lights. When I looked at the commute times, it was 16-18 minutes from Circle C to just north of the river downtown (mid afternoon). It was 15-17 to the same place from Mueller. Traffic obviously changes things. I used to regularly drive from my home to Central East Austin between 3-4pm. It would take me 25 minutes there and 30 minutes home. The one day a week that I drive from Dell Children's around 4pm, it takes 20-25 minutes on I-35 to get to the river.
I'm not really sure where we are going with all of this. I guess what I was trying to convey is that if the goal is to live in an urban setting, Mueller might not be the right place. I've been very clear that I don't like it and tried to explain why, but the OP might think it's a great place and a way to ease into the suburbs if that feels right for them. Great for them if that it the case! I just think it's not the family utopia that some people think it is and tried to express why I thought so. We all have our own priorities though.
What about the Grove development? I don't know a ton about it, but maybe that would appeal to the OP. I think it's a master planned community, so if Mueller is appealing this might be a good fit. The schools are much better over there and it's close to the University. I have no idea what the price point is.
I recognize your point that you are trying to make; that Mueller is more suburban then urban and may lack the character of an urban area that OP (who hasn't come back) may have. My point in continuing to comment is that Mueller DOES have character and convenience that may be a good fit.
I'll comment one more time on the restaurants that are nearby that aren't in that mega shopping center right off of the highway. Colleen's is a great brunch spot. B.D. Ridley's is a fun spot for drinks. Boa'd Up has amazing Pho from what my friends have said. (I know y'all have Madame Mam's on Brodie, so it may be an equal exchange). Gino's Vino (although I've heard mixed reviews), Stella Public House, Xian Sushi, Halcyon, L'oca d' Oro, etc. This is an outdated article about the restaurants, but it gives good insight to the food situation. And another comment, y'all do have food truck nights, but are those open to non-residents? Because Mueller is a public park and is open to everyone. Now, I know this speaks to your perspective and what you and your family are looking for, so it may be a moot point. But, another thing I like about Mueller (despite your believe that it is suburban) is that is attracts all types of Austin to its area. It's not uncommon to to a see a hipster millenial riding a scooter or walking their dog crossing paths with a Latino family taking photos of their daughter for their quince or a family with their kids riding their bikes on a trail. For me, the chance to have a child exposed to that varied experience is important. As someone who works in schools (your schools, actually) I understand, again, where you're coming from and why Circle C is a good place. I know it's a wonderful area. Again, I'm just trying to say that there is character to the area and isn't the suburban blob dropped in the middle of Austin that you think it is.
On another note, is it just me or is the CIrcle C Starbucks slower then the one on Brodie? (I'm equal distance from both at my home base for work and alternate but go to the Brodie one more since it feels faster). And what time do you leave to get to DCMC in 20 minutes? I'm working there part time and it takes me 45 to get there from Onion Creek/35 leaving at 7am (maybe that extra time from south Austin eats into it? But I've gone up the new toll road and it's about the same amount of time....
Last edited by ashbeeigh; 06-24-2019 at 06:42 PM..
Actually, I know several families that bike to Maplewood AND Blanton. Middle schools may be tough, though. Circle C is a great bike to school location, I agree. The trails allow great kid access to Gorzycki. I’m not sure about Bowie but for sure all the elementaries are bula le. However, to say Mueller isn’t bikeable to school is wrong.
I recognize your point that you are trying to make; that Mueller is more suburban then urban and may lack the character of an urban area that OP (who hasn't come back) may have. My point in continuing to comment is that Mueller DOES have character and convenience that may be a good fit.
I'll comment one more time on the restaurants that are nearby that aren't in that mega shopping center right off of the highway. Colleen's is a great brunch spot. B.D. Ridley's is a fun spot for drinks. Boa'd Up has amazing Pho from what my friends have said. (I know y'all have Madame Mam's on Brodie, so it may be an equal exchange). Gino's Vino (although I've heard mixed reviews), Stella Public House, Xian Sushi, Halcyon, L'oca d' Oro, etc. This is an outdated article about the restaurants, but it gives good insight to the food situation. And another comment, y'all do have food truck nights, but are those open to non-residents? Because Mueller is a public park and is open to everyone. Now, I know this speaks to your perspective and what you and your family are looking for, so it may be a moot point. But, another thing I like about Mueller (despite your believe that it is suburban) is that is attracts all types of Austin to its area. It's not uncommon to to a see a hipster millenial riding a scooter or walking their dog crossing paths with a Latino family taking photos of their daughter for their quince or a family with their kids riding their bikes on a trail. For me, the chance to have a child exposed to that varied experience is important. As someone who works in schools (your schools, actually) I understand, again, where you're coming from and why Circle C is a good place. I know it's a wonderful area. Again, I'm just trying to say that there is character to the area and isn't the suburban blob dropped in the middle of Austin that you think it is.
On another note, is it just me or is the CIrcle C Starbucks slower then the one on Brodie? (I'm equal distance from both at my home base for work and alternate but go to the Brodie one more since it feels faster). And what time do you leave to get to DCMC in 20 minutes? I'm working there part time and it takes me 45 to get there from Onion Creek/35 leaving at 7am (maybe that extra time from south Austin eats into it? But I've gone up the new toll road and it's about the same amount of time....
I've never been to the food truck nights, but I can't see how it wouldn't be open to the public. They probably aren't really advertised outside the community, but it's just in a parking lot. I don't think anyone is checking the resident lists! Sweet Caroline's snoballs is a permanent trailer in the neighborhood.
I appreciate what you have to say about diversity. I agree that there is no economic diversity in Circle C, but there is a decent amount of cultural diversity at least at our elementary school. My kids pursued other school options out of the neighborhood for middle and high school in part because of the lack of diversity and were much happier with that school environment. Considering the price of the homes, I doubt that Mueller neighborhood has much economic diversity either, but the schools that they feed to obviously do.
It's not 20 minutes to the Children's hospital from the neighborhood. I was pointing out that it takes 20-25 minutes to get downtown from that area. It's pretty consistently 45 minutes during rush hour and 35 without traffic.
The speed at Starbucks is hit or miss. It depends on who is working!
We have two little kids and moved to Mueller from NYC and love it. It is heaven for kids. My priorities changed after having kids. I lived in Hyde Park when I was in college at UT and always thought I'd want to eventually live there or Allandale or Crestview in a cute old house with character. Turns out, once I had kids I really just wanted sidewalks and a garage and a playground in walking distance and a newer house that wouldn't be a money pit. So...Mueller it was!
The schools are not highly rated but they're economically and racially diverse - I think that's a tradeoff in a lot of places. If you dig into the data, you'll see that there are huge disparities between different demographics. At Maplewood Elementary for example, it's rated 4/10 overall but on test scores it's 1/10 for low-income kids and 8/10 for non-low-income. It's 1/10 for black students, 4/10 for Hispanic students and 10/10 for white students. I don't know what exactly to make of all of that but my takeaway is that my kids will probably be fine wherever, and ultimately I'd rather them be around all different kinds of kids (esp since my highly rated schools growing up were extremely homogeneous and that comes with its own issues). Our kids go to a diverse, low-rated charter school and we're happy with it. I've heard good things about St. Francis School if you want private.
Mueller definitely has a suburban vibe and I can't argue that it can look a little Stepford, definitely not the old-Austin feel. But for my day-to-day it's everything I hoped for and more. Things we do often:
- Go for a morning jog through the park
- Walk to KUTX music in the park on a Friday evening (they have a few throughout the year) where we often run into neighbors and kids' school/daycare friends
- Eat at food trucks
- Take kids out for a jog through the park, pick up breakfast tacos from Mosaic Market or WhichCraft (or Veracruz which will hopefully be back up and running soon - best in town), eat on the steps overlooking the pond
- Stop in the Thinkery for an hour (we have a membership that pays for itself)
- Play at the playground across from the Thinkery
- Get ice cream at Lick
- Ride bikes to the orchard, pick peaches/loquats, admire the sculptures along the way (giant spider, rocket, spore)
- Shop at Sunday farmer's market
- See a movie at Alamo Drafthouse
- Walk to the pool (lately we've been inviting friends and ordering pizza to the pool)
- Have a party in our alley with kids riding bikes/scooters, playing with sidewalk chalk etc. while parents hang out and drink
The other day we did my absolute favorite thing - got a sitter and went out and had fancy cocktails at L'Oca D'Oro and walked home.
After living in NYC for a few years, I really hated the idea of having to get in the car to do everything. Now we have 5 playgrounds in walking distance, 4 pools (including Patterson Park and Bartholomew), a lovely park and walking trails, grocery store, movie theater, a few decent restaurants in the neighborhood and many more a short drive away. Also the people are (for the most part) friendly, down-to-earth and welcoming if you make an effort. Whatever you decide, good luck with your move!
Commute home from my husband's work at 6:08pm is 27 minutes. Commute to Mueller is 22 minutes.
There are certain areas of Circle C that are absolutely walkable. It's a much larger neighborhood, but as a resident I would disagree with your generalization. There are different aspects of walkability too. For example, a large percentage of kids walk and bike to our neighborhood schools. Mueller kids can't do that I presume since they don't have a neighborhood school.
Google gives a range for a particular time.
at 6pm 78701 to mueller lake park is 12-26 minutes.
78701 to circle c is 24-50 minutes
Not sure what method you are using.
Kids walking to schools is a bit of a stretch, but sure circle c residents have walkability to their school. If that is a concern then cherrywood which borders mueller so has access to all the other mueller amenities also has school walkability, isnt cookie cutter like mueller, and is less expensive (though maplewood isnt a good school).
Again no one is wrong for the choices they make. Where I live is closer to being like circle C (with worse schools and more expensive houses). I love mueller and if I made my kids wants a higher priority, I would totally live there. It is heaven for kids. I have my personal priorities as higher than my kids so we live on a block with a hill and no kids that play outside. Mueller is unique in the austin metro.
One interesting neighborhood is balcones woods. The schools (davis, murchison, anderson) are a bit better than mueller, and there is walking access to the domain.
at 6pm 78701 to mueller lake park is 12-26 minutes.
78701 to circle c is 24-50 minutes
Not sure what method you are using.
Kids walking to schools is a bit of a stretch, but sure circle c residents have walkability to their school. If that is a concern then cherrywood which borders mueller so has access to all the other mueller amenities also has school walkability, isnt cookie cutter like mueller, and is less expensive (though maplewood isnt a good school).
Again no one is wrong for the choices they make. Where I live is closer to being like circle C (with worse schools and more expensive houses). I love mueller and if I made my kids wants a higher priority, I would totally live there. It is heaven for kids. I have my personal priorities as higher than my kids so we live on a block with a hill and no kids that play outside. Mueller is unique in the austin metro.
One interesting neighborhood is balcones woods. The schools (davis, murchison, anderson) are a bit better than mueller, and there is walking access to the domain.
The method I was using for those commute times was google. I would assume the higher end of that would be when UT is in session. Traffic is always heavier that time of year. This was the estimate for today.
We don't just walk to school in our neighborhood. I was just using that as an example. We walk to HEB, Starbucks, restaurants, and the park. I take a walk around the neighborhood most days. Coachtaylor's description of his/her life in Mueller was very similar to my life just a few years ago when my kids were little, except for The Thinkery part. Replace that with bike to the Wildflower Center, switch a couple of restaurant names, change party in the alley to party in the culdesac and you have Circle C, except a slightly longer commute, significantly better schools, and a larger house (pro for some, con for others) that is $150-200K less. We all have our priorities, but I know I would not be able to get pass the low rated schools in Mueller if I were doing it all over again.
I really don't care where anyone choses to live. The OP said they were urbanites and then said they were interested in Mueller. My opinion of Mueller is that it is similarly suburban to where I live and therefore maybe not what they are looking for.
Be patient until a place in North Campus that meets your needs is available.
Walk to work in 5 minutes. Don't even deal with traffic and parking. Sell your car.
On Austin Home Search right now, there are a bunch of homes in the 700K range with 3 bedrooms.
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