What can you tell me about the 78723 area code? (Austin: apartment complex, lease)

[centralaustinite]

Well, a lot can change before your twins are ready for middle school or high school! Hopefully, Reagan and Pearce will improve by then. Remember also that you can transfer to another middle school (like Lamar) and high school if there is space available (and enrollment numbers can change dramatically over the next 12 years, so even if Austin, Anderson, and McCallum are closed to transfers now, that doesn't mean that they will be then.

There are also magnet programs at middle schools: Kealing and Fulmore, and Ann Richards. Your kids might do well at LASA or the global studies magnet that is getting underway at Austin High.
http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=166
http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=030
http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=011
http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=007
http://www.agsaustin.org/

Anyway, it is always a struggle finding the place that is right for a particular child. (And you also run into school like my local elementary that has 99% of the Anglo kids passing the test but gets dinged as "unacceptable" because two sub-groups of fifth graders (economically disadvantaged and Hispanic) failed to met the standard in one area: science).

My friend in '23 sent her kids to the local elementary (not sure which one) and then to Kealing and LASA.

There are private school options too as well as charters like Harmony Science.

[jobert]

You can't transfer your kid into a school unless they are going to be a minority there.

[OA 5599]

I live in 78723 myself, in the Windsor Park neighborhood. While the houses are well-built, have large trees, and are generally well taken-care of, the neighborhood gets sketchy fast as you go east. I'm a grad student and live in a house with several other grad student roommates, and we picked the neighborhood because it is very convinient to campus, downtown, shopping, and the rental prices are MUCH lower than Hyde Park. I think as far as buying goes, most of the houses on our street (three bedrooms built in the late 1950's) go for $175-200k.

However, if I was staying in Austin any longer (I'm graduating and leaving in May), I would seriously reconsider staying in this neighborhood. Within the past few months it seems to have been pretty sketchy here. The shootout between the Austin Police SWAT team and some criminals armed with automatic rifles and body armor happened within half a mile of my house, I've watched some domestic disputes go down on my street resulting in someone driving very drunk and very fast down our quiet street, I watched the police helicopter fly around and spotlight someone for the better part of an hour within 3 or 4 blocks of my house. One of my roommates watched a guy run through our yard who was being chased by the police, and we've encountered some rather sketchy people parked in front of our house (like they were staking it out for a possible burglary). As I said, all of this has happened in the past few months...I've lived here for a year and a half and only recently have we had any incidents. None of the crime has been directed towards me or my roommates, but we are pretty cautious now when it comes to locking things and watching for suspicious activity.

All of our neighbors are great and friendly however, and we all watch out for one another. I think the housing stock, convenience to just about everything in Austin, and prices are great, but beware, as this neighborhood is somewhat sketchy.

EDIT: I forgot another incident...I was laying in bed asleep one night a couple months ago and heard someone unload a gun of some sort. Ten shots right in a row...I know what gunfire sounds like, and this was gunfire for sure. Heard some sirens a few minutes later, but couldn't find anything on the news about it. I think if more decent people continue moving in this neighborhood it could improve (a lot of decent people already live here), but if you do plan to move for the prices, housing stock, and convenience, you should expect that you may have some of the experiences that I've had in this neighborhood...not bad, but sketchy.

[centralaustinite]

Jobert,

You are incorrect. AISD transfer policy can be obscure but they do have an open transfer policy. If space is available in a school you can transfer. Majority to minority transfers do get priority but there are plenty of people who work downtown and transfer their kids into Matthews. Gullet Elementary in Allandale is nearly 40% transfer students, nearly all of them Anglo. People transfer into Casis as well as out of Casis!

Here is a great Austin Chronicle story about transfers in AISD
News: Shrinking Schools: While the suburbs sprawl, central city schools count their children – and their blessings - The Austin Chronicle

Here is what AISD says:
Austin Independent School District : Transfer Information (http://www.austinisd.org/academics/parentsinfo/transfer/index.phtml - broken link)

They describe the three catagories of "priority transfer" but that does not mean that folks not in those catagories cannot transfer, they do if space is available.

[readymade]

Does Armenian count as a minority? Heh. I have yet to meet another one in Austin!

[runnermom75]

we're a white, upper middle class family that has lived in Windsor Park neighborhood in 78723 for 6 years and love it! we know all our nieghbors and it's a fun, funky, diverse neighborhood, and a great place to raise our 4 kids. we have not had our kids in the public school system, but plan to in the future. Blanton Elementary is currently considered "recognized" and is hoping to receive an "exemplary" rating this year after test results are compiled. we walk the neighborhood regularly and feel very safe. all in all, it's a great little neighborhood!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by readymade

I was driving around the 78723 area today, and found some really cute pockets. The real estate prices seem too good to be true. Are they?

It's the area east of 35 and just north of 51st St.

Mueller is right over there and that whole area is getting gentrified. Im not putting money on it, but I think it will be ok. If kids are 5 years out then you dont need to worry about schools for 10 years .

[CptnRn]

City Data demographic information for zip code 78723

Austin Police Dept. Crime rates by zip code (http://malford.ci.austin.tx.us/police/zipcode/zipcode/zip_2008.pdf - broken link)

[cls88]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I've known several UT grad student families who live in that neighborhood. There are definitely many "hidden treasure" pockets of it, and I really think that the whole zip code is pretty solid.

I live in this area and have met quite a few graduate students, post-doctorals, and other researchers in this neighborhood. There are some older folks (most Anglos if it matters) who bought and lived in the neighborhood since it first built in the 1950s, including our 2 closest neighbors (I don't know why is so with the segregation history etc., and will ask them some day.)

OP, if you walk around in the evenings, you will see more Anglos watering their yards or taking a walk, and you will see more minorities during other time of the day.

In the past 2 years we have lived there, we didn't have any problems or crimes against us (no car or house break-ins). I feel safe having my daily walk in the evenings.

[Flaco09]

I know it's not the original idea of the post but, can anyone tell me about the 78754 zip code? any comment is appreciated