Advice on where to rent, considering my commute (San Antonio, Corpus Christi: apartment complex, rental)

[odie91]

Hello all,

I'll be commuting to a job which is south of downtown, near the intersection of Roosevelt and Route 13. I'm looking for advice on where to live, considering the commute.

I'm a young single male. From what I read, it sounds like I'd be happy at either the Stone Oak area, or near downtown (King William, Southtown). Being in the middle of the night life is not a huge requirement, though if I lived in that area I'm sure I'd find myself venturing out more. Exactly how bad would the commute be from the N or NW region down to my job location? Is it worth living closer to downtown just for the sake of an easier commute? Are there any other areas you suggest looking considering my situation?

I've lived in Chicago so I'm used to traffic, so when people say that traffic in SA is terrible, I'm not sure what they're comparing it to. Chicago traffic gets to the point where you are coming to a complete stop in the middle of the expressway. If san antonio "traffic" simply means it's congested but you're still moving along at 30 mph, I think I could tolerate that. I guess everything is relative....

Thanks in advance

[mojosalsa]

That area is being developed, I'd look for an apartment or a rental there in the Brooks area. Traffic there isn't too bad. If you want to live in Stone oak and work there, normal rush hour will take you a loooooong time. And in San Antonio, yes, traffic stops. On 410 and 1604 anyway. And 35. And 281 north of downtown. How much of a drive time are you willing to deal with? And what are your hours going to be? If you're not going to hit rush hour, you'll have much less of a headache.

The area to the south and west (of that intersection), inside loop 410 are older neighborhoods. Going towards the east, towards Brooks, and outside the loop on that side, is the newer development.

Southtown is a cool area, and the commute from there to your work won't be too bad, but 37 is under construction. I haven't lived in that area since before the construction, so I wouldn't know how that commute has changed. It used to be quick.

Long story short, 37S @ 90 to Military is not a bad commute. And its one of the few good ones.

[mojosalsa]

TransGuide Redirect

Check this out during rush hour, look at the cameras around the areas you are thinking about living during the times you'll be driving.

And when it rains, it's really fun!

[ashbeeigh]

I had a big long response but hit the back button....argh!

I have sat through traffic at 10/35 downtown to 10/1604 for an hour a few times. Traffic was moving but very slowly...like 15 miles an hour. If you're a seasoned commuter then that shouldn't be bad. But, it can get old.

That being said don't shy away from the northside if that's really where you want to be. We really aren't that big of a city. You can get anywhere in about 30 minutes without traffic. To avoid that occasional 1 hour commute stay inside 410, Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, Harmony Hills, Monte Vista, Woodlawn, etc.

Southtown/King William is a great area. Look there too, though, as mojosalsa said. I don't know much of the construction but I don't think it's too bad.

[odie91]

Well I definitely don't want a commute anywhere near an hour. Maybe I'm missing something, but Southtown/King William looks like it's only 3 or 4 miles from where I would be working. Is construction that bad that a 4 mile commute is something to still be worried about?

Also, looking north, if I stay within the 410 loop (e.g. Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, etc), am I still looking at hitting stand-still traffic? I assume I would be taking route 10 or 281 south?

I had no idea there were developments towards the direction of Brooks AFB. Never seen it mentioned before on this forum, and I certainly don't see any listings on Craigslist. Is there something I'm missing here, something I should be aware of about that area?

Thanks again.

[LovingSAT]

Maybe somewhere near Incarnate Word University. Beautiful area, what about that condo in Olmos Park? It is so nice. I forget the name of it but I am guessing someone knows what I am talking about.

Drive all areas and look around, San Antonio is absolutely beautiful! There is also an apartment complex downtown over the Majestic Theatre? How wonderful to be single and live downtown!

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by odie91

Well I definitely don't want a commute anywhere near an hour. Maybe I'm missing something, but Southtown/King William looks like it's only 3 or 4 miles from where I would be working. Is construction that bad that a 4 mile commute is something to still be worried about?

Also, looking north, if I stay within the 410 loop (e.g. Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, etc), am I still looking at hitting stand-still traffic? I assume I would be taking route 10 or 281 south?

You're right in that King William/Southtown is very close to where you will be working. That's a great area.

You shouldn't hit stop and go traffic if you stay within 410 unless there is planned construction, an accident, or some type of crazy activity going on in that area.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by odie91

Well I definitely don't want a commute anywhere near an hour. Maybe I'm missing something, but Southtown/King William looks like it's only 3 or 4 miles from where I would be working. Is construction that bad that a 4 mile commute is something to still be worried about?

Thanks again.

That's where I live. I used to commute to Brooks City Base and until December, drove to I37/Military every day (so construction was already happening). Though I moaned about the construction, it rarely meant more than a 5-10 minute delay. Without traffic/construction, the hwy route took maybe 10 minutes. The off-ramp at military can be a pain, even with the expansion. But it still isn't very long.

My house to BCB (old entrance on Old Corpus Christi Road) is 7 miles along S. Presa. If you're on Roosevelt and Military, you can just take S ST Mary/Roosevelt down. The only thing that slows you down are the school zones (3 on S. Presa, not sure how many on Roosevelt). It's still 15 minutes at most.

I highly recommend this area. Wonderful community. Combo of families, singles, couples w/o kids (straight and gay), empty nesters, artists, professionals of all types, and working class. It's a great mix. One street has a First Thursday Happy Hour every month. Lots of houses are also art galleries with occasional openings/showings. A few times per year we do a "Lavaca Crawl" - 5 houses, 30 minutes per house party, with big party at the last house.

[traficdogn]

Originally Posted by odie91

I'm a young single male. From what I read, it sounds like I'd be happy at either the Stone Oak area, or near downtown (King William, Southtown).

Since you are renting and already work close to downtown, I think the decision is pretty easy. I would definitely choose the downtown area.

It really makes no sense to add an hour or two to your commute everyday. There are already plenty of nice living options and activities to last at least a couple years down there.

While I do live in the northern area, I do find it a turn off when someone has no idea about what is going on in the city.

[odie91]

I am somewhat partial to newer developments, or at least renovated if it's an old building. Could I find such a think in King William/Southtown area? Sounds like these are older historic neighborhoods from what I've read.

Would many of the places downtown offer off-street parking?

How much am I adding to my commute if I live just slightly north of downtown (e.g. Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Monte Vista, Tobin Hill, etc)? (Again, I'll be working south of downtown, near Route 13 and Roosevelt).

Thanks again, please keep the suggestions coming. I will be visiting from out of state in a few months to go apartment hunting, so I want to know where to focus my efforts.