My H and I are looking to move in the next few years, and Austin is a huge potential. We are active 40yo with dogs, no kids, and love being outdoors (especially love walking our dogs). We also love exploring, trying new foods, and being close/accessible to great restaurants, nightlife (not nightclubs, but nicer bars), and outdoor activities.
Can you recommend some good neighborhoods we should be looking at that fits this bill? We are fine to drive up to 30 minutes from downtown.
I don’t really have neighborhood recommendations because I grew up in Lake Travis and that’s further than you’d want to be. Traffic has gotten pretty awful, so I would say the closer you can get, the better. There are plenty of residential neighborhoods bordering downtown to look at.
I’d reach out to a realtor or two just to get some basic information. They can likely help point you in the right direction and most are willing to do so in hopes they will earn your business later on.
It sounds like Austin would be a great fit for you though. There’s so much to do in and around the downtown area, with plenty of parks, lakes, trails, etc. and the food scene is fantastic. Also, tons of bars with live music on the weekends. It really is a great city.
Do you prize house size or proximity to amenities?
I live in a smallish place in north-central Austin and use public transit if at all possible to go downtown, but if that’s not your jam, my recommendations might change.
Austin traffic is probably worse than you’re imagining, so I’d much rather be central (I work central). I live in Crestview and love it. Nearby neighborhoods with great amenities include Allandale, Brentwood, and North Loop. You can get a nicely redone house in those areas in your price range.
More ambitiously, you can look at Rosedale, Hyde Park, or Travis Heights on the other side of the river - but those might be out of your price range.
I'm in Austin - when you are talking about 30 min from downtown, what is that for? Nightlife? Work? 30 min will depend on the time of day, for sure. Traffic here is rough, and I would be more inclined to figure out where you want to live based on where you'll be working.
Traffic is terrible. Full stop. Depending on the direction your going, morning rush hour starts at 7 and ends around 9:30 AM. Afternoon rush hour starts around 4 and doesn't end until close to 7:30 (again depending on direction.)
We have TWO major highways that run north and south through the city for a metro area that has more than 2 million people. Consider that it will be worse by they time y'all get here.
I live far south (just east of Circle C). I would recommend Allendale, Brentwood, North Loop, Shoal Creek, Mueller, Rollingwood/Westlake/Lost Creek, Travis Heights, Rosedale, Hyde Park if you don't want to drive more than 30 minutes to downtown. However, in your price range, some of those neighborhoods might not have a lot of inventory.
If don't absolutely have to live in the 787 zip code, look into the surrounding bedroom communities like Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, and Leander to the north/northwest, Manor (east), or Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda to the south/southwest.
Definitely don't buy until you know where your employer will be. My husband has an amazing job at Metric/Braker (north of us, across the city). The commute to work is about 35 minutes. The commute home is 90 minutes. People have asked why don't we move to be closer to his work? Home prices. We bought in 2005. We could move and make a tidy profit, but I'll never get a $1200 mortgage again. Also, our property taxes in Texas are INSANE. Keep that in mind, too.
Austin is a great city and I have no desire to ever leave, but it's a metroplex. We are not a sleepy college town. We're a big city with the infrastructure of a sleep college town. Just keep that in mind that things are likely not to get better in that department in the next 3-5 years.
Do you prize house size or proximity to amenities?
I live in a smallish place in north-central Austin and use public transit if at all possible to go downtown, but if that’s not your jam, my recommendations might change.
Austin traffic is probably worse than you’re imagining, so I’d much rather be central (I work central). I live in Crestview and love it. Nearby neighborhoods with great amenities include Allandale, Brentwood, and North Loop. You can get a nicely redone house in those areas in your price range.
More ambitiously, you can look at Rosedale, Hyde Park, or Travis Heights on the other side of the river - but those might be out of your price range.
I wish I could say both- house and proximity, but as long as we're no father than 30 mins from amenities.
I'm in Austin - when you are talking about 30 min from downtown, what is that for? Nightlife? Work? 30 min will depend on the time of day, for sure. Traffic here is rough, and I would be more inclined to figure out where you want to live based on where you'll be working.