Pros and Cons of living in Sun City Georgetown (Austin: cul-de-sac, crime)

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by BijouBaby

It is not "verboten" to park a car permanently in the driveway, but it is discouraged because it detracts from the aesthetics of the street. Let's face it, cars parked permanently anywhere outside the garage (driveway, street, etc) just looks worse than properties that house their vehicles in the garage.

My street (in SC) used to have very few houses with cars parked in the driveway, but many of those people moved and sold their houses to new owners who keep pickups, cars, whatever, parked in the driveways and it has definitely made the street look worse.

Why the heck do people need THREE cars anyway?

In my opinion, the section of SC that I live in has gone down in the few years I've live there, and this is one reason why. New residents don't seem to have the same pride in taking care of their properties as the previous older, often original owners did.

For example, the two houses across from me both had their cars parked in the garage. New owners now have their older pickups parked in the driveway every day because they're using their garages to store crap. Same goes for other "newer" owners on the street. Just looks cheesy and brings down property values in my opinion.

I wish the CA did not allow vehicles to be permanently parked on driveways. (and this opinion is coming from one of those younger, "newer" owners).

I find myself wondering where the idea came from that the very sight of cars in a driveway that is intended for parking is anaethema came from. Somehow the picture of a hand holding a teacup with its pinky stuck out comes irresistibly to mind.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I find myself wondering where the idea came from that the very sight of cars in a driveway that is intended for parking is anaethema came from. Somehow the picture of a hand holding a teacup with its pinky stuck out comes irresistibly to mind.

Well, I don't have quite that image, but I do agree - we are supposed to hide our cars? I dislike when they are parked across the sidewalk (and it is against city code), but otherwise I have no issues nor do I think it looks tacky/trashy. I do waver a bit when people constantly park on the street, but it isn't the aesthetic so much as the safety issue with kids. And it is only a slight waver - it is (generally) legal and I will stick to my more libertarian roots .

I know one HOA for a town home community - you are not allowed to store stuff in your garage. If they see you garage open and boxes/shelves/etc. in there, you will get cited.....

[IC_deLight]

Yeah, why should every property owner be saddled with trying to appease folks with OCD issues about other people's property? Notions of beauty or unsightliness are necessarily subjective in nature. Giving someone an aesthetic veto over a neighbor's use of his land is a recipe for legal chaos. (see, Rankin v. FPL Energy, LLC, 266 S.W.3d 506 (Tex.App.-Eastland 2011).

[nana51]

Well excuse me. My husband a retired mechanic and has a very old Mercedes that he is reluctant to get rid of. It is handy to have an extra car in case of breakdowns. We don’t live in each other’s pockets. We each need a car. Hopefully we will find a home with a three car garage. I’ve already said the cars are driven everyday pockets

[nana51]

I’ve already said we will drive the car every day. It is also not a pick up truck. We put our cars in the garage, not junk

[Occams-razorback]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I keep hearing about this Georgetown in regard to the Austin area for retirees. What I would like to know is Austin itself a poor location for younger retirees due to what seems to be a young age population in that city. I posted this sometime ago, I did not even get one response, I felt it was a red flag the population was young and would not reply to my post. I have heard Austin compared to Portland on a number of things including the young age population. I don't want to live in Portland south, is Austin really that young and out of sync with other age groups. Georgetown sounds very nice, but I don't feel Im ready for that type of setting yet. I really want out of this climate next year, but my research on city data is really not getting me anywhere. Thanks.

My 29 y/o son lives in Austin and loves it. I was there two months ago and had a blast. It is a great, lively city that is growing at a fantastic pace. Traffic is quite bad there with no relief in sight. I'm 67 y/o and while I love visiting there, I don't think living there would be for me, at least at my age. I'm a long way from poor and am retired for almost 7 years. The city would be an expensive alternative to my very comfortable Midwestern suburban existence. If you're quite well fixed financially, Austin could be a great choice. Another city idea that would be quite a bit cheaper might be somewhere in the San Antonio area. It is a vastly under rated city in my opinion and if I was serious about a move to central TX, it would be very high on my list. Housing would generally be a LOT cheaper in San Antonio than in Austin. Traffic, while busy there, would not be as frenetic as Austin. Apple is preparing to add a lot of capacity in Austin and it will make traffic worse and housing more expensive. There are a ton of creative and very bright young people there(Austin) that energize the place. The city becomes ever more cosmopolitan as corporate and tech transfers come in to the city from all over. You better like heat because it is VERY hot there for months at a time. Winter is generally mild with only rare snow but it gets pretty cold there for a couple of months. Good luck!

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by Occams-razorback

My 29 y/o son lives in Austin and loves it. I was there two months ago and had a blast. It is a great, lively city that is growing at a fantastic pace. Traffic is quite bad there with no relief in sight. I'm 67 y/o and while I love visiting there, I don't think living there would be for me, at least at my age. I'm a long way from poor and am retired for almost 7 years. The city would be an expensive alternative to my very comfortable Midwestern suburban existence. If you're quite well fixed financially, Austin could be a great choice. Another city idea that would be quite a bit cheaper might be somewhere in the San Antonio area. It is a vastly under rated city in my opinion and if I was serious about a move to central TX, it would be very high on my list. Housing would generally be a LOT cheaper in San Antonio than in Austin. Traffic, while busy there, would not be as frenetic as Austin. Apple is preparing to add a lot of capacity in Austin and it will make traffic worse and housing more expensive. There are a ton of creative and very bright young people there(Austin) that energize the place. The city becomes ever more cosmopolitan as corporate and tech transfers come in to the city from all over. You better like heat because it is VERY hot there for months at a time. Winter is generally mild with only rare snow but it gets pretty cold there for a couple of months. Good luck!

Great post! Do you have any insight into the healthcare in Austin? That would be a big priority for any retiree considering Austin as a destination. It is a great city, very lively, and as you mentioned, expensive. I'm glad to hear you felt comfortable visiting, as a retiree. I think most college towns/cities are welcoming to all ages. Where are you living in the midwest?

[oldguard]

I live in Austin. You can have it. It's crowded and too expensive BUT I know what I pay for everything.

Questions for those of you who live in SC

1. Are their choices for your Internet provider(s)? If Yes, who are they?
2. How much does golf memberships cost at their courses?
3. Can you put a temporary building in your backyard for storage?
4. What are the medical facilities out there?

Thx
OG60

[Ceece]

It's strange to hear the grips about SC Georgetown since I know people in other SC's who obviously have HOA rules but don't seem to have the same struggles I'm seeing people post here.

[LibbyAA]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

"lots of people from California here - so - this can be a problem for some - for me - I ignore them." This was written by "mefirst" - might as well have been talking about rats. It has to be one of the most hurtful, prejudiced things I have read on this Forum. So much for the image of the accepting, open minded Austin.

Georgetown is NOT Austin!
It is much more conservative.