Neighborhoods close to downtown, but with good schools? (Austin, Round Rock: apartment, lease)

[campbetc]

Hi all - our family may have an opportunity to move from Northern VA to the Austin area in the next few months. It's early, but I'm starting to think about where we might want to focus a housing search.

We're in our mid-30s with two small kids, ages 4 and 6. Right now, we live in a very car-dependent suburb, and it's not the best fit for our interests, jobs, and activities. I wouldn't want to be right downtown, but I'd love to be somewhere that's at least a little bit walkable, and within fairly easy access to downtown. My husband and I are both musicians (on the side; we have day jobs) and would be eager to get involved at least peripherally in that scene.

My husband's job, the one we'd be moving for, would be in Cedar Park. I would be looking for work and would ideally like to work downtown. Several people have recommended the Crestview/Allendale/Brentwood areas as possibilities for us, or at a slightly higher price point, Rosedale or Hyde Park. I'm not sure exactly what our housing budget would be, but I'd say approximately $600K to buy.

In the research I've been doing, it looks like there are some highly rated elementary schools in all of those areas, but the middle and high schools (particularly the middle schools) look iffier. On the other hand, I know it's not always about the test scores and what looks best on paper. Our daughter attends first grade at an elementary school that has lower test scores, but it's mainly because the the school draws from some very diverse neighborhoods with families whose first language is not English. Her school is amazingly culturally rich, we love the teachers and the principal, and she is thriving there. So I'm definitely willing to be open-minded.

Can anyone recommend some places we might want to look? Thank you!

[Austinite101]

I'd recommend you look just west of DT Austin. Maybe you'd be interested in looking at 78703/Tarrytown. Very very nice neighborhood. Great public schools including the middle and high schools.

[centralaustinite]

You have been getting good advice!

Zilker/Barton Hills - OHenry Middle - Austin High would fit your needs. As would Doss-Murchison-Anderson (slightly less walkable). Slightly more walkable Gullet - Lamar (bit iffy but for the exact same reasons you mentioned in your current school)- and McCallum.

You will have magnet options for middle school (Fulmore -- Law, Humanities, Kealing -- advanced academic, Lamar Fine Arts) as well as your home school. For high school there is LASA, IB program at Anderson, and Fine Arts Academy at McCallum for any one who qualifies anywhere in AISD.

Many AISD families go public elementary, private middle school, then back to a public HS program (often magnet). You should be able to find something with your budget.

[campbetc]

Oh good to know, all of it! It's good that what I have been hearing so far seems on the money.

We need to take a trip there to really start to figure all this out; I guess that's the next step in deciding whether this is really going to happen. I'm from New York and NoVA is the furthest south I've ever lived.

[TexasHorseLady]

I'd take a good look at Barton Hills/Zilker. Close to downtown, it sounds like it would be a good fit on the little information we have, and within your price range. Your husband's commute would be, once he got across the river, a reverse commute from there to Cedar Park.

[austin0]

Austin, for one, is not very commute friendly city, more so in north-south direction. if your husbands job is in cedar park, then he will have to travel quite a bit from downtown. Even worse if it is in office rush time..

Another alternate can be to find a house in round rock, cedar park area.. These are kids friendly suburbs if you will.. RRSD has some excellent elementary schools in round rock, most of these exempalary. Dont want to start a debate on this, but rating wise, i think RRSD is better than Austin ISD. You can save quite a bit on house price as well and can elect to build a brand new house.. areas like pearson place and up north from there are having a lot of construction. yes, you will loose "living downtown" charm, but you can weigh in your options with kids..

i would suggest move in an apartment near downtown for a short term lease, explore options and then move as house is a big investment.

[TexasHorseLady]

austin0, the OP is looking for something walkable close to downtown and good schools. Their budget would appear to be able to accommodate that, if her husband is up to the commute.

[Austinite101]

I agree with HorseLady. The OP is looking for a less car dependent area in Ausitin, not Round Rock, which is the epitome of car dependence. Besides, the OP should be able to find an exelent home in one of the neighborhoods that have been suggested so far. These areas are nicer than most RR neighborhoods as well IMO.

[campbetc]

Yes, we have family in Cedar Park (that's the impetus for the potential move; he might be going into business with these family members). I've already looked into Cedar Park and Round Rock and I don't think that's what we want. My husband doesn't want a grueling commute, but from what I've heard, as long as he stayed north of the river (which I think would rule out Zilker?), he should be OK. He tends to like a slightly flexed schedule (say, 7:30 - 4) so that might help a bit as well.

[centralaustinite]

Zilker is just south of the river, so it wouldn't matter much, in fact getting on MoPac from Cesar Chavez can be a lot easier than getting on just two more exits south. Allandale or Crestview would give him a shorter commute.