Round Rock--good and bad please (Austin, Lakeway: best neighborhood, real estate, houses)

[hts]

Ok, so I'm looking at Round Rock now (or perhaps more accurately, NW Austin?).

All three of our children currently attend charter schools here in Phoenix, so we're very familiar with pros/cons and now want the very best neighborhood public school we can find.

I had initially thought that was Westlake/Eanes and if I couldn't afford that, then Lakeway/Lake Travis High. I've just learned about Westwood in RRISD and it appears to me to be the equal (at least academically) of Westlake.

Please tell me your thoughts/experiences of the sections of Austin/Round Rock (Spicewood/Bull Creek, Great Hills, etc.) we'd have to live in in order to have our kids attend Westwood.

Obviously I realize that 1) this area of Austin is not nearly as affluent as Eanes/Westlake, and probably even less affluent than Lake Travis. 2) I get that this area is likely to be more racially diverse than either Eanes/Lakeway. 3) My understanding is that the topography of Round Rock (not sure it applies to the areas I'm looking at within the Westwood boundary map) is a lot less hilly/interesting that Lakeway/Lake Travis.

Household income is around $150k and as much as I'd like to give you a ballpark price for a house, it'll probably be somewhere between $300-$500k depending on size/age/condition/etc. given that I'll have to factor in significant property taxes.

Other than that, what others thoughts (good/bad) can you tell me about either this high school (Westwood) and/or the feeder neighborhoods? I work from home when I'm not on the road and my girlfriend probably won't work when we relo. I'm 47 and she's 36. Not that it matters, but we're white. We have 3 kids: 12/11/9. We're just looking for a great place to raise our family with top-notch schools. Our eldest currently attends one of the BASIS charter schools here in Phoenix, so we really are looking at a rigorous college-prep program.

Thanks!

[10scoachrick]

I know you're focusing mostly on schools now and the school districts are a bit wonky in Texas; but Round Rock the city is quite different from Round Rock Independent School District. I live in Avery Ranch, on the 'border' between Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD...in the city limits of Austin.

Looking to live in RRISD doesn't mean you will live in Round Rock. Round Rock is actually northeast-ish of Austin proper(approx 10 miles 'across town' from Great Hills, for example).

The RE experts on the board will direct you; but make sure they are clear that you are looking for the school district, not the city of Round Rock. The topography you mention changes dramatically in the 8-10 miles across the area known as 'Austin', changing from the relatively flatter area to the east...to the 'hill country' to the west.

Again, a real estate pro will know what area feeds into Westwood; but you would confuse the issue if you told a 'non-pro' that you were looking to live in Round Rock.

By the bye, there are some pretty high achievers attending the Leander ISD schools of Vista Ridge HS and Henry MS, fed by the 'western' 2/3 of Avery Ranch(just to the west of the city of Round Rock, but within the Austin city limits).

[hts]

Thanks. I tried to be clear in my initial post, but perhaps I wasn't.

I'm really only looking for info on both Westwood High and the community that feeds into it (I guess that's probably more accurately referred to as NW Austin rather than Round Rock?).

[texantodd]

I recently moved to Round Rock myself, though more to the east side of it. I really love the area, and there are some very nice restaraunts around the area that you are talking. The homes are nice enough, the school district is great. I am very happy here myself so far. Easily accessable to either things in Austin by a short jump south, or to the hill country with a quick ride north. Plenty to do in the area.

My one pet peeve is the ABUNDANCE of toll roads that depending on where you are heading almost necessitate you using them to some extent. I hate toll roads passionately, so that is a big issue to me.

But besides that I couldn't recomend Round Rock highly enough. We seem to have some fun/quirky spots of our own to hang out and do things, and be very "centrally" located in my opinion to a great number of things to do in any direction you want to pick and head towards.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by hts

Thanks. I tried to be clear in my initial post, but perhaps I wasn't.

I'm really only looking for info on both Westwood High and the community that feeds into it (I guess that's probably more accurately referred to as NW Austin rather than Round Rock?).

I would restart or re-title your thread then. There is a big distance and difference between Round Rock and Westlake.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by hts

Thanks. I tried to be clear in my initial post, but perhaps I wasn't.

I'm really only looking for info on both Westwood High and the community that feeds into it (I guess that's probably more accurately referred to as NW Austin rather than Round Rock?).

You were darned clear for a newcomer . Indeed, asking about the area feeding into a particular school is much better defined than even asking about the district. That will narrow the search considerably(many on the forum will remind us that the personality and performance of schools within a district will vary somewhat).

I just wanted to make sure that Round Rock-the city-wasn't being used interchangeably with Round Rock-the school district.

I'll get out of the way now and let the RE folks chime in. Good luck with the search!

[centralaustinite]

Search the threads for "Westwood HS" and you will find a lot of information.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by hts

Ok, so I'm looking at Round Rock now (or perhaps more accurately, NW Austin?).

All three of our children currently attend charter schools here in Phoenix, so we're very familiar with pros/cons and now want the very best neighborhood public school we can find.

I had initially thought that was Westlake/Eanes and if I couldn't afford that, then Lakeway/Lake Travis High. I've just learned about Westwood in RRISD and it appears to me to be the equal (at least academically) of Westlake.

Please tell me your thoughts/experiences of the sections of Austin/Round Rock (Spicewood/Bull Creek, Great Hills, etc.) we'd have to live in in order to have our kids attend Westwood.

Obviously I realize that 1) this area of Austin is not nearly as affluent as Eanes/Westlake, and probably even less affluent than Lake Travis. 2) I get that this area is likely to be more racially diverse than either Eanes/Lakeway. 3) My understanding is that the topography of Round Rock (not sure it applies to the areas I'm looking at within the Westwood boundary map) is a lot less hilly/interesting that Lakeway/Lake Travis.

Household income is around $150k and as much as I'd like to give you a ballpark price for a house, it'll probably be somewhere between $300-$500k depending on size/age/condition/etc. given that I'll have to factor in significant property taxes.

Other than that, what others thoughts (good/bad) can you tell me about either this high school (Westwood) and/or the feeder neighborhoods? I work from home when I'm not on the road and my girlfriend probably won't work when we relo. I'm 47 and she's 36. Not that it matters, but we're white. We have 3 kids: 12/11/9. We're just looking for a great place to raise our family with top-notch schools. Our eldest currently attends one of the BASIS charter schools here in Phoenix, so we really are looking at a rigorous college-prep program.

Thanks!

I live in the area that feeds laurel mountain/canyon vista/westwood. Arguably the best if not one of the best school chains in the area. The area is very hilly and many of the houses in my area have great hill country views. You can look at google maps to see all the forested areas.

Keep in mind laurel mountain is about 50% asian, canyon vista is like 35% asian and westwood is around 25% asian so you may not like that. Westlake is much more white and has many more wealthy people whose kids are very competitive. Westwood is more upper middle class and has a lot of high tech kids and asians whose kids are very competitive.

If the asian aspect bothers you, then I still highly recommend lost creek.

Great hills is a slightly older community with houses built in the 80's. This means the people had their kids in the 80s and now many are in their 50's. It hasnt really turned over to the next generation yet.

Here is a boundary map
https://www.roundrockisd.org/modules...cumentid=18480

You can also go to trulia, do a search for austin, then add RRISD as an area. This will help you to see exactly what houses feed into westwood.


Only a small sliver of the main great hills down fireoak and maybe raincreek feeds into RRISD, the rest feeds into AISD.

I live in the dominion at great hills which was built out around 2000 and is in the very southmost region of the westwood area. There are a ton of kids, for example our cul de sac of 10 houses has about 20 kids. Houses run between 500-650K (about 150-180/sq ft)

Yaupon runs along a ridge with canyon hill country views on either side. There is easy access to downtown (about 15 minutes without traffic), the domain, and northwest austin shopping. It is also about 15 minutes to the lake, 25 minutes to the airport etc.

The arbor at great hills is an older section down the hill south on yaupon and is the furthest south in the boundary map. Some houses actually are in both RRISD and AISD. The arbor at great hills has houses that typically run about 100K less than the dominion since they are slightly older. Some of the houses on spicebrush are on like 5 acres of land and border a nice creek. There are a ton of hiking trails back there and there is also bull creek park and balcones canyonland preserve bordering the area as well

As you go north up to texas plume, yucca mountain, etc. The houses are older and there isnt a strong HOA. However the lots are bigger and you can do what you want with your house.

As you cross over spicewood springs there are a number communities like spicewood estates, spicewood at bull creek etc.

All of this is very hilly and is very much hill country. I believe the houses north of spicewood springs road run about 300-500k. They are far enough north that I think they would be difficult to get downtown during rush hour.

Since the dominion/arbor are in your price range, I would look there.

[Austin97]

I would also add that a lot of the canyon creek neighborhood feeds into RRISD (westwood) and the housing is very affordable in the 200-400K range. However the only exit is to 620 so you basically arent in austin as anderson mill rd can be very congested.

[mark311]

Your post has Steiner Ranch written all over it in my opinion. If you're cool with a cookie-cutter neighborhood, you'll get everything that you've asked for here. Westwood is good, but Vandegrift is similar. Steiner will have much newer and larger homes (with less character) within your price range, but it's further from downtown and the airport.