Moving to Austin for UT - housing advice needed (Carthage: apartment complex, rental)

[igor2]

Dear all,

I am moving to Austin from Philly. I Will be a grad student at UT, and am trying to find a place to live

The top three conditions for me are:
1) as close to campus as possible or convenient by shuttle, bus, or car
2) as cheap as possible (efficiencies OK)
3) safe -in the neighborhood sense - I have lived in downtown Philly for past two years, so I am OK with the "urban safe" - i.e. don't call attention to yourself and you will be OK - but not with "do not think of going outside after 10pm" "safe."

Other things that would be nice are:
1) bang for the buck factor - better value places
2) pets - I will eventually move over my dog and a cat
3) parking
4) proximity to the river/lake and outdoor parks / areas

I visited Austin once before, but just barely. I will be in town once before moving for a campus visit, but I doubt I will have much chance to explore.

I am trying to find a good neighborhood that will serve we well for at least the first year - I am fine with moving shortly after arriving - but want to be in an OK place when I arrive.

I would love to get apartment complex recommendations - or any other help I can get.

Thanks a lot.

Igor2

[Trainwreck20]

There are many UT 'satellite' neighborhoods. The three most popular are probably

1. Far West area (which is not far to the west, it is on Far West Blvd)
2. Hyde Park (just north of campus)
3. Riverside (south of the River, East of the interstate).

I am a bit out of the apt scene, so not sure on prices exactly, but FW and HP are similar priced, probably, but you trade off nicer apts (FW) for closer, older apts (HP). The shuttle to FW goes directly to campus and is very nice. HP is easy biking distance and has shuttles as well.

Riverside used to be (still is?) the cheapest, and, I think, has a mixture of older and newer apts. It is the roughest area of the three, but as a guy, I would not worry about it. For a girl, I would worry a bit more. Haven't been out that way in a while, so maybe my impressions are out of date.

Other places to look at:
East of I-35, due east of campus - used to be very rough, but quite improved. Price has probably gone up with the safety, though, too. Safety can vary within just a block or two in this area.

West campus - Very close, but much more expensive. Used to be frat land, probably still is .

Here is the shuttle bus map: PTS: Shuttle Map - System-Wide (http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/shuttle/austin-bus.html - broken link)
The shuttle routes further out either get you nice apts or cheaper apts than close in.

[TexasHorseLady]

Hyde Park is more north of 38th, if you're looking for housing. North campus is what the area between campus and 38th used to be called, so if you see something listed as being in north campus rather than Hyde Park, that's where it would be.

[S6Sputnik]

I will second the Wreck's choices. Google Map the areas and see what you like!

[ROSIE S]

I would suggest Manor Road. That is across IH35 from UT, and is fairly popular for UT students. That neighborhood is pretty nice but still convenient.

[Carthage56]

I'm pretty much in Igor's shoes. Anyone have an idea on what the general rental range for a 1 BR is in Hyde Park or Far West or Riverside? I'm sure I can find individual examples on Craigslist, but I'm curious to know what the general range to expect is.

I'm out here in L.A. and live in the San Fernando Valley. One bedroom in an "urban safe" part of the valley goes for about $950-$1200. Wondering/hoping it's not that high, but have heard that while Austin is not "L.A. Expensive" in terms of cost of living, it's not cheap.

Incidently... is there an income tax in Texas?

[Miaiam]

My husband and I lived in Austin for a while, he was a Grad student at UT. We had a hard time finding an apartment as we hadn't "pre-leased" any; as there are many students you should try to find something way in advance. UNFORTUNATELY, MOST APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH GOOD PRICES DO NOT ACCEPT PETS. It was essential for us to take ours, so we needed extra patience trying to find one. Also, the deposit you are charged for them is pretty expensive. We lived in the Hyde Park area, which was fairly safe. Sometimes we heard of car break-ins, but if you live in a big city this shouldn't be a problem to you. Check the UT shuttle routes and you will find great transportation to go to school. Far West is fine, but a bit too far... Hyde Park is closer and has grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, everything nearby. Hope this helps!

[neutrino]

Originally Posted by Carthage56

I'm pretty much in Igor's shoes. Anyone have an idea on what the general rental range for a 1 BR is in Hyde Park or Far West or Riverside? I'm sure I can find individual examples on Craigslist, but I'm curious to know what the general range to expect is.

I'm out here in L.A. and live in the San Fernando Valley. One bedroom in an "urban safe" part of the valley goes for about $950-$1200. Wondering/hoping it's not that high, but have heard that while Austin is not "L.A. Expensive" in terms of cost of living, it's not cheap.

Incidently... is there an income tax in Texas?

I rented a studio apartment in Hyde Park (near 45th and Guadalupe) for about $500/mo in 2005. Dunno what it is now, but I expect it's a lot more.

There's no income tax in TX.

[Francie Little]

Have you thought about buying a condo? Condos close to campus are a great investment, and you won't be throwing away rent for the next 4 years.......properties around campus are rare, so you would most likely not lose anything. Check out The Bungalows in the north campus area......easy walking distance to campus. They have a buyer financing package right now that would probably beat any rents you would pay for a year. And, they are really nice inside......most apartments or condos in the $1000/month range are going to be pretty nasty inside.......

[amberb1990]

check out longhornlanding.com 4 bedroom apartment each pay 415 a month furnished and free internet and cable. it is amazing right off of riverside. take ricerside and it takes you straight into congress and down town