Relo possibility to Austin...Love your input

[cBach]

Came across this article/blog, people thinking of moving here need to read it:

https://www.annawickham.com/why-im-n...-austin-texas/

[Cincyguy63]

Thanks CBach for suggesting this article but this is so far off the mark for my profile. First of, I am not choosing to move to Austin but my company is asking me to move somewhere in Texas from Ohio. I guess I could consider Waco, Dallas or San Anton. I'm not a 20-30 something trying to figure out life. I'm a mid 50's guy that's already figured out most of it. On the weekends when I get back from traveling all week I am sure we will love the healthy lifestyle, the outdoor activity, the sun shining more than 90 days in a year. That will be a blessing for me and my wife personally. I'll cuss at the traffic and cedar fever and all those young people eating barbecue, drinking beer and keeping their six pack abs. I really don't have high expectations for anyplace as no place is perfect. I'm happily married so the singles scenes will not be frequented. I guess the entire article for me might have been relevant 30 years ago. I did a small journey from Jacksonville to Orlando in my late 20's so yea, I can understand this ladies point of view. For the past 30 years, I settled in the midwest in a transient northeast neighborhood in Cincy (west side is only for the lifelong Cincy families). I've seem my share of friends come and go so any city has that. Not sure what the motivation is to fire an article over like that. It's a ladies perspective but I always liked the quote from Mister Rogers: Keep it "Simple and Deep" and find the joy in everyday beauty wherever the heck you find yourself...

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

Unless something has changed recently, Great Hills tracks to Westwood - not Anderson.

Most of great hills tracks to anderson, a very small part tracks to westwood (along yaupon and a little bit of the north part of raincreek)

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Cincyguy63

Thanks CBach for suggesting this article but this is so far off the mark for my profile. First of, I am not choosing to move to Austin but my company is asking me to move somewhere in Texas from Ohio. I guess I could consider Waco, Dallas or San Anton. I'm not a 20-30 something trying to figure out life. I'm a mid 50's guy that's already figured out most of it. On the weekends when I get back from traveling all week I am sure we will love the healthy lifestyle, the outdoor activity, the sun shining more than 90 days in a year. That will be a blessing for me and my wife personally. I'll cuss at the traffic and cedar fever and all those young people eating barbecue, drinking beer and keeping their six pack abs. I really don't have high expectations for anyplace as no place is perfect. I'm happily married so the singles scenes will not be frequented. I guess the entire article for me might have been relevant 30 years ago. I did a small journey from Jacksonville to Orlando in my late 20's so yea, I can understand this ladies point of view. For the past 30 years, I settled in the midwest in a transient northeast neighborhood in Cincy (west side is only for the lifelong Cincy families). I've seem my share of friends come and go so any city has that. Not sure what the motivation is to fire an article over like that. It's a ladies perspective but I always liked the quote from Mister Rogers: Keep it "Simple and Deep" and find the joy in everyday beauty wherever the heck you find yourself...

This article wasn't particularly aimed at you but there may be other people thinking of relocating.

As I said before, you seem to be a pretty good fit.

What it says about the transient nature of people here is true though.

[blakely]

Originally Posted by Cincyguy63

Well it's official, I will be relocating my family to the Lone Star state so sorry @ur mom, even if I wanted to too, I will be leaving snowy cold (yes it actually snowed last night -April 9th) OHIO as part of a promotion/ relocation mega tech company move. After talking it through with my college aged sons I think we have a plan. My 2nd semester freshman has decided to remain at U Cincinnati and finish out his CS Engineering degree and hopefully seek employment in the Texas markets after he graduates. He will be able to declare OH residency in Ohio so even if we move he's considered an OH resident. Blessing that Delta has a non-stop service starting in May direct to Austin from Cincinnati! For my HS sophomore we've narrowed down school districts to Lake Travis, Vandergrift (favorite right now) and Anderson (don't know much but heard good things). We will find a district which will drive us to locate the right house rental for the next 24 months.

Couple of questions:
1. Any suggestions on a real estate agent that might be able to assist us on locating a rental? We plan to make a trip down end of April/ 1st week May. Any thing I need to watch out for when looking for a rental?
2. Any pro's/ cons about our school district lists? My DW seems to really like the Steiner Ranch area. I on the other hand lean towards Bee Cave/ Lakes. This is all based on research as we've never seen the places.
3. Plan has us moving into rental mid July in order to get my son enrolled in whatever school district. Can anyone advise around HS enrollment? Should we be looking earlier to enroll? Could a school district be at max and deny enrollment of a family that's renting (not paying prop tax)? That would be a nightmare but I thought I read about something like that in Austin.
4. We do plan to look at Frisco as part of this trip. Based on everything I've read and what we are looking for (see OP), Austin seems to just fit on paper. Can anyone out there point me to a comparable side by side review of both areas?

I will have a lot more questions as this continues to unfold. Right now we are trying to rightsize a house we've lived in for 18 years.

Congratulations!

Regarding #2...I'm with you. I'd lean towards Bee Caves/Uplands area instead of Steiner, for a number of reasons, but traffic/city access being a big one. I don't think you'll have a problem with enrollment at the schools you're looking at.

[eirenecat]

Some Great Hills does track to Anderson--the areas which are zoned to Davis Elementary.

[Dynamoo]

Steiner isn't good at all. My own opinion. However, its not uncommon to hear a more alliterative pejorative regarding the place. Really, get people's opinion who live there.

1) Traffic is a nightmare.

2) Takes 40 minutes to get to the four points HEB during rush hour, that's about 5 miles.

3) You need a car to get everywhere

4) Every house looks the same

5) It will take you 35 minutes to get to the airport in the middle of the night. Well over an hour during rush hour. Maybe an hour twenty. Do you really want to be doing this 3, 4 times a month (6-8 times round trip)

6) It takes forever to get an Uber in Steiner.

7) Restaurant options are limited, and its another 40 minute drive into the city if you want more options or even visit a Central Market or Whole Foods.

8) There are only two roads in and out, and sometimes it takes ten minutes to leave the neighborhood

9) It's far from the nearest decent trauma center

10) (May not apply to you, and may even be a positive) Despite Austin voting overwhelmingly Democratic, it's one of the few places in Austin proper that voted for Trump in the 2016 election. The neighborhood has predominantly two ethnic groups. Whites and South Asian/Indians. Very very few Mexican/Latinos/Hispanics, Blacks, and East Asians.