Locating a suitable neighbourhood in Austin (Allen, Spring: real estate, daycare, houses)

[bpbyrne]

Ok, I've been reading through most of the posts tonight, and there is a lot of great information - but I'm hoping there are no objections to me asking a "custom" question!

I'm relocating to Austin early this year from abroad. I will be working at IBM (NW - just off mopac), and would like to live in the hills area either side of 360. the problem seems to be cost! I'm relocating from an expensive country - so my budget is reasonably generour. Probably 400k - up to 500k for the right place. Ideally I'd like somewhere large (3000sqft+). I've picked this location remotely, because it seems to imply a short trip to the office, and reasonable accessibility to downtown. Are there other locations I should consider given the type of home I am looking for, and the location of my work? I would be keen to keep the commmute short.

Also, are there *specific* traffic blackspots west of the city? I will be visiting in January, and (perhaps oddly!) want to actually go drive through some of the worst bits ot get a sense for what they are really like! Where I love now is traffic hell, and I want to get a real comparison.

One final question. If I am thinking of semi-suburban areas like around 360 (or anywhere else that gets suggested) are there local suburban communities of restaurants etc that I would want to be near? I'm fond of anice meal out & not having to drive. What are taxi rates like to the city from say 8 miles out?

Lots of questions I know - and many existing posts are helping me form a strategy for my visit in January. Again, apologies if this is a bit of a repetition of some of the recent threads

Brian

[bpbyrne]

Forgot to mention. I have a wife and 2 year old, and am probably going through something of a suburban phase. Schools / childcare are a factor.

Thanks
Brian

[gigi927]

We live a few miles west of the 360/2222 interchange and we love the hilly terrain of this area. We have a 20 to 25 minute drive downtown during non-rush hour. If you don't mind older homes (not new construction) this area is very nice and for your price range you would easily get 3000 square feet plus. We are in an excellent school district and in fact, a brand new elementary is being opened right in our neighborhood in fall 2007. We are within 15 minutes of shopping, malls, pediatricians, yada yada.

I am not sure of what taxi rates would be from downtown to our home - as parents of a 3.5 year old and an 18 month old, we never drink enough anymore to warrant us not driving . We have some okay-to-pretty-good restaurants nearby, but not much with a downtown-y sort of feel.

Do a search on any of the real estate websites for zip code 78730. our neighborhood is called River Place, so if you're on a site with a subdivision search, try narrowing the search that way. You can also Google River Place Country Club and get some photos on what the neighborhood looks like. I know there are some neat home areas also around the Arboretum area that we've driven through. I also really like the pocket of homes off the 2222 between Mopac and the 360, but closer toward Mopac. Not sure how big the houses get over there but it's a very hilly, mature area and you are really close to everything in that neck of the woods!

Good luck and PM me if you have any questions about River Place specifically!

I am not sure where on Mopac IBM is located so I can't comment specifically on commute; fortunately we are work from home folks!

[plaidmom]

I believe gigi927 is refering to Northwest Hills.
I lived the neighborhood for ~6 years and have many friends who work(ed) at IBM. The zip is 78759 if you want to search for real estate.

You pretty much want to stay inside of "loop" 360 if you want to walk/bike anywhere. The newer neighborhoods up by the Arboretum madhouse are extremely difficult to access on foot.

The NW Hills area met my needs for bike/walk-ability. Steck, Spicewood Springs and Far West are all commercial. I was able to walk/ride to a grocery store, a branch of the public library, the post office, and several cafes, coffee shops, and pizza joints (not sure if they are all still there, lol). There is (was?) a pedestrian-only bridge crossing Mopac that allowed me to tap into Austin's bike lanes(via the Allendale neighborhood) and travel all over the city.

The J (Jewish Community Center) is in the area and has excellent facilities (and no you don't have to be Jewish to join...). I can't answer your questions re: daycare/elem school. My daughter was in Jr. Hi and High School when we lived in the area. We used the public schools in the neighborhood and were pleased with them. It is a shady, hilly, older well-establish area. I would define the neighborhood as bordered by 183 on the north, 2222 on the south, Mopac on the east and 360 on the west.

Good luck with your hunt!

[Rnelson]

What you are looking for should be fun! Your price range and availability of homes on the market should make your search enjoyable and a blast. That area can get crowded with traffic but I think you can get close to your work and have a amazing view from your back porch. Also Lake Austin is 5mins and Lake Travis is 8mins so if you ever get the need to take a swim our a boat ride the water is around the corner.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by plaidmom

I believe gigi927 is refering to Northwest Hills.
I lived the neighborhood for ~6 years and have many friends who work(ed) at IBM. The zip is 78759 if you want to search for real estate.

You pretty much want to stay inside of "loop" 360 if you want to walk/bike anywhere. The newer neighborhoods up by the Arboretum madhouse are extremely difficult to access on foot.

The NW Hills area met my needs for bike/walk-ability. Steck, Spicewood Springs and Far West are all commercial. I was able to walk/ride to a grocery store, a branch of the public library, the post office, and several cafes, coffee shops, and pizza joints (not sure if they are all still there, lol). There is (was?) a pedestrian-only bridge crossing Mopac that allowed me to tap into Austin's bike lanes(via the Allendale neighborhood) and travel all over the city.

The J (Jewish Community Center) is in the area and has excellent facilities (and no you don't have to be Jewish to join...). I can't answer your questions re: daycare/elem school. My daughter was in Jr. Hi and High School when we lived in the area. We used the public schools in the neighborhood and were pleased with them. It is a shady, hilly, older well-establish area. I would define the neighborhood as bordered by 183 on the north, 2222 on the south, Mopac on the east and 360 on the west.

Good luck with your hunt!

Thanks for educating me on what that area's called, plaidmom! My description was muddled at best! If we ever decide to move closer in we'd definitely check that location out.

[OntheMoveAGAIN]

Brian,
Hi and Congratulations on your new job and move to Austin. One thing I'd like to add to your data collection is the matter of Property tax in Austin. You mentioned you are moving from abroad so it may be something you weren't aware of and to consider when you talk about the house budget. It's not unknown to pay $5-6K per year on a $175,000 house.
There is a website that outlines roughly what the different property taxes are:
Hope this helps oh and Seasons greetings!
T.

http://www.austin-chamber.org/DoBusiness/TaxesAndIncentives/TxProperty.html (broken link)

[lisahhh]

I don't know when you are coming in January, but to get a true feel for the traffic, it should be after UT classes resume. I'd say sometime after the 16th. There are 50,000 UT students, and who knows how many employees. THere is a marked difference in traffic when UT is in session.

[TanikaW]

We live in Steiner Ranch and it is a great family community. It has sidewalks through out, parks, pools, etc. They are putting new shopping/resturants inside the community so if I have my way I will never need to leave....besides work that is (LOL)

My husband and I often take a cab down town when we plan a night out and it costs us $35 each way....so that can add up. As far as resturants in the near area..you have some great choices that are within a very short distance. My favorite is Oasis and The Pasta House....