Advice for Daughter Moving to SA (San Antonio, Austin: extended stay, 2015, apartment complexes)
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Our daughter is moving to San Antonio and will be working at the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is looking for apartments and is trying to keep her total rent/parking/fee payments to no more than $1200 per month. She has been looking on-line in the Alamo Heights area---two apartment complexes in particular---Urban Crest Apartments at 3819 Harry Wurzbach Rd and Lantower Apartments at 327 W Sunset Rd.
Both places seem to meet her rent requirements, and the commute looks reasonable (approx 20 minutes each way?)....it appeared by looking at the Crime map there is pretty significant property crime in both areas and in the case of Urban Crest, some more violent crime too. Is this assessment correct?
I suggested to my daughter she might want to look for a unit closer to the Medical Center, but she seems to think (and perhaps she is right) that there is not much in the way of stores, restaurants in that area, and it is relatively inaccessible to downtown.....I think she has visions of spending time there on weekends, etc. Anyway, is there any place near the medical center she might want to consider and/or anywhere else in SA that might be attractive to her with a reasonable commute to work?
Personally I think she’s underestimated that commute time except during times of a pandemic. Alamo Heights is one of the few parts of the county to have their own police force because of being incorporated and not assimilated by the city itself. So in general their crime is less than the city. Because of the affluent and party nature there it was an early spike point for covid in the county. People were theorizing because the residents were older and more people in that zip code travel internationally.
I think a safer community which is closer to med center and kind of In between AH and med center is Shavano Park. Not sure if apartments are available there or not. I have a friend renting near med center and she says her place is a dump but I think there are nicer places there too. Good luck.
It’s tough to make these decisions now. I’m going to use my example form in Austin and then come back to the Med Center. I chose to move over the summer. The area I moved to is in the outskirts of the city. The drive to get out of my complex was minimal during the summer when I visited. It was a little iffy turning left to get into the main road, but I shrugged it off. I left my apartment on the first day of school and it took me half an hour to move about a mile. I've been one of the many to get into a car accident at this intersection. I was unaware of this issue over the summer. If I'm remembering correctly, Sunset can get a little congested and is a two-lane road that leads out to much busier roads, correct?
Any commute right now is going to seem great now and it's going to be tough to decide if a commute is bearable right now. My family calls it "normal traffic" virus "corona traffic" I'll be driving down to spend some time with family today for monther's day and I'm planning on getting there in about 50-55 minutes. It usually takes about an hour and 10-15 minutes. You can see how there's a big difference in that commute. I don't think that google maps has updated completely to show only Corona traffic, so checking google maps for commute time would be advisable.
Now, let me get back to the actual city she’s moving to. Has she visited with any of her cohort? Does she know anyone who will be coming down here? Has she visited yet? What exactly is she looking for in regard to "stuff"? Clothing stores? Coffee shops? Walkability? Being outside and outdoors activities? A library to be able to get things done?
When I moved from SA in 2015 I was living just outside the medical center at Wurzbach and Callaghan. I lived there to get a bit closer to 90/410. That sucked and I bet it still does, but. Growing up in SA I underestimated how much “stuff” is actually in the medical center. I ended up meeting friends and exercising (I was training for a half marathon and triathlon at the time and was able to use the "medical Center track" and jump onto a 13 mile trail, the Valero greenway) there. Groceries were nearby, 10/410 were close.... there are places within her budget there. She’s close to her residency. She’s going to be spending most of her time at the hospital right? Why not live close and sleep in instead of getting up early to drive twenty-five minutes? I once lived about 1.2 miles from my office and let me tell you, being able to leave my hose at 8:15 and still get there before 8:30 was amazing. Shopping and stuff? If she’s not driving she’ll have issues. If she’s driving she’s out five minutes from Huebner Oaks And 15 del La Cantera. There are great little spots for food in 78229 and 78240. I remember going to Bakery Lorraine on a regular basis when I lived in the area. There aren't high brow fancy pants hipster spots there, but you can drive to those.
She can drive to AH, downtown, southtown, etc if that’s where she needs to be. But, that brings up a good point, will she be driving? Our public transportation is spotty, to say the least. The buses are plentiful right near the Medical Center, and I assume maybe 2-3 routes go through AH, but that should be taken into consideration if she will not have a car. She might not be ready to admit that she’s not going to be living in a “cool” place, but the Med Center isn’t that bad. Just read the reviews of the complex first as there are complexes that are not that great. Properry crime is an issue in San Antonio. I don't even think if you look at the gated neighborhood crim maps that you wouldn't find at least one car break-in. Oh, and a P Terry’s is being built there. I would move there just for the burgers snd cookie butter shake, but that’s just me.
Last edited by ashbeeigh; 05-10-2020 at 08:02 AM..
It’s tough to make these decisions now. I’m going to use my example form in Austin and then come back to the Med Center. I chose to move over the summer. The area I moved to is in the outskirts of the city. The drive to get out of my complex was minimal during the summer when I visited. It was a little iffy turning left to get into the main road, but I shrugged it off. I left my apartment on the first day of school and it took me half an hour to move about a mile. I've been one of the many to get into a car accident at this intersection. I was unaware of this issue over the summer. If I'm remembering correctly, Sunset can get a little congested and is a two-lane road that leads out to much busier roads, correct?
Any commute right now is going to seem great now and it's going to be tough to decide if a commute is bearable right now. My family calls it "normal traffic" virus "corona traffic" I'll be driving down to spend some time with family today for monther's day and I'm planning on getting there in about 50-55 minutes. It usually takes about an hour and 10-15 minutes. You can see how there's a big difference in that commute. I don't think that google maps has updated completely to show only Corona traffic, so checking google maps for commute time would be advisable.
Now, let me get back to the actual city she’s moving to. Has she visited with any of her cohort? Does she know anyone who will be coming down here? Has she visited yet? What exactly is she looking for in regard to "stuff"? Clothing stores? Coffee shops? Walkability? Being outside and outdoors activities? A library to be able to get things done?
When I moved from SA in 2015 I was living just outside the medical center at Wurzbach and Callaghan. I lived there to get a bit closer to 90/410. That sucked and I bet it still does, but. Growing up in SA I underestimated how much “stuff” is actually in the medical center. I ended up meeting friends and exercising (I was training for a half marathon and triathlon at the time and was able to use the "medical Center track" and jump onto a 13 mile trail, the Valero greenway) there. Groceries were nearby, 10/410 were close.... there are places within her budget there. She’s close to her residency. She’s going to be spending most of her time at the hospital right? Why not live close and sleep in instead of getting up early to drive twenty-five minutes? I once lived about 1.2 miles from my office and let me tell you, being able to leave my hose at 8:15 and still get there before 8:30 was amazing. Shopping and stuff? If she’s not driving she’ll have issues. If she’s driving she’s out five minutes from Huebner Oaks And 15 del La Cantera. There are great little spots for food in 78229 and 78240. I remember going to Bakery Lorraine on a regular basis when I lived in the area. There aren't high brow fancy pants hipster spots there, but you can drive to those.
She can drive to AH, downtown, southtown, etc if that’s where she needs to be. But, that brings up a good point, will she be driving? Our public transportation is spotty, to say the least. The buses are plentiful right near the Medical Center, and I assume maybe 2-3 routes go through AH, but that should be taken into consideration if she will not have a car. She might not be ready to admit that she’s not going to be living in a “cool” place, but the Med Center isn’t that bad. Just read the reviews of the complex first as there are complexes that are not that great. Properry crime is an issue in San Antonio. I don't even think if you look at the gated neighborhood crim maps that you wouldn't find at least one car break-in. Oh, and a P Terry’s is being built there. I would move there just for the burgers snd cookie butter shake, but that’s just me.
This is all very helpful. Yes, she will have "wheels" so won't be dependent upon public transportation. Sounds like that makes living out toward the medical center a bit easier. She has not yet been to SA.....she considered living in an extended stay hotel for a month to get a feel for the area and then moving into an apartment, but fr a variety of reasons she would rather find a more permanent place and only move once. It sounds like traffic is more of an issue than she had anticipated....good for her to know in advance.
This is all very helpful. Yes, she will have "wheels" so won't be dependent upon public transportation. Sounds like that makes living out toward the medical center a bit easier. She has not yet been to SA.....she considered living in an extended stay hotel for a month to get a feel for the area and then moving into an apartment, but fr a variety of reasons she would rather find a more permanent place and only move once. It sounds like traffic is more of an issue than she had anticipated....good for her to know in advance.
The extended-stay idea is not a bad idea. I would actually recommend staying in an AirBnB in the area she is considering. It gives you a feel for the area you want to live in as a resident as opposed to a hotel that is usually a bit more commercial. Maybe spent a few weeks in Alamo Heights and another few weeks in the Medical Center. My sister is spending a long weekend with her long-distance partner in a cute AirBnB in Beacon Hill in late May. And it really depends on what her idea of "bad traffic" is to justify traffic being bad or good. After being in Austin for five years I'd give SA traffic a 4/10 on bad and Austin an 8/10 bad. But, that's based on my experience of traffic. If she's coming from somewhere very urban it will be nothing. If she's coming from somewhere smaller than SA it'll be a shock.
I have lived in Medical Center since 2007 until present. So about 13 years now. I guess I will add some more personal opinion of my own here.
In fact I used to rent out the detached "apartment" in my garage to medical and dental students going to UTHSC for a few years which was something the previous homeowner of my home was doing and I carried on for a few more years. These type of rentals can be or was originally found through some listing service provided by UTHSC. I am not sure if they still do this. I stopped this and had my listing removed years ago but the additional income was pretty nice so I am sure many still do this within the area. They all loved the apartment as I am less than 2 miles away from UTHSC.
There are many many restaurants in the medical center. So many that I rarely ever have to leave the area to grab food unless I have a craving for a specific place that is not nearby.
Grocery shopping is easy also. There is a Super Target right there on 410 and I-10. Nearest HEB is on I-10 and Wurzbach (for me). There is Huebner Oaks nearby for clothes, movies, ice cream or a pint of beer.
Medical center does have it's dump areas too but those kind of areas can be found anywhere in the city. Even in areas outside 1604 like Stone Oak, Alamo Ranch, etc.
The one thing I would never do is live in Alamo Heights and commute to UTHSC. Once the normal traffic flow returns (not current Covid-19 traffic), your daughter will find it horrible on 410 depending on the times she is driving. Just my opinion.
The one thing I would never do is live in Alamo Heights and commute to UTHSC. Once the normal traffic flow returns (not current Covid-19 traffic), your daughter will find it horrible on 410 depending on the times she is driving. Just my opinion.
Appreciate the perspective....I will definitely point out the drawbacks of commuting from AH.
Medical Center does have a feel like there's nothing to do but there is everything that you need that you don't have to drive to far. HEB, Target, and lots of retail strip malls are whats around Medical Center. Maybe she wants more of a nightlife and party vibe but you won't find that in Medical Center area.
I do understand the excitement of Alamo Heights because of it's more urban feel and community feel to it. It's not that far from Medical Center unless you are driving in peak traffic hours. A lot of different projects are doing construction on Broadway St in Alamo Heights or near. It's just more exciting part of town and close to downtown and everything you would ever want to be around. Also having a lot of parks and trails nearby is very exciting.
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