Austin bound?

[dearamy]

DH & I are have been contemplating relocation for almost a year now. At first, our most likely destination was the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area, but now it looks as though Austin is the place. I have really enjoyed reading some past threads about Austin & am now hoping for additional information. I am curious if MissKitty (she started a thread about moving to Austin a while back) ended up there?

My main questions involve raising a family in the area, since we have a two year old DD. I hear the schools really vary from district to district. How about pre-schools? Is there an on-line community of parents who share feedback about schools, preschools & things to do with kids? We have one here called the Berkeley Parents Network which is a great source of information for all things related to living in the Bay Area. I am curious if there is something similar.

Since we would be new to the area, I want to live in a really friendly neighborhood with lots of families. I have been looking for homes on-line & a few of the neighborhoods I stumbled across that seem like they might fit the bill are Hills of Lakeway, Hidden Glen (Round Rock), Forest Creek (RR), Steiner Ranch & Lake Forest (RR). Any feedback on these? Other recommendations? We would like to live in a friendly neighborhood with walking/biking trails, where we are close to shopping/services (being able to walk is ideal), where people hang out at the communty park or pool & have things like Easter Egg hunts & 4th of July parades.


DH & I love our current urban lifestyle & our great old house, but when we move, I think we will want something different, something more famly oriented. At the same time, we want to be able to easily access restaurants & cultural events that a city offers. DH is really into music & he can't wait to sample Austin's live music scene. We are also fairly into outdoor pusuits & it seems that Austin offers a lot of hiking, biking & lake activities. Can anyone confirm that for me?

On the past thread, I saw a recommendation for a vet practice, which is great because we have a beloved dog. I would love to hear about great pediatricans & GPs's too.

DH travels every week & we need to have good access to an airport (I would say under 25 miles away).

How hot is it really?? I live in the Bay Area now, which is really cool of course, but grew up in a hotter area & went to school in Chico, which is hot as blue blazes all summer & into the fall, so I do know heat. But it sounds like Austin is even more extreme?

We are going to visit Austin the last weekend of April & I can't wait. I would love to hear any restaurant recommendations (family friendly--DH & I won't have a babysitter) & not to miss things to do that will help us get acquainted with the area.

Thanks a million! I can't wait to read your responses :)

[Meganator]

DH & I love our current urban lifestyle & our great old house, but when we move, I think we will want something different, something more famly oriented. At the same time, we want to be able to easily access restaurants & cultural events that a city offers. DH is really into music & he can't wait to sample Austin's live music scene. We are also fairly into outdoor pusuits & it seems that Austin offers a lot of hiking, biking & lake activities. Can anyone confirm that for me?


DH travels every week & we need to have good access to an airport (I would say under 25 miles away).

How hot is it really?? I live in the Bay Area now, which is really cool of course, but grew up in a hotter area & went to school in Chico, which is hot as blue blazes all summer & into the fall, so I do know heat. But it sounds like Austin is even more extreme?


The live music scene is awesome! There are definitely lots of outdoor activities here - hiking, biking, running events, etc. Lake activities - depends on what you are looking for. Town Lake downtown has canoeing and kayaking, but we have found access to other recreational lakes to be pretty limited unless you have a boat.

The airport is pretty easily accessible, and it is relatively small so we find it easy to get in and out of. Even the offsite parking lots are nearby, so overall it's easy.

Heat...from previous discussions on this topic, I think it depends on you and what you think "hot as blue blazes" means! :p My view is that, yes, it is pretty consistently really hot in July and August; how far it extends into June and September varies from year to year (last year the hottest day of the summer was in late September). During that time, daytime temps are typically in the 90s, and it's fairly humid - but not nearly as humid as the Gulf coast. It doesn't cool down enough at night to open the windows. But the fall and spring are wonderful. The winters are variable, but generally there aren't long stretches of cold. It is rare to have daytime temps below freezing in the winter. One of my favorite things about Texas weather is that it is sunny most of the time. I grew up in the midwest, where there are days (months!?) at a time where it is cloudy, and that is rare here.

I haven't had contact with the schools here, so I don't have any input on that. My understanding is that the Round Rock School District is consistently good, while the Austin district is variable, and really depends on where you live in Austin. One caution about Steiner Ranch - I believe it is an outlier in the Leander School District; I'm sure it has it's own elementary, and maybe middle school, but at least for high school kids the bus ride can be long. I also wouldn't consider it to be as easily accessible to downtown, restaurants, etc. as it sounds like you want.

If you do decide to move here, you won't have any trouble getting recommendations for great doctors, etc. - there are many. Vet clinics may be more dependent on where you live, but I'm sure you can get some great recommendations when you figure out which side of town you will be on.

Good Luck! Austin is great!

Megan

[dearamy]

Thanks, Megan! It really seems like people love it there. I have seen complaints about weather, traffic & property taxes, but it seems everyone loves it in spite of those things.

Would you consider Round Rock to be more accessible to downtown (downtown Austin)? What is Round Rock like as a town, do you know?

I know there are several people from Austin here on CLBB--do you all ever get together? Just curious.

I will miss my dear old Trader Joes, but Central Market sounds absolutely fabulous. I think I'll survive.

Regarding lake activities, DH & I don't have a boat & wouldn't plan to if we move. I guess I just like the idea of a body of water being nearby-- it's the Bay Area native in me! Hiking & Biking are definitely a bigger priority for us.

May I ask where you live? What part of the city?

[aggie94]

Hi Amy,

There were definitely things we loved and hated about Austin. Traffic was one of the things we hated. I lived in Southwest Austin and had a 7-8 mile commute downtown everyday that took me 40-50 minutes. I hear it's gotten even worse since I left a couple of years ago.

DH loved and really misses the live music scene there. There aren't that many towns where there is great live music going on every night of the week. I loved and dearly miss Central Market - what a great shopping experience. I never had to make multiple trips to the grocery store, because I could always find everything I needed at CM.

I used to spend a lot of time down at Town Lake running and biking. There are also lots of "events" in Austin - races, triathlons, etc.

I used to fly frequently for work when I lived in Austin. The airport is very accessible, but be forewarned that there are very few places you can fly direct from Austin. It's almost always necessary to connect in Dallas or Houston to anywhere, which can be a pain because it tends to add an additional 3 hours of travel time to every trip.

The weather is one of the things we really disliked about Austin. I grew up in Houston so was used to humidity, but it doesn't make it any easier, especially after living in Oregon for several years. Summers are hot and very humid, not much less so than the coast IMO. Winters are generally mild, but it's not uncommon to have a week or two of freezing temps (nighttime, generally). And the last winter we were there was very rainy, which got really old really fast, since rain was the reason I left the PNW. ;)

Do you know where you'll be staying on your visit this month?

[dearamy]

Hi Aggie--I remember reading about your horrid commute on another thread. It is a concern, although the traffic here is horrifically bad, so I can't say that I'm not used to it :rolleyes: You lived in SW Austin--Is that near Dripping Springs? I keep seeing Dripping Srpings pop up in my real estate search.

I'm not sure where we'll be staying yet. DH has marriot points, so probably something along the lines of a Courtyard or Residence Inn. Do you have a suggestion for an area that would be kind of centrally located since we need to cover a lot of territory?

[Meganator]

I used to fly frequently for work when I lived in Austin. The airport is very accessible, but be forewarned that there are very few places you can fly direct from Austin. It's almost always necessary to connect in Dallas or Houston to anywhere, which can be a pain because it tends to add an additional 3 hours of travel time to every trip.



True, sort of...there are a lot more nonstop flights to cities other than Houston and Dallas than there used to be. If you fly Southwest, there are quite a few cities available nonstop, and even more direct. Jet Blue flies nonstop to Boston now. Fewer availble on the traditional airlines.

In answer to your questions - Round Rock as a town: it does have a small downtown with a square, a few restaurants, I think...but more along the lines of the very small town that it used to be. I would say it's very accessible from Round Rock to downtown by freeway except during commuting hours. So to get there on a weekend, for example, would be a lot faster than a weeknight. I don't live in Round Rock, but I live in northwest Austin (in the direction of Cedar Park, if you are looking at a map) about an equivalent distance from downtown, and it takes us about 20 minutes to get downtown in non-peak hours. I live in an older neighborhood called Anderson Mill at the intersection of RM 620 and U.S. Hwy. 183.

Note also that you can live where your address is city of Austin, but you are in the Round Rock school district. Rand McNally makes a city map that has the school district boundaries on it, which you may want to pick up when you are here.

I think one of the best recommendations I've seen is, if possible, rent an apartment for the first little while you move here. It is really difficult to gauge what part of town you want to live in before you have actually lived here. That gives you a chance to experience the traffic and decide for yourself, to visit different neighborhoods at your leisure, etc.

Dripping Springs is kind of out in the country, although Austin is pretty accessible. It is really growing down there - I'm sure there are several subdivision neighborhoods, but much to the town itself from what I've seen. They don't even have a good grocery store, although one is in the plans now.

Megan

[Meganator]

Bay area, Raleigh-Durham, Austin...sounds like your husband is in the tech field. Traffic in and out of downtown during rush hour is bad, but if you don't work downtown - and a lot of tech stuff is elsewhere - you may not find traffic to be so bad. For example, Dell is mostly (all?) in Round Rock. You would definitely want to key your residence to your husband's work location, though - you definitely don't want to be commuting all the way from one side of town to another (at least until he switches jobs to another company across town :rolleyes: ).

[aggie94]

Dripping Springs is actually another 20 miles or so outside of town from where I used to live. We were in Austin proper - an established neighborhood called Westcreek (situated west of Mopac between Hwy. 290 and William Cannon).

Sounds like you might be checking out neighborhoods on the north side of town, especially if you are considering Round Rock. The Arboretum area (near Mopac and 183) might be a good area to stay during your visit.

I would agree with Meg that Round Rock is pretty accessible to downtown Austin, except during rush hour (although if you are commuting against traffic, it would probably be fine). A lot of people who live in Round Rock commute to and from downtown Austin for work, which creates a lot of ugly congestion on I-35. Same with the south suburbs of Austin like Kyle and Buda. I used to avoid I-35 during rush hour at ALL costs. Mopac traffic isn't fantastic but it was a lot better.

[Meganator]

...Westcreek (situated west of Mopac between Hwy. 290 and William Cannon).

Sounds like you might be checking out neighborhoods on the north side of town, especially if you are considering Round Rock. The Arboretum area (near Mopac and 183) might be a good area to stay during your visit.

I would agree with Meg that Round Rock is pretty accessible to downtown Austin, except during rush hour (although if you are commuting against traffic, it would probably be fine). A lot of people who live in Round Rock commute to and from downtown Austin for work, which creates a lot of ugly congestion on I-35. Same with the south suburbs of Austin like Kyle and Buda. I used to avoid I-35 during rush hour at ALL costs. Mopac traffic isn't fantastic but it was a lot better.

FYI - I haven't paid much attention lately, but when I moved here there were no signs labelled "Mopac" - it is actually known as Loop 1. No one calls it anything but Mopac, though, so it can be confusing (the Missouri Pacific railroad line parallels the road). There are no trucks on Mopac, which contributes to a better traffic situation.

[dearamy]

Bay area, Raleigh-Durham, Austin...sounds like your husband is in the tech field... You would definitely want to key your residence to your husband's work location, though - you definitely don't want to be commuting all the way from one side of town to another (at least until he switches jobs to another company across town :rolleyes: ).

Yep. DH is in the tech. field. He does project management for a software company. LOTS of travel. So, for the time being, easy access to an airport is more important that proximity to any office. As far as him switching jobs to another across town... all I can say is :rolleyes: :D

[aggie94]

FYI - I haven't paid much attention lately, but when I moved here there were no signs labelled "Mopac" - it is actually known as Loop 1. No one calls it anything but Mopac, though, so it can be confusing (the Missouri Pacific railroad line parallels the road). There are no trucks on Mopac, which contributes to a better traffic situation.

Good point. I remember when I first went to Austin to interview, I had directions to the firm, whose offices were on "Mopac." Damned if I didn't have a heckuva time figuring out how to get there.

And BTW, "Loop 1" is not a loop. At least not yet. ;)

[dearamy]

I'm really glas you guys cleared this up for me. I can't tell you how many times I come across the name MOPAC in my Austin research!

[Robyncz]

I don't have time to compose a long answer right now, but if airport access is important to you, I'd consider one of the southwestern neighborhoods. Travis Country, Legend Oaks, The Villages of Western Oaks, and Circle C are some that are similar to the others you've mentioned.

[dearamy]

Thanks, Robin. I will look into those neighborhoods on-line.

Now, how about restaurant recommendations? Our flights are booked for 4/28-5/2. I am so excited!! We will be wanting to sample Texas BBQ & Tex-Mex. Any local favs?

[aggie94]

For BBQ, hands down Rudy's. There are a couple of locations, but the one I always went to was on Capital of Texas Highway, near the Barton Creek Mall. YUM. They have the BEST creamed corn.

For an "Austin" Tex-Mex experience, try Guero's on South Congress. It's rumored to be Bill Clinton's favorite stop in town. For upscale interior Mexican, there's Fonda San Miguel. For a more contemporary place with Tex-Mex inspired cuisine, I love Z Tejas. Another popular casual place is Chuy's. Any would be good choices.

[Meganator]

For BBQ, hands down Rudy's. There are a couple of locations, but the one I always went to was on Capital of Texas Highway, near the Barton Creek Mall. YUM. They have the BEST creamed corn.

For an "Austin" Tex-Mex experience, try Guero's on South Congress. It's rumored to be Bill Clinton's favorite stop in town. For upscale interior Mexican, there's Fonda San Miguel. For a more contemporary place with Tex-Mex inspired cuisine, I love Z Tejas. Another popular casual place is Chuy's. Any would be good choices.

I agree with these recommendations. Rudy's has had a building boom recently, so there are more locations. I don't know specifically where all of them are, but there is one on 183 north that would be convenient if you stay in the Arboretum area as suggested above. My favorite is their chicken. At any barbecue restaurant, if you order brisket (beef), make sure to ask for it marbled; if it is too lean, it tends to be dry (IMO).

Amy, you asked above if the Austin BBers ever get together...I know there are several supper clubs, but the 2 I've been in have fizzled out because people keep getting too busy for it and dropping out. A couple of years ago before I was active here, sneezles (Susan) hosted a BB party at her ranch outside of Austin. I have considered having a get-together at my house; I haven't gotten around to organizing it, but still think it might be fun. Too bad I can't do it during your visit! We're going to Washington, D.C. that weekend, though.

[dearamy]

I am salivating thinking of the delicious meals we'll have! I watched Rachel Ray's Tasty Travels last night & coincidentally, she was in Austin! She went to Guero's Tacos, Santa Rita & Iron Works BBQ. Austin looked fun...she kind of focused on the "funky" side...the "Keep Austin Weird" stuff. My poor mom was saying "Are you sure you want to live there?" "Look at all those bats!" :p

[mobear]

I third Aggie's choices of restaurants. I DEARLY miss Rudy's!!!!! SC barbeque just does not compare!

I lived in Austin from 2001-2003. I lived up off of Jollyville Rd in an apartment and down south off of William Cannon. I commuted using Mopac, and it was definitely BETTER than commuting via I-35.

I also agree with the recommendation to rent an apartment first, if you can afford too. :) Apartments in Austin are expensive, and you may have the additional cost of moving a portion of your stuff into storage since you are used to living in a house. But it will buy you some time to make sure you get the right neighborhood that fits you.

I loved Austin. My husband and I dream of moving back someday, despite the high property taxes. :) And we have lived in other parts of Texas, Florida, NY, Alaska, and family who have lived in SoCal.

Aggie94 - Nice to see you again! I was off the CLBB for so long due to my wedding and a hellish job. :)

[Meganator]

I believe property taxes are dependent on what school district you are in. We have property in both the Round Rock and Austin districts, and Austin is definitely higher. I believe Hays County (Dripping Springs) is popular in part because taxes are lower. I'm sure that's information you can find somewhere, or at least when you get a realtor he/she would have the info.

Note that Texas does not have an income tax, which California does. I don't know how sales taxes are in Ca (usually about 8.25% in this area) - but the whole tax picture may or may not be different, it could just be distributed differently than you are used to.

[mobear]

I know there are websites out there that will compare the cost of living (including taxes) between cities. You may want to try googling for some and do your comparisons to get a feel for the difference.

[Romandub]

Dearamy--When you are visiting Austin looking for places to live, don't overlook the central Austin neighborhoods--Travis Heights, Tarrytown, Hyde Park, Bryker Woods, Rosedale, Allandale, etc. are all GREAT locations for raising families. The centrally located neighborhoods provide for less commute traffic, easy access to the airport and some great schools. (We live in Rosedale.) Granted, housing in these areas is more expensive than in more suburban areas, but most people relocating from California still seem to find Austin real estate prices reasonable (even though most of us who have been in Austin for a while can't believe what the prices are!) If you are used to the more urban lifestyle, central Austin may be an easier transition because it is so close to many of the amenities and things that make Austin, well... Austin. I used to live in Round Rock and while it is a nice community it is much more traditional and conservative then most of Austin (in my opinion.) Plus, the drive to Austin has gotten really bad with the traffic.

I think you will find Austin a warm and welcoming city. Great restaurants, great music scene, really friendly people. If you want to use Marriott points while you are here, consider staying at the Marriott at the Capitol. Nice central location and a decent hotel. If you are willing to forego the miles, consider staying at the historic Driskill Hotel or the Stephen F. Austin, both right on Sixth street, or the Hotel San Jose, a hip new hotel, right next door to Guero's. The Hyatt Regency and the Four Seasons are right on Austin's great Hike and Bike Trail. All of those would give you much more of an Austin experience.

Good luck with your move!