Moving to Austin!

[breathesgelatin]

So, I am moving to Austin, Texas next year to attend grad school. What should I know? In particular, I'm just starting my apartment search. What are good neighborhoods (particularly for grad students)? What should I look for/watch out for?

Any help is much appreciated...

[lifesaver]

You wont find ANYTHING inexpensive ANYWHERE within walking distance of the UT campus.

Austin is a great town. Has a real urban feel to it.

Oh and its hot as hell down here in the summer.

[tinydancer]

Originally posted by lifesaver
You wont find ANYTHING inexpensive ANYWHERE within walking distance of the UT campus.

Ain't that the truth!! It's been so long since I lived there and it's changed a lot. You may find something in some of the older neighborhoods that aren't quite as close to campus. Back in the day, there was a fairly decent UT shuttle bus system, which was good because parking was awful. Parking is even worse now.

On the bright side, I think you will love it! There's a ton of things to do all the time.

[mmcat]

sixth street....wonderful
but there's nothing cheap there.
you should love it.

[TxAPhi]

The Greater Austin area ranks high on the livability scale, which is why Austin frequently ranks high on national lists of Best Cities. In 2003, for example, Austin came in fourth on Travel & Leisure's list of best loved cities, first on Forbes' list of Best Cities for Singles, and third on Hispanic Magazine's list of Best Cities for Hispanics. In 2002, it was in the Money Magazine's Top 10 list of Best Places to Live. Lots of reasons are given-a cosmopolitan atmosphere without big city hassle, great scenery and recreational opportunities, a reasonable cost of living, a great music and cultural scene.

Austin is nestled among the rolling hills and lakes of Central Texas, the seat of state government, an educational Mecca with seven area universities and an entertainment complex that includes the best of live music, the arts and all the fun of the great outdoors.



This guide has just about anything you would want to know! (pdf format)
This link also has more details.
Newcomer/Relocation Products - includes a bound magazine version of the pdf guide above


Housing

the median apartment rents in Austin:

1 bedroom: Austin - $686, US Metros - $564
2 bedroom: Austin - $914, US Metros - $702
3 bedroom: Austin - $1269, US Metros - $934


A place a lot of grad students live is Far West/2222. Despite the name it is only 10 minutes or less to campus and is on the bus route. Most grad students I know buy or rent condos or townhomes. Since you will be here for a few years, they are a very good investment. And even if you don't stay in Austin, there is always a market to resell it or use it as a rental or vacation property.

I have a friend who went through the process of buying a condo in the Far West/2222 area a couple years ago while she was in her PhD program. She is moving to Oklahoma City in August for a year long intership at the Health Consortium there to fulfill her PhD requirements and will rent her condo out for the school year. If you would like, I can get you in touch with her and she can tell you about the graduate student culture at UT and tips on housing (all of her degress have been from UT-Austin, so she knows just about everything



And the current president of the Austin Alumnae Panhellenic is a Pi Phi

[aggieAXO]

Welcome to Austin . I live in the Great Hills area off of loop 360, it is about 10-15 minutes from campus. It is a nice/safe area and very pretty with lots of hills and wooded areas. Compared to many cities in the U.S., Austin is actually pretty cheap, but I think it has the highest cost of living in Texas. You will definitely need a car and lots of sunscreen.