Erin75

The average home in Galindo is roughly 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two baths. This will run you around $300,000. Yet there are a variety of homes that suit many different tastes, from small little bungalows to two-story Tudors. Dawson Elementary is categorized as exemplary, and Galindo Elementary’s status is recognized. Fulmore Middle School and Travis High School are academically acceptable. For family-style entertainment, this neighborhood has plenty to keep everyone happy. The South Austin Rec Center has ten acres where you can play basketball or tennis or work out in the gym. If their facilities don’t juice your pecs enough, try the Gold’s Gym on the neighborhood’s southern border. Visit Green Pastures Mansion for some good old Southern brunch with a French twist, and afterwards check out the peacocks that wander around the grounds. After the kids are put in bed and the babysitter is settled, adults can head out for a nice night of entertainment that doesn’t involve the headache of downtown. Beautiful Mercury Hall often hosts small musical or fundraising events, and after that you can unwind at the Buenos Aires Café. This restaurant is a refreshing alternative to the usual Austin Tex Mex, and it’s got a great Argentinean wine list.

I wish I lived in this neighborhood solely for its proximity to the Sunflower Farmer’s Market. Unfortunately, it’s not actually a farmer’s market, and they don’t sell local produce, but it’s as good as you can get for a grocery store. They have the greatest selection of meats, fruits and vegetables of all the grocery stores in Austin, and honestly they’re not even expensive. It’s just that if you don’t live really close, it’s hard to get up the enthusiasm to get over there. But while Whole Foods can get a bit snooty, this place is way chill and not too overwhelming. The pool is also nice for the 100+ degree summers we have to suffer through. It’s probably better than just lying in a cold bath and moaning like I do most of the time at my place. It’s also close to Barton Creek and all the good time nature stuff up that way, and taking a dip in Barton Creek Pool is the best way to spend a hot July afternoon anyway. I think this is as close as you want to live to the airport, unless you’re a travelling professional and you want to have an easy ride to and from your home. Overall, if you can find a cute place for a reasonable price, this is an excellent area.

This is a really nice place to live if you’re into the condo life. It’s all relatively new construction and every place is packed with amenities. It’s a great place for professional singles or upper-middle class couples who don’t have children and want to get some place fancy that doesn’t totally break their wallet. I imagine it would be hard to decide which place to live in, but I’m more of a quirky old house person myself. My mother lives in a condo, and I always sort of get a hotel vibe from it, like you don’t really own it or have 100% privacy. That’s probably just me. You miss out on pretty much everything that makes Austin lovable, in my opinion, but if that’s not an issue for you, you really couldn’t do worse if this fits into your price range and vision of domestic bliss. You can always go visit the hipper areas anytime you want, anyway. Or else just knock out one of the walls in your new condo and convert it to a loft, then find some starving artist to paint a mural on the ceiling. Then wham, you’ll be the most Austin-y person in your condo community!

There’s a surprising amount of green space here, which immediately raises the stock of this area above the starker concrete expanses or apartment building wastelands of other lower-cost neighborhoods. The houses are adorable, and I love the personality of the area. Crime is of the non-violent type, as it is throughout most of Austin, so there’s not a lot to be worried about here that you won’t face anywhere else. Just make sure your car and home are locked, and you practice awareness when walking alone. I probably wouldn’t walk here alone at night, just because I’m not super familiar with the area, but after you’ve been situated there a while and know your way around, you shouldn’t have any trouble. It’s just a quick jog over to I35 and the UT campus, and it’s just southeast of the newly-renovated Mueller neighborhood. This area is also a good place to look into, as it’s got all new commercial areas and a community organization that is really trying to pump up the enthusiasm of its residents. This area’s got pretty good public transportation options, but most people would probably prefer having a car here. Traffic isn’t bad since it’s not framed by any major arteries.

I’ve only ever known people who live here that were students in their very first year, who found an apartment complex in the area from the Internet and thought it was a good choice. That would probably explain the area’s high turnover rate, and the fact that only 13% of residents stay here longer than five years. Once you’ve been here long enough, you soon come to learn that there are cheaper places with better options for nightlife, or proximity to campus, or whatever it is that you’re looking for when you pick a place like North Lamar. It’s fine for what it is, but the public transportation is even better for some place like Riverdale, or something with more personality like the Metropolis apartments in Pleasant Valley. It’s certainly cheap, but if you’re a family looking to move here, keep in mind that you’re more than likely going to be sharing your space with college kids. And not even the fun hipster kind, most likely. It’s a good little safety net place for new students to the area, perhaps, to weed out the youngins who either think Austin is weirdly awesome from those who would rather transfer somewhere less unique in spirit.

With more expensive homes and upper-crust neighborhoods, of course you get the added benefit of safety, peace and quiet, and good schools. Old Enfield is one of those places that has these things in spades. There’s a pretty broad span of upper-level home here, from smaller, older $500,000 to some brand new sprawling estates in the millions. It’s surprising to find out that over half the homes in the neighborhood are rented, and that the highest age group of residents are in their 20s. That might explain why the neighborhood has almost a 30% turnover rate. Young couples living outside their means, perhaps? That’s all I can guess, since the income levels aren’t all that much higher than other more humble neighborhoods. It just seems a little too trendy for me. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a beautiful neighborhood, and I appreciate its historic legacy and the fact that it hosts Eeyore’s Birthday. Why—I have never quite figured out, but it’s cool nonetheless. It is extremely close to the university, so it’s a good place for professors to live (because students can just forget about it). I think for the money, though Hancock is a much more interesting area to check out.

Like the rest of Austin, this area is relatively safe when compared to other big cities like Chicago and Detroit. The biggest crime is property, with little violent crime occurring. There are tons of adorable, unique homes in North Shoal Creek, but of course you’re going to pay more for those than for the cookie cutter tract homes. Whether or not that’s worth it all depends what your priorities are. Trudy’s tex-mex restaurant is here, which is the best place in Austin for a Mexican martini, which is essentially a super concentrated margarita in martini glass, and you get a whole shaker full to enjoy. The only school in this area is Pillow Elementary, which gets relatively positive from both parents and review boards. Overall this place is quiet, safe, and a great place for families, but there’s something about being so close to the Highway 183/1 crossover that just makes me feel claustrophobic. You’ll definitely need a car in this area, so you’ll be well acquainted with Austin’s lovely winding stretches of concrete and its bi-level super-short merging lanes. Ugh. I hate driving, though the drivers in Austin aren’t nearly as bad as in some other huge cities, so thank goodness for little miracles.

Strangely, this is pronounced by the locals as either “Man-check” or “Man-shack.” Not sure why. It’s probably the fault of the same people who pronounce it “Guadadoop” and pronounce the J in “San Jacinto.” Anyway… you’ll be close to Conan’s Pizza, which is great stuff and the place is designed just like the name implies, as in Conan the Barbarian. Strange Brew right next to it is South Austin’s only 24-hour coffee shop, so it’s great for those late-night study sessions. It’s in a pretty run-down looking strip mall, but it’s really nice inside and serves cheap coffee. Houses around this area are usually priced around the mid to high $100Ks, but there are some that get up in the twos and threes. The yards are by no means lush, and many homes have fallen into disrepair, but many of the streets have really nice old trees. The population is mostly 20 and 30-year old white collar workers with the majority of household incomes ranging in the $60K-75K area. The highest crime in this area is robbery, so you’ll want to keep your home and car locked and watch your back, which you should really be doing anyway wherever you live.

This neighborhood is just east of the old airport property, which is currently being renovated into the Mueller neighborhood. So while there’s not much entertainment or culture-wise happening in Pecan Springs/Springdale, it’s just a quick jog over to some brand new stores and community-focused events. It’s near to Walter E. Long Lake and Metropolitan Park, as well as Highway 183, so it’s definitely got some green space and room to move around and enjoy the wonderful Austin weather. It’s so much better off than the dismal areas below East Stassney or the cookie cutter suburbs trapped on all sides by major highways and interstates. I’ll take peace and quiet and ancient neighbors any day over apartment complexes stuffed with crazy underage drunks! And while this is a suburb with more than its share of blandness when compared to some of the other more eclectic neighborhoods, you can find some really cute stone ranch-style homes with price tags way closer to what these homes are actually worth, rather than what section of town they’re located in. I think it’s a great place for young families with kids. Think of all the options you’ll have for babysitting! It’s like your kids will have thirty sets of grandparents right down the street!

A good friend of mine who was in my grad program at UT lived here, and though it’s thought to be one of the lower-income, higher-crime areas, she had absolutely no problem here. Sure, it was loud, but she also lived in an apartment complex close to I35 that was populated with rowdy UT undergrads. I lived nearby in Pleasant Valley, and we had about the same experience. There may be some weird homeless guys sleeping on a park bench next to the bus stop, but that’s all I really saw. She had a balcony, too, and her apartment was clean, so that paired with relatively cheap rent made her happy. Her complex also offered her free internet. The complexes have big parking lots that are off the main streets, so there wasn’t any trouble with vandalism that I knew of, either. There’s an HEB and a general commercial area nearby, and plenty of busses to get you to class or work or to brighter areas of the city. This may not be the best place for families, or professionals looking to experience the full benefits of Austin, but it’s a good starter area for students and others who are just moving to the area.

It’s a shame Rosewood hasn’t seen the benefits of rejuvenation like nearby Pleasant Valley. Though the neighborhood is about 50/50 Hispanic and African American residents, Rosewood played an important historical role in the latter group’s local history. Between 1910 and 1940, East Austin was officially reserved as segregated area for African Americans. Even after the policy officially ended, it was still common to think of the east side as the natural place to develop industry. Homes here didn’t get running water until the late 1960s, and roads weren’t fully paved well until the 1970s. Yet this neighborhood was important to the nightlife and culture of its African American population during WWII. The Doris Miller Auditorium, which still stands today, served black servicemen and their families, and the many jazz clubs and one of two black-only movie theaters (the other was the Ritz downtown) made Rosewood THE hot nightspot. Even though there was a movement towards urban renewal in the late 1960s, owners of the 50% of homes that were deemed substandard were offered inadequate funds and forced to relocate to other slum areas in Austin. By 1970, this area was more segregated than it had ever been. New homes were finally starting to be built in the 1980s, and in 1999 the neighborhood residents successfully fought city plans to relocate a drug treatment center for released felons just blocks away from an elementary school. With a new branch of ACC being built in 2000, this area is slowly seeing improvement, but it’s still got a long way to go.

Though geared towards an older demographic, there are plenty of reasons to consider Rosedale as a safe and quiet alternative to some of the younger Austin neighborhoods. And while I’m definitely planning on retiring here, it’s also a great place to find a lot to do if you’re young and still up for some adventure. The area is very close to the Cliffs and Mt. Bonnell Park, which has one of the best views of the city around. You have to climb up a really long rock staircase, so this should only be attempted if you are not afraid to break a hip. Once you make it to the top, you are rewarded for your trouble. You’ll find an adorable little brick viewing platform that hardly ever has anyone else around. When you get back down, you can reward yourself back in Rosewood with lunch at Kirby Lane Café, an Austin institution, or Chinese from Snow Pea (no MSG!), a margarita from Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina, or even some fine-dining Tex-Mex Fusion at Fonda San Miguel. Hipsters and undergrad UT students may not find too much here to get excited about, but it’s definitely an area with some great stuff. If you can afford it, you’ll get plenty of fun in dividends.

Avoid, avoid, avoid. No matter what a real estate agent tells you, or what deals apartment complexes may offer, definitely do your research on this area before deciding it’s worth the risk. This area is filled with a number of hazardous waste storage sites, so not only is it probably polluting the land and water around it and making residents sick, it’s also one big hypocritical blot on Austin’s green movement. So much of the city is focused on the fact that this is a huge metropolis with such a relatively small carbon footprint, but I just feel like everyone is ignoring the fact that this area even exists. It’s like the greenness and beauty of Guerrero Park provides just enough distraction that Johnston Terrace disappears, and then Austin leaders get to pat themselves on the back about how awesomely earth-friendly we are. There needs to be an organized movement to get the city and corporations to stop abusing this area and exploiting the residents who are forced to rent or purchase homes here because the land value is so cheap. Other areas have benefited from rejuvenation when it means cleaning up the parks, improving the schools, and making the area more family friendly. Well, unless you want your future family to glow in the dark and have extra fingers and toes, stay away from here just to be safe. Whew. I’m stepping down from my soapbox now.

This is a great place to live, with a balanced location nestled in between South Congress, Downtown, the UT campus, and Barton Creek. Everything is within reach if you live here, and you won’t be dreading having to go to the “other side of town” for something. There are plenty of great restaurants in this neighborhood, including Mr. Natural (a vegetarian and vegan Tex-Mex place), Artz Rib House (which has a pretty darn amazing veggie burger, by the way), and Rockin Tomato Pizza. I also have an inexplicable love for this particular Half Price Books, even though it’s a chain and pretty much exactly like every other Half Price Books. I guess it’s the atmosphere that makes it the place I love to browse when I can’t afford Book People. The greatest little gem here, though, is the Austin Aquadome. It’s a fish store that is housed in a strange little dome building that looks like it was built by the construction company from The Flintstones. They sell freshwater and saltwater fish, as well as crabs, coral, anemones, clams, and even sea cucumbers. I don’t even have fish, but it’s fun to check out their selection anyway. The employees will talk your ear off.

Besides the fact that there's no reason whatsoever to live here, as there are many more interesting areas both in cost and in personality, safety, and proximity to anywhere besides the airport, there's also absolutely no reason to be taking up residence at all in the area at all staying at a hotel next to the airport from which you'll immediately depart in the morning. There are plenty of nice, recognizable name-brand hotels in this area, many of which have shuttles to and from the airport and who cater to travelling professionals. The Austin Airport is actually a pretty amazing place, as far as airports go. Many of the restaurants and stores are Austin-based originals, like Amy’s Ice Creams, Waterloo Records, The Salt Lick BBQ, and Waterloo Ice House, so you don’t have to suffer boring, tasteless, overpriced food during your layover. The airport also has a live stage, where some of Austin’s favorite local bands perform on a rotating basis. So even if you’re in Austin for just a few hours, you can experience a taste of the city as you pass through. If you’re planning on staying in town for longer than just overnight, however, I suggest taking the added time to travel closer to the more interesting areas, like the Driskill downtown or the Austin Motel on South Congress, which will put you right in the funky, fun part of the city.

This is not only one of the most eclectic and artistically rich areas of Austin, but it’s also one of the friendliest and charitable. Ballet East is located here, and they have more of a Latin influence than the more classical Ballet Austin. They have some of the most exciting ballet choreographers working today, some of which were trained at our very own UT, and the company does a lot of community outreach to schools and youth. The Theater Action Project has similar artistic outreach ideals, and provides area children with amazing opportunities to explore drama and express themselves. On a more selfish note, I must give a shout out to the greatest little tea room in Texas—Zhi Tea Gallery. If you think tea is boring, go here and you’ll never bother with coffee again. Last but not least is Rio’s Brazilian. I can’t say it’s the best Brazilian food I’ve ever had, because it’s actually the only Brazilian food I’ve ever had. But it’s pretty amazing, and a fun time to go and eat. You can hang out on their patio and hear amazing samba music, or just cruise through their drive through. They even sell frozen loaves of their amazing cheese bread that you can bring home and bake whenever you want.

The past few years, it seems like Highland is declining a little bit. Crime is increasing, and the Highland Mall seems a little dated and stale. There’s tons of commercial property for the average suburban middle class shopper, but nothing really special. One thing that’s a must-do here is taking a trip to the House of Torment, which is a pretty elaborate year-round haunted house that puts on specialized shows. I think this place really belongs somewhere cooler than Highland, but at least it’s a bright spot in an otherwise tired area. Oh, for the man-bros there’s Bikini’s Bar and Grill, where the waitresses all wear short shorts and string bikini tops. Because I totally want someone’s belly button ring hanging over my shoulder when they’re filling my water glass. But of course I’m not the target audience here. I guess it’s for guys who think Hooter’s is too conservative, but strip clubs are just crossing the line into the danger zone. Speaking of strip clubs, Sugar’s Uptown Cabaret is also right down the street. Come on, Texas—what’s with the “cabaret” stuff? I was all excited when I first moved here because I thought it would be like going to the Moulin Rouge or something. How disappointing.

Holly is one of those wonderfully bizarre neighborhoods that it may take a while for newcomers to stumble across. But once you do, you’ll be excited to share your discovery with everyone else you know. One of my favorite restaurants, Mr. Natural is here. It’s a mom and pop vegan and vegetarian TexMex place. Yep, pretty much only in Austin. It also has one of the strangest things I’ve ever heard of, being from the Midwest—a drive-thru beer store. And this isn’t just to pick up kegs for the frat party, either. I’m talking hundreds of specialty and craft brew beers as well. And you just drive up and order it, and the clerk just goes and gets it for you. So weird. I’ve only heard stories about people going there, because I can’t bring myself to try it. The great alternative theater, Rude Mechanicals is also in Holly. I discovered this pretty much by accident when I bumped into a friend on her way there, and she invited me along. The show was pretty much just a guy wearing a robot suit and talking gibberish, like, so sincerely, with such feeling, and about three feet away from us making eye contact with individual members of the audience. Not for everyone, but definitely a new experience. There’s always some new weird experimental show going on here.

I suggest staying away from this neighborhood just because every time I drive by it, I feel a little bit of my soul and optimism melting away. Georgian Acres is definitely not as bad as its rebellious little sister neighborhood across I35, Heritage Hills, but that’s really not saying much. Homes here are really super cheap, but they’re often set way back from the street and surrounded by huge, barren, depressing lawns. A lawn and landscape company needs to move in here somewhere at start taking over the neighborhood. Do the first couple jobs for cost, then you’re bound to get some business out of it. This place is so blah. I mean, sure, landscaping can be expensive if you hire one, but how about planting a few flowers, people? Cacti? A nice lawn flamingo perhaps? Anything to give the area a little color and personality. Something big needs to occur here in order for me to get even the slightest bit excited about this area. Maybe someone should open new 24-hour coffee shop here where the waitresses roller skate and juggle fire, then all the hipsters would rush over and buy up the depressing property and cover it with ironic graffiti. I don’t know—I’m just throwing ideas out here, people.

One of the reasons this area is so historic is because it was founded by freed African American slaves. There are a ton of really cool old houses, but yeah—super expensive. It’s fun to wander the hilly streets here though. I used to dog sit for one of my professors who lived here when she went out of town, so it was fun to pretend I lived here. Nau’s Enfield Drug is an adorable 1950s style pharmacy with a soda fountain and food in the back. There used to be one near my neighborhood in West Campus, but it closed, unfortunately. They have amazing chocolate malts and veggie burgers, believe it or not. (Believe it—this is Austin!) You might want to avoid the cluster of highways in the southwest corner. Traffic here can be a headache, and totally ruin your malt buzz. On the east side you have Amy’s Ice Creams, Book People, and Whole Foods, which is great for an afternoon of lazing around and procrastinating from life. There’s plenty of fun and quirk to keep aging hipsters ready to settle down happy, and plenty of good schools, parks, and peace, quiet, and safety for the family.

This is one of my favorite Austin neighborhoods (admittedly I have many…). To tell you the truth, I haven’t much noticed the actual residences in this area. It’s three things that make the North Loop awesome. First: Barfly’s. This is a little dive bar that has dirt cheap drinks and a great jukebox. You can play a game of pool with a 65-year old ex-hippie and his lady with the curious tattoos and have a grand old time. Second: Flightpath. This is one of the most inspirational places to have coffee and work on your great American novel. You’re writing one of those, right? Third: Coldtowne Theater. This is Austin’s alternative comedy theater and improve class explosion of awesomeness. It’s similar to the Groundlings or Upright Citizens Brigade in its style of performance and target audience. Okay, so maybe these places mean I’m too hipster for my own good, but I don’t care. I’m just lucky I don’t actually live in this neighborhood, or else I’d probably never leave. If you’re not totally cringing by this point in my review, you should definitely check out this neighborhood. Then if you find a great house here, you probably won’t mind if I crash on your couch sometimes?

This area really isn’t all that bad. It’s actually one of the first residential places I visited before I actually moved to Austin. I was there looking for a place to live (renting an apartment as a UT student, so no interest in houses or a mortgage), and I got invited to a new friend’s pool party. It was a cute little bungalow with big cactuses out front and a kidney shaped pool in the back. I can’t for the life of me remember exactly where it was here, but if I did, I’d want to move there because it’s my first impression of living in Austin and one I hoped to achieve one day. I of course wasn’t yet familiar with some of the quirkier neighborhoods that are closer to my favorite hangouts, but I think I could be happy here as long as I had that awesome pool. I could even stand the drive past the Sam’s Club and the Super Target. Sure, it’s a little suburban for my tastes, but there’s something about it that just screams THE SOUTH to me. Probably the cactuses. It actually reminds me more of Arizona than Austin, but then again, I’m originally from the Midwest, so everything below Missouri seems like an old timey-John Wayne film to me.

If you’re lucky enough to afford living here, then I’m jealous and I’m not going to give you my opinion of this neighborhood. Just kidding. But yes, Austin can be residentially kind to the rich and successful. I’m successful in other ways, so boo. But I love coming here anyway to rubberneck on the richies. I love taking out of town friends to Ruby’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, and I don’t even care much for Bar-B-Q. It’s fun to pull into the place—which is also a gas station by the way—and ask if they’re ready for the best brisket in Austin. (I wouldn’t really know personally, but that’s the general consensus.) Barton Creek is amazing to wander around in, as is Barton Creek Mall, for different reasons. It’s sort of odd seeing such a high-class mall, but it’s fun to people watch while hanging out on the leather couches in the middle of it all. You can also visit Chuy’s which not only has amazing Tex-Mex and Mexican margaritas (which just really means they're super concentrated margaritas served in a martini glass), but also happens to be the place where the Bush twins were pinched for having fake IDs back when their Daddy was governor. Ah, good times!

There are some less than ideal places in Austin that I really want to encourage people to explore for living options, but then there are others that I can’t even be bothered to muster up enough energy to care about. This is one of those areas. The age range of the residents here skews pretty broad. There are just about as many children as there are adults between the ages of 20-50. The generic nature of this place probably attracts such a variety of generations, since the lack of nightlife, entertainment, culture, or general neighborhood spirit means there’s absolutely no chance in attracting any particular one kind of person. The residents are about half and half white and Hispanic, with an average household income and slightly less than average rent when compared to the rest of Austin. Educational levels vary widely too, except for the general lack of professionals and residents with advanced degrees. Housing prices are significantly lower than elsewhere in Austin, and you can either see that as an amazing opportunity to take advantage of, or a warning sign to stay away. If you don’t mind a desolate landscape of car washes, tire shops, car dealerships, and even an auto junkyard, then I say go for it. Me, it makes me want to move back to Hyde Park and trade in my Honda for a cruising bike.

This is a great place to go for that authentic old school Austin nightlife experience without all of the crowds and drunk frat guys hitting on you all night. The hipster vibe is thick at the Yellow Jacket Social Club, but it’s totally worth it for their beet sandwich. The Liberty is a great cheap dive bar (which again, attracts hipsters like flypaper). It’s sort of nasty, and a few times I’ve found questionable gray moldy lumps in my mixed drinks, so I just stick to bottles now, thanks! It beats paying $10 cover to buy $16 martinis and schmooze with the orange-skinned skanks downtown. Anyway, on to the Gypsy Lounge. It’s a pretty interesting place, all red and draped with fabric, like some sort of Moroccan brothel, and then BAM—in walks the hoodied kid with black spikey hair and skinny jeans. Dude—are you following me? But the one place that the hipsters are sure not to be is Festival Beach Park at the very south of the neighborhood. It’s a quiet little strip of dirt along the edge of the river where the Austin Rowers go by every once in a while. It’s never crowded, so it’s the perfect place to go write in your moleskin journal.

This neighborhood is great for strange, kitchy nightlife and restaurants. On South First Street you’ll want to try Torchy’s Tacos. You can’t miss it—it’s a silver trailer with a big red devil on the sign. If you’re feeling a bit fearful of eating a taco from a truck—don’t. These things are awesome. (Or as the sign reads, “D#&M Good Tacos.”) There are often long lines, so come prepared to wait and be annoyed by people milling around spilling queso on your shoes. The Green Muse Café is a coffee shop that also sells wine and has great ambiance. The staff tends to get a little pretentious at times, often treating unfamiliar customers like they’re interrupting some important journaling time. The place attracts an interesting mix of students, writers, philosophers, goofballs, and professionals. Amy’s Ice Creams is a city institution, with staff that will sing and tell jokes while mixing your favorite scoops with your favorite toppings. (I doubt there’s many employee transfers taking place between here and the Green Muse…) I have a friend who used to live here, but swears he moved because of the insufferable hipster vibe. I think he might have been exaggerating, but I can sort of see it. But hey, that’s Austin for you.

Crestview is a super friendly, peaceful, family-friendly neighborhood where residents really love to call home. There’s a high importance put on community participation here, with a neighborhood ice cream social held in July, and annual Night Out events in August. During the first Tuesday of the month, one resident of each block hosts a gathering in their front yard. This gives neighbors a perfect opportunity to meet, mingle, or catch up on the local gossip. There’s a real push to make this a neighborhood with a small town feel, but it doesn’t feel fake or creepy. The residents just genuinely want to enjoy each others’ company. And who can blame them? The area is rich with parks, playgrounds, public pools, tennis courts, and churches. While Crestview lacks a rich racial diversity, the age range of resident goes from young children to couples in their early adulthood, to old timers who have lived in the area since before some of the roads were even paved. Even the store selection holds a reverence for the classics: Guitar Resurrection, Blackerby Violin Shop, Encore Records, It’s New To Me clothing store, and Frankenstein Computers make everything old new again. You won’t impress anyone with your new BMW SUV, but you’ll probably inherit lots of peach cobbler recipes.

Coronado Hills is attempting to turn itself into a thriving community, but it’s faced a number of setbacks. In 2010, the Austin Achievement Zone lost out on the chance to get a federal grant for the improvement of the Coronado Hills neighborhood schools. This was an anti-poverty plan based on the successful Harlem Achievement Zone model. This could have changed many young lives, but fortunately the organization is still filing and competing for grant money to achieve this goal. If education and family services aren’t a priority for you, this is a relatively cheap—if bland—place to buy or rent. There’s a string of bus stops along Berkman Drive, but you’ll probably want a vehicle if you live here so you can access other areas of the city with ease. Bordered on all sides by major highways, it’s got plenty of quick access going for it, so you can easily hop into your car and get to work or some of the more interesting areas neighborhoods for your nightlife or entertainment needs. There are a lot of authentic Mexican restaurants and a Mexican dance club, but other than that, there’s not much to do here. But again, fun or family is not a priority for your living needs, this might be the perfect place for you.

This is hopefully a neighborhood that will soon see rejuvenation like other impoverished minority areas in Austin. Houses are small, but built to last and extremely affordable. Now would be the time to buy up property here and flip it, if you’re into that sort of thing. Private revitalization and urban planning companies have started to take an interest in the area, so it’s just a matter of time before the neighborhood has some life pumped back into it (if it’s not gentrified altogether). It’s also a relatively safe place for students or professional individuals just starting out to rent houses. It’s very close to UT, the Eastview ACC Campus, and I35. The neighborhood has a number of small parks nearby, and a variety of churches to help connect the community residents. There aren’t really many restaurants or entertainment options, as the neighborhood is primarily residential. There are numerous bus stops on the areas main streets, but most residents rely on cars to get around. But it is nice to have the option of biking or walking to other areas close by. It’s safe enough that one can do so with little worry during the day, and caution and awareness at night.

Sure, there are some great trendy places here like Uncorked Tasting Room, where you can go and have a really great wine experience. But I love this area most for its historical richness. The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is housed in the old Austin Library that used to be known as the “Colored Branch.” The building itself is historically preserved and gorgeous, and its permanent and revolving exhibits provide significant local history of African American Central Texans. If you’re in this neighborhood and want some great food, you have to visit Nubian Queen Lola Cajun Soul Food. Lola is a lovely woman who runs the place all by herself six days a week, closing on Sundays to feed the local homeless. She also won’t turn away a customer down on their luck during the rest of the week, which I think makes her an amazing human being. She was homeless too, once, and she knows how it feels to get a hot meal in your hungry belly. She loves to talk and is quite the character. But comfort food done right takes some time, so don’t expect to swing through here on your lunch half-hour. Meeting people like this who have amazing stories and huge hearts is one of the reasons I love Austin so much.

This is definitely the place to live for wealthy Austinites who turn up their nose at the cookie cutter condo lifestyle of many of the other well-off neighborhoods in the city. If I had a million to drop on some real estate (oh, and I didn’t get to live on the river across from Hula Hut), this place would be it. There are some amazing, unique homes of all shapes, sizes, and styles, and it’s hard to beat the SoCo access. But for now I’m happy just hanging out at the Continental Club watching great musicians on the red velvet stage. I saw Sandra Bullock there once, which pretty much made her cool for life in my book. I also dated a guy who worked at Guero’s and apparently George W. Bush loved to go there for breakfast once a week when he was governor. I love the energy and style of this area, as well as the outspoken liberal attitude, which of course may not suit every person who is able to afford living here. If you want to avoid the goofball quirk that makes Austin, well—Austin, then you might want to check out something more northerly. Try the Triangle State neighborhood, perhaps.

I used to work in this neighborhood, and I always thought it was funny that the Expose strip club (it’s not a “nite club” as it sometimes advertises itself…) is just right down the street from Saint Edwards University. But that’s the sort of thing you come to expect from Austin—a huge variety of people living and working and going about their business and not really judging each other. This is a very safe place. I used to take the city bus from my apartment in Pleasant Valley to my waitressing job, then catch a cab back home after my shift ended at 1 am. I never had any trouble. Overall, it’s pretty pedestrian and bike friendly, and it seems like everyone has a dog to take for walks. This is the place you want to live if you’re an outdoors person like me. I don’t really like to hike or jog or generally work up a sweat at all, really, but I’m happy as a clam just puttering around my back yard planting flowers or tweaking the landscaping. St. Edwards is a perfect spot for individuals or families to carve out their own space away from the crazy chaos of the rest of the city.

Many neighborhoods that are far away from downtown, UT, or anything else majorly important in the city make up for it by either having cheap rent or some other benefit like community spirit, great natural resources, or even a special restaurant or hangout that no one else in Austin has taken the effort to discover yet. Don’t let this neighborhood’s proximity to a golf course, a lakeside park, and wildlife sanctuary fool you. You’ll be living practically on top of the airport, with plenty of noise, traffic, and pollution. There are also a high number of mobile home parks here, as well as long stretches of nothing but storage units and used car dealerships. Montopolis’s crime rate in is almost twice the national average, and the majority of residents are under the national poverty line and lack even a high school education. Students attending Austin Community College might think they’re getting a deal by living so close to campus, but a walk to class and cheap rent aren’t worth the negatives here. Austin’s second seediest strip club is also located here, if you already didn’t have enough reason to stay away. There are plenty of other neighborhoods in Austin that are much safer but still boast cheap rent. I suggest going anywhere but here.

This neighborhood has the highest rate of childhood poverty in Austin, as well as high rates of family instability, obesity, and low graduation rates. St. Johns used to be a primarily African American neighborhood, but it is now 75% Hispanic, with many children unable to reach their full academic potential or have their needs met by underfunded schools. Yet those schools are starting to see improvement, and there are strong after-school programs and organizations like Communities in Schools, Boys and Girls Club, the Council for At-Risk Youth, and the St. John Community Center. There are also two Family Resource Centers that help local families find housing, food, employment, and other resources. In 2010, the neighborhood was chosen to be the focus of the Austin Achievement Zone, which will hopefully help residents improve their living and educational situations. There are a number of active churches in the neighborhood, and overall community spirit is high. This is reflected in events like HopeFest, Dia de los Ninos, and Unity Walks. The area does have a branch of the public library, two technical colleges, a police substation, and a medical clinic. As to be expected, there are many Mexican restaurants as well as chain restaurants and hotels along I35.

Perfectly fine suburb for the price, and you’ll have plenty of diverse neighbors that probably live in a house exactly like yours. It’s clean and safe, and as long as you’re not too close to I35, it’s probably relatively quiet too. Your kids will be able to walk to good schools. You’ll be able to sleep at night knowing your mortgage is low and your car isn’t going to get keyed. But once you cross Stassney heading north on South Congress, things get a bit seedier. It’s not unusual to see homeless people wandering around or getting hassled by the cops, and this stretch of street is full of nothing but car dealerships and ugly warehouses. Keep in mind that you’re going to have to drive through this any time you want to go downtown or to UT or really anywhere else in Austin. If this doesn’t bother you, then like I said, it’s great for the price. It’s too cookie cutter for my tastes, but I suppose this keeps you friendly with your neighbors too—having lots to talk about in relation to siding and lawn mowers. You can always head north and visit your much more exciting friends in Hyde Park or Windsor Road!

This place has always boggled my mind. Sure, it’s all so brand new and extremely nice and safe and wonderful, and there’s no way I’m even going to get the chance to consider living here anyway, given my current and future financial situation. But something about it seems so Stepford to me. It’s so darned perfect—way too perfect for Austin, in my opinion. The whole idea behind this community is that it’s an upscale urban place with loft-like condos surrounded by upscale restaurants and entertainment, but come on. I’ve stayed in some pretty fancy resorts, and they’re fun for a while, but I imagine living like that every single day of my life would drive me bonkers. Why move to somewhere like Austin if you’re not going to immerse yourself in all the quirky strange uniqueness Austin has to offer? Now I imagine I’m either preaching to the choir here, or else just pushing anyone seriously considering this area even further into deciding it’s for them. So maybe this place is a good thing for everyone. You get to keep your Chedd’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese, polished bamboo flooring and vaulted ceilings, and I’ll keep my Kirby Lane Cafe and worn out carpet with the questionable stain that my landlord refuses to admit was there when I moved in. Look—everyone’s happy! We can all peacefully coexist in this wonderful city!

I’ve never lived here, and I don’t know anyone else who has, but my friends and I come here often to eat at Tres Amigos Cantina on Loop 360 (or South Capital of Texas Highway, depending on the direction you’re coming from and what you feel like calling it that day. Why do so many roads in Austin have, like, three names? That was so confusing to me when I just moved here!) I always get quail poppers and the stuffed avocado. Yum! The staff is always extremely friendly, and though the restaurant isn’t super extravagant, it’s always very clean. The neighborhood itself seems to be very safe, and people outside their homes always smile and wave when we drive past. The Dottie-Jordan Park is very nice—lots of green open spaces for people to enjoy. There seems to be a lot of community spirit, with a diverse spectrum of friendly, welcoming faces. And even though this is known primarily as a Mexican-American neighborhood, over half of the residents are actually African American. House values average about $150K, and rent averages around $600 a month. There are a large number of young families here, and the median income and educational level for adults is on the rise. This is definitely an area to consider when you’re looking for a reasonable place to live in Austin.

I am friends with a couple that live here, and they absolutely love it. They both work nearby, and they can drop their daughter off at preschool on the way. The area has a number of great schools, both public and private. They are active in their neighborhood association, and the area even has its own paper, the Oak Hill Gazette, which focuses on neighborhood news. There’s a public library, a branch of the Austin Community College, and the Oak Hills Health Center. The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to expand Highway 290, which West Oak Hills residents aren’t too happy about. They’ve formed a grassroots group to suggest alternatives that would be cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and wouldn’t cause so much chaos to the neighborhood way of life. The neighborhood spirit is high here, thanks to this coalition, and it’s a clean, safe place for children to grow up. Housing is very expensive, and it’s far away from downtown and the UT campus, so these are things to consider for those who are lucky enough to even start looking for a residence in the area. My friends swear they will never move, though, however much I talk about loving less expensive, quirkier areas of the city.

This is right along I35, where the interstate splits into two levels for twice the traffic and twice the noise. It’s very close to campus, but you’re better off heading to the west side for housing. There are a lot of motels and businesses along 35, including Chicas Bonitas—a strip club that used to be called the Crazy Lady. This is definitely one place in Austin that you want to avoid. I heard rumors from more than one of my male friends who found himself there for a bachelor party that it’s pretty awful there—extremely dark, dirty, and apparently dancers work pretty late through their pregnancies there, because it was also a common story I heard over and over. There is a very popular diner—Star Seeds—on 31st and 35, but I honestly can’t tell you what people love about it so much. There’s a list of rules on a board as you enter, one of which is “don’t make eye contact with the cook.” The waitresses are rude, and there is always punk or death metal music blasting away—so loud that you can’t even talk to the person sitting across the booth from you. My boyfriend at the time used to love to go there to read the paper and get breakfast for some reason I could never quite fathom. He probably would have loved to live within walking distance. Check out your landlord’s reputation and look at the apartment complex closely in person before renting, and you may get lucky living here.

Ah, I wish I could say that I lived here, and at night my rich husband and I just hop in our boat and take it down the river to one of the awesome restaurants, but alas, I cannot. If you have the money, by all means, this is where you should live. But the rest of us can at least enjoy the Hula Hut, which has amazing mango jalapeno quesadillas and an awesome view of the river from the outside patio. The Magnolia Café also makes it worth it to hop in my not-a-Mercedes every Saturday for some Love Veggies. The Museum of Art is here, and Mozart’s Coffee is a great place to chill out and enjoy the scenery. There’s also a very nice-looking golf course here, if you’re into that sort of thing (I’m not, so I can’t give much info on that), and Deep Eddy Pool, which is the oldest and one of the coolest pools in Texas. A brand new mural has just been finished there, so it’s a great excuse to head over in this direction too. Until I win the lottery or find a neurosurgeon to marry, I’ll be happy just visiting and enjoying the atmosphere of Tarrytown.

West Congress residents are typically lower-income and generally less educated than in the rest of Austin, and it has a large Hispanic population. Like most big cities, many Austin neighborhoods tend to end up racially segregated and this is one of those areas. However, this doesn’t mean the area isn’t relatively safe and friendly, especially compared to some neighborhoods around I35. If you’re looking for affordable housing, you could do much worse than West Congress. South Congress lines the east border of the neighborhood, but not the cool, quirky part of the street. Mostly what you’ll find here is a sad stretch of storage units, car shops, and warehouse stores. The area is an affordable place to live, but not particularly clean, green, or interesting. If you don’t mind taking a quick drive north to somewhere like the Continental Club for your nightlife, this might be a fine place to get an apartment or find a small house. I personally prefer somewhere less blah and visually depressing, with more green space and personality. I do like to stop at Casa Maria for some super cheap and tasty breakfast tacos before swinging by South Austin People for some sweet homemade hippy soap!

Located just south of the awesome Barton Creek Wilderness Park, Westgate is a welcoming place for families and young professionals. There are a lot of children and young couples here, and the median household income is around $46K. Rent averages around $750, with most of the residences being single-family dwellings. Home values range mostly between $150K-$300K. As far as schools go, Joslin Elementary is highly rated for excellence, and the Austin Montessori School is also located in the neighborhood. There are numerous bus stops along Manchaca (which for some reason I’ve never understood is pronounced “man-shack” by the locals), but you’ll probably want to have a car if you live here. Three major highways intersect to the north, which makes for easy access to the rest of the city. There’s an 11-screen movie theater in the Westgate Mall, and South Congress’s quirky shopping district is nearby. Strange Brew Coffee offers food and live local music. They also display the work of local artists for free, which is really cool. Conan’s Pizza is also great, and it’s of course designed with copious paintings of Conan the Barbarian. Check out the original location on Guadalupe for the full-on barbarian experience, by the way.

This area is often mixed up with Windsor Hills and Windsor Park, which are both east of I35. The age of residents of Windsor Park skews a little higher than in other neighborhoods (mostly 30-55), mostly white, undergrad educated with families, with higher incomes on average than the rest of Austin. Home values vary pretty widely, but there are some really unique homes in this area, ranging from adorable little picturesque cottage style to eclectic modern works of art. It’s a very clean, well-kept place to live. Most people own rather than rent, and rent is relatively higher here than in other neighborhoods nearby. The Windsor Road neighborhood is close to the UT campus, but it doesn’t feel like it because right to the south is the Shoal Creek Greenbelt and Pease Park. This provides a nice buffer from noise, traffic, and skyline clutter. It’s almost entirely residential, but a couple bar/restaurants dot the north border. The Waterloo Ice House caters to the sporty type, and the Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina has some great margaritas and live music on Thursday nights. They have the best hot sauce in Austin, by the way. The Seaton Medical Center is also located here.

I had a good friend who by some freak accident found herself living in this area. Her complex wasn’t too bad—it had a pool in the center courtyard that they actually kept pretty clean—but overall she had a miserable experience living here. She did meet a few other people in her situation—who rented an apartment in the complex not knowing much about the neighborhood. But she definitely didn’t feel safe walking at night, and she usually had to wait to catch a bus to work even though she didn’t work too far away from her apartment. She worked at Luby’s on East Anderson, and she’d call me at night to come pick her up because she didn’t want to wait at the bus stop and she was worried about weird people following her home. The food at Luby’s is fine, by the way, and it’s relatively safe to eat there during the day as long as you have a car to go home in afterwards. When her lease was up at the end of the year, she got the heck out of there and found a new job too. I would suggest living anywhere else in Austin besides here, unless you’re moving from somewhere even worse and you really want cheap rent.

This was one of my favorite areas to hang out as a student, though I preferred living west of campus. North University is within easy walking distance of campus, and there are so many great places on Guadalupe. There’s Toy Joy and I Luv Video—which has miraculously stayed in business even after the advent of Netflix and Red Box. It’s just too quirky and wonderful to die. There’s also the Buffalo Exchange thrift store and Antone’s Records, another historical relic that’s survived the times. Chango’s Taqueria has the absolute best fish tacos ever, and Thai Kitchen is also a favorite of mine. Wheatsville Food Co-op was the only place I shopped, and I did all my study and down time at the Spider House. Their hot lemon ginger Echinacea got me through many cold and flu seasons. If you live in this area—and there’s no reason to unless you’re a student—you’re going to be relegated to an apartment and probably a crappy landlord who is overcharging thanks to high student housing demands. Parking sucks, but the bus system is great. For the proximity to everything I mentioned above, it would be worth it to live here if you were a student, especially if you didn’t have a car.

Homes here generally fall into the $100-200K range, and most are older but well-built small ranch types set on long blocks with small yards. The neighborhood holds a Yard of the Month competition, which helps keep everything very clean and attractive. It’s also got a diverse blend of white, black, and Hispanic residents, with a median income of $38K. Along the west I35 border, you can find the Capital Plaza Shopping Center, so this part of the neighborhood tends to be noisier and more crowded than average. To the south is the old airport location, which is currently being renovated as the Mueller neighborhood. The area has a lot of schools and childcare facilities to keep families close and happy. There’s a real sense of laid-back community here, with people jogging, walking their dogs, or just strolling around the cute little shops. There’s not much in the way of nightlife or great restaurants, but the Carousel Lounge is beloved in the hipster set. They often have belly dancing, go-go dancers, or some rockabilly band playing, and you can drink a can of PBR in the very surreal circus-themed environment. It’s fun and cheap entertainment, but if you’re not prepared to play along, you might not enjoy it.

There’s nothing super spectacularly “Austin” about this area, but if you’re looking for a nice quiet, not-quirky place to live, this may be for you. The neighborhood isn’t very close to the university or downtown, but I35 runs along its west border for fast and easy access to other major areas in the city. Windsor Hills is full of children and adults in the 20-30 year old range, with a diverse range of races and income levels. Most of the houses were built in the 1970s, and are unexceptional when compared to the unique homes in Windsor Park nearby. There are quite a few newer and nicely managed condos and apartment complexes here that may be appealing to young professionals and older college students. There are also plenty of school options for children here, including some private and parochial schools. Overall, it is very safe and family oriented here. As far as proximity to cultural or entertainment sources, there’s not much here. Most students and young people looking for an active nightlife will find this area sort of boring, but again it doesn’t take long to get to more exciting areas. The benefit here is definitely much less noise, traffic, and crowding.

Overall this neighborhood is generally middle to upper-middle class, with a nice park and even a community garden where you can rent your own plot of land and grow organic vegetables and flowers. UT isn’t too far away, and Highland Mall is just off West Koenig. Janis Joplin used to play at the Threadgills on North Lamar before she got famous. So yes, there’s a strip club (or cabaret, if you please) on North Lamar (The Yellow Rose), but don’t let this discourage you from looking for a residence nearby. The club itself is very upper-scale, and the area is well-lit and relatively safe for a city of this size. I learned very quickly after I moved here that strip clubs in Texas aren’t quite the same as in other states. Business men mingle and have lunch here, and it’s pretty common stuff. Sure, there are some shady dives and areas you’ll want to avoid (the Crazy Lady under I35, for instance), but overall, don’t let the mere fact that one exists in the neighborhood scare you off. The Texas Department of Public Safety is just down the street, after all. There are a lot of cute houses with well-kept yards in the area.

I’ve never lived here, but I imagine it would be a fun place to find a house with a bunch of hipster friends. If this doesn’t sound like a blast to you, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere for real estate. Lots of quirky places to hang out along South Congress and South First, including the funky Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse, Ego’s, and Threadgills, which always has awesome live music. There are a ton of little galleries and boutiques featuring local artists, so I always love to go shopping here when I’m looking for something unique and special. Be sure to check out Lucy in Disquise with Diamonds, which is an awesome retro clothing and costume store. The stores themselves are often a sight in themselves. You can’t miss the giant rabbit above the sign for Uncommon Objects, a fun little antique store. I got a huge velvet painting of a court jester there, and it hung in my living room until I met my husband and he made me move it down to the basement. This neighborhood is also the home of the crazy amazing Soup Peddler. You order soup on his website for the following week, then you leave a cooler on your porch on a certain day, and he drops it off. Weird, but awesome!

Wooten
This neighborhood has an almost 50/50 split of white and Hispanic residents, and the median household income is slightly less than the rest of Austin. The majority of the houses here are owned rather than rented, and most were built in the 1960s and ‘70s. The average household income is between $20,000 - $75,000, and house values fall heavily within the $125,000-$250,000 range, with the average listing price at $195,000. The Northcross Mall nearby has an ice rink, but not much else. It used to be really great, but it’s taken a dive in the past few years. There is a public library branch, a comedy club, and a few restaurants nearby. It’s far from campus and downtown, but it’s just a quick jump over to I35 from 183. The area itself is a little hit or miss. You’ll want to avoid anything near Wooten Park Drive, but the farther you get from that, the better kept the homes get. The schools are actually pretty good, given the lower than average income and educational rates of its residents. If you can find a nice place in a nice area here, you’ll probably get more for your money than in more upscale neighborhoods.

This neighborhood includes Town Lake Park and is right next to Zilker Park, where you’ll find Barton Springs. There’s also a sculpture garden and botanical gardens here which are great places to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. There’s even an off-leash dog park for the pooches. As far as non-nature related entertainment, there are some must-go places for the hipster or younger crowds, including Flipnotics coffee shop and thrift store, and Chuy’s—which has some of the best Mexican food in Austin. The South Austin Popular Culture Center is also a really fun place to hang out. They have exhibits celebrating things like Austin’s early punk scene, cartoons, and advertising from some of Austin’s most beloved music venues. It’s a great place to learn about the diverse history of this amazingly creative city. The Alamo Drafthouse has a theater here as well, which nicely duplicates the unique experience of brews and quirky flicks without the hassle of having to travel downtown and find parking. Overall, Zilker is a very laid-back area, with everything from small houses to large estates for sale. There’s a mix of old and new homes, so whatever suits your tastes should be able to be found here.

This used to be a really sad place to drive by, if you ever had the misfortune of needing to drive by it, but it’s starting to get pretty amazing as it’s being revitalized. The new name for this neighborhood is Mueller, actually, and it is an up-and-coming place to live. The revitalization is happening right now, with the landscape constantly changing and improving. The neighborhood even has a blog that keeps everyone posted on news and events, and there seems to be a real focus on creating a safe, friendly-family environment. There are a number of nearby parks, a local book drives to support the Children’s Medical Center and movies projected on a huge screen in the Lake Park amphitheater. This would be an excellent time to purchase a home here, as it’s sure to be a great place to live. There’s not much in terms of nightlife or entertainment here quite yet, but it’s not too far away for travel to be a hassle. It’s also relatively close to the University of Texas campus and I35, but not too close that you’re going to suffer a lot of noise and traffic, or drunk frat guys wandering around in your yard.

This is a great quiet upper-middle class neighborhood with some pretty cool restaurants nearby. Amy’s Ice Creams is an Austin staple. The employees will do tricks for you while they mix your ice cream with various toppings, sort of like Tom Cruise in Cocktail. The Austin Diner is also quite an experience. It’s sort of like Mel’s Diner if it was in a David Lynch movie, but not as scary as that sounds. It’s a little run down, but they have interesting specials like fried green tomatoes. On the weekends, it’s not as busy as you’d expect it to be for the price. Along West Anderson, there are a number of Asian restaurants that are all really good. The Northcross Shopping Center also has pretty much everything you would need, so you don’t have to maneuver the interstates to get your shopping done. It’s a very family-friendly area, with a lot of park and recreation space no matter what part of the neighborhood you live in. The streets are tree-lined with a lot of cul de sacs, so it’s very suburban and doesn’t get a lot of traffic. You’ve also got a convenient cupcake shop and comic book shop right near the middle school. What more could a kid ask for?

I lived here in the Metropolis apartments for two years. They used to be a set of twelve run-down crack houses, but someone bought them and totally redid them. I moved in right when they opened, and MTV actually shot something there. It’s got some pretty crazy architecture and design. There’s even part of a plane coming out of the buildings. The floors were painted concrete and the bathroom had a jet bathtub, so it was very nice. There’s also a pretty amazing common center and club house, with pool tables, arcade games, and free tanning. The building I lived in was infested with crickets, though. They used to just walk out of my closet at night like Jiminy Cricket saying how do you do. Rumor had it that one of the buildings was infested with raccoons. But this was right after they opened, so I imagine they’ve ironed out all of those wrinkles since. The area is safe, with a grocery store and numerous fast food places around. I didn’t have a car for the first year I lived there, and I just took the bus to campus. There are lots of young hip students here, so you’ll meet tons of interesting neighbors.

The heart of the nightlife is here on 6th Street. Students, professionals, locals, hipsters, frat bros—everyone mixes it up here if they’re between a certain age. I have lots of memories from this area (some hazier and less suitable for retelling…). The Alamo Drafthouse is definitely my favorite place here. They show cult classics and serve Guinness. Any other questions? You’ll probably find Harry Knowles of Aintitcoolnews.com here, if he’s in town. Any given night, there’s sure to be a festival or screening of some crazy film. Good times. If you’re not a fan of drinking with movie nerds while you watch films, the Paramount Theater has a great screening schedule too. Emo’s is my favorite place to catch indie music shows. La Zona Rosa, Antone’s, and Stubb’s are great live band venues, as well. And Austin’s got plenty of live music, even when South By Southwest isn’t going on. Soak in Austin’s thriving gay culture at Oil Can Harry’s on East 4th. Even if the night life isn’t your thing, there are plenty of great things here. Book People and Whole Foods is a must, as is the Mexic-Arte Museum. This is where I fell in love with Dia de Los Muertos art.

Not for the thin of wallet or the quirky of spirit. This is where you’ll find a nice, upper-scale mall with pretty unique architecture and comfy places to sit. And I’m not talking about your usual benches—more like leather chairs and couches. This is a fun place to hang out and people watch, especially if you’re poor like me. The usual sort of clothing stores (Dillard’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic) and furniture (Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn) and a movie theater. There’s also a Swarovski here, which is pretty fun to check out. Being a mall, it’s of course easily accessible by the highway system, but traffic can get crazy during weekends and holidays. Nearby on Loop 360 is Rudy’s Bar-BQ. Definitely check this out after a long day of shopping for a plate of brisket, banana pudding, and a bottle of Lone Star. (Hey, it’s Willy Nelson’s favorite beer!) This is a nice area to live if you’re able to drop a few million. There are a lot of amazing homes that are sort of fun to drive around and see. When you’re bored with the richies, you can head to Barton Creek Pool and soak away your jealousy.

This is pretty much my second home during the summer months. The neighborhood is home to Zilker Park, which features Barton Springs pool, a botanical garden, and a sculpture garden (including the very cool Philosopher’s Rock). There’s swimming, theater, concerts, ballet, and Austin City Limits holds their music festival here. They used to show movies projected on the cliffs at Barton Springs Pool. I saw Jaws sitting on an inner tube, and it was probably the coolest movie experience of my life. Around Christmas, you can celebrate the season by going to see the trees all lit up and going on the lights walk. Nearby is the Greenbelt, which has tons of great biking and hiking trails. Basically, if you’re not on the lake, this is the area you want to be when the weather is great. There are some nice houses around, and Barton Elementary is supposed to be a really good school. There’s not much in terms of shopping or eating, but it’s nearby everything and easily accessible by car. This is a gem of nature that you should definitely take advantage of if you live here, and visit if you’re a tourist. It’s probably one of the most beautiful areas in Austin.

This area has a small college town feel that is a great escape from the big city. It’s a great area for walking and biking, with relatively little traffic. This is a favorite area for graduate students and other more mature individuals, so it never gets too rowdy. If you’re lucky enough to live here, you’re within easy walking distance to UT. After class you can study in the quiet of Flightpath Coffeehouse, or get a muffin at Quacks Bakery. There are a lot of churches and schools in this area, and students and families coexist peacefully. Parks, playgrounds, and tennis courts give provide plenty of attractive green space to play or wander around in. There are a few little boutique stores, a movie theater nearby, and even a really cool sculpture museum (Elisabet Ney). You’ll definitely forget you’re surrounded by urban sprawl just mere miles away. There are plenty of bus stops around the perimeter of the neighborhood too, so this is actually one of the few areas in Austin that you can get away with not having a car and not even miss it. I love this area, and I’m so sad I don’t get to live there anymore! If I had a choice of where I lived in the city, this would be it no question.

I lived here for three years, renting an apartment in a small building. The landlord lived in the house next door, and he was probably one of the worst landlords I’ve ever had. It’s a really pretty area, though, and I had a parking space and pecan trees in the yard. The neighborhood spans a pretty diverse area, from quiet residential to quirky commercial. This is a great place for students to live, as the campus is within easy walking distance. There are plenty of bus stops to get you to other areas in Austin with little trouble. There are also some great restaurants and bars here (especially for the hipster set) like Kerbey Lane Café, The Hole in the Wall, Thai Noodle House, Nasty’s, Polkadots Cupcake Factory, and Texas French Bread… I’ve had a lot of good food and good memories at these places. My all-time favorite toy store is also here—Toy Joy. It’s a hipster’s dream place. Buffalo Exchange is a good place to find second-hand skinny jeans and ironic tshirts. There’s a lot of traffic along Guadalupe and MLK, of course, but the residential areas are relatively quiet and safe. I walked home from class alone at night regularly and never had any trouble.