Good family community in the outskirts of Austin?

Question

Moving to Austin eventually. Are there any growing familiy communities in the outskirts of Austin that will probably be thriving two or three years from now. Schools, parks, stores, malls near this area? Are there jobs scattered throughout Austin or mostly downtown? my husband is a graphic designer, i'm in law & a chef. My daughter will be 5.

Answer 1

There's tons of stuff in the outskirts -- I have relatives that live in Buda and they seem to like it, and certainly they're on some pretty land out there. (And no, they don't have mullet haircuts.) That's south of Austin and close to the big fancy outlet mall in San Marcos.

Up north, the Round Rock area and stuff up around it (Georgetown, Pflugerville etc. etc.) is growing super fast, and has its own fancy outlet mall springing up plus some more shops, and lots of jobs there due to Dell Computer (which I am sure hires graphic designers and lawyers). Also, Round Rock is north of Austin close to Lake Travis, which is pretty.

But I think you should take a look at Austin itself. Austin is lovely and very family-friendly. I don't know what that guy above means by avoiding "central" Austin; the central area is nice. The Hike and Bike trail is great, the University is there, everything's convenient, there are lots of central areas that are really upscale.... And I personally would do anything to avoid ever commuting by car, again. And Austin can have some very slow rush-hour commuter traffic, which is an argument against the suburbs.

One idea might be to look at suburban areas where there's supposed to be commuter rail soon. The first trains are projected to start running from Leander, which is north of Austin and west of Round Rock, in 2008. If you worked downtown, this could be a very good option. Commuting by train is not bad because you can read or work, unlike driving which just feels like a waste of time stuck on the road. If you want to know more about this, go to: http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail.shtml

Answer 2

Having lived there the past 24 years I would say Round Rock on the North side of town (house are a little pricey) excellent school district and great convenience. A little further north is Leander/ Cedar Park, also great schools further communte to downtown. The going West is Lakeway, Lago Vista, and Jonestown. All very good smaller areas. Lakeway is pricey and the school district is just okay. Great golf courses and of course it's beautiful by the lakes. Southwest is Eanes school district (one of the best in the state) the community is called Westlake Hills, incredibly pricey. Were talking no home under a million and rubbing shoulders with Micheal Dell and the celebrities that have homes here. South is Buda, icky stay away unless you like camo and mullets. Same with Eastern areas like Bastrop, Manor, Taylor and east Austin. Pflugerville is very nice and is growing quickly, closer to town and right on IH-35. North of Round Rock is Georgetown a cute bedroom community with lots of golf courses and shopping, good schools. Of course Austin itself is so big that you can have an Austin address and be in another distirct. Stay away from central Austin and East. South Austin is very artsy and fun.

Jobs all over. Don't worry about that. A lot of law is downtown though. I would expect with your husbands job that he'll be able to telecommunte most of the time. There are 3 offical malls in town. Lakeline - North, Highland - Central, and Barton Creek - West. All very good. Barton Creek is more upscale stuff and Lakeline is more yuppy. There are parks everywhere, schools are all pretty close to neighborhoods. It's great for families and there is always stuff to do around town.
Hope that helps some. Feel free to ask any other question. The websites I've listed should give you a good vibe for the city too. Good luck.

Answer 3

Look into the Circle C Ranch in far SW Austin. Just 15-20 miles from downtown. This is the cities largest planned community. Lot's of young families and growing. Very safe family oriented area with very good schools. Many amenities including a swim center with an Olympic pool and a soon to be built kiddie pool. Good range of home pricing from moderate to high-end/upscale. Community continues to grow with significant new retail in the area and importantly its done environmentally friendly...SW Austin sits on a protected aquifer, so laws prevent overbuilding. In my view, much more natural than certain parts of North Austin and Round Rock where overbuilding creates a huge concrete slab and major traffic problems. The SW area is much more natural and open area with lots of oak trees. Most importantly, only 10 minutes away from The Salt Lick, recognized as one of the top barbecue restaurants nationally:)

Answer 4

Yes,there are a few nice town on the outskirts..Right now Buda is booming so I don't know if that is something you want in the future. Kyle is by Buda and is sprouting quite a bit.
San Marcos where I am close to has the university Texas State.When college is in we have about 45,000 and when they go home it gets nice and small for a few months.
Yes,there are jobs,just have to want one and look for one.

San Marcos is 25 to 30 min from Austin.Depends time of day.
Buda is about 20 min from Austin,
Kyle is abouit 15 mins away.
My son works as a graphic designer,i think...with t-shirts? I am pretty sure he said they can not keep one becase it is hard work?
Could be wrong..But,if I am not may I ask some questions or get a number for you to call?
San Marcos has the San marcos River .It is 72,or 78 degrees year round.During summer lots of college kids but the police are cracking down on the drinking. You can go canoeing,plenty of lakes.
Well,hope this didn't scare you any....Besides hot,hot,hot in summer it great...

Answer 5

Hmm...try looking in Avery Ranch, it's so beautiful there. There are some new builds, and it's sort of up-and-coming, and they are in the process of expanding and building schools. A few cute shops nearby.

It's about a 30-40 min drive to central Austin.

Jobs are mostly scattered around central/south Austin.

Answer 6

I guess I'd say Round Rock or Cedar Park (that's where the previous answerer's suggestion is located.) I know there are other places, too, but those are 2 of the ones I'm most familiar with. There's also Pflugerville, which has its nice parts, but not as many as RR or CP.

Answer 7

In order to find a nice place to nest in or around Austin,Texas. You must plan a vacation to Austin,Texas , rent a car , and visit every location you can , and you will be very surprised at what you will find. Do not be afraid to talk to the natives , you will find out a lot that way. Let me be the first to welcome you to Texas, because you will hear it a lot. Y'all Come!

Answer 8

My brother lives in Round Rock and loves it. He's been there for a decade and has no plans to leave.