Austin, TX

[Duna]

Hi Boji,

I haven't made my final decision yet but I might also be going to Austin in fall 2012 and like you, I would like to live close to campus, downtown etc. because I would like to get around by bike and public transportation.

After checking out some craigslist offers I am not sure whether you will get a room within walking distance from campus for $ 350. I think you can find one close enough to downtown to commute easily by bike or public transportation though. I am calculating with $ 500 + utilities right now. But it's a trade-off decision since you will most likely need to pay for a car if you live somewhere cheaper (I know there are shuttle routes etc. but it's way more comfortable with a car then). The money you're investing in a more expensive downtown apartment will then spare you the car.

I will also be in the college of communication (but for comm studies)

Edited March 8, 2012 by Saviya

[Sigaba]

it gets HOT. INSANELY HOT in the summer, and summer is march through october. wear sunscreen, carry a water bottle and a sweat-mopping rag

The heat in Austin is something all potential Longhorns who are not from Texas or the Southeast should consider very carefully.

Unless you are used to tropical heat AND humidity, you need to understand that there are no easy "five minute walks" in Austin.

During my time at the Forty Acres, I lived across the street from campus and the equivalent of three long blocks from the hall where I took most of my classes. By the time I got across the street onto campus, I would be sweating. By the time I got to class, I would be drenched.

This dynamic was especially uncomfortable when my destination was the PCL (the main research library) as the A/C ensured that one was going to go from being hot and wet to being wet and cold in a very short period of time.

The heat can affect your mood (I realized why Texas are so polite my third day there), your ability to focus on your studies, and your ability to sleep. Unless personal hygeine is not a priority, you will need to program your budget to account for a lot of showers, a lot of laundry, and a lot of dry cleaning. If your utilities are not included in your rent, you will take a ding from your AC bill.

Add to the mix the cedar pollen and those with allergies are going to have a grand old time.

And then there were the grackles. Don't get me started on the grackles. Or the roaches the size of compact cars.

Again, if you're used to such a climate, these issues won't bother you any more than they already do But if you're from a temperate region or you're used to a dry heat, you are in for a surprise. (Imagine the feeling of thousands of needles pressing into your skin and delivering the feeling of a weak electrical charge. That's a nice day in Austin.)

I loved Austin but the heat and the cedar pollen really kicked my backside and got in the way of my enjoying a truly beautiful city, an outstanding school, and the great State of Texas.

[Duna]

Thanks Sigaba,

you are totally right. I live in Berlin and therefore I am not used to hot climate. Both of my parents did graduate studies at UT and both of them warned me that the heat will really get to me (if I'll be going). I totally believe them... It's not going to be easy for me but if the climate is the only thing (I don't have any allergies and I hate spiders but don't care that much about all kinds of bugs) I dislike, then I will need to make the choice to be okay with it.

My mom made a really good point. She remembers going out to buy milk on her second morning in Austin, it was mid August and already freaking hot at 7 am and she would start to sweat immediately. She said she almost had a panic attack thinking: Oh my god, it's going to be like that for years now... After spending some time trying to catch her breath and stop her heart from exploding in her chest she got up and decided to be okay with sweating. I guess it's that choice you need to make for yourself.

Are busses and shuttles air conditioned?

I know I won't be able to bike to campus in summer because I'd just get a heart attack from the heat but I'm used to public transportation. It usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get to school by subway and train every morning (and I live in central Berlin...)

[Boji]

Hi Saviya,

It's nice to meet someone who is in the same school though in different fields. I would not be buying a car so I am hoping for a place of close distance. My friend suggests me to rent a room instead of the dorm or apartment of the school as doing this would saves quite some money. He mentioned that the rent can get to as low as $385 in Boston and he suggests that Texas may be able to provide a place at such cost too. I do not have much ideas about the living expenses in Texas and Boston, and I really hope you guys could give me some clues.

[Sigaba]

Are busses and shuttles air conditioned?

I know I won't be able to bike to campus in summer because I'd just get a heart attack from the heat but I'm used to public transportation. It usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get to school by subway and train every morning (and I live in central Berlin...)

Mass transit information is available here http://www.capmetro.org/index.asp

Contact info is there http://www.capmetro.org/contact.asp

FWIW, my moment of panic came in mid/late October my first semester there. Since I'd arrived, I told myself that things would cool down once fall arrived. One early evening, the following thought came to mind. Hey, stupid. Fall isn't coming.

I hugged my inner child and went back into the library.

Something to consider if you do go. Wear long sleeve shirts to keep your arms out of the sun and always follow a +1 rule by having an additional layer in your book bag to deal with the transition from outside to inside.

[radiowires]

Are busses and shuttles air conditioned?

I know I won't be able to bike to campus in summer because I'd just get a heart attack from the heat but I'm used to public transportation.

Yes, from my experience, buses and shuttles are air-conditioned (though whenever anybody gets on or off, you'll feel the heat wave). For me, biking actually feels pretty nice up to about 95 degrees, but any hotter and I just feel like I'm going to pass out.

I just want to reiterate that anybody considering Austin should really think about the summer heat. I'm originally from the area and, after moving north for college, I absolutely cannot stand the heat. I try as hard as I can NOT to go home during the summer because I just don't want to deal with it. It feels like living in an oven--hot during the day, STILL hot even at 11 pm. It is absolutely relentless and can really take a toll on your mood. In high school, though, I did swim team and even lifeguarded outside for a while--so you can acclimate, you just have to be outside a lot. And yes, you have to be okay with sweating (and taking multiple showers per day).

Austin has beautiful weather 3/4 of the year, though, and if you just live at Barton Springs / Sno Beach (or the library, I guess) during the summer it makes life a lot easier. Austin also has about 30 free neighborhood pools, plus a couple of paid ones, and there are lots of water holes in the Greenbelt & right outside the city. Add this to the tubing/waterpark scene (mostly in New Braunfels), and there's plenty to do outside even when it's miserably hot.

I also think that the past few summers (2009--) have been exceptionally hot, and the drought certainly hasn't helped anything. It wasn't as bad when I was growing up there.

Edited March 9, 2012 by radiowires

[TrainedEye]

Heat is definitely an issue, but I don't think it's quite as bad as some of these folks are making it out to be. Keep in mind that in Texas EVERYTHING is air conditioned. It's true that walking around outdoors in the dead of summer can be downright brutal, but you'll be nice and cool anytime you're inside because the AC is always running anywhere you go. The key thing that non-Texans have to learn is that when it's extra-hot, you just don't spend time outdoors. It simply isn't safe to do so. Kind of like the opposite of living in say North Dakota where you dig in for winter. All that said, there usually are breaks to the heat even mid-summer. The last two summers have been record-breaking, but obviously that's not the norm. The heat is, however, one of the main reasons why it's highly advisable to bring a car with you if you move to Texas. Even though the central part of Austin is pedestrian-friendly and many parts of the city are bike-friendly, walking and riding any significant distance in August is not a good plan.

One last heat-related note: your first early-season football game at Royal Memorial will be your introduction to the misery of Texas heat. If you can make it through one of those, you know you'll be okay for the long haul!

[Duna]

I'll get one of those pretty parasols ladies used to have to keep their ivory skin

@ Trained Eye: Thank you for your insights...

That's what I thought, too: I will be in a competitive PhD-program and have a TA/AI-position, I don't think I'll have that much time to spend outside hiking, biking, playing, partying anyways...

[contiguous]

Hi there - I'm looking to possibly enroll at UT Austin's art history program in the fall. I''m not quite sure how campus is laid out, but what area of town would be closest to the Art Building? I live in a fairly cheap city right now and am hoping to not pay an arm and a leg.

[dazedandbemused]

Just want to bump this thread for the new app season and ask if anyone on here has insight into housing in Austin for the fall. Where to look, approximate prices, etc.

[cicada]

I'm seriously considering moving to Austin, too. A friend of mine who's a grad student there told me to look around Hyde Park... I saw that it was quite pricey - nothing below $600 for a room with 1 or 2 roommates - but it does look like a really nice and green area, and the apartments looked big and well arranged. I need to figure out if I can spend that much money on the rent, but hopefully I should be ok with the funding support I got... Also, I won't have a car so I'll need to find something close to campus so I can bike or take a bus to go there. I've started to look at craigs list ads and there are quite a few already, maybe you should have a look too to get an idea of prices, etc...

[sheisthesmoke]

I went to UT Austin for my undergrad and absolutely loved it. I never paid more than 500 for rent while I was living in Texas. The best deals I got were from renting rooms in houses, rather than trying to rent out whole apartments. This can be great because Austin is very green and beautiful, so living in a house can be really relaxing and productive, even with roommates. 

 

Not having a car is not an issue. Capmetro can get you anywhere in the city. Just plan your trips accordingly. Bus routes are notoriously slow. Try south austin for cheaper rent and really trendy surrounding attractions cheaper than downtown hangouts. South Congress and the surrounding area is cheap (450/mo on average with utilities generally included). The number 1 bus will take you right to campus in around 15-45 minutes, depending on traffic and how many stops the passengers request (but up to an hour or longer for congested times of the day). Hyde Park is way too expensive and the houses are all run down. North Austin is as cheap as south, but farther from campus and travel without a car is difficult. Most parts of the city are very bike friendly, so you could probably bike from south austin in nice weather. There are abundant bike lanes and the drivers always abide by rules to treat bikers like people. 

 

hope this was helpful! 

[dazedandbemused]

Yeah, I tried the Craigslist route, but nothing even remotely affordable came up, and most of it was in neighborhoods nowhere near the campus. I would much rather live by myself than not, and I don't want to pay more than 700. sheisthesmoke, you said you never paid more than 500; did you ever live alone on that budget? I will definitely try looking in South Congress; thanks!

[sheisthesmoke]

I never lived alone, but I was always very selective about my roommates. There are a lot of young professionals and students living in Austin, but there are also a lot of wild musicians party types (they can make for awesome friends and house parties but terrible roommates). I never had more than 1 roommate and lived in fairly nice places. Not sure what you could find solo at that rate. I had a large breed dog (German Shepherd) so most apartment complexes were off limits for me. Similar to most areas, landlords in Austin cower away from Pitts, Shepherds, Rotts, and a number of other so-called aggressive breeds. (In case anyone is traveling with a four-legged companion). 

[robertdeniro]

Does anyone know of a site or forum that connects people/students looking for places to rent? The UT graduate school website has some listings through the Provost Office, but everything is kind of pricey. Craigslist is a little frustrating to sift through. 

 

If anyone is looking for roommates/knows of places to rent, hit me up! I am looking to move mid-August.

[Velasquezmora]

Are the three complexes operated by UT located on a good place? it is a good option to apply and try to get one of those? (for a single person one bedroom apartment it can cost around 525 US/mo)

[functor]

What are the three complexes operated by UT?

 

Edit: OK I see them now, I assume you're referring to this one. I have no idea how good these are, they seem so cheap though.

Edited March 10, 2013 by functor

[Velasquezmora]

Yes, I mean Colorado, Brackenridge and Gateway. Do you think it is a good option? which could be pros and cons? can anybody advise please regarding location, costs, transportation, etc for those complexes?

 

Thank you!

[Chris M. Crittenden]

The university housing options seem like pretty good options, but the only problem most likely is availability. But a 2Br 1Ba for 601/mo is pretty solid. I found some good deals on Yahoo! Real Estate as well, but most of those are located pretty far from the campus. If you're looking close to the campus, however, I don't think you can get much better than the Gateway complex. But it is student housing, so you know what that means...

[Tuck]

As an Austinite, it's interesting to read these threads with people bemoaning the heat here, because I'm thinking about the reverse. Several of my graduate school options are in cold places, and I have never lived somewhere cold. I hate the three-ish weeks of cold weather we have here!

 

I work on UT's main campus, but I had an office out at the Lake Austin Building for awhile one year. It is right next to the graduate student housing complex you guys are discussing. I can't speak to the quality because I haven't been inside them, but they are in a very quiet area of town. The area west of MoPac (Loop 1) is the more upscale part of town, so it's definitely a safe area. The bus ride to the main campus is probably about 20 minutes. In addition to the Capital Metro transit that someone linked to above, which is free with a student ID, students can take the UT shuttles. UT operates the largest campus bus system of any university in the United States (or so I've been told). Here are the UT shuttle routes: http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/shuttle/index.php  The graduate student housing is on the Lake Austin route (LA).

 

In general, you can get fairly far away from campus and still be on those routes. They serve quite a few apartment complexes around town. 

 

For those of you looking for cheap non-university-owned housing that's bikeable, I would look at the East Side (east of IH 35). It's the historically lower-income part of town, but it's being gentrified in many areas. Some neighborhoods there are really neat, the housing is colorful, and there tons of good places to eat, especially along Manor Road. However, some areas there are undesirable, so look in person and ask around before you sign a lease. Feel free to shoot me a message if there is a specific place you're curious about.

 

Hyde Park was also mentioned above. It's a fantastic neighborhood that's a mix of single family homes and small apartment buildings. However, rent is soaring there. I rented a small studio on 47th Street for $500 a couple of years ago, and it's now going for $625.

 

As a graduate student, I would be inclined to avoid the West Campus neighborhood - bound roughly by Guadalupe, 21st Street, N. Lamar, and 29th Street. It's overrun with undergrads, parties, fraternity and sorority housing, etc.

[looking_to_sea]

This thread has been a huge help so far. I am hoping to be settled in by the first week of June and finding a place that is financially manageable and close to stuff (not bringing a car) is proving to be quite frustrating.

[robertdeniro]

I agree looking_to_sea, this thread has been super helpful. Still prowling the internet... rent is looking like $550-$625.   Steeper than I would have liked. 

[looking_to_sea]

I agree looking_to_sea, this thread has been super helpful. Still prowling the internet... rent is looking like $550-$625.   Steeper than I would have liked. 

 

Oh, how I envy you! The neighborhood I have my heart set on for a 1br is looking more like 800-900! I'm trying a few options that may be cheaper, but unfortunately I am limited b/c I want to be near a) campus, grocery options, and c) the capitol/downtown/the city center.....definitely not having the most fun time looking, especially with such little time.

[dazedandbemused]

How are ya'll finding apartments? I've tried google searches, real estate websites, and craigslist, but something tells me that the cheaper stuff is going to be elsewhere.

[tarrman]

How are ya'll finding apartments? I've tried google searches, real estate websites, and craigslist, but something tells me that the cheaper stuff is going to be elsewhere.

 

There are multiple websites, but I found one that's really good for college students at http://www.forrentuniversity.com/