How Hard Is Austin Apartment Hunting?
There’s no denying it — Austin is one of the hottest places to move in the entire United States these days. However, before you can take full advantage of living the “keep it weird” lifestyle, you need to find someplace to lay your cowboy boots at night. Renting an apartment in Austin lets you experience the city without all the hassles of a down payment, loan qualification, or home repairs. Furthermore, it can come with some killer perks — community amenities, such as a pool, gym, and lounge room, have become almost standard features across the city’s apartment buildings.
If you’re looking to post up in the Lone Star state’s capital, you should start looking into options about two months ahead of your estimated move-in date. That time frame should give you enough wiggle room to collaborate with an Apartment Locator, and, should you need one, find a roommate. However, when choosing the right Austin apartment for you, the most important factor may be location. How close you want to live to the city center will impact the cost of your future home as well as the amount of options available to pick from. In this blog post, we will give you all the information about a few of the most popular Austin neighborhoods in addition to some pro tips on how to go about your apartment search.
Related: Apartments with the Best Austin Coworking Spaces
Find the Neighborhood That’s Perfect for You
As a whole, two main landmarks divide Austin. The Colorado River marks the cut-off between North and South Austin, while the I-35 highway delineates West and East Austin. Centered in the middle of these natural and manmade boundaries lies the city’s Downtown area. You can explore the unique communities found in each of these sections of Austin in more detail by reading our Austin Neighborhood Guides.
Downtown
If you want to live in the middle of the action, the true urban environment of Downtown Austin might be the perfect spot to settle down. Some of the city’s best restaurants, such as Esquire favorite, Hestia, and multi-year James Beard Award finalist, Olamaie, call this area home. Not to mention, Downtown is truly the heart of Austin’s nightlife and entertainment scene. Storied music venues, like Stubb’s and Antone’s, to dance floor get-downs, like Coconut Club and Barbarella, populate the area. However, such easy access to all the excitement comes with a bit of a price tag — this neighborhood is one of the most expensive places to rent an apartment in the city.
Hyde Park
Living in Hyde Park will give you the best of both worlds. It sits close enough to Downtown to take advantage of the city, but far away enough to feel like its own small community oasis. With blocks full of beautifully manicured lawns and quirky boutique eateries, this area emits the vibes of the suburban lifestyle with a decidedly modern twist. The ideal Sunday Funday for a Hyde Park resident involves strolling past historic buildings and lush parks, with a pit stop at Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery for an iced chai and a slice of sour cream coffee cake. The rents here, while not as expensive as the ones found in Downtown, still remain on the higher end of the average cost of living in Austin.
South Lamar
This South Austin neighborhood appeals to individuals looking to escape from the city’s skyscrapers and reconnect with the natural world. Living here means you’re never more than a quick jog or bike ride away from two of Bay City’s most prominent (and beloved) green spaces: Zilker Park and the Bouldin Creek Greenbelt. With the cool, refreshing waters of Barton Springs Pool located in this area, you’ll never sweat on a hot August day. And, come October, the Austin City Limits Music Festival will bring the jams right to your own backyard. While the units here lean towards the more pricey side, the abundance of apartment buildings that dot this section of the city means you increase your chance of getting some renter concessions, like a month of free rent or free parking.
Explore More Neighborhoods: Best Neighborhoods in Austin for Young Professionals
What Are the Best Search Tools?
Austin Apartment Locators
Between packing boxes and renting a U-Haul, moving can feel like enough of a headache on its own. That’s why we recommend using a free apartment locating service to find your dream Austin abode. You simply tell your Apartment Locator the specific details of what you want, such as maximum rent, location, pet policies, and amenities. They will then do the legwork for you, finding spaces that fit both your checklist and move-in date timeframe.
Additionally, apartment locating services will serve as your helpful liaison with the buildings’ management. Instead of playing a neverending game of phone tag with an apartment’s office staff, your team at the locating office will handle those calls for you. And, in doing so, they will help you schedule time for a walk-through, get detailed answers to all your questions, and, perhaps, even help you get a steal on the rental price. With all that off your plate, you can focus on more important matters, such as what art will decorate the walls of your living room.
Resources for Finding Roommates
Having a roommate can either lead to a wonderful bond with a lifelong friend, or a cohabitation disaster. The best way to avoid rooming remorse is to put the right amount of time and effort into picking the person who shares your space. If asking around your personal circle of friends bears no fruit, it might be time to create a roommate listing to distribute across the greater inter-web.
When it comes to what to put on your listing, you’ll need to include a few must-have categories. Start with general moving details, such as your budget, building requirements, and move-in date. Then, put together a description of general details about you (age, career, lifestyle) as well as your expectations for a shared space, including how clean you would want it to stay and how frequently you would invite visitors over. Once complete, you should post your listing across various platforms, such as Craigslist, Roomie Match, and PadMapper.
Find Your Dream Austin Apartment Today!
Find apartments in Austin, TX the easy way by relying on the support of a free Apartment Locator at AptAmigo. We’ll stick with you throughout the entire process in order to guarantee that you land in a place you’ll love.
