<p>I am thinking about staying in an apartment/condo next year and I was wondering what areas are nice and close. Also how much I should be paying rent, etc. Any and all suggestions please. </p>
<p>I'm thinking somewhere in west campus is best. Not sure about anything, I am very uneducated in off campus living.</p>
<p>i'm in the exact situation. i really wanna go to UT but living there is expensive (especially the dorms on campus). so i'm trying to do research on where the good/cheap apartments are, etc. in order for it to be cheap, you'd have to have roommates definitely. but finding roommates, getting the right apt in time, and making sure there are no problems later (your roommates not paying you part of the rent, etc) is a different story. so i'm doing research and i'll let you know if i find something useful.</p>
<p>Have you checked Longhorn Living?
Longhorn</a> Living</p>
<p>FYI, there's lots of really crappy apartments around UT so if you don't want a complete dump then you should check them out in person.</p>
<p>Also, check out the crime stats for the city of Austin as well as UT at Texas</a> Universities Crime Map, Local Crime Statistics and Alerts</p>
<p>I think you really need to define cheap. You could find a crappy place in West Campus. However, it would probably be a better experience for an undergrad to go to a nice place off Riverside.</p>
<p>If you are looking to spend money, there are nice properties in West Campus that have been built in the last 3 years. These have been a bit overbuilt which means you can get a deal on them (still expensive, but a deal for those who can afford it). The nicest off-campus property is opening this fall and is called 21 Rio. It is VERY expensive. The cheapest 1br is listed at just over $1,500 and the cheapeast 2br is listed at over $2400. 1brs will go up to $3,600 and 2brs will go up to $4,400.</p>
<p>21 Rio isn't going to fill up by a long shot and they will slash prices once they get desperate. Don't sign there early or you'll be getting ripped off.</p>
<p>Most complexes start to cut rates around summertime. I know a bunch of guys who leased in August at J26 for about $300 less per month than the complex wants them to pay now to renew.</p>