<p>So, what area of Austin is the safest in terms of apartment living? I have heard horrid things about Riverside (break-ins, murders, gangs) and North Campus (rape, theft), and I have a feeling there's probably something out there against West Campus (friend's car window was smashed!), as well.</p>
<p>Although I have been asking around individually by specific apartment complexes, it seems as though the opinions are extremely varied. Some people say so-and-so apartment is safe, while others mention how much has been stolen from them when they lived there! </p>
<p>For those of you with experience, where is the safest location to live off-campus?</p>
<p>Also, if I am considering living in Riverside, what are all the available apartments there? I know only of Longhorn Landing, University Commons, and the Ballpark.</p>
<p>West Campus. Plus it’s more convenient to campus (North Campus just feels farther away) and closer to most activities.</p>
<p>It always has people walking around late at night. I’ve walked back to campus (to Jester) from a west campus location on 26th at around 3 in the morning on a schoolnight. There was never a moment where I couldn’t see at least 5 other people. Fri/Sat night there are always large crowds. This is not true in North Campus or Riverside.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great apartment complexes all over Austin, but not all of them cater to students so they are often out of price range, etc. There are some great (and free) apartment finding services in town that you could utilize. Have you narrowed down whether or not you want to live in a student apt. complex? If you’re not sure, here are some questions to ask yourself:</p>
<p>Are you going to/do you have a car, or will you need to be within a decent distance from campus and a bus route? Do you want to be close to campus, Zilker/Barton Springs, South Congress, etc.? Are you planning to live alone or have roommates? Do you want extra perks, like a gym, movie room, or free basic cable? What are you willing/able to pay? </p>
<p>My personal experience with apartment living in Austin hasn’t been related to school - when I moved to Austin I lived up north off of Mopac in a great apartment that was safe and affordable, but it’s not really convenient to campus (although there were some students who lived up there). I now live south west and there are a lot of students living in some great and incredibly safe apartments down here, but it’s a mixed bag of neighbors (married, single, kids, empty nesters, etc. - maybe not what you’re looking for) and can be more expensive than a lot of people are looking to pay. The ones I know in my area have expressed they moved down here to get away from the constant partying and the crime that seems to follow not only the party atmosphere, but the overall risk taken by having a lot of young (often underage) people living in close proximity to one another where there is high probability they will have nice things that can easily be stolen, or where one or more individuals can easily be overpowered or taken advantage of. </p>
<p>Of course crime can happen anywhere, and maybe I’m showing my age, but you couldn’t pay me to live close to campus or in a student only complex. But… I guess if I had to pick, it’d be West Campus.</p>
<p>There are shuttle routes that go to areas away from campus (J Pickle Research and Far West). Most of the students who live on those routes are grad students. My daughter lived in both West Campus and on the Far West Shuttle route and preferred Far West. If you are into parties, you’ll probably want to stay closer to campus. Even if you aren’t, late night study sessions and group projects can be a hassle if you don’t have a car (and UT parking permit) .</p>
<p>I live in west campus and it’s pretty safe. Like a previous poster said, there are always people walking around so you’re not completely alone. </p>
<p>Riverside has a reputation for being bad. Cheap, but bad. I have some friends that live there and says that the commute is terrible (esp. in the afternoons when people are going home).
I’ve only drive through it but I think someone told me to avoid East Riverside?</p>
<p>West campus is the closest and most convenient place to live, but it’s also the most expensive. GOOD: It’s basically like living on campus. You can have late night study sessions and friends can find your place easily. BAD: Parties happen frequently here and people go crazy during football games.</p>
<p>What exactly do you mean by “go crazy”? I don’t care if it’s loud, but break-ins, excessive smoking (be it illegal or legal), and puke everywhere don’t really appeal to me. I mean…I’ve walked through the northern side of west campus, and there were beer cans EVERYWHERE, which was a huge turn off. But this was also mainly the case with north campus, as well, so I’m not really going to be picky on this front.</p>
<p>Yeah, but I was wondering in terms of residents who tend to live there, noise level, general opinions on the place that can’t quite be quantified. Has no one lived there before or heard anything from someone else? Thanks!</p>
<p>I’d like to mention something about Riverside. Its NOT as bad as some say it is. I was told that its known for crime (which is true) but the apartments where most students live at (Longhorn Landing, Ballpark, etc.) are safe and are usually quiet not to mention they are affordable compared to West Campus and other apartments closer to UT.</p>
<p>If you want reviews of apartments try apartment ratings.com</p>
<p>Riverside apartments are bad structures with bad management in a bad area. Some do cater to students only, but that only gives them more of an excuse to let things fall apart and not care if you’re happy.</p>
<p>I’ve done a little research because I’m looking to move off-campus and I’ve found that places on the Far West and Enfield Road bus routes tend to be more likely to have older people living in them who wouldn’t be happy about parties. I think this is a good thing because I like quiet and dislike party neighborhoods, but if you like parties you really can’t beat West Campus. North Campus is like West Campus, but a little further North is a cross between a normal neighborhood and a student neighborhood.</p>
<p>My daughter lived in Jefferson 26 last year. The amenities are nice, the location is good, and individual leases are great. However, the gates were frequently broken (open -no real security), the elevators smelled like barf, and the walls were too thin. It seemed like the majority of residents were freshmen and sophomores who were really enjoying their first taste of independence. That is probably common to most campus-area housing. My son lives in Jester, but he expects the environment to be what it is -the location is worth any challenges to him. If you can wait until the last minute, many of the new(er) complexes drastically drop their rates in August. Living off campus can be much cheaper than living in dorms-if you cook instead of eat out
My D and her roommates were all serious upperclassmen. They found themselves awake at all hours due to loud activity in the apartment above them. They did not renew their leases.</p>
<p>I really don’t understand how everyone can be so loud all the time. This is unfortunate for me, because I really liked the look of the place! Being able to get a good night’s sleep is very important, however, so maybe I’ll have to look elsewhere?</p>
<p>In terms of waiting until the last minute, is this really a good idea? I’m just worried I’d end up ENTIRELY without housing, which would be a huge problem for me.</p>
<p>Also…after touring the student complexes, I’ve found that most only have a move-in date after August 14, which is a little late in my case. They also don’t allow move-ins during May, when the students must leave their dorm rooms. Adding the 12-month lease policy to all of this makes it a bit inconvenient. Are there any flexibile move-in, shorter lease term apartments in West Campus, or am I out of luck and should check north campus?</p>
<p>It really depends on your needs. If you are uncomfortable with uncertainty, pre-lease now and don’t look back. No situation will be perfect and housing is part of the college experience. You’ll learn a lot your first year at UT and can always do something different the following year.
If you are flexible, wait till the last minute. Inexpensive sublets are always available during the summer (try Craigslist) -many students don’t stay though the summer, even though they have 12 month leases. Also, there will always be single spots in larger apartments available for the long terms - both through the complexes and via Craigslist. Some students sign leases and then don’t get accepted, some decide to stay at home, etc. My daughter was in a 4/4 and only had 2 roommates for the fall. A 4th moved in during Jan. at a very reduced rate. Most of the complexes offer roommate-matching.</p>
<p>Thanks, zlc, your tips are very informative!</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, where is your D living now?</p>
<p>Also, when renewing a lease, does one have to renew for the full 12 months again? Although I may be staying for the summer, this is definitely not a certainty by any means, and I hear subleasing is difficult…because so many students sublease their units in the summer.</p>
<p>By ‘go crazy’ I mean beer cans, broken beer bottles, pizza boxes all over (and even in our complex pool). UT likes to celebrate their victories (and losses) with a bang. I guess it depends on where you live in West Campus though People are awake at all hours of the night and you will often most likely hear them express themselves in the streets. </p>
<p>West Campus is not always like this, mind you, but it tends to be more wild than the other places. I hear that underclassmen usually live in West campus and that upperclassmen move to North campus/farther away after their “liver can’t handle it anymore.”</p>
<p>I’ve never looked into Riverside, so all I know about it is from what I view driving by and what my friends say. If you’re looking to save money, it’s decent. But understand that the commute can be a hassle on top of other things.</p>
<p>Wow. Where exactly do you live, CryingIvy? I’m just wondering, because so many people criticize West Campus and yet end up living there anyway for some reason. </p>
<p>I’m not a very light sleeper at all, so I don’t know how much the noise will bother me, honestly. It will be more of a hassle when I’m trying to study, I guess, but I can always do that in the library.</p>
<p>The hassle of commuting as well as the danger rumors are pretty much turning me off Riverside! North Campus seems a bit empty (and older, more run-down) and supposedly more dangerous than West Campus, according to this thread. Also individual leases are not offered anywhere but in West Campus and Riverside, I don’t think. And leases shorter than 12 months are only available near Riverside (or anywhere down South), so I guess you can’t have the best of everything.</p>
<p>Paradox- My D decided to go to grad school next year, so to save $, she’s living with a reative in Austin. If she were renting though, she would return to the far West area.
The name is misleading -it is nowhere near West Campus. The Far West shuttle goes up MoPac into Northwest Hills. Several years ago, she lived on Woodhollow there and loved it. The shuttle stop was next to her parking lot and her apartment was across the street from an HEB and several restaurants. There is also a gym and the Jewish Community Center within walking distance. The apartments are older, and you have to rely on shuttles -so it is not as convenient as West Campus, but if you like a more quiet environment, Far West is a great option. Her friends that lived off Riverside moved after their leases were up. Prices are fairly low, but the area is seedy and shuttles are often so full that they pass stops without even letting new people on.</p>
<p>Not sure if it helps, but I work on Far West, right across from the HEB zlc mentioned. There are a ton of students up here that I see routinely getting on the shuttle, at the grocery store, Austin library branch, bank, Starbuck’s, etc. Mopac and the shuttle ride I’m sure could be less than ideal, but if you will end up having a car you can always bypass traffic by coming down Balcones through Tarrytown and then cut across to the campus. If you want something a little quieter but still with decent access to things it’s great, and I think cheaper than a lot of the areas in south/southwest Austin (many of which don’t exactly cater to students). Plus it’s close to the Arboretum, the Domain, Mt. Bonnell, and even the JJ Pickle complex in the event you’d ever need to go there. There’s even an Austin Regional Clinic location on the corner (access to medical care is important to some).</p>
Has no one lived there before or heard anything from someone else? Thanks!</p>
This is unfortunate for me, because I really liked the look of the place! Being able to get a good night’s sleep is very important, however, so maybe I’ll have to look elsewhere?</p>