Reply #24: Sounds like you are doing your homework! [View All]

[bonzotex]

I hope you have a great visit! This really is the Liberal Oasis of Texas. If you talk to realtors, find one the specializes int he area(s) you like. Look where their address is. Stay South of town lake (Lady Bird lake now) if you can.

There are still affordable houses and with pools or room for pools, but you will generally be looking further out. Close in to downtown the lots just don't have room for pools and the prices are nuts. My only caution about Kyle and Buda is that those areas are being grossly overbuilt with tract developments and traffic into and out of Austin will only get worse. I would still would second the recommendations of those locations over the Pflugerville/Round Rock areas. South Austin, Kyle/Buda/Manchaca is going to be closer to the places you really will want to go often. No offense to those that live up North -- Just my opinion.

The is no realistic rail proposal in the works that will bring commuter rail that far South anytime soon. There should be a high speed line between Austin and San Antonio stopping at all points in between, but that is a money spending thing that tax-hating Texans will not fund anytime soon.

East Austin is gentrifying fast. It's not anything like the crime zone it once was but prices are climbing fast there too. Expensive condos are being overbuilt all over. In a year or two some of the prices on those are going to be much better than they look now and house prices may come down to reality a little bit too.

The Holiday Inn Town Lake is a good spot to fan out from. Downtown has different districts with different options. Don't walk down 6th street and think it's all like that. Downtown shops and restaurants will generally be more expensive, but there are some great places there to eat and lounge. There's still dives too that are fun and cheap. Close by (2-3 blocks) is Esther's Follies, check it out. They do shows Thur-Sun. Call ahead to get tickets. Austin has good live theater too. You generally won't see or hear anything that sucks even if you choose entirely at random.

Plan a night at the Continental Club (my fav) and/or Antone's and /or any other spot that sounds good. There are no-cover places too. Check the Austin Chronicle. You have to do some live music venues.

Walk around Auditorium Shores by the lake. It's an off-leash Dog park and there are others in town.

There are good veggie/vegan places around town. You can find the whole list on:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/ Lots of restaurants offer veggie/vegan options. Austin is not a hard place for V's. The Veggie Burger or vegan enchiladas at Mr Natural on South Lamar are world class. Mother's on Duvall is an old favorite and often has live music too. Or try Wholefoods HQ downtown then ruin your healthy meal with ice cream at one of Amy's Ice Cream shops. (One on Congress just crawling distance from the Continental Club) For one breakfast you have to have Breakfast Tacos. Try Maria's Taco express on Lamar -- Classic! They have meatless and meat-full versions. It's all good. There are about 50 other places that do good breakfast tacos tho.

Obviously I love this place. I could go on. I hope you have a great visit!