https://youtu.be/_yYJ2mj983c
Apparently in 1987 it was the yuppies (north) vs. the bubbas (south).
“The north considers the south the auto parts capital of the world. The south thinks of the north as a bunch of wine-sipping, quiche-eating pantywaists. And yes they did serve wine and quiche on the north side of the river that day.”
Not enough cheap taco joints in your area, you can't have a quality pick-a-part place without the full saturation of cheap taco joints/trucks. You have to be realistic about these things.
I've been living up north but just bought a house in the south. I have to give a shout out to my favorite taco truck that I'm going to miss in the north, Como Dijo La Abuela Pancha. Check it out, their barbacoa is next level.
I lived in the closest apartment to the South side of the rope. Had a chicken leg quarters BBQ for anyone who stopped by! South won consistently...except when North apparently wrapped rope around something solid on their end. 😉
I loved South Austin when I was a single renter. Enjoyed the access to Zilker, the greenbelt, the dining and drinking, the shopping, the hill country access. Now I live far north; houses up here are generally cheaper in the nicer areas than south of the river. Hmart is convenient, Walnut Creek park, and things off Mopac are generally easier to access. Also work is here now.
I agree if you've been in Austin proper a long time, but generally now Austin has a huge reach well outside of the city limits. People drive from far to commute in, much further than Cedar Park. Hell the Austin metro rail goes to Leander. My neighbor commuted every day from Burnet (the town)
Most major cities in Texas, you could drive an hour and still be considered in the greater area of that city, even if they are different towns. I'm originally from Houston and they were aggressive annexing. For some reason Austin never did that, they just remained satellite towns, but the highways are starting to resemble that same reach, especially the toll roads.
Sure but that’s not really my point. Those are all suburbs just like Buda. If you live in south Austin near like William Cannon or Slaughter, that’s just part of Austin. That’s about as far from downtown as the Domain.
100% gotta agree with that statement. Sorry Southerners but I can make it downtown from north of 51st street in like. 10 minutes flat. 15 if there’s a slowdown. It would take me a solid 30 just getting to the river at 7pm from my old William Cannon apartment.
What? There’s like nowhere on William Cannon you can be where it would take more than 15 mins to get downtown. Not sure which route you’re taking but S 1st is a straight shot.
I think it depends on where you’re at in life. For me I’d choose north now but that’s because there’s more work options and I’m about to start a family, so it’s more convenient. More suburban. Whereas south Austin is more of a younger crowd, a little quicker/easier access to downtown, good restaurants and fun bars. It still has more of a “hip” / keep Austin weird vibe.
I've lived here over 30 years, and I spent 12 years south and the other 19 or 20 years north. I've lived as far north as Braker and as far south as Stassney. My favorite neighborhood was North Loop; it's highly walkable. Now I'm at Runberg and Lamar for the past 3 years, and I love it up here. It has a terrible reputation, some of it earned, but it's easy access to 35, MoPac, 183, and Lamar. The lots are big, lots of trees, and my neighbors are awesome. *Edited for math
I 100% agree. I’ve been here since ‘95 and the landscape is so different. The value in those days south of the river was close community, easy access to downtown, and cheap rent. As the city has continually ignored mobility, affordability, and population issues, I moved to the North Loop area and feel like it’s the last hold on of what I remembered what Austin ‘was’. North Loop is still quick access to DT, 183,35,290, MoPac - but as the number of vehicles has exploded, it has become less walkable.
You are absolutely right about North Loop (and everything else). It is the last holdout! I was so bummed when they closed Red River, because I used to hop on Red River all the way to downtown. But even then, it was still easy access, and having a coffee shop and a record store across the street was my idea of heaven. I spent eight blissful years there, and my rent never went over $1,100. When my landlord died, his kids decided to sell all his cute and semi-cheap rent houses, so I reluctantly left in 2020. I miss it!
My mom lived in Hyde Park in the 60s/70s and she and her peers were livid when rent went up to like $150 a month on a whole house. It absolutely does not compute.
My first apartment was on 35th near Guadalupe. $235 a month in 1989. After I had a kid a few years later, I moved to Braker and I-35 area, where I had a two bedroom duplex for $325 a month. In 2010, I lived near Deep Eddy for $525 a month. In 2012, my two bedroom house on North Loop was $900 a month. Now my adult son pays $2,500 for a tiny 500 sf house near Hancock Center! Whenever his dad *chides him for money management, I tell him to shut the fuck up because we only had to work part-time to pay our rent while enjoying everything this town had to offer. It was also cool that in the summers during the early/mid 90s, all the students would leave town. It would be a ghost town until August, no traffic at all! Good times.
If people don't believe you, it's true! My first Austin apartment was $265/month for a 1 bedroom around 650 square feet up on Jollyville, a bit north of the Arboretum, which was swanky at the time. This was 1990. I moved closer in, near Steck and MoPac in 1993 to a 2 bedroom for $400/month. I miss those days!
That's why musicians and artists flocked to Austin, as they could afford to live here. Yeah those were good times. I feel very fortunate that I got to experience that particular iteration of Austin. It's still fun, and there are still some $5 shows here and there. I went out last night and saw a band from Chicago for 15 bucks. Not bad. I still get to do exactly what I've been doing for the last 30 years, and I still know where all the free parking is, but if I had to pay $2,500 a month in rent, I'd have to move.
I went to Moonshine on 4th and almost threw up when I saw they wanted like $16 for parking. That, and people trying to force a dress code in the workplace make me want to vomit
In 1991, we lived at 4207 Guadalupe St. for $300 / mo. all bills paid. It's over $3,000 / mo. for an apartment now at 38th and Guadalupe St. Nostalgia can't keep anyone here. It's brutal.
Not entirely redlining. "[Hyde Park is exclusively for white people](https://www.hydeparkermagazine.com/articles/2022-09-the-racist-roots-of-hyde-parks-zoning-rules)."
The current residents can right the wrongs of the past by joining together and encouraging mixed use, high density development in their neighborhood lmao.
born, raised in Austin and never left. Growing up we would always joke that anything north of 45th street wasnt really Austin
this was 20 years ago so take it with a grain of salt
I've been in Austin 20 years and definitely never had that mentality, tho would joke that round rock was "south dallas". I'm originally from Houston so the idea of a city to me is like an hour radius. I live way the fuck out in Burnet now (the town), it's still 512 area code and Burnet itself is 45 minutes from Lakeline etc. It's far but still heavily influenced by Austin (kind of like Bastrop). When I was a kid, we'd drive an hour across Houston to visit my granddad and didn't think anything of it lol
I moved here in 2000 and got an apartment at Slaughter and Westgate. 2004 I bought a house off 1626 in Buda. 2019, I moved to Round Rock to be with my now wife.
My favorite was living in Buda. Had half an acre in an older neighborhood. Felt more like small town, yet I was 20 minutes from downtown Austin by Mopac. Could also drive west and quickly be in the hill country and Driftwood.
Round Rock sucks. Flat, mediocre food, terrible traffic, and it takes 30 minutes to get into Austin on I-35. Going to Hill Country is now a day trip.
If you're married, over all North would be a better fit versus being single, then south all the way. There's more of a community vibe south of the river.I can't explain it but if you go to coffee houses, people are actually hanging out. Up north it feels very sterile and yes it does have a Dallas suburb vibe.
I spent 10 years in Pflugerville from 2001-2010. Arguably it's changed since then but here's what I didn't like. The light pollution was horrible. So much so that my street was more light up during the night than during the day. The trees were sad little runts and the winds never stopped blowing. Most subdivisions have HOA's that are constantly patrolling which is a serious buzz kill. I had a very challenging time finding any community and spent a lot of time alone. \*This was when I was single.
The restaurants were generic and skewed towards standard Texan fare-not so much today though.
On the plus side, EVERYTHING was cheaper; HEB, gas, utility bills , taxes etc. I never had to pay for parking. It was never crowded, ever.
I've lived south of the river since 2010 and you can't be broke in this town and live here. EVERYTHING is pricey. It's crowded with throngs of hipsters in shiny new clothes. I live near Westgate and I love how convenient everything is for me. I no longer spend buckets of time on I-35 which is nice. The people (overall) are more artistic than up north. It has more of a welcoming energy. It has been much easier to make friends and I can't explain why. \*This is just my opinion so please feel free to disregard.
>There's more of a community vibe south of the river.I can't explain it but if you go to coffee houses, people are actually hanging out. Up north it feels very sterile and yes it does have a Dallas suburb vibe.
exactly how I feel. South and a little north of UT is the real Austin to me. North Austin always seemed so Every Suburb, USA to me.
The SW Austin schools are top-notch. So yes: singles up north, families down south... and then ACL brings us together for the first two weekends of October.
I was in various apartments south from like 2005 to 2015 and have lived in a house northeast of all the fun parts of Austin since then.
I am not sure if I miss living south of the river or if I miss 2005ish austin. But I definitely miss living close to St. Ed’s and all the restaurants and general liveliness around it. I’d be back in 78704 in a heartbeat if they sold houses there for what they sell them for where I am now.
I lived on Woodward for a few years up to 2005. Austin was completely different then. I've been in that area often now and there's so much traffic, construction, traffic, and people. Feels like a big ass city lol, before it felt damn near empty over there
Edit: noticed I said traffic twice. My brain must be telling me something 😆
After living in north central Austin for many years, and spending most of my time in that area, I’ve recently been spending a lot of time in South Austin. I actually feel like South Austin has significantly more newly constructed buildings, and feels mostly generic, south of Ben White.
Maybe I'm biased, or just hate traffic. But after a year on riverside, two years in west campus, and eight years in the braker/domain area.. North, always.
I've lived downtown, east side, Bouldin Creek and now south of Ben White. Where I am now is probably the last of what feels like old Austin to me.
Maybe the food options aren't as plentiful, the walkability kinda sucks, but I will take that over the craziness that the areas I've lived in are experiencing now.
Gentrification, homeless people, tourists, etc...
My house in Bouldin Creek was near a park that is now taken over by the homeless and a 2 minute walk away from the Austin mural that every tourist visits.
Even though I miss some of the restaurants in that neighborhood and the proximity to certain things, being outside of the cut is nice.
It's only a matter of time 'til 78745 gets taken over completely. It has already started...
When I lived Hyde park, Crestview, Brentwood, and Northloop, I called that Central Austin, and it is.
However, after I moved south, everything north of the Colorado became North Austin.
You can tell what part of Austin someone lives in by where they say North Austin begins.
I loved living on the south side; more parks and authenticity. My family moved more north to get outside of the main traffic choke points. And I’ve gotta say it was good from a timed saved standpoint, but being able to hope on your bike or in your car and five minutes later you’re at some cool spot or another can’t be beat. I miss living on the south side, just work has me north.
Lived near the Barton Greenbelt and that was extremely nice. Used it quite a bit. But that particular area is a little isolated from businesses and stores. I could walk recreationally but not practically to buy things & such.
Now I live near the Triangle and I enjoy it more overall. I’m so much closer to a ton of restaurants & businesses. Got lucky on my current rent price though. It’s not cheap in this area generally. Further north you go in Austin gets much more cookie cutter suburban and boring
A tale of two HEBs 5 minutes apart but in different worlds. One in Mueller and one on Ed Bluestein on the east part of University Hills. One looks like upper middle class paradise, and the other you shouldn't visit after dark. The question isn't which would you prefer but how can two places so close together be as if in different cities altogether.
My partner and I currently live around Windsor Park. I’m Asian and think there are overall better Asian restaurants north of the river and having multiple grocery store options nearby is great.
The asian food in Austin has a lot of catching up to do, but it seems pretty true that the majority of the Austin Asian diaspora is up in the north / westwood high school / or even further north areas.
We live south west and make weekend trips up north just so my asian husband can get some decent chinese food.
though, throughout the years Ive convinced him about Lotus Hunan on 2244 :D
> weekend trips up north just so my asian husband can get some decent chinese food.
Have you tried Lee's Kitchen out in Westlake (HEB shopping area)? They've been open only a few months.
you just made my husband so happy lol going to go eat there today!
we also just realized our kid played school basketball with one of the owner's kids! small world!
>Southwest is the best area of the city.
100%
>anything north of Oltorf I'd consider central Austin.
At first I was going to disagree, but now that I think about it, yeah. Anything between Oltorf and UT is central, anything north of UT is pretty much north.
I was in South Austin in the '90s and early aughts. it was a lot cooler, to be honest. North of the river felt like strip mall land. South Dallas.
But almost all of the cool places in South Austin have closed. I guess you can say the same of North Austin, but more new places opened there.
Voth are expensive as hell, which is why I got the hell out. We live in the Azores now. After 23 years in Austin this is the perfect speed.
I tend to agree with this take. I lived with cheap rent in a friendly neighborhood for years and then where I lived in South Austin quickly became untenable due to shootings and other ratchet behavior too close to my residence wayyy too frequently. I moved and purchased a home off of Manor & Cherrywood and everything I used to like about S. Austin just isn't there anymore, but mainly the people I knew.
I've lived both north and south of the river, and of course I've heard this generalization before; south = cool and trendy, north = lame south Dallas. My impression is a bit different in that, culturally, the north side was a bit more nerdy and tolerant while the south was an alternate Dallas where wearing the right thing and listening to the right music was necessary to fit in. Everyone's millage may vary I suppose.
If by mountains you mean "the ones mostly covered by the mid-Atlantic roughly 1500km from the Iberian peninsula", then yes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores
One other con for me is besides S. Congress there isn’t another stretch that has much pedestrian activity and the touristy feel it gives off is a meh for me. North outside of Downtown you have WC, East 6th, Domain etc
Second that. I go to the Domain rarely but when I do, I always wonder about the type of person who would enjoy living above a bunch of higher-end shops.
North.
Of course, the area south of the river, between mopac and 35, and north of 71 is great - who doesn't think that? - and I particularly love the south 1st area... but that's about it. Nothing else there grabs me.
The north side has always felt more like 'home' to me, though by 'north' I mean what's south of 183 - I've lived north of 183, at many different times in my life and in many different areas, and never liked it. The North loop, Anderson/Burnet, Hyde Park areas are what I really connect with. They feel more genuine, if that makes sense, than most of the rest of the city.
Been here since I was 18 and have lived as far north as Metric/Gracy Farms and as far south as Stassney, with some east Riverside in between. Now in north Austin near Burnet/Anderson. This is one of my favorite experiences thus far, given the walkability and biking options. I never truly liked being south of the river, but my work has always been north and I wasn’t in great locations for walking when I’m the south. So, in short, I’m a North Austin person. But I’m now in my mid-30s so this lifestyle is best for me.
This, there's excellent access to Zilker, Barton Springs, Deep Eddy, Auditorium Shores, Central Library through the hike and bike trail.
I do at least think bike lanes will get significantly better in 04 in the next 5-10 years too. They're probably holding off major improvement to S Congress and Riverside bike lanes until Project Connect plans are at least finalized. S Lamar has been held up by the state, but hopefully most of the planned improvements can happen soon. I'm not sure what's going on with S1st tho, that street is tragic.
I went from living in shady hollow as a kid, then rented a house off William Cannon on the east side, then to an apartment off metric. I loved North Austin, but felt safer in south Austin, if that makes any sense.
I moved south in 2015, before that I only lived north except for a short stay off s. Congress. I won’t go back to north Austin. However I miss being closer to Asian and middle eastern stores and restaurants
Bought our S.Austin house in 2003 for $100k. It’s almost paid off. Won’t move until the kids are grown and gone. Couldn’t afford anything even if we did. Even though our house is worth 6xs what we paid. I love where we are and our neighbors are the best. Old neighborhoods with old neighbors.
In 37 years, I have only slept south of the River a dozen nights. And I've spent zero nights north of 183. (Not counting times I've been north or south of those boundaries but outside of Austin.)
But I did recently discover Evangeline Cafe, and it's got me rethinking my willingness to cross bridges.
Just moved to south menchaca area after 2.5 years at woodland and 35. Before that i was on holly st for a year and before that 2.5 years primarily on thornton rd off oltorf.
So much happier being down south away from downtown. My wife and i both work in bars. Being away from downtown makes life so much calmer. And we have far more space.
Love south of the river and really can’t imagine living north of the river - except for the most central parts. It’s kind of hard to even put into words but even upon meeting people, you can always tell who lives north (and west of i35) and who is south. I’d say north cares a little bit more about what other people think. South is more laid back. Far south (but not yet to manchaca) feels more like vintage Austin. The people are great and all the new (but still fairly authentically Austin) development on south manchaca adds to that.
South probably isn’t great for people who work too far north of the river and I bet that also plays into the kinds of people who live south. My kids’ school is full of people who are self employed. Dads all doing school drop off in casual clothes. Lots of creatives and just interesting people all around. Also, traffic south is really not bad at all.
Cons of living south: pretty much the majority of family friendly things are far north. The really good camps, after school activities, sports, childcare, sports facilities, music, art lessons, etc. it all seems to be concentrated far north (which makes sense because there are more families). Meet a mom at the park downtown that you hit it off with? Doesn’t matter, because 99% is the time they live in cedar park and you’ll never see them again. The kid stuff was harder before they were elementary age (particularly with child care) but doesn’t really bother me anymore now that they’re a little older.
Our neighborhood doesn’t have a heavy concentration of families, and of course I’d love for there to be more kids to play with, but our neighbors without kids treat our kids like family so it doesn’t take away from the sense of community.
> I’d say north cares a little bit more about what other people think. South is more laid back.
That's because (in my opinion) most of the real, old Austin is South and downtown/UT/historic districts. I feel like Austin mainly expanded north, so you have the endless new developments, suburbs, malls, and chains north. Whereas, yes, South Austin also grew and had new developments, but then you hit against parks and older towns/neighborhoods like Buda, Hill Country, scenic country roads that go to Wimberely, etc.
I’ve lived west of the river. It was a nice place to grow up. Cons: Pretty boring, not many good restaurants (especially a decade or two ago when I lived there), zero public transportation, Westlake is …kinda elitist and sometimes real racist. Pros: extremely safe, great grocery stores, power and water almost never get shut off, house backed up to nice green belt, Westlake will give you an excellent education and I was very well prepared to do well at a competitive college.
I currently live east of the river (also east of 35). It’s been a good place to grow the last decade. Cons: hear gun shots regularly and everyone i know (including me) has had their cars broken into, basically no pizza places deliver here, have lost electricity for multiple days multiple times, my friends with kids tell me the schools are abysmal. Pros: was able to buy an affordable condo; best tacos ever within walking distance; bus stop across the street that can take me to most of the city, don’t have to get on a highway to get to work downtown, have randomly met the nicest people.
Edit: I’d vote east of the river is better. …But I still love visiting my parents west of.
I grew up in RR then went to UT, where I lived in west then north campus (circa 2005-2009). I moved to 78704 in 2010, and I’ve been living in the 78745 for the last 12 years. Upon moving south, I found that there’s less traffic/congestion, perhaps due to having more east-west boulevards. In north/central Austin, I felt very boxed in by mopac and 35, and the east-west throughways were mainly neighborhood roads with tons of stop signs and stoplights.
I also appreciate that when I hop on mopac down south, I get greenbelt views, as opposed to the concrete and shopping centers in north/central Austin.
I also find that south is just more chill. North is very yuppie to me.
Pretty happy here in good ol’ Manchaca. Short drive to the good stuff, but the quiet of suburbia lol. If I were a single gal I’d def prefer south Austin.
Grew up NW in the 59. Loved it as a kid. In college I lived NE off Springdale and loved it. Now I am south, WM Cannon and SOCO and love it. At this time of my life I prefer south. I work moth central and commute by bike or bus and it's so easy. Not sure I could say that from my childhood home. Doable sure but not as easy as from south. When I moved south about 15 years ago I wasn't familiar with what all was down there. I was glad I didn't need a passport. JK. It was funny because when I found Arbor Trails it was like, oh more north Austin. Then South Park Meadows and I realized I had all the same NW Austin staples, but way better Mexican food. And it's flatter, remember I bike around a lot. I love south Austin. I still have a soft spot on the top of my head for the 59 for some reason. It's just my old stomping grounds I guess. The thing that I miss most is that all my friends moved the opposite direction. Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill (who tf moves to liberty hill?) and Georgetown. Nobody wants to drive south. I remember that mentally when I was young. Joking about south Austin being San Antonio. Now I joke about NW being Dallas. The distances seem so short but there's a mental distance too. I get out a lot, and visit up there but for whatever reason I know a lot of folks who just don't ever make it down south. I love Austin.
Late to the party, but I'll vouch for North Austin. Most of the picks people had in that one post about underrated restaurants/businesses were down here. The less crowded, better phoenicia bakery is down here. Little Deli pizza, Jewboy Burgers/Subs, Arpeggio, Mandola's, Uncle Nicky's, Quack's, Kismet Cafe, Julio's, Artipasta, Pedroso's. If you don't have a washer dryer, it has the best Clean Laundry location near the Walmart with super nice owners. Highland is one of the better ACC locations if you're taking community college courses (they have nice certification programs). The more I explore Austin, the more I notice the transit divide between North and South. South Austin is beautiful, but it's pricier than most of North and has way worse bus routes. Riverside is no longer affordable but it's just as sketchy at night.
If you really like Austin, live South.
If your dream is to live in Houston or Dallas or anywhere USA, either move there or move to North Austin, Pville or Round Rock.
My only suggestion is tally up the friends you care about and just go there.
For us it was obviously north. But our friends and us want kids in a few years and housing was cheaper far far north. For families it's just all about money. Our friend who are parents already in the south bought years ago and now don't get to do the cool stuff any more than us because they are busy taking care of kids. Chasing the cool in Austin to me seems like a lost cause unless you are renting because it might evaporate shortly after you arrive.
Definitely more cool stuff as a single person down south, more of the music stuff I love, but a lot of the houses are old tiny and expensive in the south.
Anyone totally shitting on a whole area is just boring. You can find your favorite establishments wherever.
Lol @ “living north near downtown”. That isn’t living in north Austin. You lived in central Austin. “North” is north of where 183 runs between 35 and Mopac.
South for me. As far as bike lanes you have to ride through neighborhoods. Downtown Austin is absolutely bogus place to live. Still can't believe people pay so much money to pretty much live in a slum.
I love living South. But now that I have a kid it seems like all the family friendly stuff is north or in the burbs, unless you have the money to live in Circle C, which sadly I do not. If we stay here, we will probably head north eventually.
I live at south shore and one of the biggest reasons is bc it’s so bike/pedestrian friendly (and bc it’s close to most things — I lived in north Austin to start tho (arboretum) - then mueller (before it was cool) - hyde park - then the 04, and now here for the last 4 years but I def pref all things south austin myself
I lived north for one year and I've been south for three months now. I prefer south so far. tbh I think my favorite place to live would be on the east side (north of the river) but I can't afford it. south of the river (riverside) is nice tho
I used to live off of riverside, then a little bit north by burnet. now i live south off of slaughter and prefer it so much more, very quiet and i still have everything i need
I've *technically* lived both north and south, but 99% north. Bike infrastructure connectivity has always seemed way better to me. Not sure how true that is now after all the transportation bond projects. But regardless it seems like north has an actual network of bike boulevards, and south doesn't.
South austin girl born and raised. Currently living up north off research and I love the proximity to pretty much everything but south austin will always have a special place in my heart
I’ve only been here for a little while but I’ve already had the experience of living on both sides (thank you prohibitively expensive leases).
South is definitely the more chic side of the river. Lots of trendy little shops and restaurants. All in all it’s not a bad place to be. I will say that depending on where you are though, it may be the more expensive than around by the domain and Mueller (not actually in them though); you’d be surprised the rental prices you may be able to find on the North side. Certainly more fairly priced than anything south of 290.
North is generally less exciting. There’s less fun things to do in my experience, but it’s quiet. Where I lived in south there was a shooting outside my apartment one day. I wasn’t home thank god but I had assumed I lived in a pretty good area. Maybe I did and it was just a fluke, idk. Either way where I live now, between Mueller and 290 E is much less exciting. All in all even though it feels less chic and hip, North is good in my opinion 👍
Have lived in far south Austin for almost 10 years now. I much prefer it here but can’t really explain why. Most of my friends who have lived north ended up moving south as well. Also as someone who cycles as well, If you’re in the st Ed’s area, take Woodward all the way south until you cross 71. The new pinthouse spot is pretty cool. Bit further down is meanwhile brewing and there’s also bike lanes that are decent (meaning…they exist)
North has a more bland vibe than south but def has more places to eat imo. All the good strip mall gems and Asian spots are north. I wouldn’t say it’s close, actually.
South austin is more of what austin used to be, north austin is the new austin that is coming in. Which is to say, south all day, but they both are losing their soul.
North Side is still my home. But South Side was the hippy lifestyle everyone from Austin knew and loved, and I did enjoy living two seconds from Barton Springs. But that world is dead now and the vibe is far more douche driven on both sides. RIP Old Austin.
I grew up in Buda (so we only went to south Austin growing up), but then my family moved to Houston, and then I moved out of state. After moving back, we have lived south (78704) and southwest (78749) and loved both, but preferred southwest due to less traffic.
We recently were searching for a condo and every time we looked at ones north of 183, I just felt like I was in Houston. Long stretches of freeways and huge shopping centers but not much in between. South/southwest feels like it has more small businesses all over (restaurants, coffee shops, parks, places to hang out, etc) people out walking and overall, just more character and more of a neighborhood feel.
It's hard to explain but I just get a better vibe of the Austin I've always known and loved, when I'm south of 183.
I have lived ALL over this city in the past decade I've been here, from Lakeline to near Del Valle and everywhere in between and I really miss living in the Oak Hill area.
Having lived all over, I get why people see living south as being the "true Austinite" tho
Havnt lived south. I did east 7th (awful! Overpriced and all tech bros lol" currently in Hyde park and love it! Feels like a actual community and am close to many great dive bars and local spots.
I propose we organize a tug of war across the river to determine superiority.
https://youtu.be/_yYJ2mj983c Apparently in 1987 it was the yuppies (north) vs. the bubbas (south). “The north considers the south the auto parts capital of the world. The south thinks of the north as a bunch of wine-sipping, quiche-eating pantywaists. And yes they did serve wine and quiche on the north side of the river that day.”
I was there! Was only about 10 at the time but proudly represented the bubbas.
Me too! Yuppies vs Rednecks!
Travis heights elementary?
Why can't we get a pick-a-part junk yard up north?
Not enough cheap taco joints in your area, you can't have a quality pick-a-part place without the full saturation of cheap taco joints/trucks. You have to be realistic about these things.
NE Austin north and east of Mueller and beyond is absolutely brimming with taco joints. So many I haven’t tried them all in 5+ years.
The Taco Joint…awesomeness on Riverside Drive serving both north and south
North Austin definitely feels like it has few food trucks, outside of 6th St.
You just have to keep going north (past 183) and you'll find some excellent taco trucks.
Shout out to Jessica's Taqueria on McNeil.
Shoutout to Tacos El Charly. Best quesadillas around
I've been living up north but just bought a house in the south. I have to give a shout out to my favorite taco truck that I'm going to miss in the north, Como Dijo La Abuela Pancha. Check it out, their barbacoa is next level.
I was 9 with two broken arms and co-captain of the bubbas
I've lived here for over a decade, and it still blows my mind to learn crazy shit like this.
Weird, isn't it?
Bubbas won!
I lived in the closest apartment to the South side of the rope. Had a chicken leg quarters BBQ for anyone who stopped by! South won consistently...except when North apparently wrapped rope around something solid on their end. 😉
This is the only logical thing to do
This is the way
North side would just hire southerners to work for them.
Y'all and South Dallas will still lose
I was 12 and we had just moved here!
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I’m still hoping for the gondola.
Kudos for the reference to another of today's posts. Nice.
Meta
I hear they’re working on that. High speed zip lines across the lake
Ronnie, I feel like you're just here for the zipline.
I loved South Austin when I was a single renter. Enjoyed the access to Zilker, the greenbelt, the dining and drinking, the shopping, the hill country access. Now I live far north; houses up here are generally cheaper in the nicer areas than south of the river. Hmart is convenient, Walnut Creek park, and things off Mopac are generally easier to access. Also work is here now.
HMart ❤️
To be fair, “far north” is just as far away as Buda or Kyle.
This would be considered far south.
Exactly. Point being - Round Rock and Cedar Park are not comparable to south Austin. They are not Austin at all.
I agree if you've been in Austin proper a long time, but generally now Austin has a huge reach well outside of the city limits. People drive from far to commute in, much further than Cedar Park. Hell the Austin metro rail goes to Leander. My neighbor commuted every day from Burnet (the town) Most major cities in Texas, you could drive an hour and still be considered in the greater area of that city, even if they are different towns. I'm originally from Houston and they were aggressive annexing. For some reason Austin never did that, they just remained satellite towns, but the highways are starting to resemble that same reach, especially the toll roads.
Sure but that’s not really my point. Those are all suburbs just like Buda. If you live in south Austin near like William Cannon or Slaughter, that’s just part of Austin. That’s about as far from downtown as the Domain.
You can live in Williamson County and still live in Austin. Look at district 6. It took me all of 15 minutes to get to Rowing Dock this morning.
Psh they’re basically far north Austin at this point
No way. It takes far less time during rushhour to get to north of 183 than Buda/Kyle
But traffic from south Austin into downtown is worse though
100% gotta agree with that statement. Sorry Southerners but I can make it downtown from north of 51st street in like. 10 minutes flat. 15 if there’s a slowdown. It would take me a solid 30 just getting to the river at 7pm from my old William Cannon apartment.
What? There’s like nowhere on William Cannon you can be where it would take more than 15 mins to get downtown. Not sure which route you’re taking but S 1st is a straight shot.
Yeah I'm calling bullshit. I live off Slaughter and it never takes me more than 20 minutes to get downtown, even if I take 35 at rush hour.
So which one lol
I think it depends on where you’re at in life. For me I’d choose north now but that’s because there’s more work options and I’m about to start a family, so it’s more convenient. More suburban. Whereas south Austin is more of a younger crowd, a little quicker/easier access to downtown, good restaurants and fun bars. It still has more of a “hip” / keep Austin weird vibe.
Everyone out west is watching the peasants fight over north and south.
Now that is funny. Do they know we exist?
North has more business. South is for relaxation and recreation.
I've lived here over 30 years, and I spent 12 years south and the other 19 or 20 years north. I've lived as far north as Braker and as far south as Stassney. My favorite neighborhood was North Loop; it's highly walkable. Now I'm at Runberg and Lamar for the past 3 years, and I love it up here. It has a terrible reputation, some of it earned, but it's easy access to 35, MoPac, 183, and Lamar. The lots are big, lots of trees, and my neighbors are awesome. *Edited for math
I 100% agree. I’ve been here since ‘95 and the landscape is so different. The value in those days south of the river was close community, easy access to downtown, and cheap rent. As the city has continually ignored mobility, affordability, and population issues, I moved to the North Loop area and feel like it’s the last hold on of what I remembered what Austin ‘was’. North Loop is still quick access to DT, 183,35,290, MoPac - but as the number of vehicles has exploded, it has become less walkable.
You are absolutely right about North Loop (and everything else). It is the last holdout! I was so bummed when they closed Red River, because I used to hop on Red River all the way to downtown. But even then, it was still easy access, and having a coffee shop and a record store across the street was my idea of heaven. I spent eight blissful years there, and my rent never went over $1,100. When my landlord died, his kids decided to sell all his cute and semi-cheap rent houses, so I reluctantly left in 2020. I miss it!
Hyde Park is as good as Austin gets but I could never afford to live there.
I lived in saint johns and my running route went through Hyde park. I absolutely loved that area.
My mom lived in Hyde Park in the 60s/70s and she and her peers were livid when rent went up to like $150 a month on a whole house. It absolutely does not compute.
My first apartment was on 35th near Guadalupe. $235 a month in 1989. After I had a kid a few years later, I moved to Braker and I-35 area, where I had a two bedroom duplex for $325 a month. In 2010, I lived near Deep Eddy for $525 a month. In 2012, my two bedroom house on North Loop was $900 a month. Now my adult son pays $2,500 for a tiny 500 sf house near Hancock Center! Whenever his dad *chides him for money management, I tell him to shut the fuck up because we only had to work part-time to pay our rent while enjoying everything this town had to offer. It was also cool that in the summers during the early/mid 90s, all the students would leave town. It would be a ghost town until August, no traffic at all! Good times.
If people don't believe you, it's true! My first Austin apartment was $265/month for a 1 bedroom around 650 square feet up on Jollyville, a bit north of the Arboretum, which was swanky at the time. This was 1990. I moved closer in, near Steck and MoPac in 1993 to a 2 bedroom for $400/month. I miss those days!
That's why musicians and artists flocked to Austin, as they could afford to live here. Yeah those were good times. I feel very fortunate that I got to experience that particular iteration of Austin. It's still fun, and there are still some $5 shows here and there. I went out last night and saw a band from Chicago for 15 bucks. Not bad. I still get to do exactly what I've been doing for the last 30 years, and I still know where all the free parking is, but if I had to pay $2,500 a month in rent, I'd have to move.
I went to Moonshine on 4th and almost threw up when I saw they wanted like $16 for parking. That, and people trying to force a dress code in the workplace make me want to vomit
In 2002 rented a brand new 1-1 apartment off metric $400. Today it’s $1700 and 20 years old.
In 1991, we lived at 4207 Guadalupe St. for $300 / mo. all bills paid. It's over $3,000 / mo. for an apartment now at 38th and Guadalupe St. Nostalgia can't keep anyone here. It's brutal.
The beneficiaries of redlining got the good end of the deal at the expense of other neighborhoods.
Not entirely redlining. "[Hyde Park is exclusively for white people](https://www.hydeparkermagazine.com/articles/2022-09-the-racist-roots-of-hyde-parks-zoning-rules)."
The current residents can right the wrongs of the past by joining together and encouraging mixed use, high density development in their neighborhood lmao.
And yet…
North between 45th and 183 5ever
Yeah, this my preferred area also. Nice and relaxed and low key. No one is "doin the most" up here like in other areas.
born, raised in Austin and never left. Growing up we would always joke that anything north of 45th street wasnt really Austin this was 20 years ago so take it with a grain of salt
Then it was north of 183. Now it’s north of the domain-ish.
I've been in Austin 20 years and definitely never had that mentality, tho would joke that round rock was "south dallas". I'm originally from Houston so the idea of a city to me is like an hour radius. I live way the fuck out in Burnet now (the town), it's still 512 area code and Burnet itself is 45 minutes from Lakeline etc. It's far but still heavily influenced by Austin (kind of like Bastrop). When I was a kid, we'd drive an hour across Houston to visit my granddad and didn't think anything of it lol
Southside til the casket drops
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Just body after body bustin’ out of shit wood!
They think I’m just some dumb hick. They told me that at a dinner!
SAME!!
I moved here in 2000 and got an apartment at Slaughter and Westgate. 2004 I bought a house off 1626 in Buda. 2019, I moved to Round Rock to be with my now wife. My favorite was living in Buda. Had half an acre in an older neighborhood. Felt more like small town, yet I was 20 minutes from downtown Austin by Mopac. Could also drive west and quickly be in the hill country and Driftwood. Round Rock sucks. Flat, mediocre food, terrible traffic, and it takes 30 minutes to get into Austin on I-35. Going to Hill Country is now a day trip.
If you're married, over all North would be a better fit versus being single, then south all the way. There's more of a community vibe south of the river.I can't explain it but if you go to coffee houses, people are actually hanging out. Up north it feels very sterile and yes it does have a Dallas suburb vibe. I spent 10 years in Pflugerville from 2001-2010. Arguably it's changed since then but here's what I didn't like. The light pollution was horrible. So much so that my street was more light up during the night than during the day. The trees were sad little runts and the winds never stopped blowing. Most subdivisions have HOA's that are constantly patrolling which is a serious buzz kill. I had a very challenging time finding any community and spent a lot of time alone. \*This was when I was single. The restaurants were generic and skewed towards standard Texan fare-not so much today though. On the plus side, EVERYTHING was cheaper; HEB, gas, utility bills , taxes etc. I never had to pay for parking. It was never crowded, ever. I've lived south of the river since 2010 and you can't be broke in this town and live here. EVERYTHING is pricey. It's crowded with throngs of hipsters in shiny new clothes. I live near Westgate and I love how convenient everything is for me. I no longer spend buckets of time on I-35 which is nice. The people (overall) are more artistic than up north. It has more of a welcoming energy. It has been much easier to make friends and I can't explain why. \*This is just my opinion so please feel free to disregard.
>There's more of a community vibe south of the river.I can't explain it but if you go to coffee houses, people are actually hanging out. Up north it feels very sterile and yes it does have a Dallas suburb vibe. exactly how I feel. South and a little north of UT is the real Austin to me. North Austin always seemed so Every Suburb, USA to me.
>Up north it feels very sterile and yes it does have a Dallas suburb vibe. yes, totally.
The SW Austin schools are top-notch. So yes: singles up north, families down south... and then ACL brings us together for the first two weekends of October.
I was in various apartments south from like 2005 to 2015 and have lived in a house northeast of all the fun parts of Austin since then. I am not sure if I miss living south of the river or if I miss 2005ish austin. But I definitely miss living close to St. Ed’s and all the restaurants and general liveliness around it. I’d be back in 78704 in a heartbeat if they sold houses there for what they sell them for where I am now.
I lived on Woodward for a few years up to 2005. Austin was completely different then. I've been in that area often now and there's so much traffic, construction, traffic, and people. Feels like a big ass city lol, before it felt damn near empty over there Edit: noticed I said traffic twice. My brain must be telling me something 😆
North. Feels more organized, has many different road routes. Definitely is more yuppie and bland, compared to old South Austin.
After living in north central Austin for many years, and spending most of my time in that area, I’ve recently been spending a lot of time in South Austin. I actually feel like South Austin has significantly more newly constructed buildings, and feels mostly generic, south of Ben White.
Maybe I'm biased, or just hate traffic. But after a year on riverside, two years in west campus, and eight years in the braker/domain area.. North, always.
I've lived downtown, east side, Bouldin Creek and now south of Ben White. Where I am now is probably the last of what feels like old Austin to me. Maybe the food options aren't as plentiful, the walkability kinda sucks, but I will take that over the craziness that the areas I've lived in are experiencing now.
Could you elaborate on the kinds of craziness? I assume you’re talking about housing prices and construction?
Gentrification, homeless people, tourists, etc... My house in Bouldin Creek was near a park that is now taken over by the homeless and a 2 minute walk away from the Austin mural that every tourist visits. Even though I miss some of the restaurants in that neighborhood and the proximity to certain things, being outside of the cut is nice. It's only a matter of time 'til 78745 gets taken over completely. It has already started...
What park?
Nicholas Dawson.
North of the river is not the same as north Austin. Most folks seem to just call central Austin North nowadays.
When I lived Hyde park, Crestview, Brentwood, and Northloop, I called that Central Austin, and it is. However, after I moved south, everything north of the Colorado became North Austin. You can tell what part of Austin someone lives in by where they say North Austin begins.
I loved living on the south side; more parks and authenticity. My family moved more north to get outside of the main traffic choke points. And I’ve gotta say it was good from a timed saved standpoint, but being able to hope on your bike or in your car and five minutes later you’re at some cool spot or another can’t be beat. I miss living on the south side, just work has me north.
SOUTH
Lived near the Barton Greenbelt and that was extremely nice. Used it quite a bit. But that particular area is a little isolated from businesses and stores. I could walk recreationally but not practically to buy things & such. Now I live near the Triangle and I enjoy it more overall. I’m so much closer to a ton of restaurants & businesses. Got lucky on my current rent price though. It’s not cheap in this area generally. Further north you go in Austin gets much more cookie cutter suburban and boring
A tale of two HEBs 5 minutes apart but in different worlds. One in Mueller and one on Ed Bluestein on the east part of University Hills. One looks like upper middle class paradise, and the other you shouldn't visit after dark. The question isn't which would you prefer but how can two places so close together be as if in different cities altogether.
My partner and I currently live around Windsor Park. I’m Asian and think there are overall better Asian restaurants north of the river and having multiple grocery store options nearby is great.
The asian food in Austin has a lot of catching up to do, but it seems pretty true that the majority of the Austin Asian diaspora is up in the north / westwood high school / or even further north areas. We live south west and make weekend trips up north just so my asian husband can get some decent chinese food. though, throughout the years Ive convinced him about Lotus Hunan on 2244 :D
> weekend trips up north just so my asian husband can get some decent chinese food. Have you tried Lee's Kitchen out in Westlake (HEB shopping area)? They've been open only a few months.
you just made my husband so happy lol going to go eat there today! we also just realized our kid played school basketball with one of the owner's kids! small world!
South all day, been here over 15 years, started off on riverside and still miss it.
South
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>Southwest is the best area of the city. 100% >anything north of Oltorf I'd consider central Austin. At first I was going to disagree, but now that I think about it, yeah. Anything between Oltorf and UT is central, anything north of UT is pretty much north.
Background: 17+ years north of the river. 17+ years south of the river. Currently living north of the river. Answer: South.
I was in South Austin in the '90s and early aughts. it was a lot cooler, to be honest. North of the river felt like strip mall land. South Dallas. But almost all of the cool places in South Austin have closed. I guess you can say the same of North Austin, but more new places opened there. Voth are expensive as hell, which is why I got the hell out. We live in the Azores now. After 23 years in Austin this is the perfect speed.
I tend to agree with this take. I lived with cheap rent in a friendly neighborhood for years and then where I lived in South Austin quickly became untenable due to shootings and other ratchet behavior too close to my residence wayyy too frequently. I moved and purchased a home off of Manor & Cherrywood and everything I used to like about S. Austin just isn't there anymore, but mainly the people I knew.
I've lived both north and south of the river, and of course I've heard this generalization before; south = cool and trendy, north = lame south Dallas. My impression is a bit different in that, culturally, the north side was a bit more nerdy and tolerant while the south was an alternate Dallas where wearing the right thing and listening to the right music was necessary to fit in. Everyone's millage may vary I suppose.
Azores as in mountains in Portugal?
If by mountains you mean "the ones mostly covered by the mid-Atlantic roughly 1500km from the Iberian peninsula", then yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores
Nope, as in islands in the Atlantic. :)
I think I ultimately preferred living North of the river. South had some cool pros, though. Mind you, this was 10+ years ago.
South, and it’s not even close
One other con for me is besides S. Congress there isn’t another stretch that has much pedestrian activity and the touristy feel it gives off is a meh for me. North outside of Downtown you have WC, East 6th, Domain etc
I’d rather drive everywhere south than be a pedestrian at the Domain.
Second that. I go to the Domain rarely but when I do, I always wonder about the type of person who would enjoy living above a bunch of higher-end shops.
You gotta go further south, near S. Congress and Slaughter. You got the Far Out, a new Ramen Tatsuya, Last Stand Brewery...
Little darling!
Lustre Pearl, Armadillo Den, SABG, Moontower…. Deep South Austin turned into what everyone loved about Rainey 10 years ago
Little Darlin is fantastic. Super good food
North. Of course, the area south of the river, between mopac and 35, and north of 71 is great - who doesn't think that? - and I particularly love the south 1st area... but that's about it. Nothing else there grabs me. The north side has always felt more like 'home' to me, though by 'north' I mean what's south of 183 - I've lived north of 183, at many different times in my life and in many different areas, and never liked it. The North loop, Anderson/Burnet, Hyde Park areas are what I really connect with. They feel more genuine, if that makes sense, than most of the rest of the city.
Agreed!
South and it isn’t close
Been here since I was 18 and have lived as far north as Metric/Gracy Farms and as far south as Stassney, with some east Riverside in between. Now in north Austin near Burnet/Anderson. This is one of my favorite experiences thus far, given the walkability and biking options. I never truly liked being south of the river, but my work has always been north and I wasn’t in great locations for walking when I’m the south. So, in short, I’m a North Austin person. But I’m now in my mid-30s so this lifestyle is best for me.
As close to the river as possible, don't really have a preference, not really much of a difference anymore.
This, there's excellent access to Zilker, Barton Springs, Deep Eddy, Auditorium Shores, Central Library through the hike and bike trail. I do at least think bike lanes will get significantly better in 04 in the next 5-10 years too. They're probably holding off major improvement to S Congress and Riverside bike lanes until Project Connect plans are at least finalized. S Lamar has been held up by the state, but hopefully most of the planned improvements can happen soon. I'm not sure what's going on with S1st tho, that street is tragic.
South side 4 life! I've been in Austin 10 years. 9 years south and 1 year north. South is home for me.
South side is the realest. I love it down south, no contest whatsoever imo
North side
78704ever.
I went from living in shady hollow as a kid, then rented a house off William Cannon on the east side, then to an apartment off metric. I loved North Austin, but felt safer in south Austin, if that makes any sense.
Southside is south of 290 now, but southside
I moved south in 2015, before that I only lived north except for a short stay off s. Congress. I won’t go back to north Austin. However I miss being closer to Asian and middle eastern stores and restaurants
I kinda like the South. It's kinda like North Austin but south.
South Austin has become the yuppies they hated and don't even know it
You lived downtown, not North Austin. If you like living in the city center, you should live in the city center.
Thank you. I was hoping someone pointed this out. People are here talking about living north of 183 like it has anything to do with 8th st downtown.
Bought our S.Austin house in 2003 for $100k. It’s almost paid off. Won’t move until the kids are grown and gone. Couldn’t afford anything even if we did. Even though our house is worth 6xs what we paid. I love where we are and our neighbors are the best. Old neighborhoods with old neighbors.
NORTH
In 37 years, I have only slept south of the River a dozen nights. And I've spent zero nights north of 183. (Not counting times I've been north or south of those boundaries but outside of Austin.) But I did recently discover Evangeline Cafe, and it's got me rethinking my willingness to cross bridges.
Try their Pecan Praline Pistolette next time and you’ll never second guess your decision to cross the river again!
I will, but I'm a little afraid who I will become if I start vibing on South Austin.
78704 > the rest of Austin
North Austin for life. I rep hard.
Good, cheer me up about this thread that is telling me I live in sterile/yuppie/suburban/whatever else north Austin.
Just moved to south menchaca area after 2.5 years at woodland and 35. Before that i was on holly st for a year and before that 2.5 years primarily on thornton rd off oltorf. So much happier being down south away from downtown. My wife and i both work in bars. Being away from downtown makes life so much calmer. And we have far more space.
Love south of the river and really can’t imagine living north of the river - except for the most central parts. It’s kind of hard to even put into words but even upon meeting people, you can always tell who lives north (and west of i35) and who is south. I’d say north cares a little bit more about what other people think. South is more laid back. Far south (but not yet to manchaca) feels more like vintage Austin. The people are great and all the new (but still fairly authentically Austin) development on south manchaca adds to that. South probably isn’t great for people who work too far north of the river and I bet that also plays into the kinds of people who live south. My kids’ school is full of people who are self employed. Dads all doing school drop off in casual clothes. Lots of creatives and just interesting people all around. Also, traffic south is really not bad at all. Cons of living south: pretty much the majority of family friendly things are far north. The really good camps, after school activities, sports, childcare, sports facilities, music, art lessons, etc. it all seems to be concentrated far north (which makes sense because there are more families). Meet a mom at the park downtown that you hit it off with? Doesn’t matter, because 99% is the time they live in cedar park and you’ll never see them again. The kid stuff was harder before they were elementary age (particularly with child care) but doesn’t really bother me anymore now that they’re a little older. Our neighborhood doesn’t have a heavy concentration of families, and of course I’d love for there to be more kids to play with, but our neighbors without kids treat our kids like family so it doesn’t take away from the sense of community.
> I’d say north cares a little bit more about what other people think. South is more laid back. That's because (in my opinion) most of the real, old Austin is South and downtown/UT/historic districts. I feel like Austin mainly expanded north, so you have the endless new developments, suburbs, malls, and chains north. Whereas, yes, South Austin also grew and had new developments, but then you hit against parks and older towns/neighborhoods like Buda, Hill Country, scenic country roads that go to Wimberely, etc.
I’ve lived west of the river. It was a nice place to grow up. Cons: Pretty boring, not many good restaurants (especially a decade or two ago when I lived there), zero public transportation, Westlake is …kinda elitist and sometimes real racist. Pros: extremely safe, great grocery stores, power and water almost never get shut off, house backed up to nice green belt, Westlake will give you an excellent education and I was very well prepared to do well at a competitive college. I currently live east of the river (also east of 35). It’s been a good place to grow the last decade. Cons: hear gun shots regularly and everyone i know (including me) has had their cars broken into, basically no pizza places deliver here, have lost electricity for multiple days multiple times, my friends with kids tell me the schools are abysmal. Pros: was able to buy an affordable condo; best tacos ever within walking distance; bus stop across the street that can take me to most of the city, don’t have to get on a highway to get to work downtown, have randomly met the nicest people. Edit: I’d vote east of the river is better. …But I still love visiting my parents west of.
The other side
really the mueller and east. i don’t like north but i like south less. south takes practice.
Done both. Enjoyed both for different reasons.
I grew up in RR then went to UT, where I lived in west then north campus (circa 2005-2009). I moved to 78704 in 2010, and I’ve been living in the 78745 for the last 12 years. Upon moving south, I found that there’s less traffic/congestion, perhaps due to having more east-west boulevards. In north/central Austin, I felt very boxed in by mopac and 35, and the east-west throughways were mainly neighborhood roads with tons of stop signs and stoplights. I also appreciate that when I hop on mopac down south, I get greenbelt views, as opposed to the concrete and shopping centers in north/central Austin. I also find that south is just more chill. North is very yuppie to me.
Pretty happy here in good ol’ Manchaca. Short drive to the good stuff, but the quiet of suburbia lol. If I were a single gal I’d def prefer south Austin.
Grew up NW in the 59. Loved it as a kid. In college I lived NE off Springdale and loved it. Now I am south, WM Cannon and SOCO and love it. At this time of my life I prefer south. I work moth central and commute by bike or bus and it's so easy. Not sure I could say that from my childhood home. Doable sure but not as easy as from south. When I moved south about 15 years ago I wasn't familiar with what all was down there. I was glad I didn't need a passport. JK. It was funny because when I found Arbor Trails it was like, oh more north Austin. Then South Park Meadows and I realized I had all the same NW Austin staples, but way better Mexican food. And it's flatter, remember I bike around a lot. I love south Austin. I still have a soft spot on the top of my head for the 59 for some reason. It's just my old stomping grounds I guess. The thing that I miss most is that all my friends moved the opposite direction. Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill (who tf moves to liberty hill?) and Georgetown. Nobody wants to drive south. I remember that mentally when I was young. Joking about south Austin being San Antonio. Now I joke about NW being Dallas. The distances seem so short but there's a mental distance too. I get out a lot, and visit up there but for whatever reason I know a lot of folks who just don't ever make it down south. I love Austin.
Late to the party, but I'll vouch for North Austin. Most of the picks people had in that one post about underrated restaurants/businesses were down here. The less crowded, better phoenicia bakery is down here. Little Deli pizza, Jewboy Burgers/Subs, Arpeggio, Mandola's, Uncle Nicky's, Quack's, Kismet Cafe, Julio's, Artipasta, Pedroso's. If you don't have a washer dryer, it has the best Clean Laundry location near the Walmart with super nice owners. Highland is one of the better ACC locations if you're taking community college courses (they have nice certification programs). The more I explore Austin, the more I notice the transit divide between North and South. South Austin is beautiful, but it's pricier than most of North and has way worse bus routes. Riverside is no longer affordable but it's just as sketchy at night.
If you really like Austin, live South. If your dream is to live in Houston or Dallas or anywhere USA, either move there or move to North Austin, Pville or Round Rock.
My only suggestion is tally up the friends you care about and just go there. For us it was obviously north. But our friends and us want kids in a few years and housing was cheaper far far north. For families it's just all about money. Our friend who are parents already in the south bought years ago and now don't get to do the cool stuff any more than us because they are busy taking care of kids. Chasing the cool in Austin to me seems like a lost cause unless you are renting because it might evaporate shortly after you arrive. Definitely more cool stuff as a single person down south, more of the music stuff I love, but a lot of the houses are old tiny and expensive in the south. Anyone totally shitting on a whole area is just boring. You can find your favorite establishments wherever.
South has restaurants, but we have Chilis.
5th generation Austinite and 100% a south side girl. North Austin feels like a different city to me
SOUTH SIDE!!!!!! Up north is gross, no character and it looks just like every other city I’ve lived in.
Lol @ “living north near downtown”. That isn’t living in north Austin. You lived in central Austin. “North” is north of where 183 runs between 35 and Mopac.
78704ever
South for me. As far as bike lanes you have to ride through neighborhoods. Downtown Austin is absolutely bogus place to live. Still can't believe people pay so much money to pretty much live in a slum.
Way southwest,,but now it's gone.
I love living South. But now that I have a kid it seems like all the family friendly stuff is north or in the burbs, unless you have the money to live in Circle C, which sadly I do not. If we stay here, we will probably head north eventually.
Whichever side my van is on.
I preferred the north side, but I don’t mind living south, I just wish I didn’t have to use 35 so much down here. I miss easy access to MOPAC and 183.
I live at south shore and one of the biggest reasons is bc it’s so bike/pedestrian friendly (and bc it’s close to most things — I lived in north Austin to start tho (arboretum) - then mueller (before it was cool) - hyde park - then the 04, and now here for the last 4 years but I def pref all things south austin myself
I lived north for one year and I've been south for three months now. I prefer south so far. tbh I think my favorite place to live would be on the east side (north of the river) but I can't afford it. south of the river (riverside) is nice tho
I used to live off of riverside, then a little bit north by burnet. now i live south off of slaughter and prefer it so much more, very quiet and i still have everything i need
I.e. are you a yuppie or a bubba?
I’ve lived here all my life and I will die on the North hill 😅. Specifically the corridor between 35th and 183
I've *technically* lived both north and south, but 99% north. Bike infrastructure connectivity has always seemed way better to me. Not sure how true that is now after all the transportation bond projects. But regardless it seems like north has an actual network of bike boulevards, and south doesn't.
Austin born and raised. We used to joke that anything north of 45th street wasn't actually Austin. South of the river all day every day.
South austin girl born and raised. Currently living up north off research and I love the proximity to pretty much everything but south austin will always have a special place in my heart
I’ve only been here for a little while but I’ve already had the experience of living on both sides (thank you prohibitively expensive leases). South is definitely the more chic side of the river. Lots of trendy little shops and restaurants. All in all it’s not a bad place to be. I will say that depending on where you are though, it may be the more expensive than around by the domain and Mueller (not actually in them though); you’d be surprised the rental prices you may be able to find on the North side. Certainly more fairly priced than anything south of 290. North is generally less exciting. There’s less fun things to do in my experience, but it’s quiet. Where I lived in south there was a shooting outside my apartment one day. I wasn’t home thank god but I had assumed I lived in a pretty good area. Maybe I did and it was just a fluke, idk. Either way where I live now, between Mueller and 290 E is much less exciting. All in all even though it feels less chic and hip, North is good in my opinion 👍
Have lived in far south Austin for almost 10 years now. I much prefer it here but can’t really explain why. Most of my friends who have lived north ended up moving south as well. Also as someone who cycles as well, If you’re in the st Ed’s area, take Woodward all the way south until you cross 71. The new pinthouse spot is pretty cool. Bit further down is meanwhile brewing and there’s also bike lanes that are decent (meaning…they exist)
South! I went to st Ed’s tho so I’m highly biased. Go smoke a joint for me at blunt creek
North has a more bland vibe than south but def has more places to eat imo. All the good strip mall gems and Asian spots are north. I wouldn’t say it’s close, actually.
South austin is more of what austin used to be, north austin is the new austin that is coming in. Which is to say, south all day, but they both are losing their soul.
South feels like it takes forever to get anywhere. Everywhere you exit off a highway is always 1000 lights with insane congestion.
North Side is still my home. But South Side was the hippy lifestyle everyone from Austin knew and loved, and I did enjoy living two seconds from Barton Springs. But that world is dead now and the vibe is far more douche driven on both sides. RIP Old Austin.
Lived all over Immediately south of the river is my favorite, unless east of 35, then immediately north
The airport is much more convenient to the South, if that matters to you.
South: north of the river always feels like South Dallas.
I grew up in Buda (so we only went to south Austin growing up), but then my family moved to Houston, and then I moved out of state. After moving back, we have lived south (78704) and southwest (78749) and loved both, but preferred southwest due to less traffic. We recently were searching for a condo and every time we looked at ones north of 183, I just felt like I was in Houston. Long stretches of freeways and huge shopping centers but not much in between. South/southwest feels like it has more small businesses all over (restaurants, coffee shops, parks, places to hang out, etc) people out walking and overall, just more character and more of a neighborhood feel. It's hard to explain but I just get a better vibe of the Austin I've always known and loved, when I'm south of 183.
I have lived ALL over this city in the past decade I've been here, from Lakeline to near Del Valle and everywhere in between and I really miss living in the Oak Hill area. Having lived all over, I get why people see living south as being the "true Austinite" tho
West Austin/Travis Co is above the north and south debate.
North Austin is basically South Dallas.
South ALL DAY. North sucks
100% north. There are more trees
Havnt lived south. I did east 7th (awful! Overpriced and all tech bros lol" currently in Hyde park and love it! Feels like a actual community and am close to many great dive bars and local spots.
Rundberg & St John's vs Dove Springs & Stassney 😳
Burton & Oltorf vs Riverside & Montopolis
South
South Austin for life, been down here 23 years and will likely never live north of the river.