It is apparent that around Austin, TX there is a lot of growth happening within the city and even on the outskirts. All you have to do is take a look at the forever growing Downtown skyline to see 10 plus cranes piecing together new buildings that will provide office space for growing businesses, as well as new condos and apartments for city dwellers.
For those of you that have been in Austin for over a decade are able to see a drastic change in scenery, even the newbies that have only been in Austin for five years can see the fast paced changes. It’s fair to say that most Austin lifers don’t like change and the attitude towards the growth has been portrayed as bitter. But how does this growth effect students at The University of Texas and will this effect be a positive, negative or both?
Since West Campus is a pretty tight knit neighborhood that harbors many students, one problem we are facing is there is no room for growth! Builders and investors are having to build upward instead of out, camouflaging the area with Downtown Austin. There use to be a divide between the two but it appears that divide is slowing phasing out. On a positive note, it’s allowing for newer, more luxurious apartment options for students and the more growth, it can keep up with the demand since the population in West Campus continues to double.
One problem that the future may face for students looking to attend school on a budget and have no desire to live in “luxury apartments”, will be the lack of smaller, more affordable condos that are being torn down each year in order to build a corporate complex with raising prices. The condos are very important to this economy and to students who enjoy living in a smaller community, managed by an individual owner. As long as this continues to happen, the fewer affordable condos there will be available to students. So, where do you go if you can’t afford the trendy West Campus?
There are still nooks of this city where you can find refuge from the ever expanding cost of living downtown and in West Campus. This is why using a Realtor can be very helpful for you since the service is free for you and especially at Uptown Realty, our Realtors are very knowledgable about the city and affordability of the neighborhoods. With the growing bus routes and public transportation, it might be worth living a few miles form campus to catch a bus each day than to spend the dough on a place closer to campus.