jamm13dodger

Sorry if these have been asked before but I couldn't find a wiki entry for Austin, TX ? I had a look but couldn't find it. I've searched the threads on here and while there is some info it is a little sparse.

Can anyone give a guide to good areas to live and commute to an office near the MOPAC? I'm looking for somewhere with good schools for a 9 and 12 year old and ideally a pre-school that will accept a volunteer for a few years while my wife works through completing her Montessori training.

I'm an all year round Motorcycle commuter here in the UK and was wondering what that's like in Texas. Any other MC riders that can comment?
I'd also like to cycle to work a couple fo times a week if possible - Is that feasible in Austin? I do that occasionally and 15 miles each way is easily achievable - more at a push.

I;ve got loads of other questions but I don;t want to overdo it - especially if there is another source of data I've missed.

Thanks in advance for any help received, JD

petitefrancaise

Hi,
we moved to Austin 2 months ago.
Mopac goes from all the way north to south in Austin so you'll need to be more specific about areas.

I did a lot of research about the schools since I have 3 kids. The priority for us was that we wanted the older ones to go to the best high school and we chose Westwood High in the NW - google it, it is one of the best in the USA. As a result my younger child goes to Canyon Vista Middle School which is also excellent. We chose this area even though my husband will have to commute to the south of Austin daily via 360.

PM me if you want to.

Karen

jamm13dodger

It looks like the office is based near Barton Creek if that means anything to anyone?

Thanks for the reply.

cranston

Understand that some Texas drivers are insane. Driving standards are far inferior to the UK.

petitefrancaise

Barton Creek/Mopac is to the south of Austin. A lot of my husband's colleagues live in Circle C ranch, which is very nice and a bit further south and others live in Steiner Ranch. Westlake is very nice and has an excellent high school, fairly pricey around there though..

I don't see very many motorcyclists on the roads..there are cycle routes around the city though and cycling is popular here.

Are you getting a relocation agent to help you?

Rose tea

Lanes are not given, they are taken, by force

I would fear for my life as a motorcyclist where I live.

jamm13dodger

The cycle network is good news. I thought the motorcycle situation may have been not so good.

TBH we`re still vey much in the early stages of things so i havent looked at agents yet.

Again, thanks for the reply.

jamm13dodger

Thanks, thought that might be the case. Whats the rush hour like? I currently have a 12.5 mile commute which takes me 25 minutes on the MC. Its into the town or it would be quicker. Colleagues of mine can take an hour to do the same journey in the car on a bad morning.

Ulsterman in Texas

Another aspect that I would mention about riding a moterbike here in Texas is the weather, it doesn't rain as often here but when it rains it tends to be very heavy, much heaver than we get in the uk so bear that in mind, also we don't need to tell you about the heat, I think wearing leathers and a full helmet in the middle of a Texas summer would be torture.

Sheepdip

There's ways around that though I doubt you'd use much of your UK gear. My UK stuff only comes out in the rain and cold here in SC

scrubbedexpat097

Riding motorcycles in Texas is not a problem. There are plenty of them in and around Austin, we often ride in the Austin area. You can wear suitable protective clothing even during the hottest days without melting in the heat. Spring and fall time are the best bike weather, we have a great tine

jamm13dodger

Well I got the job offer today, great relocation package but they want me there on the 7th of April. Boy it's going to be tough to clear the house and get everything else sorted in time. Looking forward to it but boy is it going to be a lot of work.

jjmb

good luck with the move. We were in a similar position, we knew were moving for about 4 wks but the L1 came through really quickly so we had about 3 wks to pack and move for a temporary 13 month stay. That was 14 yrs ago,(arrived 1st April) kids have all been to uni, move on and back in, back out and all of us are US citizens plus a son-in-law and grand-daughter. Best change of our lives although at times it didn't seem like it, as we had some pretty tough times.

jamm13dodger

Wow, 13 months turning into 14 years is some surprise.Glad it all worked out for you. We're going out there with the view that even if we come back it will have been an interesting change. We will be trying to keep an open mind and see where it all leads.

Cheers, Rob.

jjmb

do you have accommodation arranged? We were put into an apartment complex just off the Mopac, in North Austin for a month, whilst we found a rental property. April is a good month to arrive, as its not too hot, although at the time 80f/26c seemed pretty hot to us, as we came from Scotland. April tends to be stormy also, so expect some fireworks.