We’ve toured hundreds of apartments, and helped tons of people find places to live.We’ve seen a lot, and our clients tell us a lot. This is a totally different perspective that you’ll get from Google or Yelp.
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Close your eyes and think of a typical modern city Downtown apartment. That’s basically what you’ll get here. You’re not going to find that charming walkup house with charm, or that cool wide open artist’s loft place you dreamed about when watching your favorite New York City themed sitcom. You’re going to find new buildings with cookie cutter type consistency. To not be too much of a downer, you’re also going to find amazing units with spectacular Downtown and Hill Country views that you can’t get anywhere else.
Studios: $1800+
1 Bedrooms: $1900+
2 Bedrooms $2700+
3 Bedrooms $4000+ (rare to find)
Parking: $75-$150 per car.
You’re going to find three types of apartments in Austin. Modern Mid-rise. Highrise, and older Mid-rise.
It’s a beautiful new mid rise building just west of Lamar. While it’s much nicer than the nearby buildings, 5th Street Commons, and Pressler, the freight train is a big problem right nearby. Rent costs are similar to larger high rise buildings in the interior of Downtown as well. I would consider this building if you prefer a quieter part of Downtown, and can find a unit away from the freight train noise.
5th Street is a usually a great value to be right near Downtown. It’s probably the best deal out of any building in the area. Even the nearby Pressler tends to be much more expensive. Generally, my clients who are interested in this type of building also wind up looking in East Austin.
Pressler is a good overall building, but not great. It’s a mid rise so you’re not getting any spectacular views, but you do get more of a cozy neighborhood feel nearby. Prices tend to be high, which puts you in the category of other buildings nearby in Downtown, which I would argue are better. The interiors are really really ugly which is a shame.
Surprise! I’m not a fan of this building. It’s dated, expensive, next to the freight train. At these prices, you can get a much better building pretty much anywhere else.
I usually skip this place. Even though it’s a decent overall building, it’s prices are high for the location, and it’s located on a loud and busy party street. For the same prices you can get much better quality buildings and a better neighborhood in East Austin, just a few blocks down.
Gables Park Plaza is a very nice building and community. I like it a lot. But it’s location near the train and Lamar are problematic for noise. I would try to get an interior facing unit here. Otherwise the loud units may be a solid deal-breaker
AMLI on Second will be on your radar if you’re looking for a nice high end building in Downtown. In terms of overall quality and style, I think it ranks comparatively low, but for the right price, it’s hard to ignore.
Seven can be a great building if you’re not facing West 6th. But unfortunately, most of the building does. For the price and quality, I usually learn towards buildings that don’t have a crazy party scene just right outside.
AMLI Downtown can be a great property, especially if you want a larger floor plan with roommates. For what you’ll be paying, you’ll feel like you should be getting more. The quality of the interior feels dated and bland. Worth considering for the right price, but overall there is better quality elsewhere.
You’ll have to visit to see if the train noise would be too problematic for you. They do have a cancellation policy where if you can’t handle the noise, you can end the lease early. Otherwise I really like this building. If you’re aiming for high end swankiness, this is a top contender.
Since the building just opened up, I don’t have full thoughts on it yet. From what I can see, it’s a fantastically swanky building with an equally beautiful hotel attached. The prices are very very high which isn’t a shocker. My current feeling is that other local high end buildings may be a better overall value.
Even though it’s a really good building with great amenities, I generally avoid this place. The noise from Rainey Street on the weekends make it really hard to justify. You can get a similar quality building in East Austin at lower prices. There are some quieter parts of the building, but not by much. Unless you’re totally ok with being in the middle of an active party and nightlife zone, I would skip it.
Skyhouse is a solid building on the non-party side of Rainey Street. My friends who have lived there tells me it hard a strong party vibe for obvious reasons. It’s pricey, but offers you amazing views of the city, and offers quick access to the river. If you can afford it, it’s worth a peek.
I honestly don’t have many thoughts on the Ashton. While I’ve had many clients in Downtown, none have had a budget capacity for this building. It’s on a different level. For those without a budget, it’s one of the most spectacular buildings in the city. The pool area, the floor to ceiling window-ed units.
Whitley usually doesn’t make the cut with my clients. For it’s price point, other buildings offer more. More style, more of an Austin feel, better location, and better amenities. There is nothing inherently bad about this building, but it falls short of the competition.
I really like the Bowie. It has one of the most interesting and distinct styles of any apartment I know in Austin. The prices are competitive in its category. It has some of the most spectacular amenities in the city. If you’ve got a good budget and are aiming for style, this will be one of your top 5 choices. Very popular with my clients.
Monarch is a beautiful property in a great location. But in it’s category, it’s main benefits are price and floor plan size. It’s lackluster amenities are starkly contrasted by other buildings like Bowie and Northshore. If you’re in this price range, definitely check it out.
Northshore is the cream of the crop. The big whale in the room. It’s the top of the line. In almost every category, it’s the best quality apartment in Austin. From the ridiculously nice amenities, big floor plans, boutique style, everything. It’s fantastic. It’s also super pricey. This will be near or at the top of your search if you have a big budget and want a beautiful downtown building. It’s main competition is usually the Bowie, but Gables Republic Square may be a close third.
I put the Catherine on this list even though it’s technically in South Austin. It’s more of a Downtown Property. It’s a beautiful high rise that compares well to the high-rises in Downtown in terms of price and quality. It sky lounge is one of the coolest amenities of any building in Austin, let alone apartments. It’s absolutely stunning. The rooms are beautifully modern. The pool is kind of lack-luster, but it’s a great building overall. While it’s not in Downtown, it’s a must see if you’re aiming for high rise swankiness.
Windsor on the Lake is a beautiful property located right next to the water. While It’s on Rainey Street, it’s far enough away from the crazy activities. Compared to neighboring Skyhouse, it’s much more relaxed and quiet. It’s main downside is that it rarely has availability since most residents stay. It’s pool area is kind of crappy too, but oh well.
I’m not a big fan 404 Rio Grand. While the location is good, the building is sub-par in mostly every other category. For the prices you’ll be paying here, you can get much better quality in South or East Austin. I would only consider this place if you absolutely need to be Downtown, and you’re on a relatively tight budget.
I would only live Gables West Ave if being downtown is an absolute must, and you want to be on the lower budget side for the region. Otherwise you should look to South or East Austin for much better quality apartments. The location is great, but it doesn’t offer much else.
So there we have it folks!! We’ve arrived at our conclusion! Now we’re best friends and now a proficient expert in all things Downtown Austin. Huzzah! Aren’t you pumped to live here?
I hope now you’re all like, “Damn! This guide was badass!” “I’m definitely going to hire them to help me find my next spot”
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