Best Central Austin Apartments: A Guide

Welcome! Here’s our guide on modern apartments in Central Austin. For this, I focused on modern apartment complexes built after 2005 North of UT Austin, and below 183 (just below the Domain). If you’re aiming for modern buildings in this area, this will summarize all of your options along with my thoughts. 

We know apartment hunting is stressful. The aim here is to help you out by making the apartment hunt as stress free and transparent as possible. Hopefully by the end you’ll be all like “Man! This guide is FN awesome! I’m super educated now on central Austin apartments! I’m totally gonna work with these Taco Street folks”. 

Also, Check out The Taco Street Neighborhood Guide to Central Austin

What to expect as a renter. 

Central Austin has a ton of older buildings from the 1950’s-1990’s. Most of them aren’t very good. I won’t be covering those here. 

Instead, I’ll be focusing on buildings built after 2005. 

Like most other apartments built after 2005 in Austin, you can expect a fairly consistent product. Modern gyms, appliances, amenities, standardized floor plans, central AC, and nice pools. The good stuff. Within this category, there is a lot of quality variation, so we’ll dive into each one!

Cost of Rent for Modern Central Austin Apartments

Overall, the average rent for these apartments are in the middle of the road when it comes to modern apartments in Austin. It’s a bit lower than South Central Austin, East Austin, and more similar to Mueller, and the Domain. 

• Studios: $1200+
• 1 Bedrooms: $1400+
• 2 Bedrooms: $1900+
• 3 Bedrooms: $2200+

Echo

Pros

• Easily one of the swankiest buildings in Central Austin. It feels like a high end hotel.
• Great for dog owners. Lot’s of space around the building to take the doggo around.
• Located right next to important bus routes that can take you to Downtown Austin, University of Texas, and the Domain easily.
• Very nice swimming pool area.
• Walkable to everything in the Triangle.
• Gated Garage.

Cons

• A lot more expensive than other buildings nearby (because of said swankiness).

Overall Thoughts

Echo is a very nice building. One of my best friends used to live here, so I got to check it out a few times from his perspective. The biggest problem here is price. Compared to other buildings in the Triangle, Echo is usually much more expensive. For the price you would be paying here, I would probably go for another building in this area, or head over to East Austin.

Infinity Residences Triangle

Pros

• Great location in the middle of the Triangle.
• Great access to Bus routes and North Lamar/Guadalupe which can take you to Downtown and North Austin easily.
• Pretty old-brick-modern vibe going on.
• Lot’s of park space nearby for you and your furry friends.
• Quick access to UT Austin.

Cons

• There are a few buildings that are part of the Residences. Some have better amenities than others.
• Some units still have old appliances.
• Valet Trash, which I don’t like.

Overall Thoughts

Infinity Residences is usually a great value for this modern category. Prices are usually good. The location in the triangle makes it super easy to get around town. Overall I think it’s a great option if you want to be in this area. You’ll probably also want to check out Mueller if you like this property. 

West Koenig Flats

Pros

• This is an extremely nice building. Beautiful pool & amenity area.
• Has the ultra rare 3 bedroom apartment!
• Well managed building.
• Great location if you want to be near UT Campus or North Austin.

Cons

• Right next to West Koenig lane which can get loud and busy. Could be a problem if your unit looks over this street.
• There isn’t much to do in this specific location. You’ll have to drive to get anywhere important.
• Priced on the higher range of this region.

Overall Thoughts

West Koenig Flats is a great building in a strategic location. It’s got some of the best amenities I’ve seen in this area. It’s priced well too. However, there isn’t much to walk in the neighborhood. The main competition for this building would be places like Elan Parkside, and most of the buildings in Mueller, which I think are a bit better overall for their walkability and access to various eateries and entertainment.

Waller Creekside on 51st

Pros

• Close to the University of Texas.
• Good pricing for a modern building in this area. Probably the best.
• Big dog park!

Cons

• No garage, so you’ll have to deal with rain and the Texas summer sun.
• FN carpet in the main areas of non-first floor units. God, I hate carpet.
• Not many guest parking options.
• Amenities are lackluster for a modern building.
• Even though it was built in 2014, it looks and feels more like a building from 2005.

Overall Thoughts

Waller Creekside feels like a bit of an older building, even though it was built in 2014. But the price makes up for it. This is one of the most affordable modern buildings in the area. Any lower and you’ll be in much-older territory. Good for medium budgets.

Post West Austin

Pros

• Often has some of the best prices in this category.
• Tucked into a nice quiet residential neighborhood.

Cons

• Right along Mopac, which will impact the noise quality of some units.
• Unit interiors are outdated.

Overall Thoughts

Post properties follow a similar script. Mass-produced bare-bones modernity. This isn’t totally a bad thing. This means reasonable quality apartments at reasonable prices. Post West Austin doesn’t do much to distinguish itself in terms of style or personality, but it gets the basics down well. I think it’s a great place to check out if you need to be in this area. If you don’t, you can probably find a better, more active location.

AMLI 5350

Pros

• Right along Burnet Road which has a ton of cool things to do and eat. Lot’s to walk to!
• Often has good prices for a modern building.

Cons

• Right along Burnet Road, which is noisy with traffic.
• Some units have main area carpet.
• Compared to other buildings in this category, it’s far from Downtown. If a central location is important, you can do better.

Overall Thoughts

AMLI 5350 is a solid all-around building. There are no glaring issues. Its main downside is its comparative distance to the core of Austin. If you work in North Austin or the Domain, you’re probably better off leasing there where it’s more walkable. The same thing goes with Downtown.

Elan Parkside

Pros

• Amazing design and amenities.
• Stunning pool area.
• Great floor plans.
• Priced well.
• Walking distance to the Linc shopping center.
• Right along Airport Blvd and I35, so getting around is very easy.
• Really cool staff.

Cons

• Nothing that I can think of!

Overall Thoughts

Elan Parkside is one of my favorite buildings in Austin. It has a similar design to Lamar Union in South Austin, which is one of the coolest buildings in town. The design is ridiculous here, and the pool is spectacular. The prices are good.

It’s located in a rapidly developing area, and it’s only getting better. It’s very easy to get around Austin from here too, especially being in close proximity to the Metro Rail. You can hop on the rail line for an easy commute to Downtown – perfect for SXSW or Austin City Limits.

Crestview Commons

Pros

• Brand new building.
• Easy walk to the Crestview station next door which can take you to Downtown and the Domain.
• The Crescent shopping center is across the street which has a ton of delicious Asian food joints.
• Fantastic amenities like pool and gym.
• Has the rare 3 bedroom!

Cons

• Some units face North Lamar which can be problematic for noise.
• The building feels a bit “tucked in there” so there’s not a lot of room around the building.
• Lots of construction going on nearby.

Overall Thoughts

I like Crestview Commons a lot. The amenities are wonderful (especially the pool). There’s a nice rooftop community deck. You have easy access to the train, and the Crescent shopping center next door too. This has been one of my heavy hitters since it opened up. Its main competition is places like Elan Parkside.

FiveTwo at Highland

Pros

• As of writing this, it’s brand spanking new.
• Similar location benefits as Elan Parkside next door.

Cons

• Like many new buildings, it takes some time for management to get their shit together. Time will tell!

Overall Thoughts

Since the building just opened up, I don’t have any strong opinions yet. I do know the area is developing really quickly. I expect this building to be one of the better ones in Central Austin.

The Braxton

Pros

• Great location on Burnet Road.
• Has a cool tucked-in feeling.
• Great finishings and modern everything.
• Rooftop pool!
• A small community, so it’s going to have a different vibe than larger buildings.

Cons

• Since it’s a small community, finding available units will be difficult here.

Overall Thoughts

Braxton, as of writing this, is brand new. But I can tell it’s going to be a great spot. The community is small. The finishings look great. The location is in the middle of the coolest part of Burnet Road where you’ll have a lot to check out. I’m excited about this one.

Flora

Pros

• Priced very well for the quality of the building.
• Units are equipped with Nest and other modern technology.

Cons

• The location is kinda ugly.
• Not much to walk to in the area.

Overall Thoughts

The area feels industrial and strip-mall-y. While it’s rapidly developing, it’s currently a nice building in an ugly area. Given all this, the prices are decent for the quality of the building.

Midtown Commons

Pros

• Right along the Crestview station bus stop which gives you easy access to Downtown and North Austin.
• Lots of stores and food in the immediate walking area.
• Usually priced well for this category.

Cons

• Lack of parking spots is a big issue here.
• Some units have older appliances.
• Thin walls will mean lots of ambient noise.

Overall Thoughts

Midtown Commons is on the lower end of properties for this category, but it’s priced as such. Its location is really good if you don’t have a car and you’ll be using the train station on the property to get to Downtown or the Domain. There are much better properties for this category, so if you can afford the slight boost, I would go with those. But this is a decent option all around. 

Avana

Pros

• Small Community.
• Good Hyde Park location.
• Rooftop pool.
• Big windows.
• Lot’s of natural light.

Cons

• Small community means there aren’t many units available. Very hard to find availability here.
• Property management seems to be a total disaster here.

Overall Thoughts

Avana is a nice modern apartment in the middle of Hyde Park. That seems to be the only good thing to say. The management company running the place currently seems to be a total disaster, however. I haven’t had any clients lease here since there usually isn’t any availability.

Marq on Burnet

Pros

• Great amenities like the pool and community space.
• Right outside on Burnet Road, there’s a ton of cool restaurants and places to hang out.
• Really good studio floor plans.
• Very nice modern finishes.

Cons

• Relatively far North compared to the others.
• Location right on Burnet Road means lots of noise for street-facing units.
• Community noise seems to be a problem.
• Contentious staff.

Overall Thoughts

Marq on Burnet is a great looking building. Nice floor plans, great amenities, everything you’d expect in this apartment category. There’s a ton of stuff to do in the immediate area which is nice. Though there does seem to be a lot of issues with management and parking which is concerning. Worth reading the Google reviews here. 

Marq Uptown

Pros

• Beautiful building and fantastic amenities.
• Located right next to UT Austin and St David’s Medical Center.
• Very easy to get to Downtown and East Austin – great for enjoying the nightlife and live music.
• Often has good pricing.
• Go hang out with my buddy Eric and his float tank business downstairs: Ocean Lab!

Cons

• There isn’t much in the immediate area other then UT Austin and St David’s

Overall Thoughts

Marq Uptown is a great building in a strategic location. However, If you don’t need to be near UT Austin or St David’s, you can find similar quality buildings in more walkable areas like East Austin. Can you tell that’s one of my Favorite Austin areas?

Sabina

Pros

• Right next to UT Austin and St David’s medical center.
• Great high end modern building.
• Very easy to get to Downtown and East Austin
• Often priced very well for the quality and location.

Cons

• Again – there isn’t much in the immediate area other then UT Austin and St David’s.
• Compared to neighboring Marq Uptown, it seems to have a lot of management issues.

Overall Thoughts

Sabina is a slightly downgraded version of Marq Uptown next door. Though it’s still a very nice building, and it’s often priced very well. Overall, the main benefit of being here is having a high end residence near UT Austin or St Davids. Otherwise I would lean towards East Austin or any other more walkable area. 

Burnet Flats

Pros

• Really cool rooftop deck area.
• Burnet road has a lot of great food and shops right outside the building.

Cons

• Pool area is very tight.
• Lots of traffic and noise on the outside.

Overall Thoughts

Burnet Flats fits right in the middle of everything on this list so far. Its pricing is average. It’s got the standard modern suite of amenities and floor plan types. While there isn’t anything major that makes it distinctive, there are no major downsides either. Overall I think for this price range you’re likely better off in a different area.

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