The Domain is Austin’s attempt to magically copy-pasta Downtown into North Austin. Since lots of big fancy tech companies decided to make the area home, Austin is like, well maybe we need a big fancy downtown up there. So there’s all the kinds of shops & restaurants you’d expect to find in your run-of-the-mill shopping mall which could be a nice perk or downside depending who you area. It does have a bit of an overly-manufactured feel which may turn you off if you’re looking for a more authentic neighborhood feel.

The best part of the Domain is Rock Rose Street. It’s a cool street in the Domain with a ton of bars & restaurants, but not the kind of lame big-business happy hour bars with desperately priced margaritas (Ahem Chilis & Applebees). They were smart enough to bring in a solid line-up of restaurants to satisfy even the most pretentious foodies (like me).

Another bonus is the nearby train at Kramer Station which can take you to Downtown & East Austin.

Oh, and Top Golf is here. Top Golf is awesome. You should totally do Top Golf.

PS. If you find my guide useful give me a holler so I can find you the right place! Or if my guide was ultra-super-helpful and is enough to make a decision, please list me (Alex Concepcion) as your referral and I’ll shower you with excess praise and funky gifts.

Studios $950 – $1200

1 Bedrooms $1050 – $1400

2 Bedrooms $1500 – $2000

3 Bedrooms $2200+

Kenzie

Mirror Mirror on the wall, which is the swankiest of them all? Kenzie is! Kenzie easily takes the cake in terms of quality apartment at The Domain. It’s got that “swanky Miami Beach Hotel with a Night-Club” design feel (without the loud nightclub of course). On top of that, you’ve got big juicy balconies. If you’ve got a healthy budget and want to live here in the Domain, this would be my choice.

Pros

• The prettiest of them all!
• Tall ceilings
• Big juicy balconies
• Floor plans with cool perks like USB charging stations, work-desks, coat closet space (for those frigid Austin winters you know)
• Right across Rock Rose (that cool street with all the bars & restaurants.)

Cons

• Also the most expensive of them all (usually)
• Pool is quite small. No laps for you!
• Odd paint color choices.

The Standard at Domain

Next down the list of swankiness is The Standard! It’s a solid modern building right on Rock Rose. It’s got one of the best apartment-gyms I’ve ever seen. In terms of style & luxuriousness, it’s closely behind Kenzie. As for location, even though they’re only a block away from each other, I like Standard’s location more. It’s tucked slightly further in the North side of the Domain which has exploded in it’s variety of shops and restaurants.

Pros

• Gym space makes you feel like you’re at an LA Fitness that happens to have rooms to rent on the side. So it’s nice.
• Very high end building overall.
• Leash free dog space.
• Right on Rock Rose street!
• Great Studio floor plans.
• Whole Foods is right friggin there!

Cons

• While the pool is nice, it’s got that “right next to a large parking garage” feel.
• Often loses out because it’s a little less-cool than Kenzie, and a little more expensive than the Residences.
• Leasing staff sometimes gives that “I’m super stressed out” vibe (at least when I’ve gone)

Residences at Domain

The Residences is one of the best balances for an apartment here. Like Goldilocks wandering in a house with three bears (which, why would anyone want to do that? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?) Anyways, I digress. The Residences is, for many of my past clients, jusssssst right. The right building in the right location at the right price.

Pros

• One of the best balances of price/quality/locations in The Domain
• Nice big pool that doesn’t feel all parking-lot-y
• 24-hour package delivery locker (so you don’t have to wait during office hours when Santa Amazon comes to bring you gifts)

Cons

• The Residences is a collection of buildings, so you may not wind up at the main building with all the amenities.
• I kinda like Standard’s location more. Residences is located the relatively older part of the Domain (which isn’t saying that much given that all of the Domain is fairly new)
• Only comes with washer/dryer connections.

Gallery at Domain

It’s easy to miss Gallery. It’s slightly further outside of Central Domain which isn’t a big deal given how small the Domain is anyways. Because of this, it kind of suffers from “what about me?!” syndrome when comparing itself to Kenzie, Standard & Residences. It almost feels like the same building with it’s amenities and style. So it’s nice, but it doesn’t necessarily stand out in any meaningful way. Just don’t forget to stop by on your search!

Pros

• Nice modern luxury building (like everything else here!)
• They just opened a new phase, so they’ve got some fresh apartments right out of the oven.
• Great floor plans

Cons

• Nice space for yoga & other physical activities
• Slightly outside the center of the Domain
• Only washer/dryer hookups. Just include the damn things already!

Addison Kramer Station

While technically it’s across the street from the Domain, it’s basically right there. Unlike the other buildings on this list, Addison is a collection of buildings, instead of one large building. It won’t have the same “walk-outside-you-room-to-Downtown” feel like the other more central buildings will on this list, but it’s a great building overall. It’s main perk is that it’s right next to the train at Kramer Station (hence the name). So if you commute down South often for work, this would be a really good option for you. Double plus, it’s right next to Top Golf!

Pros

• Right on the train station if you commute to Downtown/East Austin for work.
• Big fat pool!
• Washer/dryer included
• Solar shades to block out that pesky sun thing.
• Relatively good pricing

Cons

• Less central to all the Domain goodies than the others on this list.
• Nothing stands out that’s truly spectacular about this place. Just pretty good overall.

Honorable Mentions!

Aka the Participation Trophy Section

IMT Domain

IMT Domain is the most affordable way to live smack in the middle of The Domain. You can usually find very reasonably priced studios and 1 bedrooms while being in quick walking distance to Rock Rose street. As a management company, IMT tends to not do the best work when it comes to interior design, so what you often you save in rent, you sacrifice in style (at least compared to the others on this list)

Pros

• Best priced options!
• Some floor plans have direct out-door access which is great if you have a pup.
• Some units have little yards!

Cons

• Feels a bit cheaper than the rest on this list.
• Some units come with older looking black appliance packages.
• Carpet in bedrooms “**gag**
• Pool is right next to the parking garage which drags down the whole “zen” feeling of poolside relaxation.

IMT Residences Riata

This one is a few miles away from the Domain, but if you work in North Austin in one of those aforementioned big fancy tech companies, and wanted to pay highly reasonable non-Domain prices at an excellent property, this is the best option.

Pros

• Excellent building
• Lots of units with yards/patios
• Great pricing
• Yuuuuge pool.
• Giant leash free dog park.
• Big far kitchen islands.
• Private townhomes with garages anyone?

Cons

• Not inside the Domain
• Some bedrooms with carpet.

Ascent Arboretum

Ascent is just slightly outside the Domain, but it’s well worth having on the list for the quality of the building. If you work in North Austin, but don’t really care about all that Domain-y stuff, this is one of your better options overall.

Pros

• Very high quality building
• Great value for the quality of building
• Usually cheaper than apartments immediately inside the Domain
• Still close to a lot of local bars/restaurants.
• Nice tree-lined pool area.
• Well sized floor plans

Cons

• Not inside the Domain
• Small gym

Summary

So yeah. The Domain can be pretty cool, even for a sometimes mildly cynical-pretentious food person like me can enjoy in a non-ironic kind of way. While it won’t have the same authentic Austin appeal (whatever that means) it’s a well rounded place to live, especially if you work in North Austin. You’ll find a ton of modern buildings that are going to be vying for you attention and rent money.

Working with Me

Hello there! I’m Alex Concepcion. Cool Apartment Locator Guy Extraordinaire. Like pretty much everyone here, I’m a transplant from another city. I arrived from the wild and exotic country of Miami, Florida where I traded groovy salsa music and the beach for breakfast tacos and brisket. Now I call East Austin home where I host funky dinner parties, buy overpriced cocktails, and climb rocks at the Austin Bouldering Project.

Having gone through the chaotic transition of moving to a new city, I know what it’s like to be all freaked out and worried about picking the right place to live (and eat). I’ve fortunately found myself in the position where I can help people like you make the best possible transition.

Working with me means basically having a super useful personal research assistant guy do all the heavy lifting. If you’re not familiar with the neighborhoods, I can also put on my knock-off-Anthony-Bourdain-hat and be your personal food-obsessed tour guide (which is my favorite part of what I do).

Even cooler, I’m totally free to work with. I get paid directly by the apartment complex only when you move in.(which doesn’t affect your rent amount). I’m free like that HBO subscription your friend doesn’t know you use when Game of Thrones is on. I would be flattered to help you find the perfect place to live.

-Alex