Ok, so you’re moving to Austin and you are thinking – I don’t know the city yet and want to give things a spin to see where I should try next.
Let’s be real… The best place to experience Austin if you’re not living in Hill Country or working in Round Rock is going to be downtown. Why? Because that’s where you’ll want to go hang out anyway and that’s where you get the most bang for your buck. Uber’s less than $5 one way, grocery delivery, and new services start there. 92+ Walk Scores! When people come in town for Festivals, SXSW, and F1, they all come downtown. To be in the center of the action while walking to everything you need is perfect.
Rainey Street – Downtown
West Sixth – Downtown
Whole Foods – Downtown
East Side – Basically, Downtown
South Congress/Lamar – Might as well be Downtown… at the rate this city is growing, it will be in 10 years.
Everything you will want to do outside of nature can be found downtown… well, anything but going to HEB or Top Golf. Going to be completely honest, activities like bowling, will be outside of downtown. But how often do you go bowling & walking the shopping mall vs. Running/Walking Town Lake & dining and dancing with friends?
Yeah, like I said… Downtown. 
Rents currently range between ($1,300 – $8,000)
Here’s the top 10 places to live in Downtown Austin:
1) The Ashton
4) The Bowie
8) Amli on 2nd
10) Eleven Apartments – Further from the core, but when you live in the Eastside corridor, you have a view of the Capital & Frost Tower from the rooftop and are able to quickly access the eclectic staples of East Austin. This is why it has made my favorites list.
Doing a Top 10 means some places will be cut. So here are some honorable mentions: Amli 300, Gables West Avenue, Amli Eastside, Amli Southshore, Pressler, 5th Street Commons, & Windsor on the Lake. Don’t forget, there are at least 4 other properties being built right now! Pretty soon, this will be up to the top 25.
How did I determine this list? Well, first and foremost, these are places that I would choose to rest my head myself. I’ve been to all of them within the past 2 years while apartment shopping and have experienced outstanding, professional, and friendly service. I have friends that have also secondarily vouched for the building and their experience living there as well.
