Neighborhoods You Like, Neighborhoods Like You

We get at least a call a week from a couple or a single moving to Austin from somewhere asking about Austin neighborhoods.  Some are gay couples wanting the insiders’ guide to open, some have kids, some are straight and wondering and are a tad nervous about moving to Texas, some want the hipster guide, some the kids guide, some the commuter guide.  Those are each worthy of their own blog article.  Orientation disclosure or not doesn’t matter, we understand finding the right (or left) neighborhood you like, finding the neighborhoods like you. We can help.

Here are a few resources to tap into finding the neighborhood you like, the neighborhoods like you:

• First, Google.  We know sounds simple but it’s the best reference tool.  See this Austin neighborhood map tool on Google … tip 1: zoom; tip 2: type subdivision name in google map search field to see the boundaries.
• We’re 7th – Gay, yet not all that gay.  Richard Florida along with Gary Gates of UCLA’s Williams Institute wrote in US News in 2010 ranking cities for their gay-to-not household ratio.  Austin is 7th.
• Austin Neighborhood Project: one more resource, not exhaustive but a start.
• Search for homes, search for neighborhoods:  here
• Trip Advisor:  if you’re moving to Austin, this Trip Advisor article is a nice overview
• Politics, it’s an indicator.  Central core Austin is more liberal.  If we use the 2005 Proposition 2 Gay Marriage Ban vote, this map shows us this demographic.  A little 2017 update … this map is still a solid visual context for Austin’s political landscape. If this is an important factor for you, you can use this austintexas.gov demographic map from the 2012 election. I am not attempting to get political here, this is simply information that buyers request in assessing their neighborhood choices.
• And lastly, the Judgmental Austin Map – Not sure of the origins of this map but it is getting a lot of facebook time right now.  Warning:  it is not politically correct.  Not to be taken too seriously, it is actually somewhat helpful.

Welcome to Austin.  We are happy to help you navigate your new city.  We are real estate professionals and certified navigationalists.  You can find us at www.thenelsonproject.com or hello@thenelsonproject.com

2010 Census Austin Same-Sex Households … AAS article this morning

Good article in the Statesman this morning (Juan Castillo) with Austin gay household census results.   Featured a couple in Steiner Ranch (burb) as well as a couple walking their dog in Hyde Park (central, close to UT).

The census says Travis County has the state’s highest rate – 1.25%, more than twice the statewide average.   Yes, Austin is a blue dot in a red state but ask any gay household in Austin if it feels like 1.25% and they’ll laugh … seems much higher.

The Austin census results tells us that Travis County population grew 26% from 2000 to 2010.  Economists tell us to expect another 20% in the next 20 years.    As the closet eases open and the Austin population continues to expand, I predict we’ll see that 1.25% census result climb.  I look forward to the 2020 Statesman article on that statistic.

Here is the full link to the AAS article:  http://www.statesman.com/news/local/numbers-of-same-sex-couples-rise-in-central-1816321.html

Where do we live?

As real estate professionals, we get the question all the time … “Where are the gay neighborhoods in Austin?”  The answer?  Everywhere.

Although there are clusters, everyone is pretty much in agreement that there really are no gay neighborhoods in Austin.  Integration is part of the Austin culture.

We started the map787 project years ago to illustrate this demographic and engage the crowd at the annual Pride festival.  Where do we live?  The dots represent actual households … blue for the guys, yellow for the lesbians (pink was not available), red is bi and green is the T in GLBT.  The more dots we get on the map, the clearer the demographic visual becomes.  We’re everywhere.

The clusters?  78704, Travis Heights, Crestview, Allandale, Wilshire, Northwest Hills, south … so many.  If you are new to Austin, here are a few generalizations that may help you navigate around our fine city: 

• the closer to central / downtown, 78704, South Congress, the more visible the integration & GLBT density
• Williamson County (north) has a reputation of being republican and conservative 
• Block by block every neighborhood is different
• Pleasant surprises (& some lingering discomfort) include the Circle C neighborhood, conservative southwest Austin, featured in an a reality TV program (that never aired because of bigotries & profiling) that featured 6 very diverse couples (Korean, black, tattooed, 2 gay men etc) … the gays win.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/business/media/30abc.html
• Every block is different all around town.  You can make a difference in your  new neighborhood … we held an open house for our neighbors a couple months after we moved in.   They saw that we were good people, happy, gardeners, have normal families, cool art, serve good beer … what’s not to like?  We like breaking down barriers before they even exist.

So, back to the map787 project.  We took the map at the 2010 Pride festival at The Long Center June 4-5 and gained hundreds of new dots … loaded up the map with more dots so the Austin gay neighborhood demographic picture becomes even clearer.  One festival goer was so enthusiastic about the map and the message that he thinks we need to take it to City Hall

The Nelson Project at Keller Williams Realty in Austin strives to bring valuable real estate information and news through various blogs and other online resources.  Find more about The Nelson Project and search for Austin homes at www.TheNelsonProject.com.  We have additional neighborhood information at www.AustinNeighborhoodProject.com.