Anyone here live in New Braunfels
- Thread starter misirlou
- Start date
UTgrad_KUlaw
25+ Posts
1. Not by the river. In the past ten years or so, flooded 2-3 times.
2. Not by Schlitterbahn. In the Summer, that place gets crazy.
3. If I had a choice, I'd live out in Spring Branch.
2. Not by Schlitterbahn. In the Summer, that place gets crazy.
3. If I had a choice, I'd live out in Spring Branch.
UTGrad,
I just looked up Spring Branch. That's 20 miles further from work (i.e. difference of 48 miles versus 68 miles). I'm sure it is a great place to live, but not when you work in Austin. We're looking at New Braunfels because my wife has that kind of drive to San Antonio now and we are trying to balance out the drive between the two of us.
I just looked up Spring Branch. That's 20 miles further from work (i.e. difference of 48 miles versus 68 miles). I'm sure it is a great place to live, but not when you work in Austin. We're looking at New Braunfels because my wife has that kind of drive to San Antonio now and we are trying to balance out the drive between the two of us.
UTgrad_KUlaw
25+ Posts
I worked in NB for about five years and just wasn't a big fan of it as a town, which is why I mentioned Spring Branch. The tourist thing bugged me, despite the fact it was the reason for my job (Schlitterbahn). Traffic was always a mess around I-35, Common St. etc.
That being said, I would never live there. I hate the NB Unicorns too much. If it can't be Spring Branch, it would have to be Gruene. I don't really know if you can live there though. I'd bet there are houses around it though. You have Gruene Hall there, some restaurants in the area.
That being said, I would never live there. I hate the NB Unicorns too much. If it can't be Spring Branch, it would have to be Gruene. I don't really know if you can live there though. I'd bet there are houses around it though. You have Gruene Hall there, some restaurants in the area.
Lots of housing going in on the north side near Gruene. I second looking there.
Another option would be to look near Lake McQueeney. You could travel 123 into San Marcos, and on to Austin, while your wife could easily access I-10 into SA.
Another option would be to look near Lake McQueeney. You could travel 123 into San Marcos, and on to Austin, while your wife could easily access I-10 into SA.
UTgrad_KUlaw
25+ Posts
Schertz is about a 10 minute drive to San Antonio. I don't think that would work well for them.
Thanks for the Lake McQueeney suggestion. It does not look to be much further than the south side of New Braunfels.
We did not look at Gruene last weekend, but last time we checked about 9 months ago they did not have much. There were some garden homes that were okay, but my wife did not care for them.
We did look in the Riverchase area, and it did not float our boat. I grew up in the country on ~100 acres. Riverchase kind of struck me as getting all of the disadvantages of living out in the country (i.e. away from town and the amenities) without the advantages that I grew up with (i.e. wide open area with no houses in site).
UTLaw,
You mention that you hate the New Braunfels Unicorns. Is this a rivalry type "hate" or a "the quality of the education/ reputation sucks" ?
We only found a couple of nicer neighborhoods while looking around (Hunter something and Oak Run), and both were in NBISD. I'm still not clear where the NBISD and Comal ISD diving line is. The town is so small that there is not much distance between the schools.
We did not look at Gruene last weekend, but last time we checked about 9 months ago they did not have much. There were some garden homes that were okay, but my wife did not care for them.
We did look in the Riverchase area, and it did not float our boat. I grew up in the country on ~100 acres. Riverchase kind of struck me as getting all of the disadvantages of living out in the country (i.e. away from town and the amenities) without the advantages that I grew up with (i.e. wide open area with no houses in site).
UTLaw,
You mention that you hate the New Braunfels Unicorns. Is this a rivalry type "hate" or a "the quality of the education/ reputation sucks" ?
We only found a couple of nicer neighborhoods while looking around (Hunter something and Oak Run), and both were in NBISD. I'm still not clear where the NBISD and Comal ISD diving line is. The town is so small that there is not much distance between the schools.
UTgrad_KUlaw
25+ Posts
I'm from a town called Seguin. As a rule, we hate the Unicorns. However, if I was forced to send my kid to either school, I'd probably go with New Braunfels. I've heard better things about that school district.
Thanks UTgrad. Understand completely about hating a rival, and I'm aware of Seguin, albeit I've never been there. In college, I ran into the guy who owns the steel mill. He was a pretty big contributor to the engineering program, at least in time and presumably money as well. Seemed to be a great guy based on my limited interactions.
Check 306 just west of Common. You can access I-35 very easily from there. There is also a very new elementary school(Comal ISD) down a few miles on the right assuming you have young kids. Commercially speaking the 306/I-35 area will be booming over the next few years, there will be a new HEB and a gigantic outdoor mall that looks like it will gain approval soon. Also you would be a stone's throw from Gruene and another 10-15 miles(straight shot) to Canyon Lake. That is more or less the direction that NB is growing(NW), but as you drive down 306 it still appears very rural(a good thing IMO). Another great area IMO is 46 between NB and 281, but then you are a little further from Austin and don't have the easy interstate access, which even makes getting to SA more of a pain(281 is only going to get worse). This area is also mostly Comal ISD, but would feed into Smithson Valley rather than Canyon HS. It's another hot area, but still with plenty of Hill Country scenery. Best of luck.
Deepthroat
< 25 Posts
New Braunfels sucks (sorry, I'm from Seguin too), in all honesty though, it's better than Seguin
trkhorn,
306 west of NB seems to be a bunch of random sprawl. Are there any good areas out that way?
Riverchase would fall into the random sprawl category in my opinion. It is trying to be country, but the plots are not nearly large enough (orders of magnitude) for me to consider it true country living. I grew up on 90 acres. To me living in the country means you cannot see the house next door even without trees.
306 west of NB seems to be a bunch of random sprawl. Are there any good areas out that way?
Riverchase would fall into the random sprawl category in my opinion. It is trying to be country, but the plots are not nearly large enough (orders of magnitude) for me to consider it true country living. I grew up on 90 acres. To me living in the country means you cannot see the house next door even without trees.
No doubt it is pretty random, but the easy access to 35 and that nice new elementary school made it really ideal for your situation I thought. Closer to town but yet on that same end, if you take Common from 306 toward Gruene Road there is a really nice subdivision off to the right(the name escapes me) close to all of those medical office buildings. Again that is the "hot area" of NB right now along w/46 outside the loop. I'm speaking mainly from a commercial real estate perspective(we bought a piece of land right there at 306/Common after researching the area for months), but I don't think you could go wrong investing in a home there either, it's going to really boom over the next ten years or so. Until then it may seem a little spotty.
Also, 306 will be widened in the near future and supposedly an overpass is going to be built over those dreaded train tracks.
Also, 306 will be widened in the near future and supposedly an overpass is going to be built over those dreaded train tracks.
Misiri
We lived in NB 4 years while our kids were in middle school, from 96-00.
We lived in a neighborhood called Hunters Creek, which is just west of the loop 337 on 46. Very nice. Across 46 is a great subdivision a little less expensive, Oak Run, I think. Theres a subdivision or two out by the tennis club, as well, a bit further west. Like the hills of West Austin, but not whored out, yet.
The thing about NB and all of Comal County, including Spring Branch, is that it is growing fiercely. The town is run by local real estate and construction interests, and tube jockeys, and their idea is exponential growth forever and ever is ideal. Thus you have traffic on 46 east and west, and, of course 35 but the widening project should fix that. The road to SA is nice and wide, now. North to San Marcos is underway, as well as thru town.
Summer weekends are crowded in the center of town. So you learn where not to go. But, you have Landa Park, Wurstfest, Comal County Fair, and lots of other corny community **** that is an opportunity for family sanctioned beer drinking. Week nights at the Gruene Hall, and the Sangerhalle, and several other venues, give NB an atmosphere that is not bad for the goat roping repub center it really is. In summer, River Road is almost abandoned during the week, and the trip up to Canyon Dam is one of the best bike rides in Texas. The trip back is better, yet.
SA tends to be the center of the universe. Austin's a ride. I did that commute for a month and that was enough.
We're retiring there, if the wife doesn't revolt and insist on Ca. A subdivision called River Forest, south off 306 just past the railroad tracks after Gruene Rd. Exceptionally nice.
I sold a place along the Guadalupe, downstream from Gruene, just 2 years ago. Rebuilt twice. Too bad, you coulda had it.
We lived in NB 4 years while our kids were in middle school, from 96-00.
We lived in a neighborhood called Hunters Creek, which is just west of the loop 337 on 46. Very nice. Across 46 is a great subdivision a little less expensive, Oak Run, I think. Theres a subdivision or two out by the tennis club, as well, a bit further west. Like the hills of West Austin, but not whored out, yet.
The thing about NB and all of Comal County, including Spring Branch, is that it is growing fiercely. The town is run by local real estate and construction interests, and tube jockeys, and their idea is exponential growth forever and ever is ideal. Thus you have traffic on 46 east and west, and, of course 35 but the widening project should fix that. The road to SA is nice and wide, now. North to San Marcos is underway, as well as thru town.
Summer weekends are crowded in the center of town. So you learn where not to go. But, you have Landa Park, Wurstfest, Comal County Fair, and lots of other corny community **** that is an opportunity for family sanctioned beer drinking. Week nights at the Gruene Hall, and the Sangerhalle, and several other venues, give NB an atmosphere that is not bad for the goat roping repub center it really is. In summer, River Road is almost abandoned during the week, and the trip up to Canyon Dam is one of the best bike rides in Texas. The trip back is better, yet.
SA tends to be the center of the universe. Austin's a ride. I did that commute for a month and that was enough.
We're retiring there, if the wife doesn't revolt and insist on Ca. A subdivision called River Forest, south off 306 just past the railroad tracks after Gruene Rd. Exceptionally nice.
I sold a place along the Guadalupe, downstream from Gruene, just 2 years ago. Rebuilt twice. Too bad, you coulda had it.
Prediction Results Threads
