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Home is where the party is: Here's how rent in Austin's nightlife districts stack up

You can live among the string of bars in the Red River Cultural District. (Sonia Garcia/Austonia)
Ever been out on the town and wondered how much it'd cost to live in those towering skyscrapers? Austin is full of renowned party districts with housing all around—you might just need a well-endowed wallet to get you started.
It's no secret that Austin is starved for housing because every neighborhood in the city is growing exponentially, according to Austin Apartment Association Executive Vice President Emily Blair, but especially those that are close to jobs, like downtown.
"We're seeing the occupancy increase in all parts of Austin, honestly," Blair said. "Finding accessible rates based on whatever your income is always a challenge in a really hot housing market."
So before you start packing up your current place with plans to move to a fresh neighborhood, Blair has some advice: "don't." She says if the prices of your dream area are a bit too much to bear, give it 12 months and try again.
Here is what rent in Austin's nightlife districts will run you from least to most expensive.
The Domain
Lovingly dubbed Austin's "second downtown," The Domain has been a city staple since its first phase was completed in 2007. While you'll sacrifice the proximity to downtown's cluster of night districts living at The Domain, you'll make up for it in savings. The Domain falls in the North Burnet neighborhood, where most people pay around $1,465 per month.
The closer you get to the shopping center, the more expensive apartments get, though you can find highly desirable complexes just a stone's throw away. Living at The Domain is about 51% cheaper on average than living downtown and 10% lower than the city-wide average, with a similar array of amenities: high-end shopping, whimsical bars, proximity to Q2 Stadium, restaurants for any and every occasion, groceries, nature trails and apartment complexes. Plus, the Domain is one of the safest nightlife districts in Austin, just shy of West 6th Street and Rainey.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size at the Domain:
- Studio: $1,524
- One bedroom: $1,918
- Two-bedroom: $2,573
- Three-bedroom: $4,627
South Congress
Depending on where you're living on South Congress—right on the bustling strip or closer to Ben White Blvd.—average rent fluctuates between $1,571 and $1,724 per month. Historically a low-income area, South Congress has become one of the pricier areas to live in but still hovers right around the Austin average of $1,619.
No matter where you choose to live on the central street, you'll be surrounded by local legacy restaurants, like Home Slice, Guerro's and Trudy's South Star; iconic shopping from businesses like Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Kendra Scott's flagship store, Prima Dora and Music Lane's new development; and skyline views that rival many other hotspots. Studios and three bedrooms are much more affordable on South Congress than The Domain, though the price makes a steep jump at the one-bedroom mark. South Congress falls right in the middle of the pack for crime, the most common report being vehicle burglaries.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size on South Congress:
- Studio: $1,132
- One bedroom: $1,957
- Two-bedroom: $2,677
- Three-bedroom: $3,777
East 6th Street
East 6th Street has been gaining traction as a boozy strip for a while now, and so have its rent prices, coming in 27% higher than the citywide average. The average East Austin renter pays $2,060 per month but you can easily spend a lot more if you're looking for anything bigger than a studio—prices in East Austin are rising so fast that it's forcing lifelong residents out.
On top of its longstanding affordability crisis, East 6th Street tends to be one of the higher crime nightlife districts, behind "Dirty" 6th and Red River Cultural District, with high theft and assault with injury reports.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size near East 6th Street:
- Studio: Between $1,800 and $2,710
- One bedroom: Between $2,010 and $3,707
- Two-bedroom: Between $3,060 and $5,136
West 6th Street
If you want to stay in the downtown area, this is the cheapest party neighborhood to choose from but it will still put a big dent in your wallet because it costs about 74% more than what Austinites pay on average. Living near West 6th will give you access to a less chaotic but equally fun bar scene compared to its eastern counterpart—Star Bar, The Roosevelt Room and Green Light Social all adorn the strip.
Beyond that, you can expect to feel pretty safe walking along West 6th because it is the second-safest nightlife district in the city. Be careful on the roads though—the most common reports are of theft and DWIs.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size near West 6th Street:
- Studio: Between $1,550 and $2,489
- One bedroom: Between $1,550 and $2,914
- Two-bedroom: Between $2,998 and $4,142
Red River, Dirty 6th Street and Rainey Street
All falling within less than three miles in the downtown area, living near the live music haven of Red River, the party at Dirty 6th or the colorful Rainey Street will cost you around $2,981 per month—downtown renters pay 84% more on average—though the neighborhood offers much more wiggle room in terms of price than the likes of East 6th.
The price will get you some of Austin's most famous music venues in your neighborhood, like Stubb's, Antone's and Mohawk; ready access to Lady Bird Lake, walkability to dozens of diverse restaurants and some of the oldest bars in the city.
You'll find the most crime between Red River and Dirty 6th, which have high theft and assault cases, but Rainey Street is the safest night district of them all with less than 150 theft reports from the last five years.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size in the downtown area:
- Studio: Between $1,367 and $8,263
- One bedroom: Between $1,987 and $5,946
- Two-bedroom: Between $2,993 and $9,017
- Three-bedroom: Between $1,367 and $9,540
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(Pixabay)
This Gemini season, starting today, is appropriately paradoxical, twisting and blending simple concerns with life’s bigger, faster and more fiery quests.
Shortcuts: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces
On Sunday, May 29, we’ll experience one of the year’s biggest calls to adventure in the Mars/Jupiter conjunction—a potent duo whose combined force will start to be especially strongly felt when Mars moves into Aries on May 24. Contrastingly, Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, will keep our mental temperament grounded and steady as they move slowly through the sensual, materially-oriented sign of Taurus for most of the month. These contrasting forces might be tricky to weave together—read ahead for tips on how your sign can find the right approach this month!
Gemini: May 21-June 20
Welcome to the season of your Solar Return, Gemini! This month will set the stage for your whole coming year, so it will be great to start it off on the right foot. The most important bit of cosmic context is Mercury moving slowly till the end of the month in the grounded sign of Taurus. This is an encouragement to savor your questions and conversations with the world, without needing to rush to answers and to mull over the elemental, fundamental aspects of your life. It would be great to give yourself perspective, especially by experiencing new environments and by moving through the world in a new manner. Allow yourself to be surprised! You might loosen some of your hardened beliefs, but don’t discount the trustworthiness or substance of the new ideas you may stumble upon.
Cancer: June 21-July 22
For you, Cancer, the paradoxes of Gemini season have to do with inwardness and outwardness. On the one hand, you can expect your inner world to be as active as ever, swirling with meaningful thoughts and experiences needing to be digested. On the other, this month features a strong call to get out of your shell, open up to the world at large, and bravely share yourself—perhaps even in an unprecedented way! In transitioning between these extremes, the Moon can be as good a guide as ever—heading into and out of the New Moon on the 30th, you might focus on articulating and envisioning this burgeoning impulse and nourishing the terrain for its growth. As we ramp up to the full moon on the 14th, you might find small ways to embody, communicate and make real this developing dream.
Leo: July 23-Aug 22
This Gemini Season is particularly intense for you, Leo, as it calls forth both a fiery, hungry spirit and a more serious, dedicated energy, aware of life’s hardships and limitations. These impulses herald a summer of growth and maturation, which would be great to get a good jump on. Just don’t let this process make you too heavyhearted or self-involved! Your friends, community, and experience of the broader social world at large can help soften and clarify this strong, fiery self that’s metamorphosing. You might rely upon this bigger, human perspective to help you progress smoothly and gracefully. Although it might require some extra humility, taking yourself less seriously can be a superpower. A lighthearted approach can be extraordinarily efficient and effective. It might be paradoxical, but consider that relying on a bigger, greater power than your own is your path to individual fullness.
Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 21
This Gemini season brings a charge for you to expand into more substantive and serious subjects, Virgo. Especially if you feel you’ve been playing small, this will provide an opportunity for you to grow into more meaningful and demanding work in the world. At times, this will feel hectic and harsh—there will be no shortage of fire this month. You, as much as anyone, though, can help find the right place and time for that fire, directing it where there’s a need for more energy and oomph. Lightheartedness can be really helpful in navigating and dancing with this heat—with a bit of humor and perspective, you can respond and adapt quickly and gracefully. By the end of the month, you should be able to feel like your view of and faith in the bigger picture has expanded.
Libra: Sept. 22-Oct. 23
This Gemini season will provide ample opportunities for you to learn and grow through your relationships, Libra. We’re really looking at the full spectrum of potential experiences here—on the one hand, Mars’ entry into Aries can ignite flammable subjects, and people are generally likely to be on edge, assertive and protective. On the other, Venus’ conjunction with Uranus toward the end of the month can bring unexpected encounters and new forms of relationship into play. Throughout all of this, there’s a theme for the next year of growth through fiery, direct relationships. This is a step beyond just keeping the peace which may be discomforting, but consider that it may take your relationships to incredibly satisfying and enduring places.
Scorpio: Oct. 24-Nov. 21
This Gemini season brings opportunities for sharpening both your wits and tools, Scorpio, although this may feel like a trial by fire. Although they may feel particularly urgent and exciting this month, many of these challenges and opportunities will last throughout the summer, so take your time to get your focus clear and settle into a groove. The real challenge and potential this month have to do with navigating subtle, intricate dynamics so that you aren’t flustered and know exactly where to put your effort. In order to develop this discernment, you can definitely rely on trusted allies, who can act as mirrors, triangulation points and simple safe havens amid the storm. This is a strategic necessity, but be sure to give thanks and enjoy the simple goodness of companionship, too!
Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21
The sharp, powerful impulses and stimulation of this Gemini season are pushing you to the development of your free will, Sagittarius—a spirit of playful, proud independence and spontaneity. There are a couple of ways that you might think about this. First, that courage is necessary to truly live out your convictions and ideals, as well as a way to ultimately best serve the world. Truth isn’t always soft or easy. On the other hand, this isn’t too complex and is keyed to cutting through stagnation. There’s a sort of simplicity and instinctive wisdom that you can draw upon and develop into this month, letting things happen. If you need to, you can think of this as an act of trust, or faith in a basic goodness and natural, flowing order of things.
Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19
The motion and activity of this Gemini season can quickly develop your values and taste, Capricorn, as you strip back ordinary and inherited ways of thinking and open your eyes to life’s beauty. This simple and vibrant beauty will stimulate your desire to savor life’s goodness and strive for the highest quality experience possible. Along the way, your fixed, limited ideas about what is possible can fall away, even as the new and extraordinary may require incredible strength and devotion from you. Although these are lofty ideals, they’ll have a lot to do with your tangible, everyday experience of your body and sense of home—this is a primal, almost wild energy being rekindled. Alongside this intense fire comes a certain risk, so make sure to enter into this new adventure step by step, without injuring yourself or anyone else.
Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18
This Gemini season can help you learn how to feel more rooted and alive in life’s simple aspects, Aquarius. Although this can certainly take place in tandem with new teachers, these don’t have to be big gurus—rather, your curiosity, delight, and common sense might be the best guides. In this regard, your quality of perception, thought and the well-being of your inner child can all make great strides. Through the first part of the month, this will likely feel exciting and overwhelming. As we approach our new moon, though, you can get a better sense of where you need to be settling into more focus and definition in your life. This back and forth between a growing sense of clarity and inner authority and a stronger capacity to be firm and to the point will continue to deepen throughout the summer.
Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20
This Gemini season is focused on helping you develop a stronger sense of connection to the world around you, Pisces. Although this can take place by rearranging and bringing more life into your body and environment, an initial spirit of fresh possibility and willingness to release what is stale and outgrown is a necessity. In doing so, you can land upon a greater sense of capability and being resourced for life’s adaptations and evolutions. This will certainly be a month of growth in your material world and relationship with your body, but the serious litmus test is how settled you feel internally—the quality and clarity of your thoughts and inner world. Ideally, though this summer you’ll develop a stronger trust in yourself and an easier interface between your inner riches and outer quality of experience.
Aries: March 21-April 19
The Mars/Jupiter conjunction is especially important for you, Aries, as it happens in your home sign. This signifies a spark of expansion that will play out over the coming year. Here, Jupiter is calling you into new ventures and adventures, to level up and act on the big dreams and desires brewing inside of you. Thus, this month is a great time to initiate some bigger change, to take some jump, leap or healthy risk. Although you don’t want to let this moment slip away, please don’t get impulsive or headstrong—make sure you’ve got at least a bit of a plan. Ideally, whatever you’re aiming at will require a good bit of care, and you can expect that much of this opportune, fertile energy will continue and develop throughout the next year.
Taurus: April 20-May 20
The start of the coming month will challenge you to keep up the pace, Taurus, so that it can consolidate into a healthy rhythm. Finding the right stride, you can find yourself breathing more easily, and maybe let yourself loosen your grip or take your hands off the handlebars, trusting your sense of balance and the strength in your legs. This can set the stage for an opportune spell at the end of Gemini Season, as your ruler Venus makes a conjunction with Uranus—you might keep an eye out for spontaneous side adventures, ways to create space for synchronicity, or simple moments where life is calling you into new ways of being. Ideally, these will feel like clear upgrades, but if you need to think of them as experiments or trial runs, that’s totally okay, too.
(Moriah Wilson/Instagram)
Austin police have charged Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, a local cyclist, for the murder of Moriah "Mo" Wilson.
Wilson, a rising star in the gravel and mountain bike community, was found dead with gunshot wounds inside an East Austin home on the night of May 11 when she was in town for the weekend Gravel Locos race in Hico, Texas.
Police believe Wilson was having a relationship with a man Armstrong was also in a relationship with. The man, another gravel cyclist, Colin Strickland, has since issued a statement on the murder.
In his statement, he said he had a brief romantic relationship with Wilson in October 2021 before he resumed his relationship with Armstrong, but that he remained friends with Wilson. "There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime. I am sorry, and I simply cannot make sense of this unfathomable tragedy.
NEW: Austin professional cyclist Colin Strickland has just released a statement about the murder of cyclist Moriah Wilson, clarifying his relationship with her and expressing “torture about my proximity to this horrible crime.” pic.twitter.com/KnIna3mWrE
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) May 20, 2022
Wilson, a 25-year-old Vermont native living in Colorado, had won a slew of races becoming a fan favorite. She had just become a full-time racer this year.
Anyone with information on this crime can contact Austin police at 512-974-TIPS or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477.
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