Hello Longhorns!
A common question I get from University of Texas at Austin parents, undergraduate students, and graduate students is, what is the difference between North Campus and West Campus?
To begin, it is probably best to clarify exactly where I consider these neighborhoods to be. West Campus, is directly to the West of UT. Essentially, when you cross Guadalupe from UT and head West, you are in West Campus until you run into Lamar Blvd. The northern border of West Campus would be at about 29th st. The southern border of West Campus would be at about MLK Blvd.
North Campus is directly to the North of UT. Essentially, when you cross Dean Keeton from UT you are in North Campus until you run into 38th st. The eastern border of North Campus would be Interstate-35. The Western border of North Campus would be at about Guadalupe. One differentiator to point out is that the boundary of the north campus neighborhood would be a bit more open to interpretation as it blends with Hyde Park, North Loop and The Triangle neighborhoods.
West Campus is the heart of student housing around the college. You will find numerous condos, houses and high-rise properties for rent and sale; as well as numerous fraternity and sorority houses. In my experience, being in West Campus you are surrounded by a student population and right in the heart of all the action. You will find numerous food truck courts, restaurants, bars and spots to shop. Additionally, you can walk to campus in less than 15 minutes pretty much from anywhere; and on any day school is going on you will see people everywhere on bikes, scooters and foot.
North Campus has a reputation with Graduate students looking for a little more quiet lifestyle. As long as you aren’t too close to Guadalupe or Red River, I would agree that it is a little quieter. With that said, North Campus is a great neighborhood with numerous bus routes heading to campus, more houses and more parks/greenspace. One thing to note, there aren’t many high-rise properties like you would find in West Campus. This has something to do with zoning in the neighborhood. With that said, there are a ton more houses, townhomes and duplexes to choose from in North Campus. So if finding a yard, or more street parking is something you are interested in, this could be the neighborhood for you.
To highlight a few more neighborhood characteristics I have noticed.
Parking in West Campus comes at a premium, renting a space in a high-rise can be as much as $200+ per spot, per month. Traditional rentals usually come with 1 spot per bedroom. One thing to note about West Campus is that there is pretty much no guest parking, ANYWHERE. In North Campus, you will find parking is normally included and less strictly enforced; so finding spots for guests is much easier.
Both neighborhoods have similar rental prices.
If you are looking for something furnished, West Campus is probably your best bet as that is where all of the properties with furniture tend to be.
Public transportation in both neighborhoods is pretty comparable.
If you are looking for a house, townhome, or duplex, North Campus will have more options.
That is a brief summary of North and West Campus!
If you would like access to tools and resources to help you view data and properties for sale or rent in the campus area, complete a Buyer’s Questionnaire or Renter’s Questionnaire and I will reach out ASAP!
Thank you for your time,
Realtor Tineo,