What's a good place to live in between San Antonio & Austin?

[bif]

Friends of mine are relocating to Texas and they'd like to know what's a nice to community in the area. They'll be renting an apartment at first. Where should they look?

[DUgosh]

1. Gruene

It's pronounced Green. They could get an apartment right on the Guadalupe. Sweet.

[northoftheborder]

2. 'tween Austin and San Antonio

San Marcos is the largest town along IH 35, is a little closer to Austin, home to a state university. Smaller and very scenic is New Braunsfels with beautiful river & water park; San Marcos has a river through it also. just west of IH 35 is Wimberley, a rapidly growing area, very beautiful, more in the Hill Country, and home to a lot of artists and retired people. If you need to be closer to Austin, Buda is becoming a suburb of Austin. If you need to be closer to San Antonio, then New Braunsfels, Wimberly, or a little further north and out of the traffic and more rural is Blanco.

Good luck, Austin and San Antonio are the BEST cities in Texas, and the surrounding country west, is the most beautiful in the state, in my opinion. The wildflowers will be be stunning this year!

I forgot about Gruene; yes, great little historic town! Closer to San Antonio.

[martymar64]

5. Lockhart's pretty scenic too

I have some friends that live out there, it's a pretty hip scene.

[sonias]

3. like San Marcos too

It has a university which means the city tends to be liberal. Hays County is not quite blue but it certainly is trending that way. It's very close to Austin so a commute to Austin from San Marcos is not that far.

It has a wonderful historical down town area.

Recreation - they have a river - The San Marcos River so tubing is a big recreation activity.

City of San Marcos we page

Tourist Center page

I would suggest to your friends that they visit San Marcos first.

Gruene is very nice - but I think of it more as a place to visit, than live. There's not a whole lot of anything there except tourism to the historic area.

:hi:

[GOPisEvil]

4. Do they want rural or a more city setting?

If they want to live in a smallish city, New Braunfels isn't bad. San Marcos is nice in areas, but it's a college town, which means if you're not careful, you might be living next to students.

For smaller towns/rural settings, Dripping Springs, Wimberly, Blanco, Bulverde, Smithson Valley are all nice in their own way.

[johncoby2]

6. New Mexico.

:)

[Melissa G]

7. More info needed.

Dripping Springs has not been mentioned yet. Outside of Austin, very nice. Built on white flight lately, so likely to trend more R. That would be the downside. Driftwood has also not been mentioned. Smaller town. Reminds me of the Californication of Texas, but still a lovely area. Canyon Lake area is also nice, if you want to play in the water midway between two great cities.
I agree with the other recs here. Just adding these suggestions in the vacuum of more info that would narrow the focus of suggestion.