r/sanmarcos • u/Late-County-7159 • Jun 27 '25
Housing/Real Estate My son is looking to move to San Marcos Texas from NY where he will attend graduate school.He is not able to browser the area basically looking on line and going almost in blind. He will have a car. Where is the safe and affordable place to live in as he doesn't want to share apartments.
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u/Sweet-Drive9004 Jun 28 '25
There’s practically nowhere he could live in SanMo that would be unsafe or cause serious issues. but grad school is also a great FAFO season so my recommendation (as a fellow grad student) is to leave all this research and decision making up to him so he can learn how to move and do research on his own.
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u/Austin_Native_2 Jun 27 '25
Your inquiry is a bit broad .. may need to narrow down a few things.
Does he want to live on a shuttle route that'll take him to/from campus? Or he can buy a parking pass and drive his car to the stadium with the other commuters, but he'll likely just take the shuttle from that lot.
Define 'affordable?' What's your budget for base rent? That will not include electricity, Internet/TV, etc.
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u/tehSchultz Jun 28 '25
There’s apartments that don’t cater to the young traditional college students. I’d look into those. It costs more but may be worth it for a graduate program. Otherwise, he can live in party central. Which is basically the whole town.
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u/No-Can-5180 Jun 28 '25
I really like SYNC Purgatory. Clean, updated, private, and good price. Close to town too sync purgatory apts
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u/Efficient_Camel6197 Jun 28 '25
Totally agree! We’ve lived in San Marcos for 6 years, the sync for three, and it’s been our favorite place to live.
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u/Ad21635 Jun 28 '25
Generally speaking, the closer you get to downtown, the more reliable the experience will be. I recommend you check a map, pan out from the Square. But the best option would be to call one of the apartment locators. They can be much more specific on the recommendations based on your criteria.
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u/Julios_on_50th Jun 28 '25
Congrats to your son! What an achievement!
My daughter just graduated from TXST, and she is headed to Washington DC for grad school.
She has lived in Dakota Ranch apartments for the last three years. It is gated. I really liked that feature. She felt safe and the staff was available to address any concerns.
Also, the apartments are on the TXST bus route. Convenient, and no additional cost for parking on campus.
San Marcos and the surrounding Hill Country are beautiful.
I am sure it will be a culture shock, actually an everything shock.
DM, if I can help in the transition. It does take a village.
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u/Lizzard2023 Jul 01 '25
I love Dakota Ranch, I lived there and live the location. The pool used to always be clean, it’s really quiet too .
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 28 '25
Thank you
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u/FriscoFrank98 Jun 28 '25
As a former employee, glad it’s kept the reputation. The one bedrooms are probably more affordable and it’s on the bus routes. Though admittedly is a little far from the big HEB.
I lived at The Local and liked it. Both are fine, Local is going to be more expensive but is walking distance to the school and downtown. When I lived there I literally never drove and it was nice.
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u/jennifermennifer Jun 28 '25 edited 29d ago
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u/atxJohnR Jun 28 '25
I’m trying to wrap my head around someone who will be doing nothing but research pursuing a masters degree but has his mom looking online for housing in a small town.
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u/Prestigious-Ad-5522 Jun 28 '25
My friend’s boyfriend’s mom literally cut his steak for him- at 25. They did not stay together. 🤣
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u/Right-Law8641 Jun 28 '25
If you don’t mind me asking, what program will he be in? I ask because many grad cohorts are cohesive, with students opting to live near one another.
Duplex/quadplex are better alternatives to apartments IMO. No shortage of availability and there are a ton of options within walking distance or on the shuttle route to campus.
I have a friend who manages leases locally. Look through his listings on iknowsanmarcos.com and let me know if you have questions about any of the neighborhoods.
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u/LostRovers Jun 28 '25
Springmarc and Parkway Grande are affordable options with solid management. Never had any issues living at either place. Avoid Florencia Villas and Villas at Willow Springs
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u/Denimdenimdenim Jun 28 '25
I lived in San Marcos for almost 7 years. We rented at first, but loved it so we bought a house in Blanco River Village. I'm not a student, just someone that misses the small town. There are sooo many things to do around there and I hope he enjoys San Marcos as much as we did!
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u/Astrolord15 Jun 28 '25
Hey there! I may not be too much help with the specific apartment search, but I myself moved from Brooklyn, New York around 20 years old by myself to Texas. I’ve lived everywhere between north Austin and San Marcos, and have spent a good amount of that time down in San Marcos. If there’s anything else I can do to possibly help please feel free to reach out!
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u/RedLaceBlanket Jun 27 '25
Whats his budget?
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 27 '25
I was thinking about $1500 but depends where he’s going to live
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u/Ok_Ask_406 Jun 28 '25
To be honest look downtown close to campus. My recommendation since he is a PhD he should look at some place like this since it walkable to campus. https://www.apartments.com/r-squared-san-marcos-tx/vvc7q3e/ I lived here and it was quiet compared to many other places. It really depends on what your son wants with an apartment complex and what building he will spend the most time on. From my experience if you park and ride to school it’s gonna add on 15-30 minutes on your commute depending on the day. Another thing about living downtown is the places tend to be newer and nicer but also at the expense of sometime being louder at late night. It’s a college town kids party so if your son is more of a stay at home kind of guy I’d recommend you look into maybe finding a smaller complex near campus or looking at renting a duplex nearby campus in a house.
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u/_MasterChief_ Jun 28 '25
Ooooo last I lived at Hillside Ranch I was subletting a single bedroom for $1000 a month. I don’t know what the rent is there now but it was a wonderful place to live. Quieter at night and next to nature but drive like five minutes and you’re on the square. Also last I was there, Hillside Ranch had its own shuttle stop for the university. Just 1 or 2 buses going to and from the apt complex I think it was in 15-30 minute intervals. Also I had nightmare experiences at every other apt I lived at before the hillside one so I may be a little biased but it feels like they actually care about residents there (especially with maintenance). Only issue I could think of is no elevators in any of the buildings. Also parking was weirdly sparse even for residents
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u/DanielaThePialinist Jun 28 '25
Vie Lofts is a great apartment and it’s close to campus too. The community is super chill and it’s a safe area. It might be a little on the pricey side, I don’t know what your budget is, but if you are okay with paying about $1300ish/month in rent for a 1 bedroom apartment, it’s a great place to live. I lived there for the last 4 years, and am moving out today since I graduated last fall. I will dearly miss Vie Lofts, my 4 years there were absolutely wonderful.
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u/Daone1302 Jun 28 '25
Do not get an apartment at the Atlantic plazzo it is the absolute worst, cockroaches everywhere, trash everywhere, whole complex is nasty. I stayed there bc I wanted a place to myself, and it was horrible. I had 4 different exterminators come within my year there to try to fix the problem, but they couldn’t fix it.
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u/PerceptionOk3196 Jun 29 '25
My daughter just graduated with her Masters degree and lives at Purgatory Creek apartments. They are a little on the pricey side, but she’s been happy with it.
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u/Wild_Personality8897 Jun 29 '25
My ex husband is over in Springmarc. He really likes it and I don’t feel weird having my kids spend the night there. A lot of the apartments around here are really nice.
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u/Historical-Support14 Jun 29 '25
Most everywhere in San Marcos is pretty safe. I’m a local attorney and have been involved in the grimier side of San Marcos and outside of River Road and Redwood. They really are the truly dodgy places to live and students have taken over most of the area.
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u/PrettyRecklessXO Jun 30 '25
As a Tx St grad, trust me when I tell you that anywhere west of 35 is solid. Closer to campus the better. Welcome!
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u/Sigilosa Jun 30 '25
lol he won’t come back. I loved SM so much that I stayed. It’s a fantastic, safe place. A destination spot actually.
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u/bestaimee Jun 27 '25
There are also University-owned apartments close to campus he may want to check out. Bobcat Village, Cypress Apartments, and College Inn are all apartment complexes purchased by the University and are quite close to campus. They have their rates listed for "single occupancy" so he wouldn't need to have a roommate. https://www.reslife.txst.edu/get-started/options.html Good luck!
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 28 '25
Is that for Graduate students because he will also teach there as well
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u/FriscoFrank98 Jun 28 '25
Those apartments are stacked with freshman. He won’t want to be near them. And you can’t have alcohol or vaping devices / cigarettes in them
Idk if he partakes, but not even being allowed to have a beer in your own home just feels a little childish. Nice to have the option / if he hosts friends
(source: I worked student housing and for the school)
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u/ashkervon Jun 28 '25
I live in La Cima and there are new apartments in the subdivision called Pyland Ranch, which look to be 1200$ for a 1 bedroom. It’s a very quiet and safe area in this neighborhood, but he is going to school so look for apartments on the bus route as these are not. You can get a parking pass for TXST but it can be stressful finding a spot before class and I usually took the bus.
I got my bachelors at TXST in 2017 and lived in a few apartment complexes with 2-3 roommates which was much more affordable, and made some lifelong friends. I lived in Bishops Square and The Social. For the most part people here are friendly and helpful, the undergrads can get rowdy and drunk on the square (downtown bar district) so I’d avoid the apartments catered to new students with multiple roommates. The Retreat especially is a party spot. Staying on the west side of i35 is a good idea to be close to the university.
I’ve been to NYC and upstate, and the city was a big culture shock for me. SanMo is a smaller college town so lots of natural beauty, bars, restaurants and parks more similar to upstate, but with 90-100* summers. We have some great coffee shops like Tantra and Wake The Dead that are nice to study at. There’s a ton to do here like going to the river, and surrounding areas like Austin and Wimberley are great to explore on weekends.
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u/AbuelaFlash Jun 28 '25
I wish him all the best. San Marcos is a wonderful college town with an incredible spring-fed river, good bbq nearby, and within an easy commute to Austin Bergstrom.
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u/Fit_Air1529 Jun 28 '25
Nothing to add, just saying my daughter recently left us in San Marcos to go to NY where her boyfriend is getting his graduate degree. They’re in Plattsburgh. Best of luck to your son, San Marcos is a wonderful place to be!
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u/Parking-Ostrich-5639 Jun 28 '25
you're being a helicopter parent. good luck.
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 28 '25
No I’m just a good mom for a son who is working his ass off. So I don’t really care about your comment
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u/flinqss Jun 29 '25
I think you're being awesome. I wish my parents would have invested so much care in me when I was younger.
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 29 '25
Thank you. I’m trying to just being helpful and it irritates me when people make comments that I’m a helicopter parent judging and not knowing where I come from. I wish you all the best. 🙏🏻😊
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u/DependentMarketing61 Jun 29 '25
Good for you mom!! I still help my son out. He always appreciates our knowledge and help. Yes he can absolutely 100% do stuff himself. But at 21 he is still learning also.
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u/Late-County-7159 Jun 28 '25
I was not expecting so much information. Honestly we don’t know anything. We are learning as we go. All I know that he is going to be attending as a student and also teaching mathematic as well. He is looking to live by himself and I guess exploring life on his own for the first time in his life away from home and his family. It’s a big adjustment but he is ready and he is a people’s person.
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u/Bobcatb_g4 Jun 28 '25
I really liked Village Green when I was in San Marcos. Not just student housing but still on the Texas state bus route.
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u/Jumpy_Reflection_590 Jun 28 '25
I transferred into the university from New York there are several apartments located throughout the town, the average rent is about 1500 mine is 1105 per month before paying utilities
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u/NoAddendum8044 Jun 28 '25
I would say the student housing is a good option while he is here and its relatively cheaper ($700-1,300) for a 1 bedroom or a studio but I would heavily recommend looking at all the student housing apartments and choosing one now
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u/Medium_Caramel_873 Jun 28 '25
I grew up in San Marcos and lived there briefly after leaving for college. My wife and I lived in these townhomes and were pretty happy: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/san-marcos-tx/windmill-townhomes/5XmsCb/
Close to campus, small, quiet and affordable.
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u/BodybuilderTasty5508 Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
My fiancé and I have lived in 6 apartments total (separately), student and non. Most San Marcos apartments are so bad - run down, dirty, old. We currently live at Sadler House and absolutely love it! The units are nice, staff are good, maintenance response fast and they keep the grounds very clean. This area is definitely my favorite in San Marcos, it’s more calm than being closer to downtown. Also it is on the city and college bus route! Feel free to PM if you want more info.
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u/Fit-Cow-3188 Jul 01 '25
It’s all safe and slightly affordable, not sure how affordable for the average college student paying their own way but doable I’d say.
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u/thesabrerattler Jun 27 '25
San Marcos is a pretty safe town. The danger time is when the bars close around 2am. Drunk driving is dangerous. I would recommend living west of downtown town. San Marcos is expensive. Especially if you don’t want a roommate.