Moving to Austin: a first-90-days guide for new renters.

Austin's growth means the advice from even two years ago is already stale — new arrivals still show up expecting a small college town and find a city with commute times and grocery deserts like anywhere else.

Texas requires a car registration and driver's license within 90 days of establishing residency, and the DMV appointment backlog is real — book it in your first week, not your eighth. Bring proof of insurance and your out-of-state title; the line moves fast once your paperwork is actually complete.

The neighborhoods that feel walkable in photos and the ones that actually are can be two very different lists.

East Austin, South Congress, and the Domain all read as walkable online. In practice, only a few blocks in each actually put groceries, a pharmacy, and transit within a real walk — check a map with your specific address before assuming.