Well, some folks will tell you to look West to the Hill country if you like rocky hills, and some folks will tell you to look East if you like rich farmland and good groundwater. I'm partial to the Eastern country and Bastrop which is developing into it's own mini exurbia. I'm not sure what you mean by "just outside"? Are we talking 5 miles, 10 miles, 25 miles?

Well, ideally, I'm thinking withing about 10-15 miles. I'd like to be close enough to go into Austin for the evening and still be able to home that night, you know? I'd also like to find a place with a little diversity...

What kind of work will you be doing? This is an indirect way of trying to find out if you would want to be closer to artsy, laid back South Austin or techno, high pitched North Austin. To answer your question, I'd need to know know more about your interests and what you like to do when you go out. Can you give us some clues here? ..

Wow, thanks for taking the time to ask. Well, as far as work, my fiance is a real estate investor in San Antonio, so he will be driving out there maybe once or twice a week. I plan to be a stay at home mom eventually, but in the meantime, I'll probably just do some type of temp office job. As far as fun, we are all over the place. We love all types of music, movies, theater, we love good food...my fiance is sort of a techie, but he also loves art, so where does that put us?

It puts you in Southeast Austin, cause that's a lot closer to San Antonio and to the cultural scene along South Congress and Barton Springs road in South Austin. What comes to mind is the area developing around McKinney Roughs at the edge of Bastrop County. It meets your distance requirements. It's off of Highway 71 and thus is one of the easier commutes in to town. There's some information on McKinney Roughs at http://static.lcra.org/roughs/ The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is preserving one of Bastrop County's most beautiful locations for your enjoyment and to demonstrate stewardship of water and land resources. The area is known as McKinney Roughs. The site is named for an early Central Texas pioneer, Thomas McKinney, and the rugged topography of the area. There's one development near there called "The Colony" and here's the hype they put out on their website (not an endorsement from me): Community Overview The Colony could eventually cover over 2,100 acres of tree-covered land about 15 minutes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. With a swim center, tennis courts, ball fields, weight room, nature trails, and fishing lake, The Colony is a refreshing alternative to ordinary neighborhoods. It�s like living in a country club community...heavy on the country. http://www.sabineinvestment.com/colony-photo1.html I may come up with some more ideas for you. What's your timetable?

McKinney Roughs area would be a great place for some houses overlooking Austin. I believe you can see Austin from there.

They just built a luxury Hilton next to McKinney Roughs. Golf course, health spa, pool with rapids, the works.

700 employees are at the Hilton, now the 2nd or 3rd largest employer in Bastrop County overnight.

There's a friggin HILTON in Bastrop?????????

It's not just the friggin Hilton, it's the Lost Pines Hilton. If you have a C note or two you can play a round of gold there. Or take a Nia class. Or take an expensive float trip down the Colorado. The rapids are cool, but I'd hate to ask what a swim pass would cost. You win the question mark quantity award today, Stace'. Congrats. The Hilton is over next door to McKinney Roughs. It's not really fair to call it "Lost Pines" because the only lost pines there are the ones they found at a nursery and planted. They even have their own post office. It's now Bastrop's biggest private employer. The biggest public employer being the school district. Oh yeah, friggin' right. It's only the beginning.

Wow... Is Rocky Hill Ranch still around? (mountain biking trail in Bastrop that used to be in the middle of nowhere)

It's the "Hyatt" not the Hilton. The Lost Pines Hyatt. I'll have to check on Rocky Hill Ranch. I recently rode in the Pedal through the Pines event and most of my cycling is on West County roads.