1155 Barton Springs Apartments: What $3,000+ Actually Gets You in Bouldin Creek
A 74-unit building in one of Austin’s most walkable neighborhoods, built in 2021, managed by Greystar, with studios starting at $2,385 and three-bedrooms pushing past $10,000. And right now, it’s sitting at 53% occupancy.
That number stopped me. I’ve tracked Austin apartment pricing across 1,000+ properties and toured 500+ communities since 2019 (TX License #679806). A building this new, this well-located, with a third-party concierge service and rooftop deck, half empty? That tells you something the marketing won’t.
Here’s what listing sites won’t tell you about 1155 Barton Springs: the base rent you see online isn’t what you’ll actually pay, the concierge service everyone raves about shows up on your monthly bill, and there’s a railroad line nearby that nobody mentioned during your tour. I read through 50+ Google reviews, 8 Apartments.com reviews, and 3 ApartmentRatings entries to find the patterns behind the 4.5-star rating. Let me show you what I found.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Address | 1155 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704 |
| Year Built | 2021 |
| Total Units | 74 |
| Stories | 6 |
| Management | Greystar |
| Rent Range | $2,385 – $10,650/month (base rent) |
| Sq Ft Range | 640 – 2,775 sq ft |
| Floor Plans | 28 (studios through 3BR) |
| Income Requirement | 3x base rent |
| Credit Minimum | Not published; deposit adjusts based on screening |
| Application Fee | $35 per applicant |
| Admin Fee | $0 |
| Pet Policy | 2 pets max, 100 lb limit, $20/pet/month, $400 non-refundable per pet |
| Parking | $125 – $250/month (not included) |
| Lease Terms | 12, 15, or 16 months |
| Current Specials | No concessions; reduced rents only |
| Google Rating | 4.5 stars (50 reviews) |
| Walk Score | 85 (Very Walkable) |
Two things stand out in that table. First, $0 admin fee. At a Greystar property, that’s unusual. Second, no concessions at 53% occupancy. They’re relying on reduced base rents instead of the traditional “X months free” specials you see everywhere else right now. I’ll break down why that matters for your wallet in the pricing section.
Best For / Skip If
This property makes sense if you:
- Want a newer build (2021) in Bouldin Creek without the 200+ unit mega-community feel. 74 units is small for this price range.
- Need a studio or one-bedroom within walking distance of Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, and Barton Springs Pool. Walk Score of 85 backs that up.
- Work downtown or remotely and want a commute under 10 minutes. The address is 1.7 miles from the Austin Metro Rail Downtown Station.
- Have large pets. The 100 lb weight limit and $20/month pet rent are reasonable for this class. And no pet screening required.
- Want concierge services. Frost Hospitality runs the front desk and gets praised constantly in reviews. But know that you’re paying for it through mandatory monthly fees.
Skip this property if:
- You’re sensitive to noise and might end up in a unit facing the railroad tracks. One reviewer specifically called out loud trains most nights that weren’t disclosed during the tour.
- Your budget is tight after rent. Parking alone runs $125–$250/month, and required monthly fees add $125–$230 on top of base rent. A $3,050 one-bedroom actually costs $3,275–$3,500/month all-in.
- You’re a second-chance renter. This is Luxury/Class A+ screening territory. No published credit floor, but Greystar runs your pay stubs through Snappt to check for fakes, plus third-party screening on top of that. With 53% occupancy they might have some flexibility, but don’t count on it.
- You want traditional move-in specials to bring your monthly cost down. No months-free offers right now. What you see is what you pay.
- You’ve had billing disputes with previous landlords. At least one reviewer described a move-out nightmare where Greystar chased him for $4,000 they later admitted he didn’t owe, then sent a separate charge to collections.
Ready to See If 1155 Barton Springs Fits Your Situation?
I can tell you whether your profile matches this property’s screening before you spend the $35 application fee. If it doesn’t, I know which nearby properties will work better.
Location Deep Dive
What’s Actually Nearby
1155 Barton Springs sits on Barton Springs Road in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, south of Lady Bird Lake. Not downtown. Not South Lamar proper. It’s in that pocket between the two, which is both the selling point and the trade-off.
Walking distance gets you to Zilker Park (0.3 miles), Barton Springs Pool (0.5 miles), and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Arboles Terrace Retail Center is 0.1 miles away. There’s a CapMetro Route 803 stop on South Lamar within a few blocks.
Groceries are the weak spot. The nearest H-E-B is the Oltorf location, about 1.2 miles south. You’re driving for that.
Restaurants are solid: you’re a short walk from the South Lamar corridor (Uchi, Loro, Odd Duck are all within a mile), and South Congress is about a mile east. Coffee spots like Patika and radio are close. For a night out, you can walk to the Lamar Union bar cluster without calling an Uber. That’s a real advantage at this price point.
If you’re considering downtown Austin apartments as an alternative, 1155 Barton Springs gives you most of the location benefits without the high-rise density. The trade-off? You’re a bridge crossing away from the actual downtown core, which adds 5–10 minutes to anything north of the river.
Commute Math
| Destination | Off-Peak | Rush Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Austin | 5–8 min | 12–20 min |
| UT Austin Campus | 8–12 min | 15–25 min |
| Tesla Gigafactory (SE) | 18–22 min | 25–35 min |
| Domain/North Austin | 20–25 min | 40–55 min |
| Austin-Bergstrom Airport | 15–20 min | 20–30 min |
| Apple/Samsung (NW) | 20–28 min | 35–50 min |
If you work downtown, this is a strong location. Going north? That’s where it gets painful. The MoPac commute to the Domain can stretch past 50 minutes during peak hours.
Neighborhood Reality
Bouldin Creek is one of the few Austin neighborhoods that actually lives up to the hype. Walkable, tree-lined, quiet side streets. But the stretch of Barton Springs Road near this building gets busy, and the Union Pacific railroad tracks run through the area. Most nights that’s a non-issue. But if you’re in a unit on the wrong side of the building, trains can wake you up. One resident specifically called this out as information that was “conveniently left out” of his tour.
One more thing: at least two reviewers from 2023 mentioned homeless individuals inside the building and car break-ins in the garage. The property brought in the Frost Hospitality concierge partly because of this. The concierge team now monitors security cameras and walks the property regularly. The more recent reviews (2024–2025) don’t mention security problems, so this may be behind them.
Pricing and True Cost
Floor Plans
| Bed/Bath | Sq Ft | Base Rent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio (0/1) | 640–641 | $2,385–$2,500 | |
| 1BR/1BA | 851–972 | $3,050–$3,500 | |
| 1BR/1.5BA | 1,315–1,408 | $3,900–$4,000 | |
| 2BR/2BA | 1,346–1,510 | $4,350–$5,375 | |
| 2BR/2.5BA | 1,832–1,879 | $6,150–$7,450 | |
| 3BR/2.5–3.5BA | 2,602–2,775 | $8,000–$10,900 |
Net Effective Rent Calculation
Here’s where things get simple in an unusual way. 1155 Barton Springs isn’t running traditional month-free specials right now. No “2 months free on a 14-month lease” math to work through. The property’s approach is reduced base rents instead.
So net effective rent = base rent. A 1BR at $3,050/month on a 12-month lease costs you $3,050/month. No hidden savings, but no misleading advertised rate either.
That said, compare this to nearby properties running aggressive specials. South Austin apartments like Windsor South Lamar (0.32 miles away, starting at $1,145) or Fifteen15 South Lamar (0.80 miles, starting at $1,125) offer months-free deals that bring net effective rents well below their listed prices. At 1155 Barton Springs, what you see is genuinely what you pay.
Fee Breakdown
Required fees (everyone pays these):
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $35/applicant |
| Admin fee | $0 |
| Valet trash | $25/month |
| Trash admin fee | $3/month |
| Renter’s insurance | Varies ($300K liability minimum; property program $18.75–$21.25/month if you don’t carry your own) |
| Electric, gas, water/sewer, stormwater | Varies (all billed as third-party pass-throughs) |
| Pest control, concierge, boiler rebill, municipality fee | Varies |
Optional fees:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Parking (garage) | $125–$250/month |
| Pet rent | $20/pet/month |
| Pet deposit (non-refundable) | $400/pet |
| Storage | $250/month |
| Transfer fee | $1,000 |
| Express move-out cleaning | $200 |
True Monthly Cost: What You’ll Actually Pay
Here’s the math for a typical 1BR renter with one pet and a parking spot:
- Base rent (851 sq ft 1BR): $3,050
- Valet trash + trash admin: $28
- Estimated utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer, pest, concierge, municipality): ~$150–$200
- Renter’s insurance: ~$20
- Parking (garage): $150
- Pet rent (1 dog): $20
- Estimated true monthly cost: $3,418–$3,468
That’s $368–$418 above the advertised $3,050 base rent. On a 12-month lease, that’s an extra $4,416–$5,016 per year you wouldn’t see coming from the listing page alone.
Want to Compare This Property’s True Cost to Nearby Options?
I run these calculations across properties daily. I can show you where the actual best value is in this corridor, not just the lowest advertised rent.
Screening Criteria
Income Requirements
The property requires 3x base rent in gross monthly income. Income verification runs through a third-party screening service, and Greystar uses Snappt to check documents for fraud. Don’t submit altered pay stubs.
| Unit Type | Base Rent | Monthly Income Needed (3x) | Annual Income | Hourly Equivalent (40 hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,385 | $7,155 | $85,860 | ~$41.28/hr |
| 1BR/1BA | $3,050 | $9,150 | $109,800 | ~$52.79/hr |
| 2BR/2BA | $4,350 | $13,050 | $156,600 | ~$75.29/hr |
| 3BR/3.5BA | $8,375 | $25,125 | $301,500 | ~$144.95/hr |
Those income numbers are steep. Even the studio requires nearly $86K/year. Combined household income counts, so roommates or couples can pool their earnings.
Credit Expectations
No published credit minimum. The property uses a deposit-based sliding scale: stronger credit gets a lower deposit, weaker credit gets a higher one (or denial). Here’s what I’ve seen at other Greystar properties in this class:
- 700+: Smooth approval, lowest deposit
- 650–699: Likely approved with moderate additional deposit
- 600–649: Possible approval with high additional deposit
- Below 600: Likely denial at this property class
If your credit is below 650, I’d steer you toward properties with published minimums where you know your odds before applying. Check out Austin’s second-chance apartment options if screening is a concern.
What Gets You Denied
- Active property debt (money owed to a previous landlord)
- Recent eviction filings (Greystar’s Luxury/A+ properties are strict on this)
- Fraudulent income documents (Snappt catches these)
- Insufficient income below the 3x threshold
- Certain felony convictions (specifics not published)
Application Process
- Apply online through the property website ($35 per applicant)
- Screening runs through third-party service + Snappt income verification
- Approval or denial, typically within 48–72 hours
- Lease signing + move-in deposit (amount based on screening results)
Payment is ACH or debit/credit card only. No cash. No checks. Cards get hit with a convenience fee, so ACH is the way to go.
Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether your income, credit, and rental history are likely to pass Greystar’s screening before you spend $35 finding out. If 1155 Barton Springs looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby communities have more flexibility.
Resident Reviews Decoded
Listing sites show you a 4.5-star rating and move on. That number doesn’t tell you much on its own. Here’s what I pulled from 60+ reviews across three platforms.
Pattern Analysis
| Theme | Mentions | Trend | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff praised (helpful, kind, responsive) | 20+ | Steady positive | Google, ForRent |
| Concierge team (Frost Hospitality) | 5+ | Steady | |
| Location and views | 8+ | Steady | All platforms |
| Overpriced for what you get | 3 | Recurring 2023–2025 | Google, ForRent |
| Security concerns (homeless access, break-ins) | 2 | Likely improved since concierge added | Google, ForRent |
| Railroad/noise not disclosed during tour | 1 (detailed) | Unit-dependent | |
| Move-out billing dispute | 1 (detailed, severe) | Isolated | |
| Flooding/construction damage | 1 (detailed) | 2023, unclear if ongoing | ForRent |
What Residents Praise
The staff gets genuine, specific love — not the generic “great team!” you see at most properties. Marie from Frost Hospitality concierge shows up by name in multiple reviews for looking after residents’ apartments and packages while they travel. Dania Gutierrez (Resident Services Manager) and Tim from the management team are also called out repeatedly. That kind of name-specific praise is hard to fake.
The other thing you hear a lot: people like how well the building was built, the views from upper floors, and the fact that 74 units means it still feels like a real community. At 74 units, you’re not living in a 300-unit complex where nobody knows your name.
What Residents Criticize
The negative reviews are few but specific. And they’re detailed enough to take seriously. One resident described a move-out dispute where Greystar billed $4,000 they later admitted was wrong, then still sent a separate charge to collections over a washing machine leak. Another resident from 2023 went through apartment flooding, then lived with construction in their unit for 3 months, couldn’t use their washer/dryer for 8 weeks, dealt with algae in the pool, and waited over a year for amenities the leasing team promised at move-in.
The rating breakdown tells the real story: 37 five-star reviews, 5 one-star reviews, and almost nothing in between. People either love this place or have serious problems. That split at a building this small is worth paying attention to.
How Management Responds
Greystar responds to almost every review, usually within days. The tone is professional but follows a template. The one detailed negative review on ForRent got a response that denied the resident’s specific claims about promised amenities and reported break-ins. When a management company flatly denies what a resident specifically describes, pay attention to that.
The Uncomfortable Truth
No listing site will write this section. I’m not trying to kill the deal. I just want you to know what you’re signing up for.
The Concierge Isn’t Free
Everyone raves about Frost Hospitality’s concierge service. It shows up as a top positive in review after review. But the ApartmentFinder fee breakdown lists “Concierge Servs” as a required monthly fee billed to every unit. You’re paying for that service whether you use it or not. It’s not a perk. It’s a line item on your rent statement. The amount isn’t published, which makes it hard to budget for.
Railroad Noise Is Real and Undisclosed
The Union Pacific main line runs through this part of Austin. The Amtrak station is about 0.6 miles north. One reviewer described “loud trains most nights” on tracks that appear abandoned but aren’t. He also reported being told during his tour that the building had “thick concrete floors” that made it “virtually soundproof.” His actual experience? He heard neighbors above him and got a noise complaint for running his washing machine at night. Not every unit will have this problem. But the fact that it wasn’t disclosed during the tour is a red flag.
The Move-Out Risk
Two data points don’t make a pattern. But one reviewer’s experience was bad enough to flag: billed $4,000 incorrectly for three months, forced to make repeated calls, emails, and in-person visits to resolve it, and then still had a separate charge sent to collections after Greystar admitted the error. At these rent levels, you can afford a lawyer. Keep detailed records of your unit’s condition at move-in and move-out. Photos with timestamps. Everything in writing.
Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?
You’ve seen the full picture now. If 1155 Barton Springs still looks right, I can help you get the best deal. If you want to compare it against nearby options in the same price range, I can run that analysis too.
FAQ
Does 1155 Barton Springs allow pets?
Yes. Dogs and cats, up to 2 pets, 100 lb weight limit. Monthly pet rent is $20/pet with a $400 non-refundable deposit per pet. Breed restrictions apply. ESA animals are welcome. Contact the leasing office for the restricted breeds list.
What credit score do I need for 1155 Barton Springs?
No published minimum. Greystar uses a sliding-scale deposit model. Stronger credit means a lower deposit. Below 650 gets difficult at this property class. Below 600 is likely a denial.
Are utilities included in rent?
No. All utilities are billed separately through third-party providers: electric, gas, water/sewer, stormwater, pest control, concierge, and municipality fees. Plan for $150–$200/month above base rent in required charges.
Is parking free at 1155 Barton Springs?
No. Parking runs $125–$250/month in the controlled-access garage. There are both unreserved and reserved options.
What is the lease length at 1155 Barton Springs?
12, 15, or 16 months. No short-term options.
Does 1155 Barton Springs have move-in specials?
Not currently. The property offers reduced base rents instead of traditional months-free concessions. Ask the leasing team about any unadvertised offers.
What school district serves 1155 Barton Springs?
Austin ISD. Becker Elementary, Fulmore Middle, and Travis High School.
Is 1155 Barton Springs walkable?
Very. Walk Score of 85, Transit Score of 58, Bike Score of 75. You can walk to Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, and the South Lamar restaurant corridor. Groceries require a car.
How do I pay rent at 1155 Barton Springs?
ACH or debit/credit card through the Homebody Resident Portal. No cash. No checks. Cards carry a convenience fee, so ACH saves you money.
Can I tour 1155 Barton Springs before applying?
Yes. In-person tours and video tours are available. Matterport 3D virtual tours are also on the property website for all 28 floor plans. I always tell clients: tour the actual unit you’d be renting, not just the model. Ask to see a north-facing and south-facing unit so you can judge the noise difference for yourself.
The Bottom Line
1155 Barton Springs is a well-built, small-scale property in one of Austin’s best neighborhoods with a staff that residents genuinely like. The 2021 construction, 74-unit size, and concierge service set it apart from the mega-communities on South Lamar. Studios start at $2,385 and one-bedrooms at $3,050, but true monthly costs run $125–$230 higher once required fees hit.
The main trade-off? You’re paying top dollar for a building that’s half empty, with no traditional concessions to soften the blow, and a fee structure that adds up fast.
This property makes sense if you earn well above the 3x income threshold, want a boutique feel in Bouldin Creek, value walkability to Zilker and downtown, and can stomach $3,400+/month all-in for a one-bedroom.
This property doesn’t make sense if your budget is tight after rent, you’re noise-sensitive, you have screening issues that need flexible criteria, or you want the months-free specials that properties with similar vacancy rates are offering right now.
My verdict: the location and building quality are real. The staff is a genuine bright spot. But at 53% occupancy with no concessions, this property is betting that its address justifies the price — and for most renters, there are better deals within half a mile.
Need Help?
Want to work with me? My service is free to you. Apartment communities pay me a referral fee when you sign a lease. I can pre-screen your situation, compare true costs across properties in this corridor, and make sure you don’t waste application fees on places that won’t approve you. Call/Text me at 512-360-0852.
Important note: 1155 Barton Springs does not currently pay locator commissions, which means I can’t earn from placing you here. I’m reviewing this property because renters search for it and deserve honest information. If you decide to apply here, go direct through their leasing office at (737) 242-2390. And if you want me to show you what else is available in Bouldin Creek and South Austin at this price point, I’m happy to do that too.
