New construction is a filter on a search site, not a promise. Two buildings finished the same year can feel nothing alike once you live in them. What matters is the specifics: the systems inside the home, whether the amenity space was designed for the building or squeezed in, and what surrounds the property. Here is how that plays out across the two communities at The Grove.

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What New Apartments in Austin Actually Get You

Smart Home Systems and In-Home Laundry

The systems built into a home are hard to retrofit, which is where recent construction earns its keep. Every apartment at Alder at The Grove and Korina at The Grove includes a Nest thermostat, the Salto smartlock system, USB outlets, and a washer and dryer. The kitchens carry quartz and granite countertops, a custom tile backsplash, and a stainless steel appliance package, with two interior color schemes to choose from. None of that is an upgrade tier. It is the standard package in every home, from a studio to a three-bedroom.

Energy Performance and Green Building Ratings

Efficiency is easier to verify than most claims a listing makes, because Austin rates it. Korina at The Grove holds an Austin Energy Green Building Level 2 rating. The city program has been rating buildings since 1991 and scores them on energy and water efficiency, materials, site, indoor environmental quality, and community impact. If you want to understand what the rating covers, the Austin Energy Green Building program page lays out the criteria.

Amenity Space Built From Scratch

Pools, Fitness, and Coworking at Alder and Korina

Both communities include a resort style pool with cabanas and an outdoor grilling kitchen, plus landscaped courtyards with grills and outdoor dining areas. The fitness spaces differ. Alder has a fitness center with Pelotons. Korina has one with virtual trainers. Alder includes a coworking lounge with private workspaces, and Korina has coworking space with conference rooms. Photos of all of it are in our photo gallery, organized by community.

Sky Lounge, Clubrooms, and Service Details

Korina adds a sky lounge and terrace with city views and an oversized clubroom with games, a kitchen, and a balcony. Alder has a resident clubroom and terrace. The operational pieces are worth noting too: a 24-hour mail and package center at both, a ride share lounge at Korina, bicycle storage and repair rooms, Spruce concierge services, and resident events. The full lists for each community are on the amenities page.

How to Evaluate New Apartments in Austin, TX Before You Sign

Questions Worth Asking About a Recent Build

A few questions separate a good new build from a frustrating one: 

  • Is construction finished on the surrounding site, or is more of the district still going up? 

  • How does the maintenance request process work, and what is the typical response time? 

  • Which in-home features are standard and which are limited to select homes? 

  • What does the amenity access look like across buildings on the same site? 

That last one matters here. The Grove sits within a mixed-use district that includes a signature community park, pocket parks, natural ponds, and more than two miles of hike and bike trails. The district site plan shows how the residential buildings, retail street, and park system fit together, which is a different proposition from a standalone building on a single lot near Rosedale.

See It in Photos and Virtual Tours First

Our gallery is split into Korina, Alder, and Neighborhood sets, so you can compare the two communities and the surrounding retail and park areas side by side. If you are searching from out of town, the virtual tours cover the interiors before you commit to a visit. Between the two, you can narrow to a shortlist of the best apartments in Austin for your situation without leaving your desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many communities are part of The Grove? 

Two are open now, Alder at The Grove and Korina at The Grove, and a third community called Spruce at The Grove is planned for the site.

Is the community rated for energy efficiency? 

Korina at The Grove holds an Austin Energy Green Building Level 2 rating under the city program.

Where can I see photos of the finishes? 

The gallery has interior photos of kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and balconies for both communities, along with the amenity spaces and the surrounding district. 

What recent construction delivers here: 

  • Nest thermostat, Salto smartlock, USB outlets, and in-home laundry in every apartment 

  • Austin Energy Green Building Level 2 rating at Korina 

  • Separate amenity sets at each community, including a sky lounge at Korina and Pelotons at Alder 

  • A mixed-use district with parks, trails, and a retail street rather than a single building on a lot 

That district setting is the part a comparison chart will not show you. Browse the gallery, review the amenities, compare floor plans, then book a tour and see how the two communities differ in person.