Moving to Atlanta from San Francisco- attending grad school at GSU (Decatur: lofts, condo)

[elfster28]

I am clueless on where to begin...I just got notice today, that I was accepted to a public admin grad program at GSU (yay! ) for Fall '10..which, yes, means that I would need to relocate to Atlanta by this time next month...yikes!

1. Budget- well, probably looking to be someone's roommate (craigslist)..or possibly my own apt...under $700/month (at least till I get a job)

2. House/Condo/Townhome? whichever is affordable (with cool roomies)

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)- student..hopefully get a job soon..possibly downtown/midtown?

4. Children(public school vs. private)- n/a

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two?- I will take a little of both...really, I grew up in suburbs of SF Bay Area my whole life..and work in financial dist of San Francisco...so I enjoy both- I prefer to have a quieter place to sleep, but somewhere where I can walk a couple blocks to neighborhood coffee shop, market, restaurant...

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?- I don't know if I will have my car with me or not...maybe not for first few months..so definitely access to public transit is important (how is the transit anyways? I use it daily to commute here in the Bay Area..a subway/metro line sort of deal...and although you get your weirdos, it's pretty safe and reliable- is this similar to MARTA?)


7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. -I've only been to the south (MS and LA), for 2 weeks..and that was about 12 years ago. Soooo, I am not sure even what to expect with Atlanta- I hear great things from people who have been, though! I currently live in a very diverse community (many enclaves of asians, blacks, middle easterns, east indians, whites and latinos all around), so I enjoy diversity. I am a young (25yr old), female who enjoys to explore, and would like an area that I can walk around in (obviously not by myself at midnight or anything)...but maybe take a jog through the streets or walk to a coffee shop and work on homework. I have been investigating some neighborhoods and Virginia Highlands looks beautiful, as well as the Candler Park area...I would also be willing to venture out as far as Decatur? ..it looks cheaper, but how are the neighborhoods..and the commute to GSU? I also saw a cool posting for a place in East Atlanta (Flat Shoals Rd. SE at Bouldercrest Rd)..how is this area?

-I apologize for talking forever : ) I am just excited, but being realistic in that I am moving to a completely new area by myself..and trying to assuage my parents' concerns


Thanks for any direction you can give!! Looking forward to (hopefully) falling in love with your city!

[ellbeecee]

I moved from Tucson in June (to work at GSU - welcome, by the way!). I ended up in Decatur, inside the city of Decatur, but close to the East Lake MARTA station - I walk 6 minutes from home to the station, and GSU has 2 stations that are basically on campus, Georgia State and Five Points.

Decatur fit my needs - I was looking for proximity to marta and a relatively relaxed area. I can walk to downtown Decatur easily, but my commute is easy, which was key for me - I'd lived in Atlanta before and commuted from further out and I was not about to do that again. It's also a relaxed area - it doesn't feel suburban, which I was looking to avoid.

I can't speak much to the other areas you mentioned, and after just under a month I can't tell you everything about GSU, but feel free to message me if you have specific questions - I might be able to help, or direct you to others on campus who can.

[sjuraud]

Yeah, the Oakhurst neighborhood in City of Decatur is pretty good. I lived there for about 3 years. MARTA can be jacked up sometimes. It definitely has it's share of nut jobs and drunks on it, but you should be ok. It's a little safer than other areas of "Decatur" because they pay higher taxes and have their own police force. If you want to live closer to GSU I might recommend living maybe in the Cabbagetown area. There are a few lofts that are pretty nice. That area is a little grittier though. Some lofts to check out in that area are: Mattress Factory & Cotton Mill. There are others, but those the only two I've ever been in. Little 5 Points is considered kind of the counter culture section of Atlanta. Definitely not anything in comparison to Haight-Ashbury, but it is what it is. Get ready for it to be sweltering hot in the summer while you're here. Just PM or post back if you have any others questions or more specific help.

[sjuraud]

Stick mostly with "City of Decatur" if you're going to do Decatur. There are other areas called "Decatur" which isn't the same. Steer clear of Flat Shoals / Bouldercrest for now. It's not a horrible area, but is somewhat gentrifying and comes with it's own set of social problems you probably don't want to deal with as a new resident. Candler park is pretty awesome too! It borders Little Five Points. Virginia-Highlands is nice, but is more expensive. Tends to be a little more snobby. You could probably find something in your price range if you look around hard enough though.

[elfster28]

Thanks sooooo much for the info! I just recieved great news- instead of rushing off and moving in 3 weeks, I will start school in Spring (Jan)...so, that gives me plenty of time to visit and get a lay of the land, before I settle in. I will definitely be checking out the neighborhoods mentioned, in addition to Decatur.

However, because it all will still be completely new to me, I'm sure I will come up with many more questions as the next few months fly by...Thanks again for all of the great tips!

[Go Blue 99]

Congrats! I moved from Boston to Atlanta in 2004 to attend grad school at GSU. I ended up living in Midtown (14th & Peachtree) for two years and LOVED it. It was very easy to get to campus via Arts Center MARTA or a quick drive down Peachtree.

Coming from SF, you probably want a place you can walk around. I definitely felt this was the case, at least with this specific part of Midtown. You can go jogging in Piedmont Park, which is very nice. You can also walk to nightlife, good ethnic restaurants, a gym, coffee shops, etc.

At your price, you won't be able to afford a 1 bedroom alone, but you can swing this area with roomies.

Virginia Highlands would also be great for you.