Relocating from Indiana to Atlanta..need help (Roswell, Marietta: apartments, lease)

[kmaidon]

I have lived in Indiana for the past year and am getting promoted FINALLY! The area I currently live in in Indiana is very BORING...I need good suggestions to I dont make the same living mistake in Georgia

I am starting my new job in August. I will be reporting to the office in Kennesaw. Only 1-2 times per week though(so commute isnt a big deal)
I am a single, straight, 23 yo male. I have heard that the places to live are Virginia Highlands, Buckhead, and Vinings.

What area would you recomend for nightlife, price, WOMEN!!, and just things to do in general? I will probably do a short term lease with the idea of buying a condo after that.

I thank you for any suggestions or comments!!

[AtlantaResident]

Perhaps better words than urban and trendy would be old, run down, and not safe at night to best describe the Ft. Mac area. I grew up in that area. My family moved away in 1954 because the area was headed downhill and it is much worse now. Ft. Mac will be closing in a few years. There are many unoccupied houses and buildings now in that area.

Buckhead, Vinings and Virginia Highlands are all good for night life, but are very expensive. Have not been to Vinings or Virginia Highlands in a long time, but Buckhead has a very visible police presence, especially at night.

Why not come here for a visit and check out the areas that interest you. Kennesaw is near Marietta and there is quite a bit going on there. Home and condo prices in Kennesaw are low in comparison with some of the other areas. Buckhead is VERY expensive, as is all of North Fulton.

Hope this helps.

[clawson26]

I'm not sure you shouldn't just live in Kennesaw. It's a college area and there are a lot of "night spots." What sort of job do you do? Will you be driving in rush hour? Where in Kennesaw is the office you would be going to?

[shortcut2k]

Originally Posted by AtlantaResident

Perhaps better words than urban and trendy would be old, run down, and not safe at night to best describe the Ft. Mac area. I grew up in that area. My family moved away in 1954 because the area was headed downhill and it is much worse now. Ft. Mac will be closing in a few years. There are many unoccupied houses and buildings now in that area.

Buckhead, Vinings and Virginia Highlands are all good for night life, but are very expensive. Have not been to Vinings or Virginia Highlands in a long time, but Buckhead has a very visible police presence, especially at night.

Why not come here for a visit and check out the areas that interest you. Kennesaw is near Marietta and there is quite a bit going on there. Home and condo prices in Kennesaw are low in comparison with some of the other areas. Buckhead is VERY expensive, as is all of North Fulton.

Hope this helps.

Are there any other areas similar to Buckhead or Virginia Highlands but not quite as expensive? Where I live, there are areas that are kind of "scaled" -- you might move 5 miles to a "cheaper" area, but still in a nice area of the town.

I live near Ann Arbor and am planning to move to Atlanta in about a month. I cannot travel to Atlanta to drive around and look for a place to live. It's risky, but I'm hoping the technology of today will help me in my search.

Just wondering if I have another option. I'd rather save the money living in a "nice" area but not necessarily "the best" area. I just don't want my things stolen or myself hurt I appreciate any input anyone might have!!

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by shortcut2k

Are there any other areas similar to Buckhead or Virginia Highlands but not quite as expensive? Where I live, there are areas that are kind of "scaled" -- you might move 5 miles to a "cheaper" area, but still in a nice area of the town.

I live near Ann Arbor and am planning to move to Atlanta in about a month. I cannot travel to Atlanta to drive around and look for a place to live. It's risky, but I'm hoping the technology of today will help me in my search.

Just wondering if I have another option. I'd rather save the money living in a "nice" area but not necessarily "the best" area. I just don't want my things stolen or myself hurt I appreciate any input anyone might have!!

There are up and coming areas -- but some, like Grant Park, have been up and coming for 20 years -- and still remain much less polished and finished than say VA-HI or most certainly Buckhead. Midtown is less polished than Buckhead, but I still think more expensive.

East Atlanta is up and coming, but again not nearly as finished at Va-Hi.

Decatur, but only in the city limits and then areas around Emory, is nice, but there are some areas that have a Decatur mailing address that aren't.

What about the complexes on N. Druid Hills, between Briarcliff and Clairmont, particularly? Good central location, though traffic on Druid Hills can be a bear.

[sweettea1]

Also, historic Roswell is really great. Just a bit of a commute intown but it's one of the best small towns near a major city around!

[atlantagreg30127]

Kmaidon,

Some of the places you mention (Virginia Highlands, Buckhead) and other inner city areas such as Midtown, Grant Park, etc., are very nice and unique areas, but depending on what you're used to in terms of "mixed" areas - keep in mind that they are also the largest gay neighborhoods in the Southeast. Atlanta has something like the third largest gay community in the country, and those areas are where many gay folks choose to live. This isn't a problem for many, but some it may be - just be aware of it. Also since you made a point of emphasizing "women" on your list of desires in an area, those areas aren't 100% batting on that team for heterosexual men looking for tons of single ladies living around them.

Clawson's post earlier about just living in Kennesaw sounds about right. While Kennesaw can be kinda yuppy-ish (white upper-middle income, two biological children, one adopted asian child, two SUVs, one dog, one hampster, etc).. as they said, there is a bit of a singles college crowd there as well. Lots of stores and chain restaurants (and tons of traffic), but it's cheaper than the inner city areas above (and safer).

[DoveDiva]

I suggest Vinings. It's in a great location and going to the city is just a hop and a jump.

[Billdemartini]

Originally Posted by DoveDiva

I suggest Vinings. It's in a great location and going to the city is just a hop and a jump.

I agree. Vinings is great. Vinings/Smyrna area is really blowing up right now too. New developments are going up everywhere. I'm working with a client looking for a house in that area and I am just amazed at how much construction is going on there currently.

My sister and her fiance just got a really nice townhouse in the area. And if you compare their place to one say in Midtown or Buckhead you get way more bang for your buck.

[spacelord75]

Based on the fact that you will need to get up to Kennesaw a couple times a week and the fact that you want to be where there are women, I would say Vinings. I believe there was a census report a couple years ago that said the highest concentration of single women in the metro area live there and, hey, my now wife was living there when we met! It's pretty cool, and while the bar scene was basically just one or two places a few years ago, there are quite a few there and in neighboring Smyrna. As I posted on another thread earlier today, I used to live in Magnolia Vinings, which was a great complex for a single guy to live. Fun pool atmosphere in the summer and easy access to Vinings, Smyrna, as well as Midtown (maybe a 20 minute drive). I would not recommend actually living in Kennesaw...it would probably be very similar to Indiana. Check out apartments in the 30339 zip code and maybe also 30080 (Smryna). I would definitely stay in an apartment for a year before deciding where to buy, so you can get an idea of what you like.