ATL Neighborhoods for Young Professionals? (Atlanta, Smyrna: apartment, rentals, condos)

[hellokitty24]

Hi, I'm an outgoing 28 yr old professional, straight woman moving to ATL. I was curious as to what neighborhoods are good for young professionals? I prefer to live in a neighborhood that's in walking distance to great bars and restaurants. Friends have recommended Atlantic Station and Midtown, near Piedmont Park. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[spacelord75]

I would pick Midtown over Atlantic Station, just b/c A.S. is basically just a big outdoor mall (with nice chain stores, mind you), whereas Midtown has some cool character and legit clubs/bars. Also, check out Virginia-Highland, East Atlanta, and Vinings or Smyrna. Each area has a slightly different going out scene. Vinings or Smyrna would not allow for as much walking to the bars, but there is a cloister in the Smyrna market village, as well as a few sporadically around Vinings. Va-Hi has more laid back bars, but it's basically a full couple of blocks of them - you can find cool old apartment units in this area and, honestly, if I were single this is where I would live. Also, if you are looking to meet guys the Highlands would be more of a target rich environment compared to the other areas (I'm guessing - I'm a guy and me and all my buddies predominantly went out there). Midtown is cool, but most of the guys there will be either cheesy or gay. Good luck.

[hellokitty24]

Without a doubt, definitely the response I was looking for Thanks so much!

[donac]

i agree with the previous poster. i'm a married female now but when i was younger and single, the areas he mentioned were the better hang outs and safer. i would look in to the VH area if i had it to do all over again. lots of rentals and affordable condos and most with walking distance or a worst case a cheap cab.

[spacelord75]

No problem - the cool thing about Virginia-Highland is you can either dress up or dress down, no problem. Also there are some good patios. Basically the bars start on the south end with Hand in Hand (pub/tavern....my favorite) at St. Charles and N. Highland and run all the way up to the actual intersection of N. Highland and Virginia Ave. Other great places around there are Taco Mac (bar/food), Murphy's (restauarant), Atkins Park (more of a bar, but also restaurant), Darkhorse Tavern (kind of a meat market, but cool), Limerick Junction, etc. Also, you are only a mile or so away from Piedmont Park, so not far at all. Age ranges at all these places are usually 20's and 30's.

East Atlanta is also really cool and trendy, but the scene there can be a lot more hipster poseurs going through their Emo phase.

[nrgpill]

You mean Va Hi isn't the cheesy frat boy scene that Buckhead pawned off for pennies on a dollar back in mid 90's? (not to say that Buckhead did not suffer shortly afterwards..) Different strokes for different folks but I really find Va Hi annoyingly cheesy - not the area but the crowd. Also, Va Hi no longer lacks the chest thumping, rock t-shirt wearing guidos you would normally spot in New Jersey.

I am half kidding with my statements. You may or may not see the subtleties of cheese there.

Originally Posted by spacelord75

East Atlanta is also really cool and trendy, but the scene there can be a lot more hipster poseurs going through their Emo phase.

[mintykitty]

Interesting note on "targets," spacelord75. I never considered that! My profile is very similar to that of hellokitty24, and I already have been focusing my apartment search in VA Highlands.

How about safety? Living within city limits of course comes with its risks, but especially with the area's walkable nightlife, how safe is it to walk home after a late night out? What are the prevalent types of crime in the area? Should home burglary be a concern? Thoughts?

[spacelord75]

Crime in Va-Hi does exist, even though the area has been turned around over the last couple decades. You've got some sketchy areas of Ponce very close by, and I would not really recommend walking, as a lone female, around some of the outskirts of the main drag at off hours (just like any other areas in town). I use to log extensive miles of long-distance running at off hours (to avoid the heat of summer) when I lived in the area and saw some really bizarre people and things off some of the side streets and on Ponce, itself. Also, I've known a person or two to be mugged walking back to their cars from the bars. Honestly, though, this will happen in any "in town" neighborhood, and as long as you're aware and street-smart you will be okay. I've been known to drunken stumble through various streets and never had a problem! A good friend of mine, who's a girl, lived in a house off Los Angeles Ave. for a few years with no security system and went out solo often, and never felt scared or worried about her safety.

To nrgpill, I would definitely agree that you've got cheese-balls in Va-Hi, but I would definitely take a laid back cheeseball to an (a) uber-cheese metro-sexual "I'm a model....in Atlanta" midtown variety or a (b) look at my Urban Outfitters wardrobe as I pretend I'm British and am in a garage band in East Atlanta cheeseball. The great thing about a city this big, however, is there's enough cheese for everyone! And so many varieties!

[mintykitty]

That doesn't sound bad at all. I've lived in both Houston and New Orleans, so the Virginia Highlands sounds like a welcome breeze. I just wanted to check that I wouldn't end up witnessing drug deals outside my window or anything.

However, I have heard that Atlanta crime does rival that of its urban cousins across the country. In what parts of Atlanta should I not accidentally drive into? Where are the public housing projects and the gang problems?

In any case, I think I'm gonna like Atlanta. I LOVE CHEESE!

[DoveDiva]

Gangs are everywhere. Don't fool yourself.

As far as housing projects, Atlanta, like many other large cities, has the character trait that you will be in a nice neighborhood one minute...then turn the corner, and it's a completely different world. There are pockets of areas I wouldn't be caught dead in all over the city...from the northside to the southside.

The best advice I can give is to simply be aware of your surroundings.