Need help choosing ATL 'hoods to check out: Decatur; Inman Park (Atlanta: rent, condo)

[Breezy300]

Hi Everybody,

My fiance and I may be relocating to Atlanta in the near future, and we're looking for advice on which neighborhoods to check out. Here's a little about us:

We currently live in NYC (love it here, but are tired of renting and simply can't afford to buy unless we're willing to move far out). We're in our early 40s and think it might be time to stop paying rent and start paying a mortgage. Since my fiance has the option of relocating to Atlanta for work, we're seriously looking into it. A couple of years ago, we made a trip to GA but we looked mostly at the Alpharetta/Roswell area. While the houses were open and affordable, the suburbs just didn't feel right to us. Now we're headed back to check out Atlanta proper. Last time we were there, we did happen into Virginia-Highlands and really liked it (we thought the houses were beautiful; we liked seeing people walking dogs, pushing baby strollers on the streets, and stopping to talk to one another; we liked the General Store called Belly and saw that there were other restaurants and shops in the areas); however, it's a little too expensive for us. So maybe some of you fine people here can make some suggestions?

1. Budget: $440k, but would prefer to stay in the mid to upper $300s

2. House/Condo/Townhome? Would really prefer a detached house with 3+ bedrooms and a fenced-in yard. (We want a garden!) The house does not need to be huge--just big enough for the two of us and the child we may parent, along with a guest room/office. We would love to have a wood-burning fireplace too!

3. Employment Status (commute/work from home): Hopefully, he will be able to work from home (telecommute). I will find something in the city.

4. Children (public school vs. private): At the moment we don't have a child, but we are looking seriously into adopting. In that case, a decent public school would be important (walking distance would be wonderful). If we don't adopt, we're more open to neighborhoods that might not have the best school systems, so if you're so inclined, please feel free to make suggestions about both kinds of 'hoods.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two? We're definitely more urban than suburban, but love the idea of (finally) having a yard. However, it's extremely important that wherever we live, we have some walkability. We don't want to be 100% car dependent. If we could walk to the grocery store, a green space, some restaurants and cafes, it would be wonderful. If we could add a farmer's market, the library, the post office and a bank into the mix, it would be getting downright heavenly. Our current address gets a 98 on Walkscore. We realize we're probably not going to find anything like that, but some walkability is important.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? We don't know much about the Marta but, being from New York, we're obviously huge fans of public transportation, so yes please.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. We prefer diversity and a neighborhood that opens its arms to all walks of life. Politically we're on the left, so that would be nice too.

8. Other: We have a little dog so a pet-friendly neighborhood would be a plus. A sense of community would also be nice. And, finally, do people ride bikes in Atlanta? By that I mean, is it safe to bicycle to various locations?

Decatur is on our radar, but we know very little about it aside from what we've been able to read on this site and in some travel books. Can somebody please explain the difference between Decatur and North Decatur? Are they both part of Decatur? Is one better than the other? One person also recommended Oakhurst to us, but I'm unclear as to whether this is part of Decatur or its own area? Can anyone tell me anything about Poncey-Highland, Inman Park and Midtown? Are there amenities in walking distance of the houses in these neighborhoods?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. We're hoping to visit at the end of June and look at some neighborhoods and houses! On that note, I may as well go ahead and also ask if there are any hotels that come highly recommended (for about $100/night). Thank you so much.

[George Chong]

There is nothing in your price range in Inman Park

There is the City of Decatur and then Decatur in DeKalb County. Both are located in DeKalb County but the City of Decatur is a city all it's own with its own school system, police department and government. City of Decatur : Home

Here are some additional website to explore in the City of Decatur:

Decatur Metro » Restaurants

http://www.csdecatur.net/

City of Decatur : Special Events

Decatur Farmers Market is located in the parking lot of my office.

This "farmer's market is located in the adjoining neighborhood of the City of Decatur and should not be missed. Your Dekalb Farmers Market - A World Market - Atlanta's Best Source Of Affordable Organic Food

Based on what you have written, you can't go wrong with either location! Good luck and welcome!

[George Chong]

I have had clients stay at The Highland Inn ©2010 during their house hunting and have enjoyed their stay.

[George Chong]

This might be useful for you too.

Creative Loafing Atlanta | Neighborhood Guide

[Breezy300]

Wow, thank you for all the great links! I'm loving the Neighborhood Guide! It lists Inman Park as only slightly more expensive than Decatur. Are you sure we can't afford it? Are there other neighborhoods we should be looking at? I wish I could change my headline--it seems I'm not getting many responses. Is there a way to do so?

[Breezy300]

George,

I'm going to repost this with a new heading. I think I need to spell out "Atlanta" in the headline. Thank you again for your help!!

[George Chong]

The least expensive listing currently in Inman Park is a 2 bedroom, 2 full bath house, approximately 1342 square feet in size is listed for $289,900. The next listing jumps to another 2/2, approximately 1482 square feet in size is listed for $419,000. The next listing is a 4/3, approximately 2346 square feet and the asking price is $475,000. There are only 18 active listings in my neighborhood. I think that the home prices in Creative Loafing's Guide is off.

I would check out Candler Park too. It is adjacent to Inman Park. Candler Park Neighborhood Organization | Welcome to your intown hometown The two neighborhoods are separated by the Little 5 Points Business District. Little Five Points - Your guide to businesses, restaurants and entertainment in Atlanta's favorite neighborhood.

One of our members - Pless lives there and bikes to work. Perhaps she will see this post and chime in!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Breezy300

Decatur is on our radar, but we know very little about it aside from what we've been able to read on this site and in some travel books. Can somebody please explain the difference between Decatur and North Decatur? Are they both part of Decatur? Is one better than the other? One person also recommended Oakhurst to us, but I'm unclear as to whether this is part of Decatur or its own area? Can anyone tell me anything about Poncey-Highland, Inman Park and Midtown? Are there amenities in walking distance of the houses in these neighborhoods?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. We're hoping to visit at the end of June and look at some neighborhoods and houses! On that note, I may as well go ahead and also ask if there are any hotels that come highly recommended (for about $100/night). Thank you so much.

You're lucky to be the beneficiary of George's typically excellent advice. He is always spot on.
Oakhurst is indeed a neighborhood within the city limits of Decatur. It was at one time its' own city, but was annexed by Decatur many moons ago. As such, it has its' own (charming IMO) town center. I would characterize the typical Oakhurst house as a bungalow in style and built in the 1900-1930 era, although there is actually quite a bit of variety in the community's architecture. There is also, arguably, more new construction in Oakhurst than in any other Decatur neighborhood.
Just as an aside, my personal favorite Decatur festival is the Oakhurst Wine Crawl; it's a rolling cocktail party when you get right down to it, and an absolute blast!

Decatur Metro » 2011 Oakhurst Wine Crawl February 26th!

'North Decatur' refers to the area of unincorporated DeKalb County that is just north of the city of Decatur (zip 30033). Generally, it's a great area, but has a much more suburban feel than the other neighborhoods that you have targeted...I don't really think it's what you're looking for.
One thing that is a source of confusion to people even within the Atlanta metro is what actually constitutes 'Decatur'. You can really break the community down into three components:

City of Decatur (30030) - covers a relatively small area (about 4 sq mi). The city has its' own (very good) school system which it does not share with the other Decatur zips.
North Decatur (30033) - Unincorporated Dekalb County; also nice, very accessible to other north Atlanta neighborhoods.
South Decatur (30032, 30034,30035) - also unincorporated DC; not particularly desirable, but there are signs of life in the area that abuts the city's southern limit.

As far as the other neighborhoods referenced, George already covered Inman Park (and I would run with his suggestion to investigate Candler Park as well). Midtown offers a great deal of what you are looking for, but SFHs carry a pretty hefty price tag there as well. Poncey-Highland offers accessiblity to Inman Park and a lot of other intown neighborhoods, but the incursion years ago of Freedom Parkway brought the destruction of much of the neighborhood and thus diminished its' character IMHO.

Per your request, here's a reasonably priced hotel in the heart of Decatur, close to many amenities and the MARTA rail station:

DECATUR Hotels - Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts CONFERENCE CENTER (DECATUR) Hotel in DECATUR | Book Direct for Best Rates (http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/decatur/atldc/hoteldetail - broken link)

Also, here's a house in downtown Decatur that is in your price range, just so you have an idea of what 350K will buy:

321 Montgomery St, Decatur, GA 30030 MLS# 4148081 - Zillow

Good luck!

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Breezy300

Wow, thank you for all the great links! I'm loving the Neighborhood Guide! It lists Inman Park as only slightly more expensive than Decatur. Are you sure we can't afford it? Are there other neighborhoods we should be looking at? I wish I could change my headline--it seems I'm not getting many responses. Is there a way to do so?

That neighborhood guide has a lot of good information, but it's very misleading (I would even say flat-out wrong) in terms of home values.

[gumboula]

Lake Claire and Candler Park basically run together, so I would add Lake Claire to your list. Most of North Dekalb is likely too suburban for what you are looking for (nothing like Alpharetta/Roswell, a 1950s/60s suburb; nice neighborhoods, but far fewer shops, parks, less walkability etc. than the other places on your radar). But you should look at the small area of Dekalb county just to the west of the Decatur City limits, basically between Lake Claire and Emory University. Search for neighborhoods zoned to Fernbank elementary that are west of Clairemont Road (again, not as walkable as Decatur proper, but very close geographically). You may also want to look at Grant Park, for a neighborhood a bit different from the others that have been recommended. Stay south of I-20 and as close to the park as possible (Grant Park is one of those neighborhoods where areas that aren't really GP get identified as such). The schools are not as strong, but there is a strong neighborhood charter school through 8th grade. It doesn't have as many shops etc. as the other areas you are looking at, but a beautiful housing stock and fabulous park.