Need Atlanta neighborhood recommendations (East Point, College Park: real estate, apartments, rental homes)

[researchnerd]

We are a family of three: two 40-something parents and our college-student teenager. We currently live in a rural Atlanta suburb but are planning to move into the city to shorten commutes and change things up a bit.

We can't move until next spring but we're starting to look at various neighborhoods now. We like Candler Park and Decatur but I'm not sure we can afford to live there. I am pretty sure VA Highlands and Morningside are out of our price range. Other places we're considering include EAV, Midtown and Brookhaven, but there are a lot of neighborhoods I'm not familiar with, so it's hard to know where to start. Any recommendations you can provide would be great!

1. Budget: We will be renting for at least a couple of years. Our budget for rent is around $1500/month, but could go a little higher if we're close to MARTA (see #6 below).

2. House/Condo/Townhome?: Prefer to rent a 3-BR single family house, ideally over 1500 sf and with a fenced yard. We have two dogs, one of whom is elderly and not good with stairs. We prefer a house with some history or character (like a Craftsman) but we like closets and storage space...so it's a tradeoff. Space for a small vegetable garden would be an added bonus.

3. Employment Status: I work downtown (currently a 50-mile commute) and my spouse works at home.

4. Children (public school vs. private): Not an issue. In fact, we'd prefer an area *not* jammed with minivans and strollers. I love kids, we're just past that point in our lives.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference: We would really, really like a walkable neighborhood with a good sense of community. Coffee shops, brewpubs, bakeries, bookstores, local markets, indie resturants are all great. We love live music, but dance clubs, not so much.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Yes. If I could take MARTA to work, we could potentially give up one car and expand our rent budget to $2000.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood: We have a high tolerance for hippies, bikers, geeks and L5P blue-mohawk types, and a low tolerance for thugs and snobs. Hipsters and college students fall somewhere in between...

8. Airport access, important or not? Nah.

Coming from a rural area, one of my big concerns is crime/safety. Wherever we move needs to be safe enough for me to walk my dogs alone at night, and for my teenager to come home late from school or work.

Thoughts?

[researchnerd]

47 views and not one reply...was it something I said? Did I not provide enough info? Too much?

[SW30303]

Sometimes it is timing, you posted overnight Saturday and not many people are here early Sunday morning to give advice about areas they may know (or not).

In my mind, close to the areas you suggest could be ideal. Did you check out areas close to certain MARTA stations (North East Line or going East towards Decatur)? How about East Atlanta? Ormewood, or Grant Park? There are plenty of bungalows there that would probably be close to what you describe. Although further out, I would even venture towards Doraville, Chamblee, Decatur or Avondale Estates. Most of these areas are somewhat close to MARTA stations. There are more affordable single detached homes for rent in most of these areas than other intown areas where it is higher density development (condos / apartments).

[johnatl]

Check out the various areas around the Brookhaven & Chamblee MARTA stations. Drew Valley, Sexton Woods, Ashford Park to name a few.

Good luck.

[researchnerd]

Thanks SW30303 and johnatl. I used to live in Norcross, just past Chamblee and Doraville, and that's really further out than I want to move. If I'm going to go through the hassle of moving into the city, I want to really be in the city.

We did a bunch of driving around in Atlanta yesterday and found Inman Park - loved it. We liked that whole area, Inman -> L5P -> Candler Park -> Lake Claire. I suspect finding something in our price range in that area would take a lot of work and some time, and we might have to sacrifice some space. But it probably isn't impossible....I wonder if there are real estate agents who help with rental homes?

Drove through Oakhurst and that was nice, but Decatur itself didn't really blow my skirt up. I know a couple of people who live there and love it, so I'll have to ask for the guided tour to find out what the attraction is.

We saw some adorable quirky bungalows in Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown, but...below DeKalb Avenue the vibe feels a bit sketchy. We also ventured south of 20 to East Atlanta Village, which also seemed kind of blah. I saw a handful of bars and a pizza place, and not much else. But the people who live in EAV really love their community, so I'm sure I am missing something.

I think the next areas we check out will be more north -- Midtown/Piedmont Park, Morningside, Brookhaven. But something tells me those are also likely to be pricey...

[plessthanpointohfive]

I live in Candler Park and I think it's possible for you to find a 3BR, 1500sqft place for $1500-$1600 in the Candler Park/Lake Claire area. It will be a bit of a tight search, but I think it's possible. I have a 2BR 1000-1100sqft apt I rent out for $1250/mo. If you can go up to $1700/mo I think that will give you more options.

craigslist is probably your best bet. Also, driving around the neighborhood looking for signs.

You may have to be patient, but I think you can find something in this part of town.

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

I live in Candler Park and I think it's possible for you to find a 3BR, 1500sqft place for $1500-$1600 in the Candler Park/Lake Claire area. It will be a bit of a tight search, but I think it's possible. I have a 2BR 1000-1100sqft apt I rent out for $1250/mo. If you can go up to $1700/mo I think that will give you more options.

craigslist is probably your best bet. Also, driving around the neighborhood looking for signs.

You may have to be patient, but I think you can find something in this part of town.

This is good news! We could probably go up to $1700 there because it's so close to MARTA. I've checked Craigslist and there's almost nothing in Candler Park or Inman Park...but I will keep looking. And maybe we can make it our weekend mission to go over there and check for signs. We aren't in a hurry, which helps.

[cwlawrence]

Kirkwood, just west of Oakhurst, sounds like it would be a good match for you.

[johnnyauburn]

For walkability, you can't beat Midtown. Just avoid west midtown.

[gumboula]

Since schools are not an issue, have you looked south along the MARTA line? Maybe College Park somewhere between Woodward Academy and Barrett Park? Or maybe East Point around Egan Park? I would also second the earlier recommendations of Avondale Estates (in the historic area) and Kirkwood.