Working at Peachtree Center, where to live? (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: rent, condo)

[mtnbkr1]

I might be relocating to work at Peachtree Center. My wife and I are in our late 20s are looking for suggestions on where to look. We don't have kids now but plan to in the future. We don't want to move again after this so want a place we can settle down in. We like a suburban area but want access, by car is fine, to shopping and restaurants. Another bonus would be proximity to areas to go biking, both road and mountain.

1. Budget - Under $400k

2. House/Condo/Townhome? - detached single family, 2 car garage, newer (1990's+), open floorplan, with basement (are there walkout basements in Atlanta?)

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) - commuting to Peachtree Center so I'd like to be close to a Marta stop but this isn't a deal breaker. Driving or on Marta, I'd like to be within a 30 minute commute

4. Children(public school vs. private) - no kids, but we're planning for some in the future. Likely sending them to public schools and want a family oriented neighborhood

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two - 100% suburban

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? - low priority, but it would be nice to be close to a Marta stop


Thanks for all the help.

[lorilove]

Your budget will give you lots of options in metro Atlanta. 30 minute commute with good public schools will greatly reduce those options.

Start your search with Sandy Springs, Dunwoody or Roswell. Suburban with good schools and relatively good access to Marta. Yes, there are walk out basements in Atlanta.

These are more established neighborhoods. You will want to look at both new construction and remodeled older homes. Some schools are better than others so do your homework.

[koko339]

I agree with Lori, you'll probably want to look in North Fulton or Dunwoody. This will put you closest to a suburban rail stop. Since Peachtree Center is its own MARTA station, why not take advantage of the rail line and avoid the hellish driving experience?

You might have to stretch your expectations though just a little bit, since your dollar will only go so far in the best areas. Would you be ok with something built in the 1980s?

[cqholt]

Take MARTA, since the Peachtree Center Station is inside the building. It will save you a lot of time and stress. Look in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, or Chamblee.

[gumboula]

I concur with all of the places people have mentioned up the Red or Gold MARTA lines. If you plan on taking MARTA, the closer to the station the better. Surface streets can be busy in some of these areas, so you don't want a 20 minute commute just to get to the train!

If you don't care about a yard, you may find something circa 1990s+ in your price range. Seems to me most anything built in that era is more akin to cluster homes with virtually no yard. Newer construction with a yard tends to be more recent infill houses (2000+) and will likely be out of your price range unless you go further north than most of the recommendations thus far (probably out of the reach of MARTA). But there are quite nice, renovated 1970s era homes in the areas mentioned. More traditional style than ranch style; "5-4 and a door" is the common parlance, though I don't know if that translates outside of Atlanta, they are brick with five windows up and four windows down with a door in the middle, many have been renovated to take out boxy walls and smaller rooms inside to make a more open floor plan. The areas mentioned are kind of hilly, so walkout basements are very common.

All of these areas will get you close to places bike (road/trail) and within an hour commute of serious mountain biking in further North Georgia (well, you don't say where you are from, so maybe not serious mountain biking if you are from Colorado or something).

Be wary if you plan on driving going too far north and trying to commute downtown. What will seem like an easy commute to Roswell takes on a completely different character during rush hour. The commute times on the highways are generally worse outside the perimeter (I-285) than inside during peak times.

[residinghere2007]

I would look for good intown neighborhoods. But this is coming from someone who doesn't like to drive. I currently work in Peachtree Center and my co-workers all live north, and honestly they are late to work almost every day. I live a mile from work and have a very easy 10 minute commute.

With your price range, I would look into Midtown, Morningside, VA Highland neighborhoods. They are all very short distances from downtown and don't have horrific traffic if you want to drive to work. My co-workers take over an hour to get to work most days unless they leave super early or super late. I leave my house at 7:30 and take my 2 kids to 2 different places and can still get to work by 8am. That makes a difference IMO. All of the intown neighborhoods I mentioned have good schools and are close to good shopping and restaurants. If you want a more suburban feel though, then by all means, go north. I don't like suburban living and I really didn't like it in my 20s but everyone is different.

[arjay57]

Brookhaven and parts of Buckhead would work for you too.

[mtnbkr1]

To give a reference, I am coming from the DC area. I live in MD, about 20 miles north of the city.

[SW30303]

If I were you, I would rent first, then get a feel for the metro area. I would buy later. You ought to look into a short term rental, 6 months or shorter. I would not rush to buy any house here at all if I did not know the area. Good luck.

[gumboula]

Originally Posted by SW30303

If I were you, I would rent first, then get a feel for the metro area. I would buy later. You ought to look into a short term rental, 6 months or shorter. I would not rush to buy any house here at all if I did not know the area. Good luck.

Definitely agree with that. I have a friend who moved here from around where you are and she was quite surprised by the type of house/type of neighborhood she could get into so close to downtown.