Moving Very Soon - How bad is it, really? (Atlanta: real estate, apartments)

[Denise82]

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are moving from Chicago to the ATL area soon. Before I pose my questions, let me follow the "sticky" guidelines first:

1. We plan on renting to start, so our budget is no more than $1,100 / mo.
2. We need to rent a house because we have a few cats.
3. My industry, commercial real estate, has job concentrated primarily in ATL, so I would definitely commute via public transportation.
4. We have a one-year-old, so daycare is a necessity.
5. We prefer the suburban life, but a suburban/urban mix is doable since we like to get out from time to time.
6. Definitely need easy access to public transportation.
7. We prefer a mixed area...not predominantly anything. But maybe more "family" oriented.

I hear a lot of people complain about the traffic, but I'm curious to know exactly how bad it truly is - which is often relative to where you come from (i.e. born there or moved from somewhere else). In Chicago, it takes me about 40 minutes to get to work on the train, and about an hour if I have to drive. Would the commute be similar if I moved to Alpharetta or Marietta? As stated above, the commercial real estate industry seems to be very concentrated to the downtown ATL area, so I'm thinking my options for employment will be rather limited (considering that I manage high-rise buildings).

Also, what are some other suggestions for good suburban areas with easy access to the city? Thanks in advance!

[gt6974a]

Skip Marietta if you you need public transportation, say along the 400 or 85 corridor

[rcsteiner]

Traffic is a problem in ATL mainly because there are often no alternative routes at all for the interstates. I-285 across the northern arc of the metro can be terrible, for example, and an accident will close it down. Same with I-75 in the northwest corner of the metro, and I-85 in the NE corner.

I came from the Twin Cities. Traffic there was not that bad, although the I-494 corridor through Bloomington could stack up at times, as could 35W and 394. I've driven through the Chicago metro before, but mainly not during rush hour. Atlanta is generally worse than the Twin Cities (much worse in terms of alternative routes), but I don't know how it compares to Chicago. I suspect traffic in both places can be equally nasty. I have been on the Loop twice during rush hour, and I didn't like it, but as I said I'm from a somewhat smaller metro.

[Raleigh_ATL]

Based on what you said, the traffic is comparable to your commutes in Chicago. That commute would be worse from Alpharetta, and Marietta has no MARTA access. I think you would be better off in MARTA-serviced areas like Decatur, Norcross, Brookhaven, or Chamblee. You could probably find rentals for your max budget in these areas.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Raleigh_ATL

Based on what you said, the traffic is comparable to your commutes in Chicago. That commute would be worse from Alpharetta, and Marietta has no MARTA access. I think you would be better off in MARTA-serviced areas like Decatur, Norcross, or Chamblee. You could probably find rentals for your max budget in these areas.

Agreed. Good comments.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Denise82

As stated above, the commercial real estate industry seems to be very concentrated to the downtown ATL area, so I'm thinking my options for employment will be rather limited (considering that I manage high-rise buildings).

Atlanta has several very distinct commercial areas that have large high-rise buildings: Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Galleria, Perimeter. If you know the buildings that you will be managing, you can look for the most convenient neighborhood.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by Raleigh_ATL

Based on what you said, the traffic is comparable to your commutes in Chicago. That commute would be worse from Alpharetta, and Marietta has no MARTA access. I think you would be better off in MARTA-serviced areas like Decatur, Norcross, Brookhaven, or Chamblee. You could probably find rentals for your max budget in these areas.

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Atlanta has several very distinct commercial areas that have large high-rise buildings: Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Galleria, Perimeter. If you know the buildings that you will be managing, you can look for the most convenient neighborhood.

I agree with both of the above with the exception of Norcross, which is not on MARTA. I'd substitute that for Doraville, which is MARTA accessible and the closest station to Gwinnett County (Norcross is in Gwinnett County). If you will be driving to the Doraville train station though from Norcross, it would be doable for you.

[SDreams404]

You keep saying "industry" - are you coming down here with no job?

The traffic is bad but if you plan on using MARTA (namely the train) that shouldn't matter because you'll be underground.

Sandy Springs would fit - something near perimeter mall could work. Apartments and townhomes allow cats so I not sure why you HAVE to have a house unless you just want one.

At $1,100/month, you really could look at just buying a house.

Good luck!

[arjay57]

Traffic here is not bad at all compared to Chicagoland.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by SDreams404

You keep saying "industry" - are you coming down here with no job?

The traffic is bad but if you plan on using MARTA (namely the train) that shouldn't matter because you'll be underground.

Sandy Springs would fit - something near perimeter mall could work. Apartments and townhomes allow cats so I not sure why you HAVE to have a house unless you just want one.

At $1,100/month, you really could look at just buying a house.

Good luck!

While I mostly agree with what was said in this post, $1,100 dollar a month is barely part of reality right now. It is going to cost more just to rent in an area with public transit.