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Old 09-11-2007, 11:49 AM
 
3 posts, read 14,471 times
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I have the opportunity to relocate to ATL with my current company which has several offices in the area. I'm considering either one of the offices in Decatur or Fayetteville but I need to know what would be my best option.

My boyfriend and I have a 6yr old son so schools are important. We are in our early 30s and enjoy live music, theater, bars/clubs, parks, shopping, and kid-friendly cultural activities. He's a car salesman so we don't anticipate having any problem finding a job for him. We're not trying to commute 1-2 hrs a day just to get back and forth from work so we'll probably live in either Decatur or Fayetteville (or at least very close to).

I've been doing some research and it looks like both have pretty good school districts (inside Decatur's city limits). We will be renting initally until we get a better idea of the area ($1500 max). I haven't found many apartments located w/in Decaur city limits - suggestions? We don't mind diversity but we definitely want some brothers and sisters around. I've heard there's a lot of crime in Decatur but does it stand out compared to other larger cities around the country?

What is the cost of living comparison between the two areas?

We also have an office in the N. Druid Hills area - any thoughts?
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Old 09-11-2007, 12:58 PM
 
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They are both very different. I would choose Decatur hands down. You will probably find a more affordable, larger home in Fayetteville, along with plenty of strip malls and cookie cutter subdivisions. Decatur is more expensive, but right now is probably a great time to buy. Decatur is very culured, downtown Decatur is very pedestrian and family freindly. Decatur is about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Fayetteville is around 45 minutes. Decatur is inside the perimeter, Fayetteville is outside the perimeter.

Why those two? There are many different area's in between. East Point is in between and inside the perimeter. I know two families with young children who live there and they are very happy to be there.
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Old 09-11-2007, 02:26 PM
 
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If your ultimate goal is to buy, then you need to figure your price range and see if you can afford the TYPE and Size house you want in the city of Decatur. To be far to your child, you ought to do your best to minimize moves. If you rent in Decatur and then hate it, that is one thing, but if you love it and can't afford to own there then that is an entirely different thing.
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Old 09-11-2007, 05:19 PM
 
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I'm looking to make a job transfer so that's why it's between Decatur or Fayetteville. We're willing to live in areas outside of Decatur or Fayetteville but I want to be able to get to my son if I need to w/out having to drive an hour. What's the huge difference between ITP and OTP?

We were really leaning towards Fayetteville b/c of the great schools and the inexpensive housing but now we're just concerned that Fayetteville won't give us the "city" vibe we want. We wouldn't mind driving 45 mins to get to downtown but will we have to always drive outside of Fayetteville to be in the mix?

lastminutemom - Good point about minimizing moves but once we make this first move we're going to be in the same area for a few years while I complete my master's degree.
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Old 09-11-2007, 06:27 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville, GA.
218 posts, read 1,187,000 times
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Default Fayetteville...VERY Family Oriented City

Quote:
Originally Posted by rizza View Post
I'm looking to make a job transfer so that's why it's between Decatur or Fayetteville. We're willing to live in areas outside of Decatur or Fayetteville but I want to be able to get to my son if I need to w/out having to drive an hour. What's the huge difference between ITP and OTP?

We were really leaning towards Fayetteville b/c of the great schools and the inexpensive housing but now we're just concerned that Fayetteville won't give us the "city" vibe we want. We wouldn't mind driving 45 mins to get to downtown but will we have to always drive outside of Fayetteville to be in the mix?

lastminutemom - Good point about minimizing moves but once we make this first move we're going to be in the same area for a few years while I complete my master's degree.
I live in Fayetteville, and even though I like it, it is a very family oriented town; nothing CLOSE to the city vibe you are looking for. I would say if you are desiring great schools, Fayetteville is great, but, if you want the "city" vibe, you may want to consider East Atlanta; they have great schools such as Inman Middle, Mary Lin Elementary, Morningside Elementary, and Grady High. It is a little expensive, though, so you have to decide if schools or a "city" vibe is important, and as a parent, I would think schools are more important with the occasional "city" vibe.
And actually, Fayetteville (the areas where the good schools are) is not cheap; very, if little, to no cookie cutter houses are out here like cheap subdivisions. Fayette County is very picky and choosy about developers which is why you do not see a lot of cookie cutter cheap houses, which is also great for resale. There are a lot of resales out here; new homes sometime START in the 300,000 range.
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Old 09-11-2007, 07:28 PM
 
4 posts, read 12,562 times
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it depends how dark you like it!
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Old 09-11-2007, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Atlanta for the past 6 years
1 posts, read 5,332 times
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ITP and OTP:
Also known as "inside the fence", "outside the fence" ...

I've lived in both places. In Fayetteville I lived on a seven acre farm and it was lovely and slow. I could drive into the town (which is now a city- I lived there eight years ago). In Decatur, I was new to Atlanta and was looking for something more dynamic and Bohemian. I would pick Decatur over Fayetteville if you are looking for anything other than a slow commute.
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Old 09-11-2007, 09:15 PM
 
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$1500 isn't going to get you very far in Decatur, particularly if you want to buy something.
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Old 09-12-2007, 06:39 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
314 posts, read 1,275,798 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLienGirl View Post
I live in Fayetteville, and even though I like it, it is a very family oriented town; nothing CLOSE to the city vibe you are looking for. I would say if you are desiring great schools, Fayetteville is great, but, if you want the "city" vibe, you may want to consider East Atlanta; they have great schools such as Inman Middle, Mary Lin Elementary, Morningside Elementary, and Grady High. It is a little expensive, though, so you have to decide if schools or a "city" vibe is important, and as a parent, I would think schools are more important with the occasional "city" vibe.
And actually, Fayetteville (the areas where the good schools are) is not cheap; very, if little, to no cookie cutter houses are out here like cheap subdivisions. Fayette County is very picky and choosy about developers which is why you do not see a lot of cookie cutter cheap houses, which is also great for resale. There are a lot of resales out here; new homes sometime START in the 300,000 range.
are you implying that you cannot have a strong family oriented vibe as well as a strong city vibe? to me Decatur is a great combination of both. You DO NOT have to give up the city vibe to get a great family vibe.

suburbia is not the only place to find a strong family vibe!!!!!!!!!

The schools in Decatur are great too...
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Old 09-12-2007, 10:43 AM
 
5 posts, read 13,955 times
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Fayetteville is OTP, Decatur is ITP. OTP= Lay back, peace and strip malls, ITP is more urban, fast paced. They are very far apart in lifestyle and location. Fayetteville is a long and boring drive from/to downtown Atlanta. Decatur is hip, colorfull architecture, with great ethnic variety and cultural representation. North Druid Hill is more similar to Decatur and north of Atlanta about 15-20min. drive. prices might be a little cheaper if you know where to look.
Alex.
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