What else is there besides Vinings, Smyrna, Marietta, Roswell? (Dunwoody: rent, schools)

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

it's hard to believe because it isn't true. atlanta, especially midtown and buckhead, is definitely safer than chicago. whoever told you that chicago is safer than atlanta is a dope. the westside of atlanta is not a safe area, but you'll know if you get over there, there's no grocery stores or restaurants or anything in unsafe areas that are in town, and recently those places have become fewer and farther between.

and whoever called decatur rundown, you need to smack them upside the head. decatur is probably the nicest place inside the perimeter, low crime, great schools, great restaurants, urban feel, but also quiet, it's like a small college town dropped into the middle of a big city.

so you live in downtown chicago? would you like to live in an urban area, a single family home, etc? we have tons of options all inside the perimeter and close to atlantic station. you can even live in atlantic station if you want.

Remember that there are plenty of areas of unincorporated south and central DeKalb with a Decatur mailing address that are definitely rundown. Someone looking at some addresses online from out of town that doesn't know the difference between Decatur proper and a Decatur mailing address can get confused as there is quite a disparity between the two.

[SweetP72]

Thanks everyone, we appreciate all the thoughtful opinions. We are mapping out our visit for this weekend and we'll post again to let you know how's it going or if we have more questions (I'm sure we will)..

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Remember that there are plenty of areas of unincorporated south and central DeKalb with a Decatur mailing address that are definitely rundown. Someone looking at some addresses online from out of town that doesn't know the difference between Decatur proper and a Decatur mailing address can get confused as there is quite a disparity between the two.

I think that this goes beyond out of towners. A large swath of that area calls itself Decatur, and it really isn't in the city limits. Anyone who has just visited the area is likely to be confused.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by SweetP72

Thanks everyone, we appreciate all the thoughtful opinions. We are mapping out our visit for this weekend and we'll post again to let you know how's it going or if we have more questions (I'm sure we will)..

specific neighbourhoods to check out are loring heights, which overlooks atlantic station, berkeley park which is a little bit north of there, the whole "west midtown" which comprises a lot of areas around there, midtown, virginia highland, and ansley park.

and definitely check out some of the apartments in atlantic station. nothing beats convenience.

[cqholt]

Kirkwood, Edgewood, Cabbagetown, Old 4th Ward are possible areas that you can find a single-family home for $1200 rent. Those areas are walkable,and have direct MARTA rail connections. The areas are safe and have high neighborhood involvement. I live in Kirkwood and am able to walk to Kroger, Target, and Lowes at the Edgewood Retail District.

[msjls8]

Being an Atlanta implant myself, I lived in Stone Mountain for about 6yrs and while I was traveling for work it didn't matter. Once I accepted a position in Atlanta and had to commute...let me tell you, a little piece of me died every morning and evening traveling from Stone Mountain to Vinings. I'm a foodie and enjoy eating out at places other than Applebees, socializing and having options minutes away vs. having to make plans that include 45min of travel time to/from home to hang out with friends and couples. I have since moved to the Buckhead/Midtown area and love it. I still attend church in the St Mtn area and now I know why I was dubbed "geographically unattractive" hahaha...that's a looooong way to pick up and drop someone off on a date when they don't live in the area.

[cittic10]

Your options get newer and cheaper the farther out you go, not unlike Chicago.
But with that comes a significantly longer commute to work and higher transportation costs.

Urban living is definitely not for me but if I had to commute to atlantic station every day I would have to grin and bear it. Unless I had a helicopter.

[ATLTJL]

I would also encourage you to look in Atlantic Station proper.

There are apartments there, and Twelve Atlantic Station is such a troubled building that I bet you could get a great deal from an owner who just wants a decent tenant.

It's a relatively new building. I don't think it was constructed particularly well, but it's got a decent enough gloss on the surface and the convenience factor would be priceless.

[Jimmeh]

Vinings commute to Atlantic Station would be like 15 minutes. Vinings is right outside Atlanta. The area is very safe and they have some cool condos you can see the skyline of Atlanta and the skyline of Buckhead right next to each other. It's a further view, but I like it. So many great places to eat in Vinings. Depending what part of Marietta you will have a commute. Vinings downtown is right next to 75 and 285, but Smyrna amd Marietta you may need to add another 10-20 minutes to your commute just getting to the interstate.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Jimmeh

Vinings commute to Atlantic Station would be like 15 minutes. Vinings is right outside Atlanta. The area is very safe and they have some cool condos you can see the skyline of Atlanta and the skyline of Buckhead right next to each other. It's a further view, but I like it. So many great places to eat in Vinings. Depending what part of Marietta you will have a commute. Vinings downtown is right next to 75 and 285, but Smyrna amd Marietta you may need to add another 10-20 minutes to your commute just getting to the interstate.

Smyrna directly borders Vinings. I think a 10 minute addition to the commute is going to be a worst case scenario for a Smyrna resident versus Vinings.