Moving to Atlanta from NYC: Plz help! (Smyrna, Dunwoody: low income, apartment complexes)

[smuggy_mba]

Hi All,
I'll be moving to Atlanta for a new job. My office is in the downtown. I'm looking for a nice apartment within 15-20 miles of downtown which is secure and close to nice places. My wife will be going to school in Atlanta.

I'm tired of reading Apartment Ratings - Apartments for Rent with Ratings and Reviews from Actual Renters and about the car break ins, crimes and security concerns.

Can you please suggest a nice, secure, noise free, crime free apartment within 15-20 miles of downtown in the range: 700-800 dollars?

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by smuggy_mba

Hi All,
Can you please suggest a nice, secure, noise free, crime free apartment within 15-20 miles of downtown in the range: 700-800 dollars?

Once you hit the "noise free - crime free" part? The answer? None.

Sorry.

Not a smart-assy answer either. I mean really... none. You will not find an apartment in Atlanta that is "noise free and crime free" whether you are downtown or 25 miles outside the city - even if you pay twice your budget. You can find safer and quieter complexes, but that's relative to each person as each person has a tolerance level as to how much noise or crime is "too much" for them.

You also indicate that your job will be "in the downtown". I assume it's not "in" anything in particular downtown, and that you simply mean downtown in general. What part of downtown? Do you need public transit nearby? (our rail system is NOWHERE close to that in NYC). You also said your wife will be going to school "in Atlanta" - where in Atlanta? Atlanta has the largest metro area just about (short of Jacksonville and L.A.) in the U.S. You mean downtown as well?

It's the South - you gotta spell it all out here to get some answers, not speak NYC shorthand. LOL

[smuggy_mba]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Once you hit the "noise free - crime free" part? The answer? None.

Sorry.

Not a smart-assy answer either. I mean really... none. You will not find an apartment in Atlanta that is "noise free and crime free" whether you are downtown or 25 miles outside the city - even if you pay twice your budget. You can find safer and quieter complexes, but that's relative to each person as each person has a tolerance level as to how much noise or crime is "too much" for them.

You also indicate that your job will be "in the downtown". I assume it's not "in" anything in particular downtown, and that you simply mean downtown in general. What part of downtown? Do you need public transit nearby? (our rail system is NOWHERE close to that in NYC). You also said your wife will be going to school "in Atlanta" - where in Atlanta? Atlanta has the largest metro area just about (short of Jacksonville and L.A.) in the U.S. You mean downtown as well?

It's the South - you gotta spell it all out here to get some answers, not speak NYC shorthand. LOL

Hi atlantagreg30127,

Thanks for the reply. Yeah - I'm looking for the best possible option is terms of "quite" and "less crime". I'm reading apartment reviews and all of them mention car break-ins....scary!!.....and many apartments were built back in 1960s so they are not energy efficient and noise insulated.

I'll be working in Atlanta downtown on peachtree avenue (where we have these hiltons and marriotts..I was there once for an interview) and will be flying a lot to other cities for work as I'm a business consultant. My wife will be going to Clark Atlanta University, G. Tech or GSU depending on where she gets admission to an MBA....not yet decided.

I have a car so I'm not totally dependent on public transport but it's good if it's near if I don't feel like driving 20-25 miles one way each day.

Just looking for a best quite, less crime, close to walmart & stores and SAFE apartment in the range 750-800. Are there any such?

I appreciate you your time and help.

[atlantagreg30127]

$700-$800 is a VERY low range for "safe, quiet, convenient" in Atlanta. Well, unless you look for a studio apartment. If you want an areas that *is* on the rail, then look around the Brookhaven area (North) or Lindberg area (in-between Midtown and Downtown) for places.

Generally though, in these areas a 1BR to 2BR are going to run in the $900-$1100 range at best. I can't recommend specific apartment complexes, but I'll tell you now to avoid the varied "Post Properties" around (in my opinion). Reason being is price (VERY expensive), they're typcially poorly built (low sound insulation) and they have very high income and credit scrore requirement to get in. They're typically what's call a "fluff community" - you're paying for extended landscaping, ammenities, and a brand name, but not quality construction or square footage.

[Ectoprism]

I pay $650 for a 2b/r apartment in Clarkston. I can get downtown in no time.

Sure, Clarkston is overall a low income city (aka..what some call da' hood ), but the crime levels are honestly very low. Think there's only been 2 or 3 murders in the last 5 years. It's mostly petty theft if anything. Summed up...The town is an extremely diverse area of lower class immigrants from all over the globe. Africa, Asia, Middle East, Bosnia..etc. You name the country and there's probably someone here from that country.

Are most of them rather poor and struggling ? Yes

Are they criminals ? Nope

There's a few apartment complexes that are loaded with thugs, but mine seems to be 75%+ immigrants. It's rather quite at night. The apartment isn't anything special, rather basic, but everything works.

[smuggy_mba]

Hi Atlantagreg, Ectoprism.

Thanks for ur replies. If my budget is a bit low, I can do away with MARTA and look for a only safe, quite and clean place.

I think it's a good idea to stay in a community where there are professionals and educated people. I checked out gables communities; are they good?

Can you please name specific clean, safe, quite, less crime and secure rental communities within 20 miles of Atlanta downtown? My budget is 700-900 now if that is the case.

Thanks!

[sweettea1]

Look at Magnolia of Vinings; Post Spring; and Post Glen apartments. The first two are in Smyrna/Vinings, the third is in Brookhaven.

[atlantagreg30127]

OMG if one more person says "quite" instead of "QUIET" I'm gonna go nuts.

Deep Breath. Zen....

And yes, Gables are typically very nice communities. At least from what I've heard and seen when I toured a couple of them.

[sweettea1]

More than when people WRITE IN ALL CAPS AND PUT IN MORE THAN ONE QUESTION MARK????

[smuggy_mba]

Sorry for the typo- Quiet it is.

I was checking out camdenliving.com and archstoneapartments.com.

Any comments? How are these two areas: Dunwoody and Sandy springs in terms of crime, Quietness, ameneties nearby etc..

Thanks!