When's the best time to search for apartments in ATL? (Atlanta: house, neighborhoods)

[ja1myn]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I think you will find that there isn't as much to keep you busy in Atanta as there is in NY, so you will find yourself home more. That's when the place is going to start feeling small.

I mean, it would for me, but since you've done it already, maybe you are used to it. The only person I know who lives in a space that small lives in Virginia Highland. However, he travels all the time and is usually only here for a few nights a week, plus he has lots of family in Atlanta and sleeps at family houses much of the time.

I suppose you *CAN* live in a space that small. $2.50 per square foot does seem really high, though, even if you are in the heart of midtown on the top floor with a downtown view. Fully furnished units at Viewpoint and Spire are going for less than $2 per square foot.

That's certainly true that there isn't as much to do in Atlanta, but when I was there last week for 4 days I did notice quite a few things that interested me. I heard there is an underground mall or something like that which I'd probably spend quite a few hours in on the weekends, before or after I go biking around the city or on some trail that leads into Alabama. Downtown seemed like a bit of a let-down, but I'm sure there are some fun places there to just hang out for a bit. There is a gym that is rather large in my building as well which I can see myself being at for hours at a time as well. The tanning deck is perfect too as I enjoy tanning at least an hour a day up here in the summers.

I just liked the apartment because it has all upgraded appliances and a washer/dryer on the same floor that I would be living on along with a massage center and dry cleaning service all in the building. Seemed like a good deal.

Also I remember seeing a couple Barnes and Nobles that would be good to enjoy some coffee and a book every once in a while to clear my mind. Certainly there has to be other things that I can find to do as well.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by ja1myn

That's certainly true that there isn't as much to do in Atlanta, but when I was there last week for 4 days I did notice quite a few things that interested me. I heard there is an underground mall or something like that which I'd probably spend quite a few hours in on the weekends, before or after I go biking around the city or on some trail that leads into Alabama. Downtown seemed like a bit of a let-down, but I'm sure there are some fun places there to just hang out for a bit. There is a gym that is rather large in my building as well which I can see myself being at for hours at a time as well. The tanning deck is perfect too as I enjoy tanning at least an hour a day up here in the summers.

I just liked the apartment because it has all upgraded appliances and a washer/dryer on the same floor that I would be living on along with a massage center and dry cleaning service all in the building. Seemed like a good deal.

Also I remember seeing a couple Barnes and Nobles that would be good to enjoy some coffee and a book every once in a while to clear my mind. Certainly there has to be other things that I can find to do as well.

I assure you there is nothing in the Underground that will keep you busy for a few hours. You can literally walk in through the front door walk straight and be at the MARTA station to leave in like two minutes lol. The food court is nothing but a bunch a bad fast food restaurants, kiosks selling useless trinkettes, and stores that sell sneakers, baseball caps and cheap "urban wear." The few decent restaurants and stores that were there have closed many years ago. The Underground just couldn't support them. They tried to convert it to a nightlife hot spot some years back but I don't know how well that went. It's a tourist trap with nothing in there to keep them trapped for very long. You'd be much better off hanging out at Lenox Mall.

You say that downtown was a bit of a let down. What you saw pretty much is what you get and the Underground quite frankly it's the only thing downtown has going. There are some restaurants downntown but that's about it. And the further south you go on Peachtree the more raggedy it gets and there's nothing but all sorts of sketchiness around Five Points Station. And lots of homeless hanging out downtown.

You could go to the High Museum but I would recommend going only on the first Saturday of every month because it's free for Fulton County residents but it's not worth the admission price for its small collection to go any other day of the month. The only time it's worth going is when the traveling exhibits are on display there, and the ones worthy of note have come and gone (Van Gogh, The Impressionists, Dali, The Louvre/Napolean's antiquities collection, Chinese Terra Cotta Army). They do have a collection of New York photography on display currently which inlcudes the work of Diane Arbus, along with some beautiful civil right's murals. But again I would only go see it on free day. The High is a one-stop shop and doesn't have much else. Atlanta's attractions are overpriced and limited.

However Dragon Con is coming up (a big sci-fi/fantasy convention) and that's fun. Even if sci-fi isn't your thing, the parade is lots of fun and so is hanging out around the hotels during the convention because you get to see all these people walking around in their costumes all day every day. Also in the month of October there's the Greek Festival and Japan Fest in Stone Mountain.

It has a bar scene in Virginia-Highland and a cluster of bars at Roswell Rd and Irby Ave. and E. Andrews St. And of course concerts and plays come into town.

I go to the High on free day and walk Lenox Mall just to have something to do. There are bike trails and hiking. Outside of eating, drinking and shopping, Atlanta really doesn't have much else going on that's noteworthy and will get borning really fast to someone who has lived in NYC. It's also not nearly as walkable. Atlanta caters more to people with a consumerist/strip mall mentality.

[tonygeorgia]

It's plenty of stuff to do here. The people that say otherwise have a history of giving out bad info. Check out the Atlanta history center, fernbank museum, jimmy carter center, Mlk memorial site, cnn center, Atlantic station, etc. If you want to go bar shopping go to buckhead, midtown, the highlands,etc. If you into the outdoors check out stone mountain park, piedmont park, sweatwater park, silver comet trail, blue ridge mountain,etc. If you want to check out some shows visit the fox theater or the Cobb energy center. We are a 2 hour flight to the Caribbean and to 80% of the US. Hop on megabus and visit new Orleans, Orlando,etc. Drive north for about a hour and check out lake lanier, the north ga mountains,etc. We are also an hour away from the north Ga wine country with several wineries that can compete with the best in Napa Valley. Go hiking up kennesaw mountain. Six flags, white water, midtown music festival, college football games to include sec championship and a bowl game. We are ranked high at having the most strip clubs in America. We have one called the clermont lounge were women over 50 dance naked. It's plenty of stuff to do here

[residinghere2007]

I agree there are a lot of things to do here in Atlanta and we aren't that far from FL where you can go to the beach and such as well as all the options mentioned above.

I agree with Atlanta_BD that Underground is not going to keep you busy though. I also agree that what you are paying for 400 sq ft is pretty steep and I would have negotiated down. Can you still ask to negotiate down or is it too late? I would start off at $800 and probably wouldn't go higher than that. I haven't lived in a high rise before, not my thing, but I had a friend who did and their apartment was bigger (a little over 800 sq ft) and they paid less than you are paying. This was a couple years ago but honestly I feel the rental markets are pretty much the same as what they were.

[ja1myn]

Thanks for all the information guys. I don't think I'll be that bored there.

@residinghere2007: Price can't be negotiated but I'm happy with it.

[Mishap]

I was paying ~1400/mon for a 1bdr in Spire in '08 - '09 w/ a nice downtown view. They offered to drop it 100/mon when I left but I suspect the lack of new apts in the area have kept that price stable or higher. The adjacent Post Biltmore wanted ~1200-1300 for a similar size but in a low rise/carpeted/Marta rumbling by unit w/o a balcony/separate laundry. I'm surprised there are any units in high rises that are ~400 sf. Most of them are ~600+ sf in the more modern high rises and all have built in space for washer/dryer. Regardless, it can be pretty steep to live around here. Can't wait to finish my refi and get my condo down to a 15yr@1k/mon mortgage.

As for biking, I only go out to the Silver Comet w/ my g/f since she's not much for riding on public roads. It's a 30 min drive to the trail head. I usually just do a loop out to Decatur weekend mornings to get in ~16-20 miles w/ minimal traffic. You can extend that all the way out to Stone Mountain and do a few laps to push it out to 50+ miles if you have the time. If you mountain bike, there are several very nice trails w/ ~10-20 miles of trails about 30-40 min from Midtown. Alternately, you can just bike around Piedmont Park which is not too bad on its own.

Not that much for shopping but my g/f and I wander Lenox/Phipps on occasion. Far higher end than Underground and still a short drive/train ride over.

[Onthemove2014]

Most of the stuff to do here is tourist based one time stuff. If you live here that stuff is not something you do everyday.

[ja1myn]

Originally Posted by Mishap

I was paying ~1400/mon for a 1bdr in Spire in '08 - '09 w/ a nice downtown view. They offered to drop it 100/mon when I left but I suspect the lack of new apts in the area have kept that price stable or higher. The adjacent Post Biltmore wanted ~1200-1300 for a similar size but in a low rise/carpeted/Marta rumbling by unit w/o a balcony/separate laundry. I'm surprised there are any units in high rises that are ~400 sf. Most of them are ~600+ sf in the more modern high rises and all have built in space for washer/dryer. Regardless, it can be pretty steep to live around here. Can't wait to finish my refi and get my condo down to a 15yr@1k/mon mortgage.

As for biking, I only go out to the Silver Comet w/ my g/f since she's not much for riding on public roads. It's a 30 min drive to the trail head. I usually just do a loop out to Decatur weekend mornings to get in ~16-20 miles w/ minimal traffic. You can extend that all the way out to Stone Mountain and do a few laps to push it out to 50+ miles if you have the time. If you mountain bike, there are several very nice trails w/ ~10-20 miles of trails about 30-40 min from Midtown. Alternately, you can just bike around Piedmont Park which is not too bad on its own.

Not that much for shopping but my g/f and I wander Lenox/Phipps on occasion. Far higher end than Underground and still a short drive/train ride over.

Good stuff. So I guess what I'm paying's not that bad?

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Most of the stuff to do here is tourist based one time stuff. If you live here that stuff is not something you do everyday.

It's starting to seem that way. Good thing I don't mind working late hours.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Most of the stuff to do here is tourist based one time stuff. If you live here that stuff is not something you do everyday.

That's the same for every city on earth. Going to casinos get old if you live in Vegas. Going to Times Square gets old.if u live in NYC. Going to the White House gets old if you iive in DC.

[ATLTJL]

I always love how when listing how great it is, Tony always talks about Atlanta being great because it is so easy to get away from and go to other places.

Makes me laugh every time.