Poncey-Highland?? (Atlanta, Buckhead: neighborhood, best schools, place to live)

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

They got amn absolutely amazing house for practically nothing. Fixer upper of course, but gorgeous. She says that other than an occasional crackhead on the stoop, it's okay. They enjoy urban pioneering a lot, and have lots if funny stories about their encounters with the populace.

I think this is the key. In either location, be aware that it's in transition and you're likely to be pioneers for a while. Unfortunately there is no way to predict how long that transition could take - could be two years, or five, or twenty. If that is OK with you and your wife while raising small children, go for it. Some people embrace the adventure, others would rather not deal with it.

[JPD]

P-H is not a transitional area.

Who are these people who post on here?

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by JPD

P-H is not a transitional area.

Who are these people who post on here?

Exactly.


The uninformed are talking like Poncey-Highland is Summerhill or something.

[testa50]

Poncey Highland is probably preferable to East Lake/Kirkwood with regard to safety and so forth. Your neighbors are Druid Hills, Virginia Highland, and Inman Park. That's very good company to be in. Ponce itself is still a bit sketch, but it would be hard to argue it isn't improving. Poncey Highland is not the domain of urban pioneers anymore.

Kirkwood is not bad at all, but more transitional and near less-established neighborhoods. Still it would be a stretch to call people there urban pioneers.

If you were asking about Grant Park or EAV, I would be more reserved in my assessment. But Poncey Highland is one of those areas that is starting to burst with families.

[NativeJr]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

What, exactly, is Poncey-Highland?

Obviously it's Ponce and Highland, but would you not say that it extends west to about Monroe?

Ever heard the old saying "other side of the tracks?" The"tracks" that separated the two areas is now the Beltline. The Poncey-Highland side has been relatively safe for years; as safe as most any in-town neighborhood. The other side of the track has improved immensely from where it was just a few years ago, but it is still a bit scary. That's the area you were talking about. The addition of a new police precinct on Boulevard should help this area.

For some reason, people tend to casually include adjoining neighborhoods with better known counter parts. An example is Midtown. Even many real estate agents, who should know better, wrongly lump adjoining neighborhoods in Midtown.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Toomer E.S. received the governors award last year.

Yes, they were one school (of many) to earn that distinction, in the "greatest gains" category. Certainly commendable. I'm still going to argue that "making gains" and "performing well" are not the same thing. Rapid statistical jumps come easily when you start far,far down the list.

. . . and I say all this as someone who is actively shopping for a home in that area. I'm certainly not trying to drag those accomplishments through the mud, but they need to be evaluated in a broader scope.

[gtcorndog]

Nice area. I'd live there. I'd look at the schools and make sure you are in a decent elementary school district. That would be a huge concern for me because some of the intown schools are getting better (heck, some are very good), but it is still very hit-or-miss. I can't comment on them specifically, but do your research on this. Otherwise, it would be a nice place to live and grow up IMO.

[NativeJr]

Originally Posted by testa50

Ponce itself is still a bit sketch, but it would be hard to argue it isn't improving. Poncey Highland is not the domain of urban pioneers anymore.

Ponce near Highland is still much safer than Ponce near Boulevard. I would not necessarily agree that it's sketchy. It maybe be a little less safe than further into Poncey-Highland, but it is no longer sketchy.

Being a native Atlantan, I've had to learn not just to assume that areas that were bad years ago are still bad today.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by NativeJr

Ponce near Highland is still much safer than Ponce near Boulevard. I would not necessarily agree that it's sketchy. It maybe be a little less safe than further into Poncey-Highland, but it is no longer sketchy.

Being a native Atlantan, I've had to learn not just to assume that areas that were bad years ago are still bad today.

This is true, but there remains a certain amount of vice activity and homelessness on Ponce, to the west of N Highland. Clearly the further to the west you go, the worse it gets. By the time you get to Highland, it's basically fine.

Ponce City Market will change all of this greatly. Right now it's a drag on the neighborhood...soon it will be transformed into a lynchpin of the neighborhood.

[atl parent]

Ponce Market is going to be incredible (I took a tour of the interior) and the Beltline's proximity to P-H is a big plus. It's hard to over-estimate the impact they will have. SPARK-Inman-Grady are all very good public schools, though crowding is an issue at all of them. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to live in P-H, if one can afford it.

That said, P-H has often struck me as an odd neighborhood to love because of the street/Freedom Parkway situation--it doesn't seem as pedestrian friendly as the surrounding neighborhoods.