Strong Chance of Getting a Job in ATL! Excited but nervous here (Atlanta: apartment complexes, for rent)

[deadally]

Hi all, I applied for a job in Atlanta, and they are bringing me in for an interview (at their expense). To me, this telegraphs significant interest, so I have begun looking into how I might make the move and where exactly that might be. Here are my answers to the particulars

1. Budget

We are looking to rent at first. I do not know what the job is, but our budget is looking like 800-1100 comfortably. If the salary is higher then I might be able to go as high as 1500. I would rather have the opportunity to save some money, if possible!

2. House/Condo/Townhome?

Any of these would work, but if I can avoid excess noise, that would be nice. Washer/dryer is an amenity we've grown used to and would be loathe to give up! We also have two cats.

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)

This would be a job that commutes to the Perimeter Center, roughly half a mile from the MARTA station there.

4. Children(public school vs. private)

None yet, so this is no concern for the near future

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two

I'd say we prefer a mix of the two. I like to walk around with headphones for exercise, and we have close access to a grocery store where we live right now. These things are very convenient, but we're from a small, rural town. I guess a mix, overall, would be most beneficial.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?

If there is a way I can avoid needing to commute, which would necessitate buying another car, I would like to. That said, I CAN commute, and I could tolerate 20-30 minutes. This is flexible, as I've always lived within walking distance of work, so I'm not really sure exactly what I could handle there.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.

Friendly people would be great. I like the notion of knowing peoples' names. Race/sexual preference/etc don't matter to me, though my wife and I are pretty progressive. Small town WV is pretty conservative, though, so it wouldn't be a deal breaker to be put back into that kind of environment. It really would be nice to find a strong representation of atheism, but I realize this is Georgia, and it's important to a lot of people! So, all in all, as long as it's safe, we can tolerate anybody.




So those are the questions. I realize there's a fair amount of information there. I will say that I am apparently not clear very often when asking for advice on City Data. I think it's clear that I'm pretty flexible on a lot of areas there, so I would like to narrow it down to higher priorities!

1) Lower rent
2) Walkable
3) Safe
4) Reasonable way to get to work


The other things would be nice to have but not essential. I hope that all makes sense, and I really appreciate you taking the time to read and answer! Atlanta seems like a rather friendly place, in all. Other forums like Baltimore and Connecticut are filled with some cold, cold folks. Home in WV isn't like that, so it's always a shock to have people treat you like you're a moron for not knowing the way around a specific city.

Edited to add: We have looked at places like Sandy Springs and Roswell. They are closest to this job, so any further clarification you could provide on these areas or areas we OUGHT to consider would be great!

Thanks again! I'd be happy to clarify any details that I can. I'm sure there's something I missed.

[BeyondInfinity]

I suggest you checkout the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody areas.

Sandy Springs is apart of the most populous county in GA (Fulton County) and Dunwoody is apart of the fourth largest county in the state DeKalb; however, both cities contain parts of the Perimeter area (Perimeter Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) along with Brookhaven city in DeKalb County.

Sandy Springs and Dunwoody both have access to MARTA (rail and bus); however, not all areas have access to Rail.

I live off of Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs and I love the area because I am a 10-15 minute walk away from Perimeter Mall, a 10-15 minute walk from MARTA (Rail), and a 5-10 minute walk from the grocery store and restaurants. Also, the area has two hospitals (St. Joseph's and Northside across from each other) and a plethora of doctor offices.

The area is very diverse too.

To live in the Perimeter areas expect to pay $1200+ for rent.

[wineandmeeples]

Hello! I'm the OP's wife.

I've been looking at different forums/websites and I've been asking some people I know who live in Atlanta and they all RAVE about Peachtree-Dunwoody, so I'm very glad you mentioned that you live in that area! It's definitely the one I am most interested in. Are there any specific apartment complexes you could recommend? We'd really like a 2 BD 2 BA, with a W/D in the unit.

Obviously we may have to scale down if we find out the job pays less than we anticipate. But for now, we'll just assume our budget is in the 900-1500 range and go from there.

[cwkimbro]

Yea that is a pretty wide range, especially for a 2 bedroom.

Perimeter Center, along the border of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, is a really nice up and coming Office Business district being built around a suburban and an older shopping mall. There is a decent amount of upper-middle wealth there.

You will need to figure out your budget as it will make a big difference for this area.

The nicer newer, denser buildings have better access to the areas restaurants and stores, which are still a bit suburban like but is transitioning into more.

There are some older complexes at the periphery of the district that will stay a bit cheaper, but it is suburban style and walking anywhere isn't the best idea. A short drive though. There will also be more trees/green space on the property.

Lastly, away from Perimeter Center, but still in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody are some cheaper apartments near Northridge Rd and Ga 400. A bit more of a drive away. It isn't that far, but the roads into Perimeter Center get really congested. You will see fewer singles/young couples and more low-medium income families.

[BeyondInfinity]

Originally Posted by wineandmeeples

Hello! I'm the OP's wife.

I've been looking at different forums/websites and I've been asking some people I know who live in Atlanta and they all RAVE about Peachtree-Dunwoody, so I'm very glad you mentioned that you live in that area! It's definitely the one I am most interested in. Are there any specific apartment complexes you could recommend? We'd really like a 2 BD 2 BA, with a W/D in the unit.

Obviously we may have to scale down if we find out the job pays less than we anticipate. But for now, we'll just assume our budget is in the 900-1500 range and go from there.

I recommend Apartments and Townhomes For Rent Atlanta | Peachtree Dunwoody Place; however, they are mostly sold out. Also, try Sandy Springs Apartments | Parc at Perimeter in Sandy Springs, GA 30328 as this community may be more along the lines of your budget.

More apartments are being built in the area as we speak but I am unsure when they will be completed. In the meantime, checkout the list below for apartments near Peachtree-Dunwoody RD:
Peachtree Dunwoody North Apartments - Apartments for Rent in Peachtree Dunwoody North, Atlanta, GA.

FYI, the Perimeter area is very congested at times, so be ready for that.

30328 is the zip code for the Peachtree-Dunwoody area too.

[deadally]

Thank you, Infinity. That looks like a very nice area. Obviously, we'd need to balance budget with location priority there, but it looks very nice! Our budget would need more clear information on the job salary before it can solidify.

I'd love to hear others' opinions! I'm interested in finding out about a sort of "worst case" for us, where the salary dictates that our rent would be 900-1000 tops.

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by deadally

I do not know what the job is

You should find out before the interview

[deadally]

That's my bad. I meant "I do not know what the salary for the job is." I have an idea for more senior people, but I don't know about the associate level. Could be anywhere from 50-80,000 per year.

[wineandmeeples]

I realize these are on the other side of 400, but does anyone know anything about The Reserve at Ridgewood OR Dunwoody Crossing? They seem to get decent reviews (more-so Dunwoody Crossing) and are within our estimated budget.

Are the reviews even worth listening to?

[Tarzanman]

peachtree dunwoody is a bit of a tough, no-nonsense move for a newcomer to atlanta. Gobs of traffic and almost no access to any of the areas that make Atlanta unique (it is 99.5% chain stores and restaurants in that region).

Figure out where your jobs are first.