New job in Buckhead....need help in commute/apt. area (Atlanta: cheap apartments, renter)

[DPooch167]

I'm currently from NYC and live there right now. I have a job offer in Atlanta in the Buckhead area. Actually it will be in the Phipps building. I never got a chance to really see the outskirts of ATL so I'm going into this totally blind. I'm trying to narrow down the apt search area as best I can. Here are my stats:

>age: 29
>I prefer to rent a townhouse/condo style. But will make due with a one level apt.
> can afford $800-1000 a month.
>I have a car
>Not opposed to taking Marta system. I can drive to a station and take transit if need be



I really prefer townhouse styles. I've been looking at some townhouses online in the Decatur(sp?) section. They seem to stay in my lower price range but I'm not sure of the commute. It seems like its not that far from the map standard..HOWEVER, I'm not sure what it is in actuality dealing with ATL traffic.


Again, I'm not opposed to taking Marta system. Either driving to the train station or walking. I commuted for many many years in ny and it doesn't bother me. Any area suggestions that I should look?

[Atlanta_BD]

You aren't going to find a townhome at that budget in an area that's safe that will also allow for a reasonable commute to Buckhead whether it's by car or transit. If you are finding townhomes in the Decatur area at that price, it's the hood, specifically if they are in the 30034 and 30032 zip codes. That part of Decatur also does not allow for an easy commute to Buckhead.

You may be able to get a one bedroom in a decent area at that price but definitely not a townhome.

[DPooch167]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

You aren't going to find a townhome at that budget in an area that's safe that will also allow for a reasonable commute to Buckhead whether it's by car or transit. If you are finding townhomes in the Decatur area at that price, it's the hood, specifically if they are in the 30034 and 30032 zip codes. That part of Decatur also does not allow for an easy commute to Buckhead.

You may be able to get a one bedroom in a decent area at that price but definitely not a townhome.

got it! That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. Now I can cross Decatur off my list.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by DPooch167

got it! That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. Now I can cross Decatur off my list.

A general rule of thumb is that if it's really cheap, it's either really far out or in bad area. However, you can find some cheap spots in nice areas but you have to dig around, they are going to be in really old buildings with no amenities and it's not going to be townhomes.

I would take a look at Habersham properties. They have cheap apartments in Buckhead, but just know that they aren't the best and they aren't all that well maintained. I've rented from them. I lived in Buckhead and it was in a Habersham Properties unit. In their units you will have to also pay electric, gas and water.

[DPooch167]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

A general rule of thumb is that if it's really cheap, it's either really far out or in bad area. However, you can find some cheap spots in nice areas but you have to dig around, they are going to be in really old buildings with no amenities and it's not going to be townhomes.

I would take a look at Habersham properties. They have cheap apartments in Buckhead, but just know that they aren't the best and they aren't all that well maintained. I've rented from them. I lived in Buckhead and it was in a Habersham Properties unit. In their units you will have to also pay electric, gas and water.

3 questions for you based on your response:

1)Is it common to pay all 3 utilities in general in atlanta? I've never paid for water EVER renting up north. Just gas and electric. I'm just curious

2)Also, Should I omit west of Atlanta all together? looking at the map, it doesn't seem to have any highways that connect to buckhead.

3) what is a reasonable rent amount in a "decent" area? I thought 800 was reasonable but again, I'm going into this blindly.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by DPooch167

3 questions for you based on your response:

1)Is it common to pay all 3 utilities in general in atlanta? I've never paid for water EVER renting up north. Just gas and electric. I'm just curious

2)Also, Should I omit west of Atlanta all together? looking at the map, it doesn't seem to have any highways that connect to buckhead.

3) what is a reasonable rent amount in a "decent" area? I thought 800 was reasonable but again, I'm going into this blindly.

1) Yes it is. I'm from Chicago where it's more common to find all utilities included, and the only utility I ever had to pay there was electricity, so I can relate to what you may be thinking. I never had to pay for gas or water as a renter until I moved to Georgia. Some of the more modern places in the Atlanta area may be all electric and you can pay just electric and water. But yes, expect to have to also pay for water, which can be as much as $55 per month.

2) I would also omit west of Atlanta, because it's still not the nicest part of town. That's where a lot of the crime is.

3) Well, for me personally, when I was looking to find another apartment in Buckhead, I couldn't find a one bedroom for under $1300 for a place that was nicer than where I was living (they never, ever responded to maintenance requests). I also enlisted the help of a local apartment finder company (Promove) to stay in the Buckhead area. My budget was the same as yours and everything that they found that fit my criteria within my budget were in areas that weren't the nicest/safest. They said that was all they could find in my price range. You might want to look into getting a roommate.

I would look around for condos for rent in the Lenox area. You maybe be able to find something cheaper. Go onto Zillow and see what you can find for Buckhead. Like I said, if you dig, you can luck up on some cheaper places.

You also may want to look into Cobb County in the Cumberland Mall area. It's the suburbs but not too far from Buckhead.