Your commute ? (Decatur, Druid Hills, Vinings: calculated, move to, office)

[netdragon]

You'll be fine. I recommend you also learn the back-roads, especially Paces Ferry to Northside Dr, Marietta Blvd to Marietta St along with - if you take the highway - ways to get to Northside Dr if the connector is backed up and you took the highway: If before Northside Dr, take Northside Dr and head South. if you're past Northside Dr, then get off at 17th street and head West and take Northside Dr South. Things aren't usually backed up heading South until the connector if you take the highway. Heading North, you're usually gonna be fine if you get off before I-285 and on bad days just get off on Moore's Mill or take Marietta Blvd.

I was bad and never checked the traffic maps. I usually played it by ear by looking at highway traffic before I got on (but I came from where that was easy). If you check traffic maps in advance, then you'll be in much better shape. Then you can make a decision before you depart whether to take I-75 or Marietta Blvd or Paces Ferry and then only have to adjust if, for instance, the connector gets backed up suddenly (which happens)

[PeteATL41]

Midtown = the better answer especially with frequent airport trips.

Brookhaven could work as well if you want a little less urban and an ever increasing number of amenities. I live in the Historic Brookhaven area and am basicallly not more than 20 minutes from 95% of the places I need to go in the metro. As far as rentals, there several new apartment developments coming on-line on Dresden and Town Brookhaven is another option.

[netdragon]

Vinings is more convenient to the airport than Brookhaven unless you take MARTA, and faster with or without MARTA from Brookhaven because by the time your train got to the airport from Brookhaven, you could have driven to the airport and back from Vinings. From Vinings, you take I-285 and honestly you're there in no time. I've forgotten a bag before and gotten back home and back to the airport without it barely making a dent on how early I was for the flight. Driving, midtown and Vinings are about the same except for the new international terminal (midtown is a bit faster) however from midtown I can't think of a reason you wouldn't take MARTA. It's about the same time as driving and much more convenient.

Well, that is unless you happen to get off the train in midtown and it happens to be Music Midtown that day, like just happened to me when someone had the bright idea of not picking me up at Lindbergh last Friday like I originally suggested...

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by Wayr2go

ElleKaye, thanks. Yes, Midtown seems cool with the walking distance etc, but I hear stories about break-ins etc. which is something I don't want to have to deal with and the square footage I'm getting for the price I'm paying is somewhat of a challenge (770 sqft vs 900 for the same price). Vinings has a more quieter environment which I think I prefer (atleast for now I guess). I've moved from Boston where everything was right outside my window and I just got too sick of all the 24/7 'hoo-ha'. There is plenty of development happening both in Vinings and Midtown -commercial and residential and it would be interesting to see if that eases the rental situation somewhat in Midtown. Vinings is priced just about the same for some of the newer properties out there. I think Midtown is still 15-20 driving distance from Vinings if you are to go out etc. so I'm heavily leaning towards the area right now. I suppose that may change after I have experienced the so-called traffic that gets mentioned very often in these conversations. For errands, I noticed there were banks, eating joints -subway, starbcks and post office and a costco and other supermarkets all within a mile of each other. So I feel good about that. For the last 5 days in a row, I've virtually monitored rush hour traffic going into the town from 7 to 8 am and I feel around 7:45 am is when there are some congestion issues. Prior to that it seems like a smooth 20 minute ride into the town.

Again, I do like Vinings, and I do think it is safer than Midtown yet I still prefer Midtown.

Since you're looking to rent, I'd suggest the apts on the corner of Paces Mill and Cobb Pkwy (Hwy 41) across the street from Kroger and BP. They're a little older, but the square footage is great and the location is boss.

You could also consider trying to rent a condo on Paces Mill.

Also, along Paces Ferry, I like Post Crest which is behind Cumberland Mall and technically considered being in Cumberland or the last apts on the left or right past Home Depot and Publix, but before Atlanta Road. Those have spacious floor plans, but I would not recommend walking up that hill unless your legs are ready for it.

I had to find the sweet spot with my commute from Kennesaw which was 7:07 am. If I was not backing out the driveway before 7:08 am, then I may as well have waited until 9:00 am. Traffic is that serious.

[Wayr2go]

Thanks guys, I finally have settled in for Vinings and am looking forward to making that area my new home. Hopefully I'll survive. As for the SSN card issue - the property manager was OK with glancing over it and did not insist on keeping a copy of it so that worked out well too.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Wayr2go

So essentially people commuting from vinings are traveling 11 *2 * + another 20 (if you are traveling for social purposes - grocery, food, restaurants etc.) *365 = 15330 miles a year. thats a bare minimum i'd say.

Methinks your math is a bit off. Well, not your math, but your numbers.

First, why would you be commuting the 11 miles, 365 days a year? Do you work 7 days a week?

Secondly, do you really do 20 miles of other driving 365 days a year? That seems like way more than normal.

If you work the average 5 days a week, minus say 5 holidays, you're doing 5,610 miles a year for your commute, not 8,030.

And if you're worried about miles, maybe doing 20 miles of social driving a day would be where you look to cut a few.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by Tryska

Umm...try it on an average Tuesday between 7 and 9 am, from Vinings to Downtown, and again around 5-6pm (pick a rainy evening for that one) and then report back. lol

People take the highway by choice, not by necessity. There's surface roads, and Marietta Blvd, and Northside Pkwy. Plus, you can try the highway then get off since all the surface roads that cross the highway will also get you over to either Northside Pkwy or Marietta Blvd.

[Tryska]

Surface roads can suck too. Did that commute for 13 years.

[Wayr2go]

Well I am yet to move to my apartment but currently travel from Decatur/Druid Hills area to the town and for the last few days i've averaged about 30 mins max leaving once at 7:10, once at 7:40 and another time at 8:30.

I think 30 mins in a city known for grid locks is not bad at all. I've traveled about 11 miles one way each day and its been ok so far ! I'd like to see what Vinings area might have in store. Although today as I drove past one of the other apartments I saw in Midtown and calculated the amount of time it took me from there to the office made me doubt my decision to pursue Vinings

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Wayr2go

Thanks Tryska, you put 5000 in 8 months (625 a month) while traveling from Vinings or from Eastpoint?


I would really like to take up the Vinings lease, but am considering the midtown purely for proximity purposes. I wish Vinings (or nearby area) had a train station. I'm totally open to driving to a train station closeby and parking there instead of driving it all the way to the town.

My cost would include - miles on the car (possible reduction in value) + fuel + monthly car parking.

Reconsider, North Springs or Sandy Springs. You get the train stations and an easy inexpensive rail commute.