[Relocation] Working South of the Airport - Where to live? (Atlanta: renting, low crime)

[rammerjammer]

I just found out yesterday that I am being transferred from the Midwest to Atlanta at the end of the month by my company, and I'm trying to figure out where to live, on short notice.

Where I'll be working is right off Exit 66 (Flat Shoals Road) on I-85.

Background/What I'm looking for:

* I grew up in Alpharetta, but that's obviously too far away to commute to. I also haven't worked in Atlanta in over a decade. I don't actually know that much about the city anymore.
* I think i'm mainly looking for North Atlanta-esque living, without an absolutely obscene commute every day.
* I will be renting, not buying, for at least the first year (super short notice)
* While further south MIGHT be an option, my Fiancee lives/works in Birmingham (we've been long distance for a while) and having convenient access to I-20/285 to go see her is a personal priority for me.
* I'm in my early 30's, and I make somewhere in the neighborhood of $100k-$130k. I would like to live in an area where that income range is common.

I'm aware that Atlanta traffic blows, and there's always going to be some amount of commute, but I'd really like to avoid spending 2.5 hours a day (roundtrip) in the car in addition to a 50-60 hour per week job.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by rammerjammer

I just found out yesterday that I am being transferred from the Midwest to Atlanta at the end of the month by my company, and I'm trying to figure out where to live, on short notice.

Where I'll be working is right off Exit 66 (Flat Shoals Road) on I-85.

Background/What I'm looking for:

* I grew up in Alpharetta, but that's obviously too far away to commute to. I also haven't worked in Atlanta in over a decade. I don't actually know that much about the city anymore.
* I think i'm mainly looking for North Atlanta-esque living, without an absolutely obscene commute every day.
* I will be renting, not buying, for at least the first year (super short notice)
* While further south MIGHT be an option, my Fiancee lives/works in Birmingham (we've been long distance for a while) and having convenient access to I-20/285 to go see her is a personal priority for me.
* I'm in my early 30's, and I make somewhere in the neighborhood of $100k-$130k. I would like to live in an area where that income range is common.

I'm aware that Atlanta traffic blows, and there's always going to be some amount of commute, but I'd really like to avoid spending 2.5 hours a day (roundtrip) in the car in addition to a 50-60 hour per week job.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?

If you want/need good access to I-20 West for frequent visits to Birmingham while having good access to your job at I-85 South and Flat Shoals Road, the West metro Atlanta suburb of Douglasville likely might be one of your best options.

The Douglasville area straddles I-20 west of Atlanta and features lots of retail amenities at and around the Chapel Hill Road and GA 5 exits where Arbor Place Mall is located.

Douglasville will not give you the uber-upscale North Atlanta/Golden Crescent lifestyle that you prefer in a Northside area like Alpharetta (an area which has since gone on to become even more super-affluent than before in the decade since you were last in metro Atlanta)… But, Douglasville will provide you with really good access to I-20 West to and from Birmingham in an area with many good suburban amenities and a relatively good degree of suburban affluence.

Douglasville will also provide you with good access to your job at I-85 and Flat Shoals Road in the Union City/South metro Atlanta area by way of roads like Georgia highways 92 and 138 which would keep you off of Interstates 20 and 285 during peak traffic hours.

As bad as Atlanta traffic may have been when you left the area a decade ago, it is even worse now, especially on the Northside which is booming on a whole other level than it was 10 years ago.

...So it might be best to ignore the temptation to look north of I-20, even though that might be where you most prefer to live.

[citidata18]

Douglasville is definitely an option given your fiancee's work location, since it's right along I-20 (which gives her a straight shot to Birmingham) and you won't be commuting from north of Atlanta with all of the horrible traffic. But you'll also have a longer commute to your job in Union City.

Newnan is another option as well, which sits much closer along I-85 and will give you a straight shot (15 minutes) to/from your job. The biggest perk with Newnan is that you get the benefits of being adjacent to Peachtree City, which has a lot of the upscale amenities you'll find in Alpharetta (I.E. Fresh Market, Sprouts and soon Costco), but for a far more affordable price. It's also the fastest growing community south of Atlanta with a ton of new developments popping up daily.

The only problem with Newnan is that you'll have a longer drive to Birmingham to see your fiancee. But on the flip side, Newnan / Peachtree City are higher income communities than Douglasville (which is more working class) if you're looking to be around other higher income individuals.

[Saintmarks]

If I were working there would look at Coweta and Fayette. If I had school age children that is. If single, would look at the somewhere in the city I liked. Would not be a bad reverse commute.

[huntergibbons]

Alpharetta is a great place to live and raise your family too.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by citidata18

Douglasville is definitely an option given your fiancee's work location, since it's right along I-20 (which gives her a straight shot to Birmingham) and you won't be commuting from north of Atlanta with all of the horrible traffic. But you'll also have a longer commute to your job in Union City.

Newnan is another option as well, which sits much closer along I-85 and will give you a straight shot (15 minutes) to/from your job. The biggest perk with Newnan is that you get the benefits of being adjacent to Peachtree City, which has a lot of the upscale amenities you'll find in Alpharetta (I.E. Fresh Market, Sprouts and soon Costco), but for a far more affordable price. It's also the fastest growing community south of Atlanta with a ton of new developments popping up daily.

The only problem with Newnan is that you'll have a longer drive to Birmingham to see your fiancee. But on the flip side, Newnan / Peachtree City are higher income communities than Douglasville (which is more working class) if you're looking to be around other higher income individuals.

US 27A angles northwest from Newnan to Carrollton, isn't very congested and will put you onto 20 just north of Carrollton near the Alabama line. Not much different from Atlanta proper to B'ham.

[SharenaLoggins]

Maybe staying along 285 would be better than staying along 20. Marietta, Smyrna etc. are decent areas, close to the city and your commute wouldn't be so bad.

We live in Roswell and I make it my business not to travel into the city during rush hour but during other times it's only 25 minutes to downtown!

[PTC Dad]

Peachtree City has similar demographics to Alpharetta, but 1/2 the population. Also has outstanding schools, low crime, average family income 100k+, and of course ubiquitous golf cart paths. It's also only about a 20-30 minute commute to exit 66.

[ATLTJL]

I'd do Peachtree City or Newnan.

Looks to be an easy path to I-20 along US Highway 27, which will put you well west of any potential Atlanta traffic.

Maybe the Mirror Lake area of Villa Rica? I don't know much about it, but it looks nice.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by PTC Dad

Peachtree City has similar demographics to Alpharetta, but 1/2 the population. Also has outstanding schools, low crime, average family income 100k+, and of course ubiquitous golf cart paths. It's also only about a 20-30 minute commute to exit 66.

The only thing I'd caution with living in PTC proper is that the population does skew older. It also doesn't really have the walkable downtown/cultural attractions you will find in Newnan.

These things may not a deal breaker of course, but relatively speaking, Newnan does have more going on for someone who's a millennial and doesn't really have a family/kids than PTC. It's kind of like the Southside's Woodstock.