Looking for Advice on Moving to North Atlanta (Roswell, Alpharetta: to rent, condos)

[ahcharleston]

Hello,
We are planning to move to Atlanta this spring/summer from Charleston, SC. My boyfriend will be working in Alpharetta. I do not have a job at this time but will eventually be looking for an attorney position once I take the GA bar. We are not too familiar with the area but are considering moving to Alpharetta or Dunwoody since we have been told it is nearby his work and a nice area. We are very unfamiliar with both areas. We plan to rent at first then buy and are open to a condo, townhouse, or house to rent. We prefer newer updated construction. Any suggestions from anyone on the best area to live? We have no children and I am 25 and he is 30. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! We enjoy shopping, movies, restaurants, nightlife, etc... and are looking for an area with young singles, young families, etc...
Thanks!!!

[plessthanpointohfive]

You're too young to live in the burbs! Those areas are heavily populated with young families.

Since your boyfriend is working in Alpharetta and you're soon to be a practicing lawyer I'd recommend you live in Buckhead, or Midtown (Midtown is way groovier). The commute to Alpharetta will be easy for your boyfriend and I'm guessing there's a good chance you're going to work downtown or intown so your commute won't be bad either.

And those areas offer all the amenities that young people without children would like. Or even semi-young people with children, like me...

[ahcharleston]

Thanks for the advice! I've heard Midtown is a fun area of town. Is it safe? Do you know anything about the Aqua Condos or other new construction in the area? I hear Midtown has several different "neighborhoods" - Which do you reccommend?

[wxjay]

I understand the "young" aspect vs. the burbs, but I believe you would be better in Buckhead or Dunwoody vs. Midtown only because, even though it's sort of a reverse commute, the drive down GA 400 in the afternoon can be pretty bad.

[netdragon]

I would pick the Perimeter Mall area because it will give you access to Buckhead for employment where there's a larger job market and still allow him a reasonable commute to Alpharetta, but is more "fun" than Alpharetta, Roswell, and East Cobb and more affordable than Buckhead. Additionally, it keeps you just on the North side of the 400/285 interchange, which gets pretty backed up and will only get worse when they start rebuilding it, so you won't want him to have to commute acoss it. From the Perimeter Mall, you can hop right over 285 on regular roads without having to get on the highway if you need to head intown.