Riverside Atlanta - to buy or not to (Sandy Springs, Roswell: renting, crime)

[Julezk]

I'm currently under contract to buy a new construction townhouse in Riverside on Bolton Rd. I've always lived in Alpharetta and now Dunwoody/Sandy Springs area, but I'm looking for my next investment which I will probably live in for a while before renting and moving elsewhere. I keep hearing this part town is turning and has been turning for the past 10 or so years now. With East Atlanta being as overpriced it is now, I hear the trend will be buyers looking to the upper westside area (Riverside, Bolton) as the next best thing. My concern is:
1. traffic on the highways and too many lights on surface streets (I'm used to really easy commutes I guess),
2. What's the crime situation in the area?
3. Is the property value speculation now more accurate in 2017 than it was in 2007?

I can still back out of my contract, even though I love the actual townhouse. My concern is just the area. Help!

[OuiOui]

Hi. I live in Riverside. Love it!
1. I suppose this depends on how often you'll need to take the highway. Riverside is accessible to the western portion of 285. I avoid taking 285 whenever possible because it is always congested during rush hour, especially with all the 18wheelers. There's also an easy way to get to 75 by taking surface roads. I only take the interstate routes when traveling OTP. Even so, there are plenty ways to travel without taking the highways. I find the traffic here much better than my previous living situation in OTP Sandy Springs. I couldn't stand the congestion on Roswell Rd. But I work in Cobb. I suppose this depends on where you're working.


2. I studied the crime reports from previous months before moving here. There was nothing that made me feel unsafe, as a single woman with a young child. A lot of the reports were for car break-ins, which happen all over the metro. I haven't experienced anything. Just pay close attention and lock your car at gas stations while pumping gas. Don't leave any valuables visual. The usual advice that you can find all over this forum. There is a neighborhood patrol consisting of APD officers in unmarked cars. I feel very safe. Walk around the neighborhood, chat with people at the park, attend the community events, get to know your neighbors... I've done more socializing with neighbors in the month that I've been here than I did during the several years that I lived in Cobb and the five months that I lived in Sandy Springs. People around here are very friendly.


3. I'd say yes. 2007 was not a good time for the housing market, lol. I can't answer your question in detail because I do not know which property you're buying or the price, but I do have an idea.. the new townhomes by Factory Bar? I'm not going to take the time to consult Zillow & get all up in your business but I'd say this area is a fabulous investment. I'm not able to buy currently because I'm recently separated and going back to school, but I plan to buy in Riverside as soon as I can. You've got a good school district, the new Moore's Mill Publix and adjacent developments, proximity to Vinings/ Buckhead/Midtown/Downtown, plans to build more parkland and trails connecting the Chattahoochee to the Beltline, etc.


I truly like this area, but it's very different from Alpharetta and Dunwoody/Sandy Springs. I plan on being here for the long haul (unless my career sends me abroad but that's another story).