What is Boulevard Heights like? (Atlanta, Chamblee: crime, townhouse, transfer)

[HopefulATL]

Anybody live or very familiar with Boulevard Heights? We're interested in a home there and plan to tour it this weekend and check out the neighborhood. Wondering about other people's thoughts before we visit.
Some of the info that we're interested in include:

-how would the commute to Chamblee be (car or marta), I'm assuming brutal?
-Are restaurants/grocery stores within walking distance?
-Does it have a tight knit community feel like some of the SW Atlanta neighborhoods (Adair Park/Westview)?
-why are the prices significantly lower than Grant Park/Ormewood Park/Peoplestown?

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by HopefulATL

Anybody live or very familiar with Boulevard Heights? We're interested in a home there and plan to tour it this weekend and check out the neighborhood. Wondering about other people's thoughts before we visit.
Some of the info that we're interested in include:

-how would the commute to Chamblee be (car or marta), I'm assuming brutal?
-Are restaurants/grocery stores within walking distance?
-Does it have a tight knit community feel like some of the SW Atlanta neighborhoods (Adair Park/Westview)?
-why are the prices significantly lower than Grant Park/Ormewood Park/Peoplestown?

I don't live in Boulevard Heights, but I do live very close to that neighborhood. The commute to Chamblee is probably brutal, as you said, if you are talking normal rush hour commutes (should they return anytime soon!). Depending on where you're going in Chamblee, it might be better to take MARTA. You could take either the bus (#9) that heads up Boulevard to King Memorial Station, or drive to King Memorial Station, and take MARTA to the Chamblee Station. There is 1 transfer, but the trains usually come every 5 min during rush hour, so I imagine station to station would be 25 minutes or so.

In terms of restaurants/grocery stores, this really matters where you are in Boulevard Heights. The closer to Grant Park you are, then the more things will be walkable. If you look at the Beacon, which is on the border of Grant Park and Boulevard Heights, there are restaurants, bars, entertainment options, and a small grocer that would be walkable if you're on the north side of the neighborhood. There is also a new brewery, and a really good Mexican bodega (food and grocery) on Boulevard by the Federal Penitentiary. I'd say to map to those locations from whatever house you're looking at, and it will give you an idea of what is walkable.

In terms of prices, Boulevard Heights is just not as desirable as Grant Park at the moment. Grant Park was up-and-coming for many years, and now is quite expensive and gentrified. As that has happened, more people have looked at the outskirts of Grant Park, like Boulevard Heights, Peoplestown, etc. In general, I think Grant Park is more expensive now just because there are so many more amenities that people want to be close to (i.e., the very large park, it's closer to other very popular east side neighborhoods, there is a lot of new development making much of Grant Park walkable, etc.). It has a more urban layout than Boulevard Heights (think the grid pattern, making it easier to walk/bike), is a designated historic district, etc. Crime wise, I think there is probably less of it in Grant Park, although I don't think Boulevard Heights is very bad by any means. There is definitely a large economic gap between the two neighborhoods, although I imagine that gap is trending towards closing rather than one or the other getting worse/better. Schools also play a role in this, although Benteen (Boulevard Heights' zoned elementary) is getting rave reviews lately, and is doing dual immersion (Spanish/English) which is great.

[HopefulATL]

Thanks CCATL, your response is very helpful.

The house we're looking at is on the southend of the neighborhood, towards the end of avondale ave. So, definitely less walkable but bikeable to the nearby amenities. Our hope was to be in a walkable neighborhood, though we would sacrifice some of that for more house at our price point. There seem to be a ton of townhomes going up, which seems promising for future property value.

Any sense of the camaraderie of the area? We're in our early 30s, without kids at the moment. We're from Chicago and are hoping that Atlanta can be a long term home for us.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by HopefulATL

Thanks CCATL, your response is very helpful.

The house we're looking at is on the southend of the neighborhood, towards the end of avondale ave. So, definitely less walkable but bikeable to the nearby amenities. Our hope was to be in a walkable neighborhood, though we would sacrifice some of that for more house at our price point. There seem to be a ton of townhomes going up, which seems promising for future property value.

Any sense of the camaraderie of the area? We're in our early 30s, without kids at the moment. We're from Chicago and are hoping that Atlanta can be a long term home for us.

Yes, definitely bikeable. That is close to the new brewery as well, which should be walkable. Also, the Beltline there is open now as an unpaved trail, making it quite easy to walk to the Beacon - maybe 15 minutes or so? So not bad.

I don't know about the camaraderie of the neighborhood itself, so I can't speak to that. I know that in terms of just meeting people your age, you'll have no problem in Atlanta if you put yourself out there. The area where you are looking is full of young couples and families, especially just north in Grant and Ormewood Parks. There are a lot of leagues in the area you can join to meet people that take place in the parks around Boulevard Heights, from boccie leagues (there is usually a weekly meetup at Augustine's, up the road from Boulevard Heights) and kickball leagues, for example. There are also art studios in the area that do events, get togethers for people into sci-fi (think Dragon Con participants, but the get togethers would be year round), and other niche kind of activities. If you put yourself out there, there is something for everybody in this city. So even if there isn't something in the neighborhood itself (which I'm not sure, there probably is a neighborhood group or something), there is definitely plenty to do to meet other people your age in the surrounding area.

[Bobbie_Spiller]

Hi HopefulATL. I live in Boulevard Heights and I absolutely love it! Very community driven and dog friendly. Mostly consist of young professionals/families. BoHo has become a super desirable neighborhood. Our townhouse has appreciated 100k since 2018. I’m a licensed Realtor. I can tell you everything you need to know before your move. I’d love to help you find your perfect home. Please reach out anytime! My email is Bobbie@kellerknapp.com