Could use some advice on relocating to Atlanta (Marietta, Alpharetta: real estate, apartment complexes)
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I got a call from a recruiter for a job in an industry I have experience in, and as they normally do he kept it intentionally vague and just said it’s in “Metro Atlanta”. So I want to do some more research to get a better feel for the area. I think this company MIGHT be either in Kennesaw near Cobb County Airport, or maybe off 85 near the 85/285 interchange and Embry Hills, but I basically won’t know exactly where until I tell him I’m interested and his client expresses interest in me. I’ve only visited Atlanta twice in the past, so I could use some advice on the area.
To give you some background info I’m a 40 year old male, no wife, no kids, not looking to buy a house in the short term so I don’t care about school districts, etc. I’m into hiking and the outdoors, art, seeing live music, and car shows. As far as nightlife, I’d say low key brewery or an Irish Bar or Dive bar is my preference over a loud ass club full of 20 somethings.
I’m currently living in the suburbs outside of NYC on Long Island, and I’ve lived in Chicago in the past so I’ve lived in major cities and I’m comfortable in that environment.
I’ve generally found myself to enjoy having access to the city and being able to catch a concert, go to baseball game, visit a museum or art galleries, etc. I don’t necessarily feel like I have to or want to live “in the thick of it” though, so long as I can live close enough to spend an evening or a day there when I want to. Ideally I need to find a place to live with at least 1 garage spot since I own a second car I’ve restored as a hobby and don’t want to part with.
I did find though that Chicago had a very strong division between “city” and “suburb” life, and if you wanted to buy a home, find a good school district, etc. you moved to the suburbs. Traffic to the city is horrible too, so it takes an hour plus to get from the burbs to work or to most city neighborhoods. So ultimately the people that moved to the Suburbs never end up spending any considerable time in the city outside of work, and their commute is awful. And frankly if you live in the city there’s just about zero reason to visit the burbs unless you want dinner at Olive Garden and to drink beer at the Sports Bar in the strip mall. Most of my friends who are natives and still live in the region would move if they could if not for family or career keeping them there. Ultimately if you don’t live in the city core you’re just paying a higher COL and hating traffic.
So above all I want to try and understand if Metro Atlanta resembles that experience or not.
How bad is the traffic?
Are there particular highways or major roads into the city that are especially bad for traffic?
How “fun” are the suburbs in terms of night life, dining, and entertainment? Do they have much character, or is it just solid residential bolstered with Big Box Retailers?
How about Cost of Living? Would $75 - $80k be “comfortable” for salary?
What would average rent be for a 1 bedroom apt?
What’s the entry level for the housing market like?
While I honestly hate snow and would love to not shovel, I’m also definitely accustomed to a cold climate and may not do as well with the heat! Does GA get to that 100 + degree point for a long period in the summer where you’re just staying inside with the AC for weeks or a month or two on end in the summer?
Finally, if you’re a transplant to Atlanta, have you found it to be a place you’d be interested in living long term?
Welcome! I have lived in Queens, Cold Spring Harbor and Setauket so hopefully I can provide some insight. I’ve been here 3 years and have been off LI for 6. My wife and I used to eat a fair bit in Huntington before we had kids.
I live in Milton now with my family and love it. I have 3x the house I did on Long Island for 1/2 of the property taxes. As I don’t know the rental market others can help there.
$75-80K is probably like $100-110K on LI as a rough guess. COL is lower here.
As to the weather...
We do get 4 seasons, winter is mild with usually no snow and daytime temps in the 40’s to low 50’s. Summer is hot, and expect 80’s to 90’s for several months. And yes, humid. But you do get breaks in the weather too. We also get a wicked pollen season in early spring.
Hiking is great with local trails and about an hour north of me is the start of the Appalachian Trail. You actually get elevation changes here
As to traffic, it’s bad, about the same as LIE/Northern State rush hour traffic. 85, 75, 400 and 285 all get pretty jammed.
Not that I’d recommend living near these places if you’re working in Kennesaw but research Alpharetta’s downtown, Crabapple, Avalon in Alpharetta and downtown Woodstock (which could be an option for you). These aren’t LI strip malls - walkable, lots of pubs and restaurants and green outdoor space.
Truist Park, where the Atlanta Braves play, is right at 75 and 285, not far from Marietta. There is also a good outdoor concert amphitheater (think of a mini version of Jones Beach) in Alpharetta.
If the job ends up being near Cobb County Airport in Kennesaw, given what you've said about your interests, the area around Marietta Square might suit you well. It's reasonably close to Cobb County Airport (15-20 minute drive) and has a true small downtown centered on a historic town square.
You've got a couple dozen restaurants (several of them quite good and one nationally recognized), two theaters, several art galleries, some quaint shops, two breweries, an Irish pub with a huge beer list, a Spanish tapas place, one of the largest weekend farmer's markets in the metro area, and, in normal times, a seemingly endless run of festivals, concerts and the like, particularly in the warmer months.
It's close to the beautiful Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (you'd drive through it on your commute every day, in fact), which is excellent for hiking, and close to I-75, which is the route you'd take to reach more serious weekend hiking destinations in the lower Appalachians. The Braves stadium (now called Truist Park) is nearby, at I-75 and I-285. Several times we've decided on a whim to go to a game, summoned an Uber and been in our seats at the ballpark within 20-25 minutes. It's also reasonably close to the city - 20 minutes to Midtown in typical traffic - for those times when you want to venture into town.
Apartments don't abound in the area; there are some, of course, but being an older area with a traditional small downtown, large apartment complexes aren't common. If you prefer to rent to start with (a good idea when moving to a new metro, if you ask me), you'd be more likely more likely to find an apartment in a smaller building, a condo, or even a rental house.
Cost of living is more reasonable than the Atlanta city center. It's been ages since I looked at the rental market, but I would think you could find something pretty good in the $1,000-1,500/month range.
Traffic is definitely a challenge in Metro Atlanta in general. The Square area does benefit from the new toll lanes (Northwest Corridor) running parallel to I-75, and they have proven quite effective; I made significant use of them while I was still commuting to the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport area before the pandemic. That was roughly a 35-40 minute commute, helped by both the toll lanes and the HOV lane, which I can drive in with no passengers as I have an electric car. So, not too bad.
If the job turns out to be near the other location you mentioned (I-85/I-285 on the north side, what locals refer to as "Spaghetti Junction"), I would not recommend the Marietta Square as a place to live, as getting across the "top end" of 285 is just no fun during rush hour. This will be especially true for the next few years, as the I-285/Georgia 400 interchange is undergoing a complete reconstruction, which will also involve large sections of both highways either side of the interchange. For that work location, I would suggest something in or near Tucker or Chamblee - areas I know less well as I am rarely on that side of town, but I know are popular and up-and-coming. Several frequent posters in this forum live over that way and are helpful resources on those areas. Downtown Decatur would also be really nice from a lifestyle perspective for that job location, but might be over budget given the salary range you mentioned. Still, it could be worth a look. Like I said, I haven't paid attention to the rental market for ages, as I've been a homeowner for over 20 years.
Regarding the weather - I am originally from Florida and, ironically, hate the heat, but even I manage to spend plenty of time outdoors in the summer once the intensity of the daytime heat has subsided. This past summer was pretty mild and we went for walks around our neighborhood almost every single evening.
Feel free to ask any further questions, and good luck!
Traffic is overblown. No one likes it, but I found it to be so much better than both chicago and NYC by a good amount.
I love that the suburbs here have become destinations in and of themselves, with their own little downtown's.
Depending on where the job is, I might suggest marietta, woodstock, Alpharetta, as they all have their own little downtown's and character. If you really want a bargain and end up working in kennesaw, cartersville has great access to the mountains, its own downtown, and low COL, and the ATL is just down hwy 75. Being near 75/575 also gives you great access to the mountains.
There's no one highway thats worse than another except maybe I-85 through Gwinnett which I personally think is pretty bad pre-pandemic traffic volumes.. ..so you have that in your favor, but the general key in Atlanta is to live close to where you work. I would wait until you know more about your job location. If you're going to be in Cobb near Cobb County Airport, I would shoot for Kennesaw (reverse commute yay) or Woodstock.
If you're going to be in Embry Hills, I would literally try to placate myself there, Brookhaven, Doraville or Tucker.
Welcome! I have lived in Queens, Cold Spring Harbor and Setauket so hopefully I can provide some insight. I’ve been here 3 years and have been off LI for 6. My wife and I used to eat a fair bit in Huntington before we had kids.
I live in Milton now with my family and love it. I have 3x the house I did on Long Island for 1/2 of the property taxes. As I don’t know the rental market others can help there.
$75-80K is probably like $100-110K on LI as a rough guess. COL is lower here.
Thanks! This was a very helpful comparison for me!!!
I think I can live with that if it's around the same traffic as LIE/Northern State. It sucks, but I still think it's probably better than 94 or 290 in Chicago.
Traffic is overblown. No one likes it, but I found it to be so much better than both chicago and NYC by a good amount.
Thanks for all the info. Good to know that it's better than Chicago. NYC is definitely it's own insane beast. LI is bad and I can tolerate that, but I take the train into the city if at all possible.
Thanks everyone, really appreciate all of the feedback so far. This has been a big help.
Some follow up questions.
So I know that my exact work location is going to mater a lot for exact real estate prices of nearby areas, but would you say is the general low end of the market for houses? It's definitely a down the road decision for me, but good to know if I decide to stay long term.
Also curious about what the more artsy areas of ATL or the Metro are? I wouldn't say it's a must have criteria, but it would be good to know for reference.
Thanks everyone, really appreciate all of the feedback so far. This has been a big help.
Some follow up questions.
So I know that my exact work location is going to mater a lot for exact real estate prices of nearby areas, but would you say is the general low end of the market for houses? It's definitely a down the road decision for me, but good to know if I decide to stay long term.
Also curious about what the more artsy areas of ATL or the Metro are? I wouldn't say it's a must have criteria, but it would be good to know for reference.
Artsy areas:
Midtown
West midtown
Buckhead
Marietta square
In the north metro, the bottom for houses is probably $250k. Meaning you can get a nice area with good schools and safe, but likely the home will ber smaller, need updating, and/or off a busy street
Thanks for all the info. Good to know that it's better than Chicago. NYC is definitely it's own insane beast. LI is bad and I can tolerate that, but I take the train into the city if at all possible.
Note that MARTA here is nowhere as good as MTA/Metro North/LIRR. So a car is a must for most people.
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