Where to live as single 29 year old? Working in Canton (Atlanta: fit in, apartments)

[benignant711]

Hello,

I will be starting a job in Canton in a few months, and I'd appreciate advice about where to live. I am a single, 29 year old male. I was planning on reverse commuting from Buckhead, but was wondering if there are any other areas I should consider that would be more convenient? I'd like to be near other young professionals and not sure if places like Roswell, Alpharetta, or Marietta would be appropriate.

Thanks

[DoubleZ OTP]

Originally Posted by benignant711

Hello,

I will be starting a job in Canton in a few months, and I'd appreciate advice about where to live. I am a single, 29 year old male. I was planning on reverse commuting from Buckhead, but was wondering if there are any other areas I should consider that would be more convenient? I'd like to be near other young professionals and not sure if places like Roswell, Alpharetta, or Marietta would be appropriate.

Thanks

Buckhead Village to Canton would be quite the commute -- perhaps 45 minutes on the way there, and about 1 hour on the way back in rush hour conditions, on average. I would certainly consider residing closer to your Canton workplace.

One area I would look into is the Smyrna/Vinings/Cumberland area near The Battery and the I-75/I-285 interchange. Like in Buckhead, there are lots of young professionals in this area. You'll shave 10 to 15 minutes off your commute each way (compared to Buckhead Village) -- perhaps 35 minutes there and 45 minutes back on average. This area is only 15 to 20 minutes away from popular "young professional" neighborhoods like Buckhead Village, Midtown, and West Midtown.

Another area I would consider is the Woodstock/Kennesaw/Marietta area of North Cobb County/South Cherokee County. This area -- Woodstock in particular -- is much closer to your workplace in Canton and is within a reasonable commuting distance (15 to 30 minutes each way). No, there aren't as many young professionals around, but they can be found if you seek them out -- Kennesaw State University is in the area, and quite a few KSU grads stick around after graduating. Each of Woodstock, Kennesaw, and Marietta have nice "Downtown" areas with some apartments walkable to a few restaurants/coffee shops/breweries/etc.

Alpharetta/Roswell are very nice, but are also quite expensive. Each is about 35 minutes away from Canton. In your case, I don't see much benefit in Alpharetta/Roswell over Woodstock/Kennesaw/Marietta -- Alpharetta and Roswell are more distant and more expensive.

[evannole]

DoubleZ OTP makes good suggestions! I second both Smyrna/Vinings/Cumberland/The Battery and Marietta Square. What you choose probably depends on your priorities.

Smyrna/Vinings/Cumberland/The Battery: This area has more apartments, and definitely has more newer apartments. Relative to Marietta Square, it skews a bit younger. It's closer to the city, but of course would also be a longer commute to your work.

Marietta Square: Not as many apartments, especially new apartments, in this area, so you'd be more likely to end up in a rental house or townhome. The Marietta Square is a true historic downtown, with much more charm and authenticity than Smyrna, Cumberland and the Battery, all of which are more modern and have a somewhat manufactured feel. (Vinings has charm in spades, but it's much smaller than Marietta Square.) There's always something happening on the Square, and its events, restaurants and shops draw all ages and demographics. It's a bit farther from the city but would also be closer to your job.

Do pay attention when shopping listings online; there are many areas that have, say, Marietta or Smyrna mailing addresses that are actually nowhere near the centers or even the city limits of those cities. This is especially true for Marietta.

[sedimenjerry]

I just recently turned 31 and I live in Alpharetta. There are more young professionals around our age than one might think. Yes, there are a lot of families or 50+ empty nesters but there's still a significant amount of kid-less 20 and 30 somethings OTP. Most of my friend group runs mid 20s to mid/upper 30s. Some in Forsyth. Some in Alpharetta/Roswell. Some over in Cobb County. Some in Duluth/Suwanee. And some ITP.

What are you looking for in an area? Alpharetta has plenty going on during the day and evening but most places shut down around midnight. For me, that's just fine. My ideal Saturday has me going out in the afternoon/evening and being home around midnight if not sooner. The days of pre-gaming and then going out at 11 or later are well behind me. If I do stay out "late" it means heading to Taffer's Tavern or heading over to Rock n Taco in Roswell. It's definitely not a true night life scene like being in Atlanta but again, that's fine with me. It's not that big of a deal to go out to intown Atlanta every once in awhile if something fun is happening or I want to do something different. Especially considering I can split an Uber with a friend.

Now, Canton to Alpharetta is just 2 lane roads so it's probably better to stick to the 575/75 corridor.

I've only been to Woodstock once but I liked it. It has a smaller but popular downtown area. Plenty of good restaurants, bars, and breweries (or at least Reformation is over there). If my job tied me to Canton, I would seriously consider Woodstock. My commute is usually sub 15 minutes and it's great. Gives me plenty of time to relax, exercise, and also go out for a beer or food with friends during the week.

Not as familiar with Marietta. Went to a brewery over there awhile back. There's a lot of stuff going downtown but could be harder to find a place.

Vinings/Cumberland could be a really good spot if you're looking for a good launching point into the city on weekends or even the odd weeknight. The Battery outside Truist Park seems to be a success but can be very busy when the Braves are playing at home.


And of course, you can always just rent for a year and then move. Plenty of my friends have done that.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Woodstock and Kennesaw-

The commute you’re talking about is insane! Be realistic- your time is not cheap; nor is gas!

[y8tiger]

It's been a few years, but with Canton being a University Town I always thought living in the Canton Mill Loft Apartments would be cool.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by y8tiger

It's been a few years, but with Canton being a University Town I always thought living in the Canton Mill Loft Apartments would be cool.

Are you talking about Reinhardt University in Waleska?

Canton is relatively close to Reinhardt University, but the campus is about 7-8 miles up the road from Canton. So Canton doesn’t quite seem to be a university town, directly.

[blue_line]

Woodstock!

[y8tiger]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Are you talking about Reinhardt University in Waleska?

Canton is relatively close to Reinhardt University, but the campus is about 7-8 miles up the road from Canton. So Canton doesn’t quite seem to be a university town, directly.

I was always under the impression that other than Reinhardt University, Waleska was nothing but a 4-way stop.

All the apartments, stores, and restaurants were in Canton.

[Citykid3785]

Woodstock
Marietta square
Canton
Kennesaw