Diverse, eclectic, culturally active/vibrant and LGBTQIA+ friendly areas to rent an apartment? (Atlanta: apartments)

[Grouchomarxist6]

Rightnow I pay $1700 for a 1.5 bedroom (which is to say one bedroom and one other very small room that I use for my cat’s climbing toys and my bookshelves and where I put an air bed when guests come) in an apartment building in Uptown, Chicago which is an area with a lot of racial, cultural and economic diversity and it’s not a fleeting phenomenon because the area is mid-gentrification but a long-standing feature — which isn’t to say that there’s no gentrification going on because sadly there is — and I like it a lot. As I posted in another thread I grew up in MS but have been living in the Midwest since I went to college, I’ve been considering a move down south for awhile and after a visit to Atlanta I found myself really liking it. I am a white non-binary person, late 20s and work from home so no commute concerns; I would rather spend roughly close to what I am spending now for a 1 bedroom but I would love two beds. I would also rather live in a building or even a complex or garden apartment rather than something attached to someone’s whole house, so anywhere with a preponderance of these would be preferred.


Thanks so much!

[DoubleZ OTP]

Originally Posted by Grouchomarxist6

Rightnow I pay $1700 for a 1.5 bedroom (which is to say one bedroom and one other very small room that I use for my cat’s climbing toys and my bookshelves and where I put an air bed when guests come) in an apartment building in Uptown, Chicago which is an area with a lot of racial, cultural and economic diversity and it’s not a fleeting phenomenon because the area is mid-gentrification but a long-standing feature — which isn’t to say that there’s no gentrification going on because sadly there is — and I like it a lot. As I posted in another thread I grew up in MS but have been living in the Midwest since I went to college, I’ve been considering a move down south for awhile and after a visit to Atlanta I found myself really liking it. I am a white non-binary person, late 20s and work from home so no commute concerns; I would rather spend roughly close to what I am spending now for a 1 bedroom but I would love two beds. I would also rather live in a building or even a complex or garden apartment rather than something attached to someone’s whole house, so anywhere with a preponderance of these would be preferred.


Thanks so much!

Given your stated wants, needs, and constraints and given your comments on your previous thread... I think you'll feel most "at home" somewhere on the eastside of Atlanta. Consider searching for an apartment along the MARTA Blue Line between King Memorial Station to the west and Avondale Station to the east... or anywhere within 2 miles north or south of the MARTA Blue Line, really.

This area includes Cabbagetown, Inman Park, Reynoldstown, Edgewood, Candler Park, Kirkwood, Decatur, and Avondale Estates. Neighborhoods a bit farther from the MARTA Blue Line include Summerhill, Grant Park, Glenwood Park, Ormewood Park, Old Fourth Ward, Midtown (Garden District), Poncey-Highland, Virginia-Highland, East Atlanta, Druid Hills, and North Decatur.

Many of the above neighborhoods are quite expensive, but for $1750 monthly or less, you should be able to find a decent 1-bedroom apartment as long as you're not too picky about amenities or specific location. You're probably not going to find a good 2-bedroom apartment for less than $1750 unless you venture out into the distant suburbs, which I would not recommend in your case.

Do keep in mind that Atlanta is rather car-dependent, and you'll want to account for vehicle costs (which can add up to several hundred dollars monthly) when budgeting. Given that you currently reside in Uptown Chicago, there's a good chance you don't have a car... if you do already have a car, then you're golden. It is possible to live in Atlanta without a car, but it's far less convenient and pleasant than doing so in Chicago, and your choice of neighborhoods is extremely limited without a car.

Finally, do note that there are many poorly-managed, potentially dangerous apartment communities in Atlanta. When vetting apartment communities, check to see if a community of interest is listed on the AJC's list of dangerous dwellings... if an apartment community of interest is on the list, I would think twice about it or avoid it entirely.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by DoubleZ OTP

Given your stated wants, needs, and constraints and given your comments on your previous thread... I think you'll feel most "at home" somewhere on the eastside of Atlanta. Consider searching for an apartment along the MARTA Blue Line between King Memorial Station to the west and Avondale Station to the east... or anywhere within 2 miles north or south of the MARTA Blue Line, really.

This area includes Cabbagetown, Inman Park, Reynoldstown, Edgewood, Candler Park, Kirkwood, Decatur, and Avondale Estates. Neighborhoods a bit farther from the MARTA Blue Line include Summerhill, Grant Park, Glenwood Park, Ormewood Park, Old Fourth Ward, Midtown (Garden District), Poncey-Highland, Virginia-Highland, East Atlanta, Druid Hills, and North Decatur.

Many of the above neighborhoods are quite expensive, but for $1750 monthly or less, you should be able to find a decent 1-bedroom apartment as long as you're not too picky about amenities or specific location. You're probably not going to find a good 2-bedroom apartment for less than $1750 unless you venture out into the distant suburbs, which I would not recommend in your case.

Do keep in mind that Atlanta is rather car-dependent, and you'll want to account for vehicle costs (which can add up to several hundred dollars monthly) when budgeting. Given that you currently reside in Uptown Chicago, there's a good chance you don't have a car... if you do already have a car, then you're golden. It is possible to live in Atlanta without a car, but it's far less convenient and pleasant than doing so in Chicago, and your choice of neighborhoods is extremely limited without a car.

Finally, do note that there are many poorly-managed, potentially dangerous apartment communities in Atlanta. When vetting apartment communities, check to see if a community of interest is listed on the AJC's list of dangerous dwellings... if an apartment community of interest is on the list, I would think twice about it or avoid it entirely.

I agree with this. At $1750, you’ll probably get something new and flashy, but smaller, OR older and bigger. But probably not a 2 bed. Not in these areas. I’m in Suwanee which is further out of town, and that’s about market rent for larger (~900 sq ft) fully upgraded older one bedroom. Or a smaller (600 sq ft or less) 1 bed in a luxury new development. You might get a smoking deal on a more historic subdivided place in the east side at that price for 2 beds, but you probably won’t have in-unit laundry. To get new and a 2 bed, you’re easily above $2k a month.

The Sunbelt is the “it” place these days. The South is most of the Sunbelt, and there’s only so many places people will honestly consider living due to personal judgments of most of the area. Between car ownership + apartment rents, Atlanta is going to be more expensive than Chicago. However if you maintain a car free lifestyle here, your costs will be comparable. My friends in Philadelphia, Chicago are surprised at what I pay. The South isn’t cheap anymore, even if it looks that way on apartments.com. The US’ most expensive city is Miami. Not SF, not Manhattan.