Funny, I've lived in Decatur for 15 years and never been the victim of any crime whatsoever. Well, I take that back, my kid's scooter was stolen from the school bike rack five years ago when he left it there over a long weekend. My kids walk to school on their own nearly every day. They've never had a bad experience other than falling off their bikes and skinning their knees.
There are certainly NOT 159 sex offenders in 30030, much less within the City of Decatur. That statement, Apeman, is a lie, and you need to be called out on it. There are 13 in 30030 and 5 in City of Decatur. Even that is too many, but it is comparable with suburban areas - 13 in 30062 (East Cobb) and 19 in 30004 (Alpharetta).
Here's the link if you want to check it out...
georgia.gov - Georgia Sex Offender Registry. Just click the link on the right hand side and then type in your zip code of choice.
Yes, we have a MARTA station, and it frequently serves folks who do not have the money for a car (as well as people like me who prefer to leave the car at home). I guess that there are folks around who would assume that someone else is a bum or a hustler just because they are a lower income minority. However, I see very few "hustlers" and "bums" in downtown Decatur as I define the term.
Apeman, you must be quite happy where you are and relieved that you were not fooled by the massive, decades long conspiracy to trick unsuspecting home shoppers into moving to Decatur. You must be amazed at how many doctors, lawyers, scientists and professors have been duped into living here. Clearly, we must be very skilled at perpetrating fraud to fool so many highly educated people.
Decatur is not for everyone. If you want a big house at a relatively lower price with an HOA, Decatur is not for you. If you want your kids in schools with only upper middle class kids, Decatur is not for you. You can be a Republican and live here (I am Republican), but if you have issues with Democrats or gay women, Decatur is not for you. If you don't like living in or near an urban area, Decatur is not for you.
Apeman, why don't you share a little more about yourself? Do you live in Decatur? If not, where do you live? What sorts of amenities does it have? What are the crime statistics for your neighborhood? How is real estate faring?
I apologize if I have offended anyone or created the impression that I am trying to mislead them. I'm a mom who has lived here for quite a while and I am proud of what Decatur has become. I attended Emory a long time ago and remember when Decatur was nothing but a MARTA station and some wig shops. I have no intention of selling my house until someone drags me to the nursing home so I really don't care about my home value.
My advice to anyone considering moving to the Atlanta area.... Get your job first and your house second. Try to find a home close to your job b/c you do not want to be commuting across town. If you have choices between different types of neighborhoods, go see them. Check out the shopping/dining/hanging out areas. Definitely visit the schools in person because you need to get a feel for a school's culture regardless of how good their scores are on paper. Check out a playground and ask parents there what they think of the neighborhood/schools/etc. If you are able to pull it off, try to rent in your area of choice for a year to make sure it's the place for you.
If you don't like intown living, I could care less, frankly. I have several dear friends who love the suburbs and strongly dislike all things urban. I have considered living in the suburbs because there are days that a new 4000 square foot house with a garage and a big driveway sounds pretty good. I've never had the heart to actually move out there though. I just like intown living too much, and my family is thriving here. It doesn't mean that my lifestyle is better or worse than any other.
Now, Apeman... why don't you go after Kovacs and those Cherokee County cheerleaders!
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Huh?
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