moving to decatur (?) (Atlanta, Roswell, North Druid Hills: renting, neighborhoods, live)

[shalc]

Hi folks,

We're considering a move to Decatur (near Clairmont and N. Decatur) and wanted to get some perspective from those of you who are familiar with the area. We are both professionals, newly married, and hope to start a family within the next 2 years or so. We love Decatur, but our real reservation is travel time to and from, not only our jobs but other places in the city. It seems like we're always on the go, and Decatur is a little farther out than some other places we've looked (Ashford Park, Drew Valley, etc). But we get a better "vibe" from the neighborhood than we do in those other areas. Also, my commute time would pretty much double since I have to head up 285 to GA 400 in the AM - 22 miles one way. Your thoughts? It seems like everyone who lives in Decatur loves it, is the commute worth it?

[sweettea1]

The one plus you'll have is a reverse commute but I do think it may get a bit tired every day. I understand your love of Decatur! But perhaps renting for a while may give you a much better idea of whether it works for you. Historic Roswell is also a great area to check out and is closer to your work. But the vibe in Decatur is unlike anything you'll find here in Atlanta.

[LovinDecatur]

That does sound like a bear of a commute. One difficulty in Decatur is the time it takes to get to I-85 and then to 400 and vice versa. It is very congested at peak traffic times on Clairmont and N. Druid Hills Rds.
Having said that, it is very easy to get to Downtown, Midtown and other intown communities from Decatur.
Have you considered North Druid Hills? There are some great intown neighborhoods there, and you are very accessible to I-85, 400, and Decatur. Some very interesting things are planned for NDH in the near term.

www.ndhra.org