Any affordable homes walking distance to Whole Foods? (Atlanta, Roswell: foreclosure, high crime)

[RainyRainyDay]

I believe those monthly "average" highs and lows are "mean" highs and lows. I'm not sure what other temperature you're looking for. If you've found the temperatures in Charleston are typically hotter than the monthly average highs, then apparently Charleston has been in a hot spell lately.

I've lived in Atlanta for 7 years. We set the thermostat at 78 in summer and typically have the A/C running May through September.

This temperature discussion probably doesn't matter. What's more important is that your impression of Atlanta housing prices is way off the mark. The attractive properties you see priced at $50K are not in safe areas and not remotely near a Whole Foods! There's no sailing around here to speak of, either.

[emilybh]

What is the area like in the SW section just SW of Spellman College? Is it safe to walk around at night? There seems to be a lot of interesting restaurants - Asian and various other ethnicities. No Whole Foods though. But a half dozen really good restaurants only 4 or six blocks away might make up for the lack of a Whole Foods within walking distance. I think the zip is 30310. I found some decent looking foreclosures in that neighborhood. Also isn't that closer to downtown than Roswell? There must be some MARTA stations in that area. Is it evenly mixed or mostly black or more white?

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by emilybh

Atlanta on the other hand seems to have a number of nice older homes with porches, wood floors, high smooth ceilings with crown moldings, fireplaces and decent sized kitchens for well under $100k in Atlanta --some for even half that. But not knowing the area, I'm wondering where they are located. I'd love to be walking distance to a Whole Foods

Um, let's talk reality here...first of all, where is any house that meets this description in a decent neighborhood in Atlanta? Much less one that is within walking distance of Whole Foods.
Triple your budget and then we'll talk.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Um, let's talk reality here...first of all, where is any house that meets this description in a decent neighborhood in Atlanta? Much less one that is within walking distance of Whole Foods.
Triple your budget and then we'll talk.

There was this 4 bedroom 2 bath bungalow that wasn't terrible: for $64k at 585 Cairo St. NW near Georgia Tech and Piedmont park. There is one that is in the beginning stages of foreclosure one and a half blocks from a Whole Foods store well under $200k.

I also noticed some of the foreclosures in Atlanta go for 20 cents on the dollar in the solds listings..

That is the REALITY. GRanted there aren't clusters of them near Whole Foods but there are plenty near the regular grocery stores and near restaurants. And there are lots of them within close driving distance.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

Emily, why not just look up the long-term weather averages?

Atlanta: Average Weather for Atlanta, GA - Temperature and Precipitation

Charleston: Average Weather for Charleston, SC - Temperature and Precipitation

My reading of this comparison is that it does cool off a little more at nights in Atlanta. However, if you are unhappy with the weather in Charleston, SC, it looks as if Atlanta weather might not be sufficiently different to satisfy you.

You are right about that. You have a frost advisory there tonight and it is only October. In fact three months of the year your average lows are well into the 30's whereas Charleston only has one month where the average lows are below 40 and these temps are probably measured at the Airforce Base which is colder than along the coast in the winter.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by emilybh

There was this 4 bedroom 2 bath bungalow that wasn't terrible: for $64k at 585 Cairo St. NW near Georgia Tech and Piedmont park. There is one that is in the beginning stages of foreclosure one and a half blocks from a Whole Foods store well under $200k.

I also noticed some of the foreclosures in Atlanta go for 20 cents on the dollar in the solds listings..

That is the REALITY. GRanted there aren't clusters of them near Whole Foods but there are plenty near the regular grocery stores and near restaurants. And there are lots of them within close driving distance.

That location is over 3 miles from Piedmont Park (is that "near"?) and there is a Whole Foods about 4 miles from 585 Cairo. I wouldn't recommend walking to either.

It's also about 2 blocks off of Bankhead Highway - one of Atlanta's most notorious streets for blight and crime. I imagine you can get a very cheap house there.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

That location is over 3 miles from Piedmont Park (is that "near"?) and there is a Whole Foods about 4 miles from 585 Cairo. I wouldn't recommend walking to either.

It's also about 2 blocks off of Bankhead Highway - one of Atlanta's most notorious streets for blight and crime. I imagine you can get a very cheap house there.

LOL she's welcome to it if she wants it...she knows so much more than longtime residents do, apparently. I'm done here.

[cityrover]

condo time?

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by emilybh

What is the area like in the SW section just SW of Spellman College? Is it safe to walk around at night? There seems to be a lot of interesting restaurants - Asian and various other ethnicities. No Whole Foods though. But a half dozen really good restaurants only 4 or six blocks away might make up for the lack of a Whole Foods within walking distance. I think the zip is 30310. I found some decent looking foreclosures in that neighborhood. Also isn't that closer to downtown than Roswell? There must be some MARTA stations in that area. Is it evenly mixed or mostly black or more white?

The area your referring too is West End...It's a nice neighborhood...tons of info on it here in this forum just use the search tool and walla!

In West End their are plenty of good local and organic restaurants and fast food if you desire. West End has it's own post office, pharmacy, mall, several grocery stores and is super conveinent to Interstate 20/75/85 and good street access into the city as well.

You can find some really nice houses at affordable prices as well from Bungalows to Victorian/Queen Anne Style houses.

It's not really close to Downtown Roswell but it has it's own Marta Rail Station (West End Station) which runs on the North/South Line and is GREAT!.

The neighborhood is mostly Black but their are a good amount of White Homeowners moving in and renovating houses and staying at the current time.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by emilybh

I just studied all the zip codes with either a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods or those with both which were 30308, 30305 and 30328. I'm not sure if 30067, 30329 and 30076 also had a Trader Joes but they had a Whole Foods.

It seems like Marietta and Roswell are the only areas where I could be near a Whole Foods and be in something in a reasonable price range with a few exceptions. Does MARTA come out to those areas?

You would then be in suburbia and imo, one of the least walkable areas of metro Atlanta. There is no way to describe the sort of traffic that moves through this area daily.

As for the type of housing you seek--slim to none, if I had to guess.

There are only 3/4 Trader Joe's in the metro area. FWIW. If the economy improves perhaps one day there will be more. We rely heavily on cars here. For example--it is about 15-20 miles from downtown Atlanta to Marietta or Roswell and that includes interstate highways.