Best Place For Single 30somethings (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: condos, townhouses, taxes)

[DennyCrane]

OK. I apologize if this question has been asked a thousand times before. I searched through past threads and didn't really find anything that addressed this, or it did, but in a very general way. If you were a single 30something professional without kids who ISN'T into the bar or club scene and could potentially end up working either in downtown or the northern burbs, which of the following areas would you recommend or avoid and why?

Dunwoody
Sandy Springs
Smyrna
Vinings
Norcross
Marietta
Doraville
Chamblee

[Radley]

No Buckhead?

[floyd242]

What ARE you into?

[rcsteiner]

Where in the northern suburbs?

If you end up living in Vinings and having to commute anywhere east of 400, for example, the commute could be interesting during rush hour.

On the other hand, Vinings is probably a wonderful location if you work anywhere in the NW quarter of the metro.

[Radley]

Also a lot to do in Alpharetta. Hard to go wrong with the 400 Corridor.

[ATLtransplant2]

I would live in Dunwoody or Vinings. Both of these areas are close enough to the perimeter tht you can quickly get into the city. You also will find a ton of shopping and restaurants near both areas. I used to live in Dunwoody by Perimeter mall and loved it.

[kayumochi]

I used to live in Chamblee and loved the convenience. In fact, I plan to move back there someday. Doraville is convenient as well but unlike the days when the Atlanta Rhythm Section sang, "Doraville, Doraville, a touch of country in the city ... Rednecks drinking wine on Sundays ...." the question is, yes, a touch of country in the city, but which country?

[terrence81]

Out of the 8 in that list I'd pick Dunwoody. The prices are reasonable you're not too too far from downtown but if your job is in Alpharetta or somewhere like that then your commute isn't too bad on the 400. So you're really in the middle of it all in Dunwoody.

I would say that in my observations there's a good little bit of traffic around Dunwoody though, because so many people work there and then there's the shopping in that area too. An actual Dunwoodian might have more insight.

At the end of the day you need to get the job first before deciding where to live because the Vinings are really nice but not might feel as nice if your job is in Duluth or Lawrenceville. Have seen you post before and will say that employer wise Atlanta is way more decentralized than places like DC or Chicago. So get the job first then worry about where to live.

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Have seen you post before and will say that employer wise Atlanta is way more decentralized than places like DC or Chicago. So get the job first then worry about where to live.

Chicago is DEFINITELY centralized. Almost everything is in downtown. DC, from what I'm seeing, isn't so centralized, at least not for my field. While there are lots of jobs in downtown, there's also quite a lot in the suburbs of northern Virginia. The distribution of jobs in both DC and Atlanta is a big plus for both cities. Chicago city planners really botched things. Whose brilliant idea was it to have a town with 9 million people all converge on the same location at the same time of day? The corporate taxes out in the suburbs aren't favorable to employers and the people who live there would rather not see more office buildings in their area, probably cause of the traffic. But I'd rather have more traffic in the burbs than have to commute to the city.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I would say that in my observations there's a good little bit of traffic around Dunwoody though, because so many people work there and then there's the shopping in that area too. An actual Dunwoodian might have more insight.

I was 35 and newly single when I bought a home in Dunwoody. I stayed for 11 years and really enjoyed my time there. Interestingly, when I moved there the overwhelmingly prevailing demographic was married couples with children but over the years I watched the Perimeter Center area quietly give way to twenty and thirtysomething singletons. It's a much more 'rounded-out' community than it was 15 years ago, as is reflected in the establishment of townhouses, mid- and even high-rise condos in the area that cater to a single lifestyle.
One 'plus' regarding Dunwoody IMO is their newly established cityhood, which will give a great deal more control over their destiny.