I've been searching and searching... Does this place even exist?! (Atlanta: apartment, to rent)

[jnttd]

I've been searching for days for the perfect place to live in Georgia but nothing's meeting our needs.

Tell me if I'm being unreasonable, but we my husband and I have an 8 month old and we're looking for a town that is-

-near medical centers for work
-very low in crime
-preferably a small-ish population
-below 700 to rent. 500 would be more comfortable, if that's possible
-forward thinking. We're a liberal family and don't want to be stuck somewhere too conservative where we'll stick out
-VERY LIGHT on traffic and street confusion. I can't find my way out of a paper bag. Please realise that's a huge concern here

House or apartment is fine. Schools aren't extremely important since our daughter is so young. Location isn't the biggest concern as long as it's very safe, near stores (near a Whole Foods or famers' market a huge plus!), and around lots of medical centers.

Thanks in advance. I'm dying here. [:

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by jnttd

I've been searching for days for the perfect place to live in Georgia but nothing's meeting our needs.

Tell me if I'm being unreasonable, but we my husband and I have an 8 month old and we're looking for a town that is-

-near medical centers for work
-very low in crime
-preferably a small-ish population
-below 700 to rent. 500 would be more comfortable, if that's possible
-forward thinking. We're a liberal family and don't want to be stuck somewhere too conservative where we'll stick out
-VERY LIGHT on traffic and street confusion. I can't find my way out of a paper bag. Please realise that's a huge concern here


House or apartment is fine. Schools aren't extremely important since our daughter is so young. Location isn't the biggest concern as long as it's very safe, near stores (near a Whole Foods or famers' market a huge plus!), and around lots of medical centers.

Thanks in advance. I'm dying here. [:

Which towns/areas have you considered?

Possibly there is such a community around Athens. Loganville and Lawrenceville --both of these towns would have more traffic than you might prefer.
In general smaller towns in GA would be more conservative than suburban areas around larger cities.

[SW30303]

I think you should visit Georgia first after narrowing down some geographical possibilities. Given that you like Whole Foods (all GA stores are in metro Atlanta), you might like some exurban areas (1+ hr from Atlanta) like Dawson County (that is in North GA). You could look to West GA as well if you are concerned about cost. Athens area is another possibility (East of Atlanta in the exurbs).

Middle and South GA are very different from the big area of metro Atlanta. Your idea of rent range ($500-600) is definitely not ideal for most of metro Atlanta, it would be far out exurbs. For rural GA, it is a fair range.

I think Macon may have decent medical facilities, but by and large, metro Atlanta is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of GA. This is a big deal of course, for people with special needs medical issues.

Good luck.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by jnttd

-near medical centers for work
-very low in crime
-preferably a small-ish population
-below 700 to rent. 500 would be more comfortable, if that's possible
-forward thinking. We're a liberal family and don't want to be stuck somewhere too conservative where we'll stick out
-VERY LIGHT on traffic and street confusion. I can't find my way out of a paper bag. Please realise that's a huge concern here

House or apartment is fine. Schools aren't extremely important since our daughter is so young. Location isn't the biggest concern as long as it's very safe, near stores (near a Whole Foods or famers' market a huge plus!), and around lots of medical centers.

Don't mean to be a killjoy, but want you want is in Vermont, not GA. In general, it will be tough to find all of what you want in GA, at least in the same place.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Don't mean to be a killjoy, but want you want is in Vermont, not GA. In general, it will be tough to find all of what you want in GA, at least in the same place.

Maybe one of the smaller towns near Rochester, MN (home of the Mayo Clinic).

[Ollie1946]

What does "liberal family" mean?

Athens does not meet your "needs" concerning schools and crime. Winterville very nearby might but same issue with schools. However, that community might be a bit too conservative for you. Those who mention Vermont are likely closer to it.

[syracusa]

Whole Foods, some liberal values and low crime translate into expensive areas of Atlanta.

[jnttd]

Originally Posted by syracusa

Whole Foods, some liberal values and low crime translate into expensive areas of Atlanta.

I figured. That's why I was skeptical...

[jnttd]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Maybe one of the smaller towns near Rochester, MN (home of the Mayo Clinic).

I don't see why that would be a killjoy. I like Vermont, and we like Minnesota.
Thanks for the advice. We can up our budget if needed, that was just wishful thinking.

[jnttd]

Originally Posted by Ollie1946

What does "liberal family" mean?

Athens does not meet your "needs" concerning schools and crime. Winterville very nearby might but same issue with schools. However, that community might be a bit too conservative for you. Those who mention Vermont are likely closer to it.

Well, by "liberal", I mean we cloth diaper, eat organically, don't subscribe to religion, don't vaccinate, don't wear shoes unless required by the establishment, and a whole host of other things that some areas consider too cruncy for them...
I was trying to be discreet... But there.