Nice towns to commute to Athens (Watkinsville, Statham: for sale, rentals, crime)

[canyontothesky]

My DBF is originally from north Georgia and we're looking to relocate to the Athens area from Brooklyn, NY in late May/June 1st. I already know about the towns of Winterville, Bogart and Watkinsville, but I was wondering if there are any other towns to look at that are within 15 minutes of Athens. Also I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of where in Athens proper we would want to look if we want somewhere safe, but also a bit more private/secluded, away from any houses that UGA kids might be having loud parties in (you can give boundaries by street or something, that would be helpful). We're renting, and want at least a 2BR house (not townhouse or duplex) for about $800/month. We're planning to come down sometime in the first half of April to look. Thanks for the help!

[FromGA]

There is an eastside (eg. subdivisions off of Whit Davis Rd, Old Lexington Rd, etc.) and westside of Athens (close to the GA Sq Mall) where a lot of families live. Others may be able to give more up-to-date info on these areas.

[keeshonder]

Other towns to look at would be Hull, Colbert, Crawford, Bishop, Statham, Lexington, Nicholson. There are plenty of rentals available that are not next to college roomies, but, there is never any guarantee that your neighbors aren't quiet!

[canyontothesky]

I don't know if it's against board rules to PM me if you know of specific realtors who have a lot of rental listings in towns outside of Athens, but if it's allowed, please do if anyone has a favorite or two.

[Ollie1946]

Athens has a bus system that works pretty well. Given the direction of gas prices, a commute from any of the places mentioned will still get pricey. There is almost no advantage to living in these outlying areas tax wise. ACC has a professional fire and rescue service whereas the surrounding counties do not.

There is a LOT to choose from in this area for purchase. It depends on your price range but there is plenty for sale. Buyer's market. For now.

Suggest you do a search on this site regarding Athens and you will find a lot of previous posts concerning this area. I live a block from the bus line in East Athens area vicinity of Cedar Creek off Whit Davis Road. The bus runs down Whit Davis. Large lots with a lot of trees. But, older houses. You can find most any price range in Cedar Creek and there is a lot for sale there. No sidewalks though. Convenient to shopping, physicians, et al.

If I had children, I would opt for Watkinsville and Oconee County due to schools.

I would definitely check out Winterville but it isn't really that nice an area neighborhood wise. In my opinion.

GA and Athens are in an economic downturn in a big way. Unemployment here in Athens is around 8.5 pct and in GA the government admits to 10.5 pct. I think it is higher. If you are reading our local paper online, you know there is a panic on regarding the potential for huge layoffs at the university, possibly over a 1000 people. UGA is the Athens economy. Period. If the layoffs occur in any numbers, then the "buyers market" thing becomes even larger. Sad but true.

With Athens, you get the students. They are everywhere. But worse, we have 5 or 6 public housing complexes that, frankly, are criminal breeding grounds. They dot the city. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to rent something for the short term and spend a LOT of time exploring the area. Day and night. You can easily get into something that turns out to be a bad decision for a lot of reasons. Whatever you buy, you had better be prepared to stick with for a long, long time. This economy is not likely to see daylight for a long, long time.

Good luck.

[canyontothesky]

Can someone also explain the neighborhoods in Athens? I read in another post that someone considered the 'bad' area of town to be west of North Ave and north of Prince Ave. Is this true? What qualifies it as a bad area? If you disagree with regarding that as a bad area, what do you think are the bad areas? It seems to me like that neighborhood is called Normaltown? I see a house for rent on craigslist on Kesler St below Boulevard St. On Google street maps it looks like a perfectly fine, quiet neighborhood.
Are there any areas of Athens where you wouldn't feel comfortable walking alone at night?

[Ollie1946]

I likely would not walk alone anywhere in Athens alone at night. Maybe on the university campus but not in most neighborhoods. Just not a wise thing imo.

The Normal town area is ok as is Boulevard area. There are some neat places. But, you are subject to crime ANYWHERE in the Athens area. We simply have a large element here that commits crime---period. There is just too much public housing, too much poverty, too many high school dropouts etc. We have all the negative social factors that contribute to crime including drug use. If you want the quieter, safer area, then consider Winterville or Watkinsville. Much safer. Much quieter.

[FromGA]

Neighborhoods in Athens --
In-town and near-town: Downtown, Prince Ave, Five Points, Beechwood
Suburbs: West-side (GA Square) and East-side (intersection of College Station and Barnett Shoals)
Each of these areas has reasonably priced to high end housing.

Athens is a nice town (especially if you have lived in a city of any size). I am sure there is a neighborhod that you can find that will meet your needs.

[BP100]

Considering you are moving from Brooklyn, I think you will quickly realize Athens is a fairly small, quiet town. In general, I agree with FromGA above. There are plenty of reasonable places in Athens to live. Outside of the intown neighborhoods (Five Points, Boulevard, Cobbham, Beechwood, and others), Athens is rather spread out. Particularly to the east and west within Athens Clarke County, the liklihood that you would live next to students in a single family neighborhood is unlikely if not illegal (no more than 2 unrelated people to a house in such neighborhoods). On the southeast side, Green Acres and Cedar Creek are well established and quiet. Waverly Woods further east and neighborhoods off Timothy Road in the West are also pleasant. And, no, the average adult would not be scared to walk on those streets alone at night. Mind you, there are bad neighborhoods and streets. But, you don't have to live 20 miles away to seek safety.

[keeshonder]

As in any town, there are some areas where you can walk at night and some areas where you might want to use some discretion. I see people jogging, walking, walking their dogs, etc, all over Athens during the day and during the evening. I have lived in the LA area, the San Francisco area, Buffalo NY, Seattle Wa. area, the Portland Or area and south of Lexington Ky. It is the same there and here. There are plenty of places to walk around day or night.

You should be able to find something 2 br in the $800 range.