Moving to Atlanta Summer 2011 - Need housing advice (Smyrna, Decatur: rentals, condo)

[ALaney8]

Hi,

My family will be moving down to Atlanta in the next year and I'm looking for some advice regarding housing. My husband will be working downtown and I will be staying home with our two kids (ages 1 & 2). We're moving from NY where we both currently commute from Long Island to NYC so my husband is really looking to cut down on his commute time. We're looking to rent for a year or two while we get to know the area and our kids are still young so I guess schools really aren't very important to us. Although, I will want to put my son in a pre-school soon.

1. Budget: $1500-$2000
2. House/Condo/Townhome?: House or townhome, preferably.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commute time is important
4. Children(public school vs. private): Not too important at this stage. I guess it could become an issue if we end up renting longer than planned. So maybe some place with at least a good elementary school.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: We could deal with either, but would prefer a mix.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Depends. We're used to taking a train into work every day and I'm sure my husband would use MARTA if it's an available option. How often does it run? Do many people use the system? My husband is an attorney so he doesn't really leave work the same time every day. If MARTA doesn't run often enough then it wouldn't be a good option for him.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood: We don't care at all. We just want it to be safe.

So far we've received the following recommendations: Decatur, Inman Park, Brookhaven, Candler Park/Lake Claire, Virginia Highlands and Grant Park.

We're looking for a 3-4 bedroom and from what I've seen online I don't think Virginia Highlands is really in our price range. With respect to the other areas, would you recommend some over others? Are there other areas we should consider? How far would the commute be from Vinings?

Finally, other than Craigslist and Creative Loafing, where should I look for rentals?

Thanks so much for your help!

[movingtoAtlanta4]

you can use rentals.com

We haven't moved there yet, so I can't help you much more than that. Good luck

[ALaney8]

Thanks, movingtoAtlanta4. Have you found a place yet?

[Atown2Htown]

Is his office downtown? Where will he be commuting to?

[plessthanpointohfive]

If your husband's offices are downtown and he'd like the option of using MARTA I'd recommend Inman Park, Candler Park, Lake Claire, or Decatur because they're all right on the east line and he'd have easy access to a station.

During the week the trains run pretty regularly, so he'd just need to time things a little bit:

MARTA > Schedules And Maps > Rail Schedules or Route

[ALaney8]

Thanks! His office will be downtown, but I'm not exactly sure where downtown. If we remove MARTA from the equation, would Vinings/Smyrna be good options or would the commute be too long?

[gumboula]

As far as a commute goes, it depends on what you mean by too long. Of the neighborhoods you mentioned already: Decatur, Inman Park, Brookhaven, Candler Park/Lake Claire, Virginia Highlands and Grant Park. All but Brookhaven would be an extremely short commute (15 minutes, no interstate). In fact, it would be quicker to drive than take MARTA. You can lump together North Buckhead, Brookhaven, and areas in that vicinity as a 30 minute commute (rush hour on the interstate), maybe a bit longer depending on how far the neighborhood is to GA400 and/or MARTA. There are also lots of neighborhoods to consider within the more southern parts of Buckhead that may still be in that price range like Garden Hills, Peachtree Hills, Collier Hills or in central Buckhead like Chastain Park or Meadowbrook. If you really want a four bedroom rental, you will probably have better luck moving away from the older neighborhoods that are east of downtown (Inman Park, Lake Claire, Candler Park, Decatur) and to suburbs developed in the 60s and 70s (Brookhaven, parts of Buckhead).

As far as safety and schools go... Elementary schools in all of the areas I list or you list are great with the following caveats... Grant Park could be a mixed bag. There are a lot of charter schools and the regular neighborhood school is getting better. Smyrna is also a mixed bag, it depends where you are. Those same two areas are more of a mixed bag in terms of safety as well. Others on this board will give you a different perspective, but I am not a big fan of Smyrna. But different people like different things.

Vinings/Smyrna would be around a 30 minute commute during rush hour, maybe a bit longer if you have to spend much time on surface streets. But this is a very big area, so it depends on where you are. IMO, Sminings (the area of Smyrna that is close enough to Vinings to be marketed as such) will give you more house, but you will not get any of the city amenities in neighborhoods that are closer to the city (not that this area is far).

[ASB84]

All of the areas you mentioned are pretty nice. However, in terms of crime, certain parts of Grant Park can be a little sketchy. I live in Inman Park and have a friend who just bought a house in GP. I like both areas but definitely feel a little safer in IP. Do you care about nightlife, restaurants, bars, or anything like that?

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by ALaney8

Thanks! His office will be downtown, but I'm not exactly sure where downtown. If we remove MARTA from the equation, would Vinings/Smyrna be good options or would the commute be too long?

Not too far (if 20 minutes doesn't bother him).

[ALaney8]

Thanks, Everyone!

ASB84 - while I would love to say that nightlife, restaurants and bars are important, the truth is that with a 1 and 2 yr old we don't really get out much!