Best intown neighborhood? (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta: best neighborhood, credit, how much)

[arjay57]

I'd also put Garden Hills, Piedmont Heights, Collier Hills, Morningside and Brookwood Hills on the list. Now that I think about the city has a ton of great intown neighborhoods.

[cqholt]

Kirkwood. Its affordable, served well with transit, very diverse, improving downtown business district, high concentration of parks. Kirkwood may still have a ways to become Candler Park, but there are places where doctors and lawyers live next to teachers and mechanics. That is a truly diverse area. There are 5 parks within the 2 square miles. Served by 2 MARTA stations, and 3 bus routes. Walking distance to Edgewood Retail District for big-box retail stores. Downtown Kirkwood id full of small boutiques and restaurants.

[researchnerd]

cqholt, I applaud your love of Kirkwood, but I'd like to qualify your last 2 claims:

1) I live right outside "downtown" Kirkwood and it would be a bit of a hike to the Edgewood Retail district - it's 3 miles away. The fact that I could walk there doesn't make it particularly convenient. If you're on the northwest side of Kirkwood, I'm sure it's much closer, but I still wouldn't want to walk back from Kroger with my groceries.

2) Downtown Kirkwood is improving, but it's not "full of boutiques and restaurants" in the same way that Va-Hi or Inman Park are. There are a few of each, and some are very successful, but some have closed and others are right on the edge. I really like Kirkwood village, it's definitely improving, and I support the local businesses every chance I get, but it still has a little ways to go.

I also love Kirkwood's true diversity and proximity to transit, but one thing I struggle with is crime/safety. In general, crime is no better or worse than any other intown neighborhood; it's mostly focused on car theft and car break-ins. But we had a drive-by shooting on my street a couple of weeks ago, and that set me back a bit in feeling the neighborhood love. I don't think anyone was hurt, thank goodness, but it was half a block away and that was too damn close to home. Unfortunately, I think crime still has to be a consideration when we're talking about best neighborhoods.

[cqholt]

Downtown Kirkwood is improving, but it's not "full of boutiques and restaurants" in the same way that Va-Hi or Inman Park are. There are a few of each, and some are very successful, but some have closed and others are right on the edge. I really like Kirkwood village, it's definitely improving, and I support the local businesses every chance I get, but it still has a little ways to go.

The recession really hurt the business districts momentum. For the number of store fronts there are a number of stores.

[ericsonga]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The recession really hurt the business districts momentum. For the number of store fronts there are a number of stores.

I really love my new neighborhood of Buckhead. While not the most walkable area in the city, from my townhome the area is quite walkable for me. Me neighbors have been gracious and welcoming. There is a ton for me and my partner to go and do within just a few blocks of home. Also, the shopping is pretty damn good!

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by researchnerd

I also love Kirkwood's true diversity and proximity to transit, but one thing I struggle with is crime/safety. In general, crime is no better or worse than any other intown neighborhood; it's mostly focused on car theft and car break-ins. But we had a drive-by shooting on my street a couple of weeks ago, and that set me back a bit in feeling the neighborhood love. I don't think anyone was hurt, thank goodness, but it was half a block away and that was too damn close to home.

A drive by shooting? Seriously? And you say it is not generally better or worse than other in town neighborhoods? Wow.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by 10 feet tall

A drive by shooting? Seriously? And you say it is not generally better or worse than other in town neighborhoods? Wow.

Crime can happen anywhere.

[ATLTJL]

I'm not going to get into an the actual specifics of what I'm about to say, but it has to be said anyway.

I will say (and this is not directed to any single particular poster, there are a few who participate) that there is a lot of rather unrealistic love for Kirkwood on this board.

There are all kinds of neighborhoods for all kinds of tastes, and I get that pretty much any area is going to be a great fit for some people. However, I often see Kirkwood suggested for people who have asked for attributes that it does not fit at all. Thankfully, a simple drive through should be sufficient for determining if this area is right for you or not.

I'm not trying to say that Kirkwood is necessarily a bad area. Just that it is unrealistically portrayed on this board due to a few outspoken boosters for it.

They should boost it. After all, they chose to live there, so they must like it. But the fact that anybody would claim Kirwood is the best intown neighborhood proves my point. I mean, you can live there and love it....but you have to be realistic enough to not actually think it would be considered the best intown neighborhood by most people's standards.

I live in Duluth. I like it, clearly, I mean I chose to live there. But if someone asked what the best OTP suburb is, I wouldn't say Duluth just because I live there. For most people, areas like Johns Creek, Roswell, or Alpharetta would be considered the best OTP suburbs. If someone asked what the best OTP suburb for diversity is, I might say Duluth....but it has too many things working against it to be considered the best suburb overall. Similarly, I'm sure there are some specific attributes that Kirkwood could be considered a contender for in terms of best neighborhood. But it has too many things working against it to be a contender for best intown neighborhood overall.

To answer the quesiton, most people would consider Buckhead, midtown, and Virginia Highland to be the best ITP neighborhoods. Most people, though, can not afford to own in them. Therefore, you will start to hear answers like Decatur, Kirkwood, Cabbagetown, etc. Truly, some people actually like these areas better for their more bohemian vibes. Most of the time, though, it's cognitive dissonance and if you were able to really cut through the noise, most people in these areas would live in Ansley Park, Morningside, or similar neighborhoods if they could afford it.

And I'm sure someone will chime in with anecdotal evidence stating, "I could have afforded to live anywhere I wanted, and I CHOSE Cabbagetown!" Well, you're an outlier.

Truth.

Think of it like baseball. If you ask who is the best baseball team, there are going to be several people who may shout the loudest who say THE CUBS! Cubs fans are loyal and vocal. If you take a step back from emotion and look at the facts, though, it's pretty difficult to argue that the Cubs are the best baseball team.

Maybe the best answer is simply the question is as impossible to answer as "What is the best color and why?"

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Crime can happen anywhere.

Yes, it can. But a drive by shooting is in a totally different class than a car break-in to steal on ipod or whatever. With all due respect, please don't play the "It is only a drive by shooting. What's the big deal? You have to put up with a little drive by shooting every now and then in order to enjoy the city" card.

Maybe the original poster could expound on the circumstances of the shooting; maybe it is not the scenario that I am imagining.

[cqholt]

But the fact that anybody would claim Kirwood is the best intown neighborhood proves my point

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Have you have never been to Kirkwood and experienced the hardwork that has gone on here. The streets are filled with young couples and babies. We fought hard to keep our middle school open. We have worked hard to improve the elementary school to a level seen north of DeKalb Ave. I say all these things because Kirkwood gets a bad rep. This is my opinion and mine only, I encourage everyone to do their OWN research before buying a house in a neighborhood.