Where to move intown near MARTA for Autistic son? (Atlanta: for sale, apartments)

[AtlantaTexasGirl]

I have lived on the west side of Atlanta(Lithia Springs) for 17 years. I have a mildly autistic son who will be graduating high school next year.
He cannot drive, and will need to live with us for at least a few more years. We have decided that we need to move into Atlanta and within walking distance of a MARTA station. I want him to be able to have the ability to walk to the store, restaurants and other interests. I want him to be able to take MARTA /bus or some combo to a job/ or college. Lithia Springs really does not give him that option, and I do not want to have to drive him everywhere he needs to go. It is very important that he gain some independence and the ability to get around somewhat on his own. He is bright and pretty normal, just too nervous and high strung for driving.

We are looking for at least a 2 bd condo to buy or rent.
I would like Buckhead, but do not know how affordable living there would be. Can someone who lives there give me an idea of a place that we could get at about 250,000? It needs to be within a short walk of the Buckhead or lennox station and SAFE walking. He could get a job at the mall or at one of the stores in the area while he is in college.

I was also thinking that Midtown near the Midtown station might be an option, but I do not really know anything about living in that area.

I thought of Decatur, but I do not know much about it and how safe it is to walk. Does Decatur have a good walkability with stores, restaurants and places my son could work?

Thanks for all the help. Please let me know if you need more information.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by AtlantaTexasGirl

I have lived on the west side of Atlanta(Lithia Springs) for 17 years. I have a mildly autistic son who will be graduating high school next year.
He cannot drive, and will need to live with us for at least a few more years. We have decided that we need to move into Atlanta and within walking distance of a MARTA station. I want him to be able to have the ability to walk to the store, restaurants and other interests. I want him to be able to take MARTA /bus or some combo to a job/ or college. Lithia Springs really does not give him that option, and I do not want to have to drive him everywhere he needs to go. It is very important that he gain some independence and the ability to get around somewhat on his own. He is bright and pretty normal, just too nervous and high strung for driving.

We are looking for at least a 2 bd condo to buy or rent.
I would like Buckhead, but do not know how affordable living there would be. Can someone who lives there give me an idea of a place that we could get at about 250,000? It needs to be within a short walk of the Buckhead or lennox station and SAFE walking. He could get a job at the mall or at one of the stores in the area while he is in college.

I was also thinking that Midtown near the Midtown station might be an option, but I do not really know anything about living in that area.

I thought of Decatur, but I do not know much about it and how safe it is to walk. Does Decatur have a good walkability with stores, restaurants and places my son could work?

Thanks for all the help. Please let me know if you need more information.

decatur actually sounds like the best option out of those three. less traffic, but plenty of restaurants and stores to work at, and MARTA is right there if you need to go anywhere in the atlanta metro. i say it's the best because you emphasized safe walking, and with the traffic in buckhead and midtown, it's not 100% safe and easy to cross the streets. also, buckhead *might* be out of your price range.

check this search and see if there's anything you like:

Decatur Condos For Sale, Condominiums and Apartments for Sale - Zillow

[lastminutemom]

Do you have a vision of his next step? Will it be college, tech school or community college? What are his interests, his or your goals.

The most dense retail commercial areas with great MARTA access are Lenox and Perimeter Center. Perimeter Center (Dunwoody) might be a good choice because there are a many companies, stores etc for potential employment and there is a campus of GA Perimeter College right in Dunwoody. There is an internal shuttle system as well in the Perimeter area.
Shuttles « perimetergo.org

I know several empty nester couples who have recently moved to the Perimeter Center area. They love it, walking to everything. One even is able to walk to work. There are several MARTA stations in the area and one is commuting to downtown and finding it a breeze.

Remember to pick somewhere you will be happy as well. Hopefully, he will be able to leave your nest and then you and your husband will still be there.

I know this is not what you asked, but do you know that there are a handful of colleges that have programs for high functioning students with autism? (I find that school guidance counselors can be woefully under informed about options for disabled kids.) One is at the University of Alabama
Page Title - The University of Alabama

Here are others --

Page Title - The University of Alabama

[bryantm3]

also, i don't know if this is relevant to your son's condition, but the marcus autism centre is also in decatur:

Marcus Autism Center

it's on briarcliff road— no subway station there (yet) but you could take the bus.

[cqholt]

Decatur is very safe and is very walkable, but very expensive. Also, the Decatur City Limits are very small and areas that have Decatur zip code are not always Decatur city limits.
I could suggest Kirkwood. Its very walkable, served by 2 MARTA stations and 2 bus routes, lots of parks(5), downtown retail district, short distance to big-box retail (Edgewood Retail District). If your son likes to ride bikes, there are several bike PATHS that connect all these amenities. You would be able to find a nice home for $250K. The area is nice, quiet, and a very active neighborhood association, Kirkwood Neighbors' Organization (KNO) :: Kirkwood Neighborhood, Atlanta, GA.

[AtlantaTexasGirl]

Thanks for all the replies. I did not think about Perimeter Center, so I will have to check that out. Kirkwood also sounds interesting and an area I really need to look into. I did not know about the University of Alabama programs, thanks! I do know about the Marcus center, that is where he was originally tested and had therapy etc. there when he was younger.

He wants to go to college, or a tech school, so those are on our list. He is not sure what he wants to major in, and so that is a work in progress. Thank you again for all the great info, and I will keep looking at all the areas and see what might be a fit for us.