Moving to Atlanta from NYC/Manhattan - Where to live? (Sandy Springs: best neighborhoods, apartment complex)

[johnhb1234]

Hi,

I’m interviewing for a job in Norcross, GA and it looks likely that I’ll be moving down from NYC/Manhattan. I’m single and plan to rent. I’ve followed this forum and would appreciate recommendations on the following:

1. Most important to me, I was hoping to commute by car within about 30 minutes on average; I’m here to work. I’ve narrowed down the places I want to live to Buckhead, Sandy Springs/Dunwoody or Midtown. I know traffic in Atlanta is very heavy but I am reverse commuting. While I know Buckhead has heavy traffic in town, I’ve been told by someone at the company that a traffic toll was recently removed and she makes it in about 20 minutes.

What are your thoughts on these three neighborhoods regarding the average commuting time/worse than average/a bad day – and how often will I see each scenario from each neighborhood? The company is about half a mile off of 141 in Norcross.

What are the differences in these three neighborhoods in my commute to Norcross if I leave at 7:45 am or 8 am in the morning and leave Norcross at about 6:30 pm at night?

2. Probably 2nd most important to me is the building I live in. There seems to be a great deal of nice townhouses in Atlanta. I’m used to living in mid to high-rise buildings. I have a few friends in Atlanta, but not many, so like being around people. I don’t want a frat house atmosphere. I am social during the day but like quiet at night. (Late 20’s through 40’s is fine, just not a college dorm type of atmosphere). Any thoughts on great rental buildings and townhouse apartment complexes in these three neighborhoods? I can afford to live in a high-end property (think NYC rent, so Atlanta is great in comparison!).

3. Neighborhood. I’ve heard that midtown, especially near Piedmont Park, is very much like NYC near Central Park. I really love to walk through a city and hear that while Buckhead is nice, you drive everywhere. However, if my commute is 20 minutes longer each way comparing Midtown to Buckhead, then I am much more likely to get a workout in before work in Buckhead or Sandy Springs/Dunwoody and can always do the walking and park on weekends. Any thoughts on this?

4. I like to bike ride and can certainly do this near Piedmont Park. Would I be able to bike ride anywhere in Sandy Springs/Dunwoody or Buckhead? I am used to going through NYC streets, so I don’t mind this, but would prefer at least a somewhat scenic ride or at least, pass some interesting stores and sights.

5. If I have a decent car, is it more likely to get vandalized or stolen in one of these neighborhoods? If I’m parked at a Townhouse apartment complex vs. a high-rise building, does the vandalism or theft risk increase? I can guess but would appreciate input on this.

Thanks and if anyone has other feedback on things to do in Atlanta, I would appreciate it.

[gerrythesnake]

I recommend an apartment first. How much are you willing to spend?

[midtown mile girl]

You would have an easier time commuting to Norcross from Buckhead and Midtown because I am assuming you will be driving up & down I-85. Sandy springs involves I-285 to 85, and it's probably one of the most congested areas.
Since you like to bike, access to piedmont park and it's access to the beltline might be just your thing.
There is some walkability in Midtown, and that might ease your adjustment coming from NYC. There is a brand new apartment building at 12th & Cresent streets that you might like, and there is also an apartment building next to the W midtown hotel that's just a short walk from the park.
I can tell you that there is a mix of people in midtown, all ages. Rent with a short term lease, and try it out.

As for car safety, for the most part nicer apartment complexes have parking decks, but just follow common sense and do not leave valuable things inside of your car in plain sight, (no phones, ipods, loose change, etc. laying around in view).

[cqholt]

Stick with midtown or buckhead. Sandy springs and dunwoody is not walkable and friendly to peds or cyclist. Midtown is the most complete nwighbirhood oit of the 4, with lots of ped and bike infrastructure. Buckhead you'll fimd yourself driving a lot of places. For commuting you could look at the GRTA express route that leaves doraville station going north along 141. Xpress...commuting made easy. Operated by the GA Regional Transportation Authority

[gerrythesnake]

I would recommend Midtown and Inman Park/Virginia Highland over Buckhead and Sandy Springs. You could take Piedmont Ave or Monroe Dr to 85 from Inman Park/Virginia Highlands to Roswell.

[Born 2 Roll]

You're going to be doing A LOT of driving while living in Atlanta, though you will likely be doing a slightly lesser amount of driving if you live in Midtown then if you live in any of the other locations that you have under consideration.

With Midtown being immediately near (and next to) popular Piedmont Park, and with Midtown being an urban neighborhood (by Atlanta standards) on the rise, I agree with the other posters that Midtown should most likely be the first place that you start your search for housing.

Midtown is also a good reverse-commute to and from Norcross as the worst traffic will be headed in the other direction on I-85 during morning and evening rush hours.

Buckhead is a good second option because it is a good reverse-commute to and from the Norcross area by way of Georgia Highway 141 Peachtree Road/Peachtree Boulevard/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

Sandy Springs and Dunwoody are good options as well, but like the other posters have remarked, you most likely will not be doing much walking or bicycling in those areas which are difficult enough to drive in during peak hours, much less bike or walk in.

[1Mom2Boys]

I agree with other posters that Midtown is probably your best bet. It's probably one of the few areas in town where you'll actually see people walking around - it's the closest thing we've got to Manhattan's concrete jungle (and who are we kidding - it doesn't really come that close). You'll probably have an easier time finding like-minded folks in Midtown - in terms of urbanization - than you would in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs. Buckhead is a great option but your walking will be limited and you'll be one of the few folks on foot or bike in a sea of cars. Access to 400 (the now toll-free interstate) is great from Buckhead, but not the worst from Midtown (driving against traffic will not only get you there quicker, it will make you swear never to live in the 'burbs - ever). Another option you could consider is Brookhaven. It's just north of Buckhead on P'tree Rd (141) and you could head straight up to work on 141 - traffic is never bad - 10 to 15 minutes to Norcross/Peachtree Corners (but a ton of traffic lights). There are a couple of cute mixed-use areas (retail/restaurants/apts) in Brookhaven that you may find appealing (or, alternatively, contrived).

[scobby]

If your job is in Norcross,i suggest that you rent a place in Norcross,that way you can save on transportation.
There are nice apartments and houses in Norcross,Buckhead is so expensive and noisy on week ends.

[bizchick86]

Assuming you're working a standard 9-5 day, the short answer is that your commute would likely look like this:

- approx 25-30 minutes from Buckhead
- approx 30-35 minutes from Midtown
- approx 30-40 minutes from Sandy Springs, Dunwoody

The long answer is that your commute, if you live in or around the perimeter (highway 285 that encloses the City of Atlanta), will depend on the precise location of your home and less on the neighborhood or town your home is in. Neighborhoods/towns are large and meandering, and they have different types of access to highways/expressways.

Generally, midtown and Buckhead will likely have the best commutes. Depending on where in Buckhead, it'd be a better option than midtown commute wise, especially since Buckhead is basically right on 141. I used to take that route to get to Chamblee, and it is very painless. For your quality of life and interests, Midtown is better. It is highly unlikely the commute would be 20 minutes longer each way from Midtown, perhaps just about 10 minutes.

In general, I wouldn't recommend SS or Dunwoody because they're off of 285 and that is a *fright* during rush hour. But again, it depends on exactly where you are, since those areas are fairly large. Since Norcross is east of those towns, you'd want something as far east in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs as you could get. I would keep them in mind, because you might find a great building that has a decent commute, though the neighborhoods will be dull compared to basically all of NYC, including the boroughs.

My third recommendation would be the Virginia Highland/Inman Park area, as someone else mentioned. Not as great commute wise as either Midtown or Buckhead (they're both a mile or two further east), but they're among the best neighborhoods in the city and are generally more walkable (again depending on exactly where you live) and have much more character than Buckhead. And parts of Va-Hi could actually be a faster commute than some parts of midtown, since some of it lies a bit north and closer to Buckhead. I would keep those two as options as well, with preference for Va-Hi above Inman Park since it's a bit further north and closer to Norcross, if you're not finding what you want in Midtown or Buckhead. Commute is approx 35 minutes.

Since commute and the building are your priority, I wouldn't leave anything off the table just yet. Once you narrow down the buildings and commute times from those buildings, decide based on the neighborhood you'd most enjoy.

[Febtober]

I did the opposite, I used to live in Midtown Atlanta and now live in Manhattan.

My vote for Atlanta neighborhoods is for Midtown, by Piedmont Park. I used to live there and really love the area. Specifically, anything between East of Peachtree, west of the park itself, between 10th and 14th streets gets my vote.

I wouldn't really compare it to living by Central Park, but it is a very walkable area, with some little restaurants and bars.

I never particularly cared for Buckhead. It always seemed to car centric and not really set up for walking.