Atlanta in July (Decatur, Druid Hills: apartment, rental, how much)

[Vancouver3]

Hello,

We're a family of 3 moving to Atlanta in July. My husband's office is in Decatur and our son most likely will be attending Atlanta International School.
We need local advice in regards of where to live. I'd prefer living close to school but I know that is a pricey area.
Apartment, townhouse,etc.. any options are ok as long as they have 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms.
Any advice on rental properties, areas with easy commute between Decatur and AIS area? Thanks!

[jsvh]

The areas between the school and Decatur are really nice but can be pricey. Will your husbands office be near the Decatur MARTA station?

See the sticky for some other info to provide so people can help more.

[Vancouver3]

Hello, Thanks for your reply. Yes, my husband's work is walk-in distance from the MARTA station.

[GoingGrey]

I'm assuming you've already applied to AIS and are awaiting the admission decisions which come out on April 4th. Do you have a back-up school in mind in case your son does not get into AIS? Admission to AIS (most Atlanta private schools actually) can be quite competitive, depending on grade level, there may not be many spaces available. Just an FYI.

Knowing what your other school options are will help in picking a neighborhood in which to live. For example, if your husband is working in Decatur and your son does not get into AIS, living in Garden Hills (neighborhood school is in) would not be practical. Morningside, Virginia Highlands and Midtown are all pretty accessible to both Decatur and Garden Hills... it all depends on how much $$$ you want to spend.

[scobby]

Trips from Decatur to AIS and back, can be hectic,during schools hours (8am and 4pm),trafic is bad in that area.
Marta is a good alternative.

[Vancouver3]

Yes, we've applied and are waiting for decision. We've also applied to Paideia that is in Decatur but AIS would be our first choice. Our budget can range from 1000-1,500ish....we don't need a very large space.
If trafic is hectic, and he gets accepted in AIS would it make sense to live close to the school and my husband take MARTA to Decatur? Is there MARTA access from the neighbourhoods you mentioned above?

If he goes to Paideia and work is in Decatur then is pretty simple....which neighbourhood in Decatur? by the way...any comments on Paideia School? or Decatur's Public High School?

[GoingGrey]

Originally Posted by Vancouver3

Yes, we've applied and are waiting for decision. We've also applied to Paideia that is in Decatur but AIS would be our first choice. Our budget can range from 1000-1,500ish....we don't need a very large space.
If trafic is hectic, and he gets accepted in AIS would it make sense to live close to the school and my husband take MARTA to Decatur? Is there MARTA access from the neighbourhoods you mentioned above?

If he goes to Paideia and work is in Decatur then is pretty simple....which neighbourhood in Decatur? by the way...any comments on Paideia School? or Decatur's Public High School?

Paideia is actually in the Druid Hills neighborhood which is within the city limits of Atlanta, but is quite close to Decatur. Lots of Paideia students live in or near Decatur as well as other in-town neighborhoods.

My older daughter attends Paideia. My younger daughter attends a private school in Decatur, but is applying to both AIS and Paideia (as well as some other schools) for high school next year. Her school ends in 8th grade.

My husband works near AIS. We live in Morningside. On mornings he drops our daughter off at school in Decatur, he then drives to work. Some days there is minimal traffic and the commute is not a problem, other days he wants to pull out the few strands of hair left on his mostly bald head.

If you lived in Garden Hills (where AIS is located), you could take Marta from the Lindburgh station to Decatur. If you chose to live in Midtown, you could take Marta from the Midtown station to Decatur. If you were living in Morningside or Virginia Highlands, it would probably make more sense to just drive to work. You will most likely need two cars... one for commuting to work and one for chauffeuring your son to school, activities, etc.

[Vancouver3]

What a coincidence...we're applying to the same schools! I'll start looking for rental properties in those neighbourhoods you mentioned. Thanks for the info.