Trying to find a decent area (Slightly Irritated)//pics3.city-data.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif (Atlanta: apartments, rental)

[757sVeryOwn]

Ok, I'm living with family in Jonesboro now and I can't take it. Im from Virginia the 757 area. I just got a job its on the southside of Atlanta (Jonesboro Rd). My question is where should I look I went to a few apartments today one in College Park on Old National and the other in Morrow. They were actually nice apartments the only problem is they were not diverse. My wife is caucasian and im african american our kids are bi-racial (Pretty Obvious I'm Sure). I just dont want them to feel out of place or unwelcome (All I Keep Reading About Is Segregation In Atlanta). Where should I look Im trying to stay under 1000 per month rent for a 3+ BDRM apartment or house. Are there areas I should avoid? Any help appreciated.

[netdragon]

I'd look in the Sandtown area a couple miles outside 285 on Camp Creek Parkway.

[jsvh]

Check the SE Atlanta neighborhoods. Ormewood, Chosenwood. Summerhill for some good options.

[bornjacksonian]

Originally Posted by 757sVeryOwn

Ok, I'm living with family in Jonesboro now and I can't take it. Im from Virginia the 757 area. I just got a job its on the southside of Atlanta (Jonesboro Rd). My question is where should I look I went to a few apartments today one in College Park on Old National and the other in Morrow. They were actually nice apartments the only problem is they were not diverse. My wife is caucasian and im african american our kids are bi-racial (Pretty Obvious I'm Sure). I just dont want them to feel out of place or unwelcome (All I Keep Reading About Is Segregation In Atlanta). Where should I look Im trying to stay under 1000 per month rent for a 3+ BDRM apartment or house. Are there areas I should avoid? Any help appreciated.

I also work off of Jonesboro Road (SS Ind Pkwy/Atlanta city line) and I live further North in Tucker (ITP). It only takes about 20 mins to commute both to and from work. You should try looking East/Northeast to see what you can find. Check out parts of Decatur and also the Tucker area. Those areas are more diverse than areas south of Interstate 20. African-americans have a huge presence around the Old National/College Park/East Point/Riverdale/Jonesboro/Morrow/Ellenwood/Conley/SE Atlanta/Forest Park areas. Nothing against my race at all, I don't really think they care about interracial relationships though; you don't see it as much South as you do in other parts of the metro area. Another city South you can check is Fairburn, GA. Good luck

[atler8]

I live east of Jonesboro & about 4 miles from the southern edge of Morrow & am confused by the lack of diversity you found at the place you went to in Morrow. Where in that city did you look at a complex & in what way was it not diverse?
A fair amount of the shopping I do is in the Morrow Mount Zion corridor that parallels I-75 & heads southeast from Southlake Mall. The shopping public that I see there is very diverse with mixed race couples & families not at all rare there.
Clayton County overall is actually one of the most diverse counties in the state of Georgia with a majority black population of around 68%, with slightly under 20% as caucasian along with notable hispanic & asian population percentages too.
In fact, Morrow recently elected a Vietnamese person to its city council.

[Psykomonkee]

Check out Fayetteville... You can drive right over to Jonesboro from Fayetteville, easily without ever hitting the freeway traffic. It's a little too country for my taste, but it is a decent area with a decent mix on the south side...
Otherwise, IMO, you're looking on the wrong side of town for "diversity."

The northern neighborhoods, cities & counties are pretty diverse. But I'd hate to tell you to move to Cobb or Gwinnett, or even north Dekalb (North Stone Mountain, North Decatur, Tucker & north), and for you to be upset later because of your commute.

[netdragon]

Ben Hill looks to be gentrifying. I'd look there too.

[Tryska]

Can we define "Diverse" please? I don't consider majority one race or the other (since Atlanta is often very binary) as diverse.

Sadly most areas here are going to be one race or the other for the most part - with pockets of various flavors of Asian in certain areas.

[cwkimbro]

The area you're in now has seen its better days.

They lost school accreditation (and since gotten back), they don't don't offer many high paying jobs, and it is mostly a working class community with increasing poverty. The big problem is they have an up-hill battle on public perception of Clayton across the whole region. The problem is most people moving in have lower paying jobs in Clayton or those seeking the lowest home prices and rents in the region.

I think it is fair to say whites have flee'd many parts of Clayton Co., but some neighborhoods have stayed very nice. You'll notice this affect... more so in rental properties, than neighborhoods where home ownership prevails.

The other issue is Atlanta has really grown north... not south. There is much more economic activity and many more people chasing jobs to the north. You'll find more diversity in the northern suburbs, as long as you don't go to the exurbs.

Given your job, I would recommend looking at apartments just to the east in Henry County. I visited friends there once a few years ago and there was a healthy black/white mix in the complex. (admittedly I don't remember which complex I visited :/ ) It was also a nice little area.

If you ever find a new job or can transfer and want diversity, I'd look into Gwinnett County.

[Psykomonkee]

Originally Posted by Tryska

Can we define "Diverse" please? I don't consider majority one race or the other (since Atlanta is often very binary) as diverse.

Sadly most areas here are going to be one race or the other for the most part - with pockets of various flavors of Asian in certain areas.

I can agree, BUT I'd say Smyrna is diverse.
In Smyrna, you find a lot of white, black, Brazilian (yep. Found out recently), Asians, Indian and other...
(visit the local Wal-mart in an area and you get an idea. LOL... Sad, but becoming more & more true)

North DeKalb has Indians, Arab, Black, White, Mexicans, Vietnamese, Koreans, etc...

Gwinnett is, well... I think we all know it's rep.

And Fayetteville, I'm not too sure of what other races are represented, but I can say it doesn't feel like all black or all white. You DO see Latin/Hispanic around (not much like the northern areas though) and maybe some Indian. I don't recall seeing any Asians around, except to work.

Outside of Smyrna, Roswell, Norcross, Chamblee, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Decatur & Duluth, seems most of the rest of the Atlanta area is just as you say (majority one race or the other/white or black).
For the south side, I can only think of Fayetteville as anywhere near close to being like that.