Would you buy a house on English Avenue? (Atlanta: condos, crime)

[matilda79]

So I'm not sure whether or not all of the streets surrounding the English Avenue area would be considered "The Bluff" but the city has plans to develop those areas in the future due to the new Falcons stadium coming in. Do you think the city will be able to swiftly clean those areas up?

I'm curious about it, have seen photos, but am a little scared to drive down there for fear I might end up in the notorious "Bluff" area. I'm sure it has so much potential, like many of the older neighborhoods in Atlanta, but seeing the "potential" could be a little dangerous.

If homes were somewhat affordable there, would you jump at the opportunity? Or do you think it will take a long time to bring down the crime?

Better yet, considering the development board contains no local residents, do you think they'll just mow down everything in sight to replace it with expensive homes and condos, or will the historical integrity be maintained?

[jero23]

I'm not buying a house anywhere right now, but I used to live in the English Avenue neighborhood nearly 3 years ago. The area has a distinct character of residential structures that speaks of a "dense and traditional" inner-urban neighborhood. I would like to see it organically redevelop like the WestEnd neighborhood has/is transitioning into. The area's redevelopment doesn't need the "whitewashing" that areas of East Atlanta has gone through which has been cause of so much tension between longtime residents and the newcomers.

[joey86]

I think it's hard to predict. It's likely to revitalize but it will probably be slower than many other areas. There isn't that much of a precedent set for it and there are many cheap neighborhoods to buy in Atlanta. It's looking up and things like the planned Mims Park and the revitalization of South Downtown should help.

I would expect that a lot of the houses would be tear downs. There were some cheap builds over there that sit empty. I think it will take developments of complexes rather than just single home restorations to get the ball rolling faster. The area is definitely changing for the better. Crime has gone down a good bit and will likely continue. We have a poster that, from what I remember, has lived there for several years without trouble. Some streets are much safer than others.

My recommendation on buying would be that if you really want a house but can't buy somewhere further along, it could be a good buy. There are some good people living there now. Go to neighborhood meetings and get advice on what streets are safer and what houses are used by dealers, prostitutes and vagrants. Get a security system. I wouldn't buy a house that has an abandoned house on any side.

[afonega1]

I just moved from neighboring Vine City.its a challenge but its doable but you have to go by the streets.
Jones Ave has some nice homes clustered near Northside Dr.but I would not go too deep.

You can drive there without any problems in the day.Nobody's gonna bother you.its bad but not lawless.If anything they might think you are a customer so its in there interest not to hurt you.

People told me I would get killed or robbed.Nine years nothing happened but I was careful.Cameras,alarms and dogs but no bars on my windows.

[matilda79]

True. The ultimate test is: "Can I walk the dog/take a casual walk and not get that chilly feeling like I am about to be a crime victim?"

To Jero: Not a fan of East Atlanta. Completely soulless now, in my opinion. The West End, hopefully, is doing things right.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by matilda79

True. The ultimate test is: "Can I walk the dog/take a casual walk and not get that chilly feeling like I am about to be a crime victim?"

the answer to that question is "no". the south part of vine city is okay, as are a lot of places along MLK drive and west end. but trying to make it in english avenue... i think that would be a battle impossible for one person to win. it's going to take a lot of people and a lot of money to ever get that neighbourhood safe again.

[ATLTJL]

Let me ask you this: How many areas in the country can you point to that cleaned up and became desirable places to live as a result of a nearby football stadium? Seems to me the exact opposite usually happens.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Let me ask you this: How many areas in the country can you point to that cleaned up and became desirable places to live as a result of a nearby football stadium? Seems to me the exact opposite usually happens.

Well that area has already improved so with the heavy attention already on the area I really can see the possibilities.

[bryantm3]

westside village has improved despite the stadium, not because of it. english avenue deteriorated after the stadium was built in the 80s. i'm not saying there is no hope for the area, because the opposite is true: it has nowhere to go but up. i'm just saying the stadium's success is completely irrelevant to anything positive that might happen to english avenue.

[cparker73]

Originally Posted by matilda79

True. The ultimate test is: "Can I walk the dog/take a casual walk and not get that chilly feeling like I am about to be a crime victim?"

To Jero: Not a fan of East Atlanta. Completely soulless now, in my opinion. The West End, hopefully, is doing things right.

What makes East Atlanta soulless? As a new resident of Atlanta that moved to a gentrifying area south of Memorial Drive, I understand the concerns of whitewashing, but I think the bigger issue is economic. If all the new builds were being done by affluent black families, would there be as much of a backlash even if the character of the neighborhood and types of businesses catered to the tastes of the new residents?