SAFETY DOWNTOWN near the LANDMARK condominium (Atlanta, Carlton: for sale, apartment, foreclosures)

[averageperson]

I am considering buying a condo in the Landmark
condominium located DOWNTOWN in the hotel district
located 3 blocks from the Marta PEACHTREE Center station.

I frequently would be arriving at the Marta Peachtree
center station at 10PM both on weeknights and weekdays.

I would then walk home from the Peachtree Center
Station. The Landmark is located at
215 Piedmont Avenue NE, downtown Atlanta
right next to the Andrew Young International Blvd.
The walk is 3 blocks.

Would I be relatively safe. I am 60 years old, overweight
and might be considered an easy target.
Do you think that I would be safe.
Sometimes, I use a wheelchair.

If I reached the Peachtree Center Marta Station at
8PM, would that be substantially safer?
I am not familiar with Atlanta at all.
What precautions should I take?

AveragePerson

[WanderingImport]

Aside from bums asking for money, you'll be fine! This part of downtown is arguably the busiest, or at least top 3 (around Peachtree Center Station to be specific).

Don't give anything to the bums and you'll be fine.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by averageperson

I
I am not familiar with Atlanta at all.
What precautions should I take?

AveragePerson

Don't buy if you haven't actually lived here yet. Condos are very difficult to resale so if you make a mistake, you could be stuck (sometimes there just are no buyers) or have to take a huge loss.

Rent first, get the lay of the land and then make a decision.

What is bringing you to Atlanta?

[koko339]

Holy cow just looked up the units for sale in that building and the majority are in the $40K range. I understand if you think you're getting a steal, but keep in mind they're priced that way for a reason. It's not a dangerous part of downtown, but it is somewhat desolate. Especially if you're not familiar with the city you should rent first before committing to owning.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Don't buy if you haven't actually lived here yet. Condos are very difficult to resale so if you make a mistake, you could be stuck (sometimes there just are no buyers) or have to take a huge loss.

Rent first, get the lay of the land and then make a decision.

That building is so absurdly dirt cheap that buying might be the cheapest option, even factoring in a large % loss, assuming OP is staying for a few years. When your mortgage is like $300/mo (plus HOA fees), you're doing so much better than renting an equivalent unit it probably doesn't matter. Of course, getting financing for that sort of unit can be tricky. Not saying buying is the best option, but it's a lot closer than one might think, given the lack of places for a rent a short, safe walk from MARTA in the <$800/mo range.

As for safety, honestly the walk isn't one I would be thrilled to make each and every evening. It will be pretty stark, and people will ask for money. However, along either of the two routes (Harris or Young) there are businesses every half block or so, meaning it's not a great spot for outright robbery (some approaching you and threatening you for your belongings). If you are talking on your phone, someone definitely might try to snatch it. The walk is downhill, so you have that going for you given your state of health.

If taking additional time isn't a concern, I believe you can actually get from Peachtree Street all the way to the Hilton on Courtland via skywalks. That will obviously be much safer, but will take longer. Then you're only one block from the Hilton.

[lastminutemom]

Be very careful, if the units are that cheap, more than likely there have been a rash of foreclosures, short sells, etc. Probably a lot of renters in the building as well.

You will have to work hard to verify the health of the homeowners association. How much $ they have in reserve and how are they doing paying the bills.

Proceed with caution.

Also, downtown doesn't have a lot of amenties like grocery stores. Will you have a car?

[cityfilms]

If you are buying a condo for $40k+, you can afford to spend $300 for a few nights in a nearby hotel.

Buying is the ONLY option in Atlanta. The rental market is a total ripoff. Chicago, Seattle, And Denver have better value for what you get in rentals than Atlanta does.

[noah]

Agree but there are some buildings in downtown/midtown that are in pretty decent shape with these prices but check everything out. Without knowing much about the building it looks older and not updated from the outside, very likely many units are outdated and apartment grade...could be things are ok..that is certainly the market for something like that. However check out the competition, I think you could get a nicer building and even closer to Marta in that price range if your ok with a studio or 1 bedroom.

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Be very careful, if the units are that cheap, more than likely there have been a rash of foreclosures, short sells, etc. Probably a lot of renters in the building as well.

You will have to work hard to verify the health of the homeowners association. How much $ they have in reserve and how are they doing paying the bills.

Proceed with caution.

Also, downtown doesn't have a lot of amenties like grocery stores. Will you have a car?

[BackInATL2011]

Does the peachtree center station have a wheelchair friendly entrance and exit? I guess i havent realized another entrance besides the abnormally large escalators.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by BackInATL2011

Does the peachtree center station have a wheelchair friendly entrance and exit? I guess i havent realized another entrance besides the abnormally large escalators.

Yes, there is an elevator entrance across the street from the Peachtree Center mall entrance, right in front of 230 Peachtree. There is also another one across the street from the Ritz-Carlton, adjacent to the Georgia Pacific tower.

I'm not too sure how wheelchair friendly this condo would be to/from the station. That is a pretty steep hill down Harris Street or Andrew Young International from Peachtree. It's across Piedmont from the back of the Hilton, with 4 lanes of fast moving traffic. This is sort of a "no mans land" to me down that way. Not even sure if there are crosswalks or sidewalks there, as there are multiple entrance/exit lanes to & from the Connector and Freedom Parkway that start right in front of the Landmark. I would really check it out before making any decisions.