Newbie Atlanta - Considering Relocation from Denver (Douglas, Stone Mountain: apartment, lease)

[David MS]

1. Budget--We're currently paying $1500 per month for a 2 bedroom in Denver, CO. This is about 1 hour from downtown. We've researched and would have to move about 1 1/2 hour drive away from downtown Denver to lower our rent at all. So, we're looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home for rent or lease as close to ATL as possible. We've seen some great deals so far in Stone Mountain and it looks beautiful but seems a little too far from the city. A half-hour MARTA commute would be great.

2. House/Condo/Townhome?--We'd prefer a house.

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)--I would be getting a transfer.

4. Children(public school vs. private)--No children but may want pets at some point.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two--We would like a home in a quiet (as in safe and no gang activity) neighborhood. We like artsy bohemian neighborhoods, but who doesn't?

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?--I hear Atlanta traffic is no joke, so being as close to the MARTA as possible seems like a good idea.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.--We both love diversity and don't care if it's near shops or not, but of course would like a nearby grocery store and access to MARTA.

What we don't like about Denver is primarily the $1500 per month rent for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment that is about a 1 hour drive from downtown Denver. So it's $1400 per month now and we know next year we'll be forced out by rising cost. The culture here is pretty much beer and pretzels and sports, and parking downtown is difficult and expensive. So most of what we earn goes toward rent and utilities. The winter is most of the year so we have very limited time to enjoy nature and can't afford to do much more than work and go home and survive. We looked at moving to get cheaper rent, but would have to live 1 1/2 hour from downtown, probably 45-60 minutes from my job, there is zero diversity, so we're considering the move to the ATL.

What we like about ATL so far:

-no winter compared to Denver
-lower cost of home rent (compared to Denver)
-a 1 hr commute is still much lower cost than here
-much more diversity than here
-seems like more cultural activities as well

[lorilove]

What is the location of your job that you are transferring to. Please be as specific as possible. This is a metro area of 5.5+ million and if you end up in the wrong area you could end up with a commute much longer than 1 hour

[David MS]

Hello, lorilove. My job will relocate me to almost any city since they're a global company. It's easiest for them to transfer me to Atlanta since it's the main city or capital. If I want to look for other jobs, I would probably want to focus on Atlanta since it's the hub city. I think a commute time of 30 minutes on MARTA from the city would be great if possible. Stone Mountain looked very affordable, very nice, but seemed like a longer commute by public transportation and looked like it required a bus then transfer to train. Some people have mentioned Douglas County.

[lorilove]

The actual City of Atlanta is only a population of 450,000 which is less than 10% of the Metro Atlanta area of 5.5 million.

Are you sure that the job will be in the actual City limits and not in an unincorporated are that just so happens to have an Atlanta address.

When I mention specifics, do you know the cross streets as to where your job will be located. Like is it downtown at Peachtree and Ivan Allen etc.

The reason we ask is that with traffic it can take you more than 1/2 hour to go from one corner of Atlanta to another. I live 5 miles from the City of Atlanta but there are areas on the far other end that would be a nightmare commute for me. Also, not all areas of the Metro area have access to MARTA.

We ask for location specifics because it truly does make a difference as to the quality of the advice that you will get here at CD

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by David MS

Hello, lorilove. My job will relocate me to almost any city since they're a global company. It's easiest for them to transfer me to Atlanta since it's the main city or capital. If I want to look for other jobs, I would probably want to focus on Atlanta since it's the hub city. I think a commute time of 30 minutes on MARTA from the city would be great if possible. Stone Mountain looked very affordable, very nice, but seemed like a longer commute by public transportation and looked like it required a bus then transfer to train. Some people have mentioned Douglas County.

She's asking what is the address/exact area where your job in Atlanta will be located. This is very important.

Get your mind off of Stone Mountain and/or Douglas County. In Metro Atlanta, it is very unwise to choose a supposed ideal place to live/locate and then hopefully try to fit the rest of your life within this framework.


Tell us where your job will be located, your other lifestyle wants/needs (you've already done this), and your realistic budget (to rent or to purchase). Then, we will be able to give you some good recommendations.

[evannole]

Also, while wanting a 30 minute commute via MARTA is admirable, it is not necessarily realistic. Tell us where your job might be, and we will give you realistic suggestions of areas in which to live and what kinds of commute times they'd provide you, as well as whether you'd be better off driving or taking transit.

[David MS]

Ok. The job will basically relocate me to wherever there is a large city. But I want to be near the City simply because that's where all the cultural base would be and majority of larger companies. So I'd want to be near the city. So I'm just looking for areas that would be possible for now. I'm looking at all options and just areas that are safe without gang activities and can have a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom for around $800 to $850 per month.

I can't be more specific because I'd have to ask for relocation and then give them a few months after that to get back to me on where they'd have spots. Metro Atlanta is going to have the most openings....wherever the downtown area is based there'll be more openings. If I tell them I want to work at Stone Mountain, there'll be something there to fit me into but I'd like to be close to the city to enjoy life.

So budget for rent or purchase? I would love to keep it at $850 maximum for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom modest house. If we can rent with an option to buy that'd be great.

I understand my information might be a little vague but I'm still trying to feel out general options for the budget and type of life we would like there. My job will transfer me to just about any city, but the larger the city the more openings they're going to have. And I've been looking for work in web design, anyway, which is outside of my current job and would require looking for jobs elsewhere.

[aries4118]

I don't get it...

[Atlwarrior]

You leaving legal marijuana and all that natural beauty. Lol!

[David MS]

I guess I should be more clear.

First of all the legal marijuana seems to be driving up the cost of living alot and I'm fine without Mary Jane. I get that alot of people love mj and that's fine. It never did much for me except make me hungry and then tired.

Secondly, the beauties of the mountains are only available when you have time off from work and it's not winter. Rocky Mountain National Park is a 4 hour drive, so we seldom get to go and staying over night there costs several hundred bucks unless you sleep in your car or outside in the woods.

Seriously, I guess what I'm asking for is ideas for places to consider that would be in the $800-$850 budget range, devoid of gang activity, and within as close a commute via MARTA as possible. So I'm asking for input on areas.