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Old 12-14-2016, 07:58 PM
 
108 posts, read 285,958 times
Reputation: 59

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Hello, all.


I'm moving to Downtown Decatur. Atlanta is where I primarily grew up (outside of the perimeter in a suburb) before living in the northeast, but now I'm coming back. After making rounds to both Midtown and Buckhead, I fell in love with the area. I've researched the area quite a bit, but I was recently told by some relatives that it's not exactly the safest. How unsafe are we talking here? Could I walk my dog out in the early evenings/mornings? Decatur Marta station is just a few blocks from where I'm moving. I see young children walking around all the time to go to school.

So, what do you ATL natives think?
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Old 12-14-2016, 08:05 PM
 
Location: Decatur, GA
7,360 posts, read 6,534,071 times
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Downtown Decatur is fine. You should never lose situational awareness anywhere, but avoid the dark alleys (like any place) and you'll be just fine that close in. There are some places with Decatur addresses that can be a bit sketchy at times, but if you're a few blocks from downtown, that doesn't apply.
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Old 12-14-2016, 08:24 PM
 
108 posts, read 285,958 times
Reputation: 59
Great, I didn't think it was dangerous. It might also be my family is the definition of paranoid. What are the more sketchy places that I should be aware of?
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Old 12-14-2016, 08:57 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BraveNative View Post
Great, I didn't think it was dangerous. It might also be my family is the definition of paranoid. What are the more sketchy places that I should be aware of?
Whoever told you this is crazy. Downtown Decatur is one of the safest most affluent areas in the Atlanta metro. I've walked around Decatur square at midnight and there were still families with children sitting outside having ice cream. Homes near that area go for a fortune.
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Old 12-14-2016, 09:23 PM
 
108 posts, read 285,958 times
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Originally Posted by Forhall View Post
Whoever told you this is crazy. Downtown Decatur is one of the safest most affluent areas in the Atlanta metro. I've walked around Decatur square at midnight and there were still families with children sitting outside having ice cream. Homes near that area go for a fortune.
Ah, okay. Glad to hear it's pretty safe. Plan on taking many walks.
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Old 12-15-2016, 05:41 AM
Status: "Pickleball-Free American" (set 7 days ago)
 
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,467 posts, read 44,121,361 times
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I lived in downtown Decatur for years (Oakland Ave in the Great Lakes neighborhood), and never had a problem. I also felt perfectly comfortable with my (then) teenaged daughter wandering the downtown area with her friends. One of Decatur's many assets is its' police department.
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Old 12-15-2016, 06:15 AM
 
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Originally Posted by LovinDecatur View Post
I lived in downtown Decatur for years (Oakland Ave in the Great Lakes neighborhood), and never had a problem. I also felt perfectly comfortable with my (then) teenaged daughter wandering the downtown area with her friends. One of Decatur's many assets is its' police department.
That's good to know. I was never worried in the first place. I've lived in sketchier neighborhoods in Connecticut. I'm excited about finally living in the perimeter.
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Old 12-15-2016, 09:23 AM
bu2
 
24,108 posts, read 14,903,765 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BraveNative View Post
That's good to know. I was never worried in the first place. I've lived in sketchier neighborhoods in Connecticut. I'm excited about finally living in the perimeter.
You're getting a rosy colored view. Downtown Decatur is not "sketchy." But you definitely have to be aware. A couple of years ago there were a mass of armed robberies in downtown Decatur with people stealing cell phones. There was a murder about 10 pm one weekend, someone just walking to her car. My wife actually knew her. If you are walking at night, be alert. Stay around other people or well lit areas. I try not to be there after about 9 pm or so with my family as the crowds thin out and there tend to be a few "sketchy" people around.
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Old 12-15-2016, 09:36 AM
 
Location: Blackistan
3,006 posts, read 2,632,440 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2 View Post
I try not to be there after about 9 pm or so with my family as the crowds thin out and there tend to be a few "sketchy" people around.
o_O

Really?
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Old 12-15-2016, 09:58 AM
Status: "Pickleball-Free American" (set 7 days ago)
 
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,467 posts, read 44,121,361 times
Reputation: 16866
Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2 View Post
You're getting a rosy colored view. Downtown Decatur is not "sketchy." But you definitely have to be aware. A couple of years ago there were a mass of armed robberies in downtown Decatur with people stealing cell phones. There was a murder about 10 pm one weekend, someone just walking to her car. My wife actually knew her. If you are walking at night, be alert. Stay around other people or well lit areas. I try not to be there after about 9 pm or so with my family as the crowds thin out and there tend to be a few "sketchy" people around.
As a resident, that was never my experience. In fact, that time period was when the police presence downtown was at its' most palpable.
The woman who was shot was a total fluke. The shooter had been driving all over the metro seeking victims (his other two were found over in Atlanta); he just happened to land in Decatur. It certainly doesn't make it a nest for such activity.
Cell phone theft? Like that doesn't happen all over the metro? You'll have to come with a better example than that to build a case against Decatur.
Bottom line is, I would have felt more at ease walking in Decatur at 10pm than I would have when I lived in suburban Sagamore Hills or North Buckhead.
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