Place for young couple near Marietta (Atlanta, Washington: real estate market, condos, townhomes)

[laurkify]

My boyfriend will be working in Marietta, GA. We are a young couple that wants to be in a lively, downtown area, looking to buy a condo in the 150k-200k area. We would live downtown, but worry about traffic to Marietta - we've heard traffic is awful. We are going to visit and look around soon, but what areas within a short commute of Marietta should we look into? Is Marietta a fun place for people in their twenties, or is that more families/rural?
Thanks!

[evannole]

If living in downtown Atlanta, a commute to Marietta in the morning would probably be fine, but the return home in the afternoon could be difficult; the Downtown Connector (the combined I-75/I-85 running through the city) tends to be really congested even heading INTO the city in the afternoon.

Downtown Marietta itself, however, would give you much of what you're looking for. It has a quaint, historic downtown with good independent shops and restaurants (including one just named the seventh-best new restaurant in America by Bon Appétit). There's a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market - pretty much the largest one in the entire metro area - and a smaller one on Sundays from spring through fall. There are festivals, concerts and other activities going on on the Square pretty much year-round, and particularly when the weather is good. This weekend saw one of the larger events, Chalktoberfest, which is a chalk art competition and craft brewery festival. The entire Square was closed to traffic for the entire weekend, and there were craftspeople selling their wares, a rotating live music lineup, and so on. Great fun. Lots of people of all ages and ethnicities, with and without kids.

Chalktoberfest 2017

https://www.facebook.com/ShopMariettaSQ/

The area around the Square is quite walkable, though you might have to up your budget just a bit if you want to be within walking distance. I did just look in Redfin and there are some properties that might work for you.

https://www.redfin.com/GA/Marietta/3...home/113408887
https://www.redfin.com/GA/Marietta/3.../home/25420908

There are others but that's a start. Things move quickly, particularly at this price range...

Let me know of any questions. Good luck in your search.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by laurkify

My boyfriend will be working in Marietta, GA. We are a young couple that wants to be in a lively, downtown area, looking to buy a condo in the 150k-200k area. We would live downtown, but worry about traffic to Marietta - we've heard traffic is awful. We are going to visit and look around soon, but what areas within a short commute of Marietta should we look into? Is Marietta a fun place for people in their twenties, or is that more families/rural?
Thanks!

Like evannole recommended, Marietta itself is an excellent place to look because of all of the constant activity that goes on in and around the popular historic Marietta Square area in Downtown Marietta.

Living in the city in Central Atlanta/Intown Atlanta possibly could also be an option like you alluded to. That's because Intown Atlanta would mostly be a reverse-commute to and from Marietta where the worst traffic would be heading in the opposite direction on the Interstate during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours... With the exception of the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector through Downtown and Midtown Atlanta like evannole mentioned.

Traffic would also likely be somewhat of a challenge getting to the Interstate during morning rush hour if you live in Intown Atlanta and your boyfriend reverse-commutes to his job in Marietta... Though your boyfriend's commute on I-75 northbound would most likely be 'smooth-sailing' after going through the Brookwood Interchange at the north end of the Downtown Connector.

Your biggest challenge likely may not be reverse-commuting to and from your boyfriend's job in Marietta.

Your biggest challenge potentially may be finding a condo within your price range near a popular downtown/neighborhood village area in the current highly-competitive Atlanta metro real estate market.

That's because downtown/neighborhood village areas like a Downtown Marietta, etc, are a commodity of sorts in an Atlanta metro area where there appears to be much more demand for housing and living in that type of environment than there is an actual supply of housing in those areas in many situations.

There looks to be multiple listings of condos and townhomes available within your price range on the MLS right now throughout areas of Central Atlanta like Downtown Atlanta, Midtown Atlanta, Old Fourth Ward, Virginia Highland and Atlantic Station.

Meanwhile, the pickings of condos and townhomes appear to be extremely slim right now on the MLS in and around the Marietta Square and Downtown Marietta. Though, there does appear to be some condo listings within your price range on the south side of Marietta on the MLS.

The choice is basically do you want to live in Intown Atlanta and have your boyfriend reverse-commute to his job in Marietta, or do you want to live close to his job in Marietta?