Safe Close In Neighborhoods for Airbnb Stay? (Buckhead: house, safe area)

[Lee151]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Hotels are really expensive during Market.

I'm perfectly fine with MARTA. It's my coworkers who would prefer to Uber. I have never felt unsafe on it, until I stepped off at Ashby Station. Riding to and from Peachtree Station and the airport it's no problem at all. I've never gone anywhere else though.

We stayed in a nice house in Kirkwood in 2017 but it's not available.

The Bankhead house was a very nice house on a nice quiet street of big homes in various stages of restoration but we had Uber drivers refuse to pick us up there so that is why I'm asking here to try to avoid that experience again. My boss walked out to Donald Lee Hollowell to flag down a lost Uber and that is when a cop stopped because thought she was lost and said we should move immediately. We didn't feel unsafe in the house itself, but the drive out Donald Lee Hollowell was eye opening.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Lee151

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Hotels are really expensive during Market.

I'm perfectly fine with MARTA. It's my coworkers who would prefer to Uber. I have never felt unsafe on it, until I stepped off at Ashby Station. Riding to and from Peachtree Station and the airport it's no problem at all. I've never gone anywhere else though.

We stayed in a nice house in Kirkwood in 2017 but it's not available.

The Bankhead house was a very nice house on a nice quiet street of big homes in various stages of restoration but we had Uber drivers refuse to pick us up there so that is why I'm asking here to try to avoid that experience again. My boss walked out to Donald Lee Hollowell to flag down a lost Uber and that is when a cop stopped because thought she was lost and said we should move immediately. We didn't feel unsafe in the house itself, but the drive out Donald Lee Hollowell was eye opening.

Lol, if you and your co-workers thought that the drive out Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway was "eye-opening" in 2018, then you all should have seen it in the past (circa-1994 and earlier).

Make no mistake, that street (formerly named Bankhead Highway) and that area (commonly known as Bankhead, an area that often is confused by visitors such as yourselves with the upscale and highly ascendant uptown Buckhead district on the other side of town) is still noticeably questionable in many areas.

But that area (like much of the rest of Intown Atlanta and many major American inner-cities outside of the Pacific NW) actually has improved markedly and is nowhere near as violent and crime-ridden as it was back in the 1970's, '80's and '90's.

And while I cannot say for certain, I suspect that you and your co-workers potentially might have confused Bankhead (the traditionally very hard-edged working-class west side neighborhood) with Buckhead (the highly affluent upscale ultra-modern north side uptown district), which (as you and your co-workers found out) is not something that is pleasant to do, particularly when it comes to staying in lodging accommodations like Airbnb, etc.

You and your co-workers absolutely should take that as a lesson that most other American major cities and metros (including more Eastern major cities and metros in the Central and Eastern time zones) are much different from Pacific Northwest cities like Seattle and Portland (and Vancouver, BC).

Most major American cities outside of the Pacific NW have urban and metropolitan populations and cultures that are much more transient and that potentially can be relatively much more prone to the occurrence of crime than might be the case in cities like Seattle and Portland (and Vancouver, BC).

Like I alluded to before, the definition of crime (or "low-crime") in a city like Atlanta might be significantly different than the definition of crime (or "low-crime") in Pacific NW cities like Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, BC.

While you might not have to be anywhere near as vigilant as one might have had to be in the pre-Olympic era (before Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1996) of exceedingly high crime and violence rates in non-Pacific NW and Eastern cities like Atlanta, etc, you still should be at least somewhat vigilant when traveling in major U.S. cities outside of the Pacific NW because of the significant difference in urban/metro environments between Seattle/Portland/Vancouver and must of the rest of the continent.

There are definitely some Airbnb and VRBO accommodations in nice Intown Atlanta areas that will be convenient to the Americas Mart in Downtown Atlanta. But even in those nice areas be vigilant (be alert and aware of your surroundings) and please try and exercise some care and some caution before choosing an Airbnb or VRBO accommodation in any city that you are not familiar with, including Atlanta.

[wasel]

Lee, I think you should try to convince your coworkers to agree to take Marta and stay somewhere along the northeast line. Especially if you want a grocery etc. nearby.

[ATLTJL]

Bankhead has changed a lot.

But it's reputation isn't entirely undeserved either. (yes, I know Bankhead Courts isn't there anymore, but it still has a long way to go.)

[3rdbass]

Originally Posted by Lee151

My (all middle aged female from Seattle/Portland) coworkers and I travel to Atlanta every January for the gift/furniture market at the Americas Mart Downtown. We have been renting Airbnbs as it's much cheaper than hotels.

We have had some good ones but last year a police officer advised us that we were in an unsafe neighborhood and should move (off Donald Lee Hollowell west of Bankhead MARTA Station) We didn't have any issues but my boss was very worried the entire stay and now has waited far too long to book for 2019.

We need a short commute to the mart by Uber, coworkers not comfortable on MARTA. We will not be returning to the Airbnb until after dark every night and will need a grocery store nearby as well by Uber

we don't care about bars/restaurants, things to do. Just a safe area and short commute.
thank you

Marta is completely safe if you are doing places North or East of Five points. Unless you are on Marta after Midnight I don't think you will have any issues walking from the stations. I think doing the West Side of Marta gave them the wrong idea as that is definitely kind of unsafe area especially at night.

[Lee151]

I knew it wasn't Buckhead....I just didn't know Bankhead was sketchy.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Lee151

I knew it wasn't Buckhead....I just didn't know Bankhead was sketchy.

Grrrrrrrlllll!

[Lee151]

Lesson learned on checking neighborhoods in advance.

I found a new listing in Kirkwood I'm trying to get my boss to book.
She keeps sending me houses in Decatur and I keep trying to get closer.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Lee151

Lesson learned on checking neighborhoods in advance.

I found a new listing in Kirkwood I'm trying to get my boss to book.
She keeps sending me houses in Decatur and I keep trying to get closer.

Be careful with Decatur. Decatur is one of those areas that (not unlike many other areas in metro Atlanta and in other major city/metros outside of the Pacific NW) that has really good (if not exceptional) neighborhoods, really rough neighborhoods, and neighborhoods of varying quality in between.

I think that Iconographer said it best about Decatur zip codes when giving advice on another thread:

Originally Posted by Iconographer

Be sure to check the zip code.

30030 - good
30033 - OK to good
30032, 30034, 30035 - bad

Only 30030 is the actual City of Decatur.

The 30030 zip code is the most desirable part of Decatur, while the 30033 zip code is generally good to okay, while the other three Decatur zip codes have multiple areas that can be very questionable at times.

[Lee151]

How about just south of Old Forth Ward near Krog Street Market? it is east of Boulevard.
Increased the budget and found a cute bungalow there. Has lots of good reviews.

PS there are rough neighborhoods in Seattle and Portland. I actually live in one that is on a downward trend as other parts of the city are gentrified and lower income and renters move out this way. We have a serious homeless problem here and meth too. I've never actually been scared though....