Moving to Atlanta from Florida next month. Where to live? (Decatur: apartment complex, rentals)

[throwaway2]

Hello there!

I've just landed a new job in the Five Points area of Atlanta. I'm looking for a place to live with a lease starting Jan 1, or a few days earlier. I don't know much about the city. I've only visited a couple of times in the Virginia Highlands and Midtown. But I did enjoyed my times visiting.

I have no idea which neighborhood I should focus my apartment hunting.

About me

I'm 36 in a committed relationship with no kids (girlfriend is moving in a later date)
Budget including all utilities about $1,400
1 bedroom apartment would be fine
I prefer urban vs suburban, but price rules at the end of the day
I hate having a daily commute more than an hour.

Some other facts

Employer will pay 100% of transit costs (would it be a fair assessment that I should live close to a MARTA station with parking to avoid rush hour traffic?)

I don't give a crap about quality of the school district

A safe neighborhood is important. But I've lived in neighborhoods people swore were war zones to be avoided, but I found them to be fine and ended up loving them. So no need to take into account the perceived safety of a neighborhood when recommending a place as Ill do my own research here.

Prefer a diverse community with lots of restaurant options, super market, bars, etc...

I'll probably be looking to rent for 1-2 years before getting a feel for Atlanta.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

[arjay57]

Sounds like Brookhaven might be a good fit for you.

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by throwaway2

Hello there!

I've just landed a new job in the Five Points area of Atlanta. I'm looking for a place to live with a lease starting Jan 1, or a few days earlier. I don't know much about the city. I've only visited a couple of times in the Virginia Highlands and Midtown. But I did enjoyed my times visiting.

I have no idea which neighborhood I should focus my apartment hunting.

About me

I'm 36 in a committed relationship with no kids (girlfriend is moving in a later date)
Budget including all utilities about $1,400
1 bedroom apartment would be fine
I prefer urban vs suburban, but price rules at the end of the day
I hate having a daily commute more than an hour.

Some other facts

Employer will pay 100% of transit costs (would it be a fair assessment that I should live close to a MARTA station with parking to avoid rush hour traffic?)

I don't give a crap about quality of the school district

A safe neighborhood is important. But I've lived in neighborhoods people swore were war zones to be avoided, but I found them to be fine and ended up loving them. So no need to take into account the perceived safety of a neighborhood when recommending a place as Ill do my own research here.

Prefer a diverse community with lots of restaurant options, super market, bars, etc...

I'll probably be looking to rent for 1-2 years before getting a feel for Atlanta.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

Gotta be a GS employee with the transit subsidy.

I am one too, & work out of the Martin Luther King building near five points. You should just pick an apartment on either the red or gold line within walking distance of the station. I commute in from Cumming but telework 4 days a week, with my only day in the office on friday.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Sounds like Brookhaven might be a good fit for you.

Agree or maybe Chamblee. It's diverse and growing.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by throwaway2

Hello there!

I've just landed a new job in the Five Points area of Atlanta. I'm looking for a place to live with a lease starting Jan 1, or a few days earlier. I don't know much about the city. I've only visited a couple of times in the Virginia Highlands and Midtown. But I did enjoyed my times visiting.

I have no idea which neighborhood I should focus my apartment hunting.

About me

I'm 36 in a committed relationship with no kids (girlfriend is moving in a later date)
Budget including all utilities about $1,400
1 bedroom apartment would be fine
I prefer urban vs suburban, but price rules at the end of the day
I hate having a daily commute more than an hour.

Some other facts

Employer will pay 100% of transit costs (would it be a fair assessment that I should live close to a MARTA station with parking to avoid rush hour traffic?)

I don't give a crap about quality of the school district

A safe neighborhood is important. But I've lived in neighborhoods people swore were war zones to be avoided, but I found them to be fine and ended up loving them. So no need to take into account the perceived safety of a neighborhood when recommending a place as Ill do my own research here.

Prefer a diverse community with lots of restaurant options, super market, bars, etc...

I'll probably be looking to rent for 1-2 years before getting a feel for Atlanta.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

I would check out Downtown Decatur as well, about a 30-minute train ride to Five Points.

[bigup]

Check out the Lindbergh area for rentals. Many are adjacent to the MARTA station, and you can be at Five Points in 15 min or so. Not the most glamorous area, but very centrally located. Easy walking distance to restaurants and shopping.

[Crane's Rooster]

I just made the move myself from Orlando to Atlanta and this is just my opinion from someone who has made a similar move. You definitely want to live in an area accessible to MARTA, traffic in ATL is horrendous and being able to jump on the train will be a great convenience to you since you will be working in Five Points which is a major train station. Based on your description of what you want I would highly recommend the East side, specifically Inman Park, Edgewood, Candler Park, and Reynoldstown. These neighborhoods have no shortage of hip bars and restaurants, access to the beltline, easy access to MARTA, plenty of shopping and grocery options and are a diverse area with lots of housing options. Within your price range you should be able find anything from a newer apartment complex to a townhome or small bungalow. There are 2 Marta stations in these neighborhoods and both offer free parking so you can drive, park at the station, take the train into work (that's what I do). The other reason I recommend these areas is because there is a smaller MARTA line that goes only to Edgewood/Candler Park that takes you directly into 5 Points. Because it is a limited line it is usually way less crowded than the other lines even during rush hour. You can also consider going a little further out into East Lake and Decatur which might be a little cheaper but will be a little more suburban.

[KookieKrumbs]

Depending on your job hours and social life MARTA is not like NYC’s MTA

Keep in mind that Marta trains do not run 24-hours. Trains run from 5 a.m. - 1 a.m. on weekdays and until 12:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

Uber, Lyft are around but you need to budget for it if you work graveyard and dont drive

When I lived in Johns Creek the morning rush drive to the north 285 is a bear

Good luck with your search

[throwaway2]

Thanks for the feedback all. I'm loving the city so far!!

bellhead, your guess is correct.

Still on the lookout. What's annoying is I'll look at an apartment online that lists for $1,100, but add in all the hidden fees. i.e.

Parking
Gym
Pool
Common Area Utilities
Pest Control
Mandatory Rental Insurance
Garbage Valet (my favorite)
And yada yada yada... that true cost is closer to $1,600.