Atlanta Area-Walkable w/ good schools & public transit? (Dunwoody, Decatur: for sale, condo)

[art-teacher]

Hello folks,
I posted this in the gernal GA forum, but wanted more local input on the Atlanta area...

I'm considering relocating to another city in GA that is more walkable/public transit friendly.

I am also a school teacher, so I'd like an area that I wouldn't mind working and could live / own a home on a teacher's salary (~40k a year, some cities add to that amount). I am not sure how the city schools are for Atlanta, but I would rather not work in a really rough school.

Ideally, I'd like to live and work in an area that I could walk to shops, grocery store, work, etc. or use public transit... I'd also like an area where public transit is safe, timely, and used by a pretty wide range of people (i.e. not just those that can't drive or can't afford a car).

If I could find an area that is artsy, offers public parks/rec., and is pretty pet-friendly, that would also be great. Safety would be a big plus too, but I am realistic about the amount of crime in a city as large as Atlanta.

Basically, I would like to be able to get by without a car, unless I'm going out of town... Is this possible in the Atlanta area (and in my salary range) or am I looking in the wrong place?

Thanks for your help and time!

[lastminutemom]

It will be interesting to see what others say, but I am guessing that you have your hands full with your criteria. MARTA (which is adequate, but not great anyway) is only in Fulton and DeKalb Counties, but in Fulton the further north you go where the schools are great, there is no rail and bus transportation is really mostly for transportation to the MARTA stations.

I am guessing you could afford around 100k for a home-- give or take a little. Not sure that is doable because for decent neighborhoods on MARTA the prices for homes are much higher, maybe a 1 bedroom/1 bath condo but those are risky purchases these days.

[cmtiger]

Decatur would be perfect for you, but I don't think that there is anything in the City of Decatur for 100K, not even a condo.

[onemanarmy]

I think you would qualify for a lot of the mortgage assistant programs that the state of georgia and the city of atlanta offer. In some instances they can give you down payment assistance up to 90k and pay all closing cost. Their are additional resources for teachers, fireman, and police etc. If you want more information go the ADA - Atlanta Development Authority, and if you need a person to contact let me know.

[martarider]

Dunwoody would be perfect for you, mass transit and good schools.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by art-teacher

Hello folks,
I am also a school teacher, so I'd like an area that I wouldn't mind working and could live / own a home on a teacher's salary (~40k a year, some cities add to that amount). I am not sure how the city schools are for Atlanta, but I would rather not work in a really rough school.

Ideally, I'd like to live and work in an area that I could walk to shops, grocery store, work, etc. or use public transit... I'd also like an area where public transit is safe, timely, and used by a pretty wide range of people (i.e. not just those that can't drive or can't afford a car).

If I could find an area that is artsy, offers public parks/rec., and is pretty pet-friendly, that would also be great.

For the record, you just described several locations in EUROPE.

[meadgrad]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

For the record, you just described several locations in EUROPE.

yeah, sounds like the Neatherlands to me...thats a heck of a commute though

There is a condo for sale in Decatur off Northern and Ponce for 150 ish i think. That would be on the upper end of a 40k salery...but close.

not sure if its still for sale though.

[atlanta hope]

Atlanta is a tough city without a car. I live in a walkable neighborhood but you still have to drive -- we're not New York or San Fran. Our public transportation sucks.

For artsy, you can check out most intown neighborhoods. I live by the East Atlanta Village. I love my neighbors but the crime can be a PITA. It's nice to be by Grant Park and the zoo.

[art-teacher]

Thanks for your replies...
I'll look into Dunwoody and Decatur.

Unfortunately, the average salary for a teacher is pretty much the same all over the country, give or take ~10k... (it's only 7k more a year in Seattle, than it is here) So if I can stay in the southeast, hopefully I can keep my cost of living lower and afford a nicer/safer neighborhood, etc. Ahh, if only I had gone to law school I could afford to relocate anywhere I wanted

atlantagreg- Yes, but I lack the funds for relocation and, I'm a bit of a wimp in terms of taking the "leap of faith" to move overseas

Another few of questions that might help me decide to keep atlanta on my "short list" or not....

-(given ideal living location) would I be seriously disadvantaged in not having a car?

-what percentage of people in atlanta, would you say use public transit on a regular basis and are they from different socioeconomic groups or just "the poor" or those that don't own a car?

- For those that use public transit, about how far apart are the buses? 15 minutes, 30 minutes? etc.

Thanks again for all of your help!
Art

[martarider]

Originally Posted by art-teacher

-(given ideal living location) would I be seriously disadvantaged in not having a car?

Honestly I cannot imagine living here without a car at all, although some do, and I am mass transit commuter but it sure seems like a lot of places I need to go are only accessible by roads.

Originally Posted by art-teacher

-what percentage of people in atlanta, would you say use public transit on a regular basis and are they from different socioeconomic groups or just "the poor" or those that don't own a car?

Year over year, MARTA ridership is up 6% in April and up 14% in May. Public transit has certainly had a bad rep here, but it is changing a lot lately and will continue to change. Some areas like Cobb county voted down MARTA due to concerns about "crime" [code word] but now they are feeling the pain.

Originally Posted by art-teacher

- For those that use public transit, about how far apart are the buses? 15 minutes, 30 minutes? etc.

During rush hour trains run every 5 minutes. I dont know about buses but I think it depends on the system (CCT, GRTA, etc)