Moving to Atlanta this summer NEED HELP! (East Point, Vinings: apartments, rental)

[pignchick]

I am moving to Atlanta this summer from Minneapolis to be work at the Delta HQ on the north side of the ATL airport. I am a 25 y/o professional male. I am searching for a nice area to live in. Access to MARTA would be nice but I would probably drive to work because I have to catch the Delta shuttle at the airport to the HQ (which would add another 1/2 to my commute) and I might work late and I am not sure how safe it is to ride MARTA during off-hours.

Initially I plan to find a roommate. Some areas that I am considering are Jefferson Park in East Point, Peachtree street/Buckhead, Midtown, Little 5 Points, Grant Park, and Atlantic Station. For practical reasons I prefer Jefferson Park in East Point because it appears to be one of the better neighborhoods south of downtown, which would make my commute time to work unstressful. However, my girlfriend and friends would prefer to have me live in a more trendy part of town such as Peachtree street in Buckhead. Also, I would assume that rental prices in Jefferson Park in East Point are a lot cheaper than Buckhead.

Another concern is that I might return to school for an MBA at either Georgia Tech, Emory, or Georgia State and would like to keep the commute time as short as possible.

Any tips, ideas, or suggestions given my situation?

[95g atl]

Welcome,

I can't offer you too much advice on the places to live since i'm on the north side. Buckhead and Midtown seem to be popular w/folks of your age.

The MARTA has gotten better, however, i'm not certain to what degree in the "after hours".

Oh, great idea on the MBA. I got mine in California in 2001.
-Brian

[George Chong]

Since you mentioned Little 5 Points, I would recommend Inman Park for you too. Inman Park is adjacent to Little 5. Little 5 is more more commercial than residential. I can often walk up to Little 5 from my house.

You could "park and ride" from the Inman Park MARTA station to the airport. The train ends at the airport. Inman Park is E3 on the MARTA map. MARTA - Getting There - Rail Schedules & Maps (http://itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/index-rail.htm - broken link)

Here are some websites for you to check out:

www.inmanpark.org
WELCOME TO LITTLE FIVE POINTS-ATLANTA

[btard]

Originally Posted by David from MN

However, my girlfriend and friends would prefer to have me live in a more trendy part of town such as Peachtree street in Buckhead.

Live in a place that's best for you! Your girlfriend has no say in where you live until there are rings on fingers. Man up!

[DPAT]

Originally Posted by btard

Live in a place that's best for you! Your girlfriend has no say in where you live until there are rings on fingers. Man up!

Hillarious!

[Mgyeldell]

Jefferson Park in East Point is Decent Close to the train Station and Dowtown East Point, near a Hospital and not far from downtown

[pignchick]

I like Jefferson Park because of the proximity. However, Midtown or Inman Park seems like the best option for available rental properties. How much time would it take to drive from Midtown or Inman Park to the airport in best or worst times? Buckhead, around the ESPN zone would be my ideal location, but would the commute and rental costs be a killer? Also, is Buckhead very upscale and expensive even compared to Midtown? Grant Park would be another option, any reason to consider it over Midtown and Inman Park

[Midtownatl]

The advantages of Inman Park and Midtown is that you could take MARTA and avoid rush hour traffic altogether. From Midtown it would be a straight shot (and trains run particularly frequently on that part of the North/South line). From Inman Park, you'd need to change trains once. The part of Buckhead you describe is not close to MARTA, and driving during commuter hours that far south would probablly be frustrating because you'd have to take the connector and/or drive through very busy intown streets.

A compromise might be Lindbergh. It's just south of Buckhead and just north of Midtown. It has lots of young fun people, as well as a some sports bars (including a very popular Taco Mac), restaurants and shopping. Lindbergh also has a MARTA station that's accessible to downtown without changing trains. Trains also run frequently on that part of the North/South MARTA line.

As far as driving goes, Inman Park would be a better bet than Midtown because it's south of downtown and you'd presumably be driving the opposite direction of traffic during commuter hours. The same is true of Grant Park, though it is not accessible by rail.

[Midtownatl]

Originally Posted by David from MN

IAccess to MARTA would be nice but I would probably drive to work because I have to catch the Delta shuttle at the airport to the HQ (which would add another 1/2 to my commute) and I might work late and I am not sure how safe it is to ride MARTA during off-hours.

I should have read more carefully. if you're definitely driving Inman Park and Grant Park make the most sense.

As far as safety off ours, the trains themselves and the train stations in my posts above (Inman, Lindbergh, Art Center, Midtown) are fine. I definitely ride after commuter hours. What I've learned, though, is that where the subway can feel shady after commuter hours is *outside* of certain train stations in less-great parts of town.

[lbl26]

Hey man. Let me give you another suggestion. I just got a job working at Delta Health Central there at the airport. I am also a young professional male. I will be living in the Vinings area. It's only a 20 to 30 minute drive AGAINST traffic. There are a lot of young professionals that live there and the apartments are reasonable priced compared to living in Buckhead. Also, it's only about 15 to 20 minutes to Buckhead and Midtown.