uh oh...another "moving to ATL" post..... (Atlanta: apartment complexes, lease)

[Rachel420]

Hello All,
Im a 30ish woman planning on moving to ATL in June. Im looking to rent since Im not familiar with the area at all. I can afford no more than $1200 per month in rent. I have a car so public transportation isnt a necessity, however, I would prefer to use MARTA over sitting in traffic. I have a medium sized dog and a cat that Im bringing with me. Im coming from Youngstown Ohio so PLEASE dont tell me to stay where Im at...I CANT DO IT!!! Im educated...I have an MBA and I'll have a law degree by the time I move in June...so hopefully it wont be too difficult for me to find work. I would love to live in town some where with a lot to do (shopping, dining, etc.) within walking distance. Also a dog park nearby would be nice too. Ive already started looking for jobs and hopefully I'll have something lined up by June. Any suggestions on where to live would be greatly appreciated!

[johnnyboy2008]

I usually recommend the dunwoody/perimeter center area as a good starting point because there is a major mall, lots of freestanding restaurants/shops, and a subway station. It is also pretty safe and free of low rent places that attract riff raff. There are almost no homeless people who are out looking for trouble.
You should also look at buckhead and midtown as they are the business centers and probably where most of the mba/law work would be. It is much more "intown."
Midtown also has piedmont park which would be great for the dog, but the midtown area has it's extra share of car breakins/beggers and similar type problems.
There are many other great areas but those I am very familar with.
If you search the threads for "dunwoody" you will see many posts describing the perimeter center area in detail and also what visitors thought of the area.

[sumrgurl]

I recently moved to Atlanta from a small town in TN. Like you, I was looking for some place walkable and safe, but I wanted an "urban" feel. I initially focused my search in Buckhead, but instead leased a place in Midtown. I'm a block from Piedmont Park, a coffee shop and several restaurants. The High Museum and Marta are within walking distance, and there is a secure parking garage.

[Rachel420]

Thanks for the great suggestions...they all keep popping up on my moving radar so I will definitely look into all of them. Sumrgurl....how do you like the midtown area? Did you go through any culture shock? Was it hard to find a job? Are there any apartment complexes you can recommend?

[bayarea-girl]

My advice now a days is to stay put until a job is secured and I know that isn't anything you want to here. If you are moving by yourself then it might not be so bad if you get a job that might get you by until your real job comes along (that is if you can find one). There are plenty of well educated & highly talented people in GA without a job. PLEASE find one before you go and make sure you have connections in order to jump start your search.

Moving on, I love the following areas and recommend: Candler Park, Little 5 Points, Decatur, Midtown, Inman Park, Virgina Highlands, Lake Claire, Atlantic Station, and I'm sure others can recommend more. You should easily find something in your price range and now a days I'd imagine you can find something for much less than your budget.

[tonygeorgia]

Atlanta Apartments for Rent - Equity Apartments

Here are a lot of apartments from $500+

I would recommend the Druig Hill/Clairmont Rd area. Its 10 tens to Midtown and its near the Brookhaven Marta Station

[Ms.SixBurgh]

What area in Ga would you call the "ghetto"? Where should you stare clear of moving to that would be unhealthy for young children?

[bayarea-girl]

Well Atlanta is very pocketed. It really depends on what you feel comfortable with. One area can be totally nice then you go a block or two or it can be the block behind you that might not be so nice and or is going through some sort of transition. Many people mainly people in the suburbs would not recommend any part of the city all and will tell you to stay away from Decatur or South of Atlanta.

The amenities that you want and if you have kids I would recommend the N. Atlanta & East Atlanta areas and the city of Decatur. You'll have to drive the areas at night and during the day and visit schools to asses the area for yourself. People have mentioned that Oakland City is ghetto and College Park and Stone Mountain. There are parts of College Park and Stone Mountain that are nice but I don't think the schools fair well and they are lacking in amenities. I'll also throw in Lil 5 Points (not Little 5 Points).

Good luck.