Potential job near Ft. Gillem (Atlanta, Peachtree City: rent, loft, crime)

[Bleumoongirl]

I've been contacted by a large corporation about a job working by the airport/Ft. Gillem area. I haven't been in GA in 20 years so I'm not familiar with the area at all. I've tried reading threads here about living in Atlanta, but the posts are pretty old. I've noticed a lot of negativity about traffic, crime and politics, but it seems typical for a large city. I travel for my current job so I've been in every big (and small) city in the country from Philadelphia to Seattle to San Fran to Honolulu.

So my questions revolve around locations with a short commute, lifestyle - ease of meeting new people and the variety of neighborhoods. If I accept this job, I figure I'll want to live south because I'm not inclined to spend a lot of time in traffic - having lived in Phoenix for 11 years, I'm sick of long (45 min - 1 hr 15 min one way) commutes. Any advice on areas that might have a decent commute and nice neighborhood would be great. It's only me, my dog and a lot of furniture so no school concerns. I tend to prefer urban living to be near good restaurants, shops, bookstores, art supplies, parks, and hopefully some kind of farmer's market - a loft would be ideal but I figure most would be out of my price range as I'm having to pay a house mortgage in AZ and rent in Atlanta. I've been living in the burbs and I hate it - no one talks to each other - you don't know your neighbor's names - well maybe it's an AZ thing.

As for lifestyle, I'm an artist (hobby) and into fitness, eating healthy, love to go to the art museum, concerts, book stores, etc. I'm middle aged and wondering how hard it is to meet people - I don't know anyone in Atlanta! I'm a southerner though so I think I'll feel more at home in GA. Other than winter, is it fairly sunny there?

I've heard Fayetteville is nice and Decatur (yes, I know it is east - just not sure about the commute.) I'm sure the northern area is lovely but I am adamant about not spending half my day sitting in traffic. Is there any suburban area with a little urban feel to it?

Any advice or input would be great. Sorry for the long post! Thank you!
Trisha

[Eunomia]

Based on the the type of urban living that appeals to you, I would suggest you start your search in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. Then if you need to include nearby areas, look at Poncey Highlands, Candler Park, Inman Park, Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown.

The advantage to living in one of those areas is that you wouldn't be far from Moreland Avenue, which you could take to work by going south and then either going west on 285 or using another side street to avoid the interstate altogether. The commute would probably be shorter than any south metro suburban area (if you're working 9 to 5) because you're not going in and out of the city with the major traffic flows.

It sounds like price might be the only thing that forces you to look to the suburbs. Since you didn't say what your price range is or what standard of living you're comfortable with, I don't know if you should immediately rule out intown living. But unless you're only able to afford something very cheap (in which case safety is probably going to be an issue whether it's intown or the burbs), I think you can find good deals on decent places in the city.

I lived in Clayton County for a few years and don't think you'll find the kind of neighborhood or lifestyle you're looking for there. I don't know about Fayetteville, but I do know nearby Peachtree City is nice (especially for families), but it's also probably not what you're looking for. Maybe someone else can recommend a suburban area with a little urban feel on the southside, because I don't know of one.

[Bleumoongirl]

Thank you so much for the information!