Is there anything in Atlanta like the 5 Points area of Athens? (Decatur: apartment, condos)

[ugaguy]

I live very near 5 Points in Athens right now and will probably be moving to Atlanta over the summer. Is there anywhere like 5 Points in the Atlanta area? (for those who dont know, 5 Points is this nice area with a couple restaurants, couple coffee shops, grocery store, pharmacy, one bar, one wine bar, etc... dont really have to drive anywhere for anything).

I may be working near Vinings which Ive been told is nice but never been there. Been told Virginia Highlands is nice but could be a far drive if I end up working where I think i will.

Also, Im in my late 20s and would like to be around people similar to that age.

thanks

[IntownHomes247]

You would probably like either Virginia-Highland, Candler Park/Little 5 Points, or the City of Decatur (30030), which is basically a small college town (Emory, Agnes Scott) just east of Downtown Atlanta (and also very near Virginia-Highland), but since they're both on the opposite side of town from Vinings, they're not going to be a convenient commute. Maybe Vinings itself might work? There are some shopping areas there. It's not going to have the same pedestrian friendly vibe as Va-Hi or Decatur, but it might do and would be incredibly convenient.

[gtgal2]

Atlantic Station area might work as well - right off of 75 - and a relatively easy commute up. Or Midtown/gatech area.

[K'ledgeBldr]

You could stay right in Vinings-

Vinings Jubilee, Atlanta : Shopping & Dining, heart of Vinings Village

And Cumberland Mall is less than 5mi.

[BringBackCobain]

If youre looking for an area with a lot of 20-somethings, I dont think youd be satisfied woth Vinings. It isnt known for its young-professional-singles scene.

I would stay away from Atlantic Station. It feels more like an outdoor mall and is nothing like 5 points. Midtown is walkable but its a high-rise district, so it may not be what youre looking for.

Little 5 Points and Decatur are more similar to 5 Points, but the crowd is more similar to the "townie" or "hipster" bar strip in downtown Athens off Washington St. (around the 40 Watt).

VA Highland is the most similar to 5 points, especially in terms of appearance, walkability, and type of people. The bars there are mostly people in thier late-20s. The commute to Vinings wont be that bad - youll be going against the traffic and youre staying inside the perimeter. Id say probably no more than 25 minutes.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

If youre looking for an area with a lot of 20-somethings, I dont think youd be satisfied woth Vinings. It isnt known for its young-professional-singles scene.

Really? I was under the impression that many (most?) of the apartment/condo complexes and eateries/pubs/stores in Vinings Jubilee, etc., were mostly targeted at young professionals?

[ATLHRLGUY]

^There is a mix of people in vinings. The neighborhoods off of paces ferry heading south toward fulton county are filled with older people, but areas north of paces ferry/paces mill are where you have more condos/apts will the younger crowd. If you were to head over to Vinings Jubilee and surrounding shops on a friday evenings/saturday you will see a ton of late twenties thirty ish looking crowd mixed in with baby boomers etc. During the day mid-week older crowd, b/c the twenty/thirty somethings are at work!..lol To answer the OP's question, I would agree with IntownHomes and BBC(mark the date..lol) about Decatur and Va-Hi, more so Va-Hi in appearance. Decatur(downtown decatur that is) is a bigger area and just as walkable with more shops than 5 points.

[ugaguy]

Ok cool thanks for the responses. I definitely like the college town feel and if Decatur has that, maybe thats the place for me. I have a friend that went to Agnes Scott that loves the area, but she thinks I may be a tad too conservative for it.

At the end of the day Id just like some cool places to hang out, places that are walkable, and a fair amount of single girls in their mid-20s.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by ugaguy

Ok cool thanks for the responses. I definitely like the college town feel and if Decatur has that, maybe thats the place for me. I have a friend that went to Agnes Scott that loves the area, but she thinks I may be a tad too conservative for it.

At the end of the day Id just like some cool places to hang out, places that are walkable, and a fair amount of single girls in their mid-20s.

Have you checked out West Midtown? My (hipster) daughter and her buds think that's the Next New Thing.

[IntownHomes247]

Just for more detail, much of the east/intown part of Atlanta is very much influenced by Emory University and has a vibe very similar to Athens as a whole. This also tends to be a very liberal part of town while the more suburban areas tend to be much more conservative.

There are relatively few very pedestrian-friendly areas in Atlanta (i.e., places where you can walk to a variety of shops, restaurants, parks, and MARTA rail). But there are several in this "Greater Emory" area including: Virginia-Highland (can't walk to MARTA but they do have buses to nearby stations), Candler Park/Little 5 Points, and City of Decatur (there are some others but these are the "biggies"). Of these, to me, the City of Decatur feels the most like Athens 5 Points, although I am not a 20-something man and haven't lived in Athens for about 15 years, so you'd need to figure out for yourself which has the most appealing demographic and the mix of businesses you'd most be interested in patronizing.

One difference between the Emory area and the "hipster" Midtown West area is the actual physical look of the place. The east side looks and feels very much like Athens -- tree-lined streets, charming homes, etc. The Westside is extremely industrial (and to my eye so unattractive it literally makes me stressed out to be there). However, if the look of the place doesn't bother you, it may well have the right mix of amenities, etc. that you're looking for and would be much more convenient to a job on the west side.