Relocating to Georgia Need help looking for a affordable rental (Atlanta: affordable apartment, rentals)

[MsVibrant]

I'm relocating to the state of Georgia need suggestions to help to find the right place that fits my interest. I'm 40 years old single African American woman, no kids, with a Caribbean background so I'm open to all culturally diverse mixed towns. I need to make friends love to give back to my community in any way I can. I'm currently living in NJ and my rent is so high that I can't afford it anymore.

I'm looking to go back to school this coming Fall season so technical colleges would be a plus. I'm in the reality that nowhere is 100% safe just as long the neighborhood is rated ok to live without worrying about having to experience regular crime.

I have my own reliable vehicle so transportation is not an issue. My current career is in the Cosmetology field but I'm open and flexible doing any other job until things pick up and I also have an online small company. I like big cities but they come with a price and right now affordability is the key, I can be within 30 mins of any big City that suits my interest.

My key interests are:
Affordability in the range of $750
Safe community
Friendly people/community
Jobs opportunities
Recreational; hiking trails, parks, historic places
Church (Baptist or Pentecostal)
Stores, shopping, Market
Technical Colleges


I was looking into a few places but after doing some deep research I'm getting a lot of mixed comments. Places like Gainsville, Columbus, Warner Robin but I've read they are dangerous places. These other places seem okay Statesboro, Hampton, Powder Springs. Any suggestion will be great and kindly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[lorilove]

$750 is typically going to give you an older one bedroom apartment that is not necessarily updated but since you are flexible on location your options are improved.

I did a quick search to find location of Pentecostal churches as a start. There is one of Bolton Road but that area can be hit or miss. I would not recommend someone not familiar with the area moving there. But if I I look at areas that are not a bad drive from Bolton, I see some apartment in Austell, Ga which is a good option to start. A little further out, you can find apartment in your price range in Douglasville, Ga.

The areas you mentioned above are not dangerous - both Columbus and Warner Robins have big military bases. But these areas are not suburbs of Atlanta and not very close. Powder Springs would not be bad - it is just north of Austell that I mentioned above. This is an Atlanta board so you will want to post in the general Georgia board for specifics about areas outside of Metro Atlanta.

[Born 2 Roll]

Gainesville, Columbus and Warner Robins do not have reputations as being dangerous places in Georgia and would probably be good-to-decent places for you to look at.

As the site of an important manmade body of water (Lake Lanier) and source of water supply and outdoor recreation in a landlocked metropolitan region (greater metro Atlanta), and as the self-proclaimed “Poultry Processing Capital of the World,” Gainesville is an industrial-oriented exurb of Atlanta that is both a very important industrial and social (political) hub for the Northeast Georgia Mountains region.

Gainesville is a transitional point between the all-encompassing metropolitan sprawl of greater Atlanta to the south/southwest and the forested wilderness areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north, including the very popular and much beloved Chattahoochee National Forest (of North Georgia), Nanathala National Forest (of Western North Carolina), and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (of Western NC and Eastern Tennessee) mountain forest wilderness areas.

Gainesville gives one direct access to the big-city amenities of metro Atlanta to the near-immediate south/southwest (by way Interstates 985 and 85 southbound) while also providing one near-direct access to the outdoor recreational amenities of the aforementioned major wilderness areas to the north.

As the site of a major military base at Fort Benning, Columbus is a relatively large military town that has become a mini corporate hub of sorts (Aflac, TSYS and Synovus bank have their corporate headquarters located in Columbus) in the Southwest Central Georgia and Southeast Central Alabama region.

As the site of a major Air Force base (Robins A.F.B.), Warner Robins is a very fast-growing outer-exurban/suburbanish military town in Middle Georgia.

Statesboro is an interior college town (Georgia Southern University) in Southeast/Coastal Georgia that is about 55 miles or so from the major tourist attraction and critically important seaport city of Savannah, and more than 200 miles from Atlanta.

Hampton is a southern outer suburb of Atlanta that is the site of the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Powder Springs is a western suburb of Atlanta.

[Born 2 Roll]

Because of its status as a very fast-growing large major metropolitan area of international importance with a very large and fast-growing minority population, the greater Atlanta metropolitan area very likely might would be a good location to have a career in Cosmetology during normal non-pandemic times.

(For example, Atlanta’s metropolitan black population is second only to greater New York.)

As an example of what kind of Cosmetology career opportunities one potentially may have in the Atlanta area, Atlanta is home to the headquarters of the Bronner Brothers beauty supply and education company, which annually puts on what is described as “The Nation’s Largest & Best Multi-Cultural Beauty Show” at the Bronner Brothers International Beauty Show (formerly known as just simply the Bronner Brothers Hair Show).

The famous beauty exhibition show typically has been held at the Georgia World Congress Center convention facility in Downtown Atlanta every year, but is slated to shift to New Orleans after the pandemic ends.

https://bronnerbros.com/

In addition to looking in metro Atlanta suburban/exurban communities like Gainesville, Hampton and Powder Springs, also look to see if you might be able to find anything within/very close to your budget in other metro Atlanta suburban communities like Austell and Douglasville (like lorilove recommended).

Also look to see if you might potentially be able to find anything within your budget in other metro Atlanta suburban communities like Lithia Springs, Fairburn, Stockbridge, Conyers and Covington.

Outside of that, areas like Marietta, Vinings, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Roswell, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Lawrenceville and Tucker feature many quality rental dwellings that are very likely to be beyond the reach of your budget because of the demand for the quality public schools in those areas.

Meanwhile, areas like Lithonia, College Park, Riverdale, Stone Mountain and Clarkston potentially may be likely to feature rental dwellings within or very close to your budget but are likely to be much more urban than you might like.

Areas like Sandy Springs, Lilburn, Norcross 30071 and Norcross 30093 might also potentially feature rental dwellings within your budget, but the quality of apartment communities within those areas can be very hit-or-miss.

[Fountain-of-youth]

Check Columbus out.

[MsVibrant]

Hello Everyone.

I'm from New Jersey looking to relocate to the Columbus GA area. I've been there in the past a couple of times and I love the diversity as well. I'm only relocating for a personal change it's getting too expensive to live in NJ and I'm not getting my money's worth, everything is so expensive including an apartment. I've lived in Florida many years back and I always prefer the Southern living over up north. I'm a Cosmetologist but recently I been working online specializes in the product aspect of the field even though I will be definitely going back to school for business once I relocate. I need help to find the right fit places.

My focus is on these: I like diversity, affordable apartment, I do not like congestion or clustered towns... I like the spread-out suburban feel, safety, near churches, parks, supermarket, shopping, restaurant, basically close to the places need to go on a regular with a driving commute no longer than 15 mins if that possible?
Any recommendation about a decent technical or community college will be greatly appreciated as well. I don't use public transit so that not an issue. I don't mind travel over 30 mins for the right job. I also did my research and I'm looking into these places like Rose Hill, City Village, City Cente, Harris County. I am not sure if these places are the right fit that's why I need your help based on what I pointed out.

I would love to hear from you'll. Thanks in advance!

[columbusboy8]

I highly recommend Columbus, GA. You could go to www.realtor.com and search for Rentals in your preferred range. The following streets would be good, plus there are other good locations. Stark Ave. Cherokee Ave. Woodruff Farm Rd. 13th St., and University Ave. Just about anywhere in Columbus is "only 15 minutes away." Recently I posted the list below of Columbus websites. You should check those out and forward them to friends and relatives of yours as you see fit. Good luck in your search!

Columbus has everything you're looking for, and then some! It's also been a well kept "secret!" As a city of some 195,000, it punches above its weight and offers amenities of much larger cities. I offer the following and encourage you to visit for a long weekend to look around our fair city. Drilling down to the many links will provide you with much information.

www.visitcolumbusga.com

36 Hours: Columbus, Ga. – Find your tourist interests in Columbus, Ga.

www.alwaysuptown.com

The Chattahoochee River for tubing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, ziplining www.whitewaterexpress.com

The National Infantry Museum www.nationalinfantrymuseum.org

National Civil War Naval Museum www.portcolumbus.org

Coca-Cola Science Center www.ccssc.org

Springer Opera House www.springeroperahouse.org The State Theater of Georgia

RiverCenter www.rivercenter.org Conveniently located across from the Marriott downtown, and walking distance to the Historic District.

Historic Westville www.westville.org

The Rapids at Riverfront Place - Columbus, Georgia - Rapids at Riverfront Place

www.columbusbotanicalgarden.org

https://oxbow.columbusstate.edu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5tpvM89bjE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn7g_N-O9ek&t=208s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFo7czNfOlY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZk9tyRoWUU (This video features destinations close to Columbus

www.thechurchofcolumbus.org

[Fountain-of-youth]

The central area is a better fit for you. More housing options,shopping,parks,museums and better historic neighborhoods.

[MsVibrant]

Responding to Fountain-of-Youth 8. Are you referring to Central GA such as (Augusta, Athens, and Macon)? I'm not feeling Macon every google search shows negatively would rather stay away from there. I'm somewhat feeling Athens but I am not sure if there is more for the college crowd youngsters because every review emphasizes colleges and students? Is Athens a regular city for mature age people to live in or it is more for a college lifestyle? After doing my research I narrowed down my preferences to (Columbus, Warner Robin, Augusta, Gainsville). Do you have any suggestions about some of the nicest towns to live in Columbus? Thank you!

[MsVibrant]

For Columbusboy8.
I must say Columbus is my #1 on the list, it seems to me it's similar to the Atlanta area and there's as much to do there. I've gone on multiples apartment finders seen good-looking updated apartments with many amenities for under $750 and the reviews sound like it's a diverse place with much to do. The metros of Atlanta will also be great but from what I heard my price range may not get me an updated type of apartment. I'm going to checkout the links you send. Thanks alot!