Anyone here from Atlanta?

[Arkitech]

So if I were to move out to Atlanta what would be a good area to look for a single family house in? What areas should I avoid at nights (or days for that matter)?

Whats the traffic situation like? (light, moderate, heavy or rent a copter)

Is there a night scene worth looking into? (clubs, live music, good food)

Whats the winters like in Atlanta?

 

[Heisenberg]

I think Fausto lives in Atlanta. Maybe PM him or wave a leopard print thong around until he shows up here.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
So if I were to move out to Atlanta what would be a good area to look for a single family house in? What areas should I avoid at nights (or days for that matter)?

Whats the traffic situation like? (light, moderate, heavy or rent a copter)

Is there a night scene worth looking into? (clubs, live music, good food)

Whats the winters like in Atlanta?

It all depends on your budget...

 

[Shlong]

I lived in Atlanta for about 6 years now, originally came here to go to Emory but later transferred to Georgia State University.

I would try to look for a loft or apartment within midtown or downtown Maybe hi-rise if you can afford it as hi-rise living is really cheap compared to other cities. I don't know how much housing is in buckhead though. You can get a big or small house / cheap large apartments in the suburbs for pretty cheap (sprawl), mainly gwinnett county (which at one point was the fastest growing county in the country.) Only area I would avoid is the southern parts such as East Point. Good portion of southern atlanta is gritty, you can paint a mental image as pictures & parts of that area can be found here: Gritty South Atlanta 1, Gritty 2

Atlanta's City Neighborhood Tour (you can get general idea by clicking each of the links in that post of different area's
Photo's of Atlanta's newest urban region called Atlantic Station, lots of affordable housing should be available there


Traffic is terrible... if you live out in the suburbs at times you can wait in traffic for a couple hours just to go a couple miles. Lots of people have long commutes from out in the suburbs to downtown. If you live within the perimeter then traffic shouldn't be too bad. HOV lanes help somewhat but you need two passengers to utilize it. I guess you can get by using marta (atlanta's subway & bus system) but that's only if your going to live within the perimeter (I-285).

Night Clubs are usually in Buckhead but a lot of the residents in Buckhead are complaining about noise & such so their starting to set curfews. I've read some articles where a lot of clubs are moving from Buckhead to
Downtown Underground Atlanta to revitalize that area of town & to avoid the curfews. There's also clubs in Midtowns, Virginia Highlands, and punk/biker type of areas in Little 5 Points.

The winters aren't too bad, maybe two or three days of snowing every winter. It's a bit weird though one day it can be 20 degrees no sun & the next day 65 degrees & sunny in the winter. So one day you can be dressed up for winter clothes only to find out it's a nice warm day & vice-versa.

 

[Whisper]

I've lived in Atlanta for...hmm...about 19 years now, I think. As mentioned, the area you want to live in really depends on your budget. You could live in buckhead, but a loft or apartment would be hugely expensive. A lot of the suburbs have some really nice housing options for fairly cheap. It all depends on where you want to work, and how far you're willing to drive.

If you're going to be working in downtown Atlanta, and are fairly young, you might as well try living in the city itself. Again, as mentioned, traffic here SUCKS. Atlanta must be the only city where I've seen six or seven lanes of highway traffic come to a complete stop simply because there are a lot of cars on the road. Good lord, drivers here are bad. Avoid the interstates during rush hour(s) if at all possible.

As far as nightlife, there's a bit to be had down here. Atlanta now has a noise ordinance that requires clubs to close by (I think) 2:30 or 3, so if you want to stay out later than that, you'll have to hit up the Metro area. Buckhead used to be the place everyone went, but the traffic/crowds there are horrendous. I personally only head to midtown now; it's nicer, has a better crowd, and there aren't nearly as many cars cruising around.

All in all, I've liked living here these past two decades. If I ever move out of GA, it'll be to an adjacent state...just can't see myself leaving the south for an extended period of time.

 

[Lounatik]

I've been here for 12 years(Acworth,about 30 min. NW of ATL) Best places to live: Mableton, SW ATL, anywhere on hwy 9 in the city of Roswell, Gainesville(particularly on the outskirts,near the chicken coops) Dalton, and maybe right around S.Cobb Dr. in Smyrmmma. Of course those who live here know I am kidding a bit. But seriously, try up around Marietta for semi-decent housing, Norcross, Griffin, Conyers,Douglasville all offer pretty decent prices for homes. This comes with the caveat mentioned above:traffic. Here it is Sunday night and I just saw on the news that GA. 400 is shut down for a 4 car idiotfest. This morning I-20 was shut down for the weekly wrong-way-driver-killing-some-innocent-father-of-three hootenanny.

Unlike Whisper above, I am just about tired of living here. But housing is affordable, and the cost of living is fairly decent for what you get. So it becomes a tradeoff. Do I want to live in a good sized house, pay a small property tax rate and be able to sell my home at a generous profit, or do I go somewhere where I could barely make ends meet. Guess what? Atlanta is teh winnar!!!!! ;>)


Peace

Lounatik

 

[glen]

Buckhead

 

[PlatinumGold]

your post is severely lacking. is it for one person? a family? does schooling matter? does public transportation matter? do you prefer sububian living? downtown living?

atlanta has it all. there are some great developments, there are some great golf courses, stone mountain is a fun place . . .

i lived in atlanta for 20 yrs, 1970 to 1990. don't currently live there but have been back several times the last year, i have 3 uncles that live in ga.

 

[GoodToGo]

My brother in law just got a house in mableton and olives there with my sister. Its a great community and very close to the place where he works (Cobb). I would highly recommend checking it out as the properties here are selling like hot cakes.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm in Chattanooga, but I know this much...


I suggest either looking for something in Marietta or the surrounding areas. Traffic can be pretty bad around 285 in the mornings. You'll figure out how long the commute is after the first week of trying to make it through traffic. Most people spend anywhere from 45mins to an hour and a half in that area. If you're looking for something closer to downtown, there are some nice apartments in Vinings that are managable.

Winters in Atlanta are mild... I think it maybe snows once a year there....nothing to really speak of. Just watch out because ice is worse than snow in that part of the country...plus no one knows how to drive in that kind of weather.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Oh yeah....Buckhead is where the beer flows.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: Arkitech
So if I were to move out to Atlanta what would be a good area to look for a single family house in? What areas should I avoid at nights (or days for that matter)?

Whats the traffic situation like? (light, moderate, heavy or rent a copter)

Is there a night scene worth looking into? (clubs, live music, good food)

Whats the winters like in Atlanta?

It all depends on your budget...

What could I buy in the 200-275k range?

 

[Arkitech]

sounds like traffic is a hassle out there and the last thing I want these days is more traffic, now days its taking me an hour and 15 minutes to commute in one direction. ah well, maybe I should look else where

 

[AndrewR]

Best place to live is somewhere close to where you work, within reason. Traffic is horrible -- on par with Washington, D.C./NOVA and rapidly approaching the gridlock of LA (never been out there so I can't really compare).

The nicer suburbs (in terms of affordability along with quality) are in the "northern crescent" from about 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock if you look at a map of Atlanta with the I-285 perimeter being the "clock". That really depends on how far out you are from the Perimeter though, but generally speaking, the closer you are to I-285 or inside it, the more expensive it will be. Doesn't hold true for things below about the half-way point of the city (if you cut it in two from east to west).

But, as I mentioned, you need to determine where you'll live based on where you will work. You CANNOT conceivably live in Alpharetta and work in Buckhead -- the commute would literally be two hours minimum each way during normal traffic hours. Personally, twenty hours each week in the car is NOT worth it.

i lived in atlanta for 20 yrs, 1970 to 1990. don't currently live there but have been back several times the last year, i have 3 uncles that live in ga.

I graduated high school in 1990, and Atlanta has changed so much since then it's not even recognizable. It's amazing when I think back even 14 years as to how different it is.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Best place to live is somewhere close to where you work, within reason. Traffic is horrible -- on par with Washington, D.C./NOVA and rapidly approaching the gridlock of LA (never been out there so I can't really compare).

The nicer suburbs (in terms of affordability along with quality) are in the "northern crescent" from about 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock if you look at a map of Atlanta with the I-285 perimeter being the "clock". That really depends on how far out you are from the Perimeter though, but generally speaking, the closer you are to I-285 or inside it, the more expensive it will be. Doesn't hold true for things below about the half-way point of the city (if you cut it in two from east to west).

But, as I mentioned, you need to determine where you'll live based on where you will work. You CANNOT conceivably live in Alpharetta and work in Buckhead -- the commute would literally be two hours minimum each way during normal traffic hours. Personally, twenty hours each week in the car is NOT worth it.

i lived in atlanta for 20 yrs, 1970 to 1990. don't currently live there but have been back several times the last year, i have 3 uncles that live in ga.

I graduated high school in 1990, and Atlanta has changed so much since then it's not even recognizable. It's amazing when I think back even 14 years as to how different it is.

So where are all the jobs in Atlanta? Are they all in one location or are they pretty much all over the city? One of the problems in Illinois is that 90% of the jobs are either downtown or in the north suburbs, so if you're not living close to those areas the commute time can be killer.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Best place to live is somewhere close to where you work, within reason. Traffic is horrible -- on par with Washington, D.C./NOVA and rapidly approaching the gridlock of LA (never been out there so I can't really compare).

The nicer suburbs (in terms of affordability along with quality) are in the "northern crescent" from about 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock if you look at a map of Atlanta with the I-285 perimeter being the "clock". That really depends on how far out you are from the Perimeter though, but generally speaking, the closer you are to I-285 or inside it, the more expensive it will be. Doesn't hold true for things below about the half-way point of the city (if you cut it in two from east to west).

But, as I mentioned, you need to determine where you'll live based on where you will work. You CANNOT conceivably live in Alpharetta and work in Buckhead -- the commute would literally be two hours minimum each way during normal traffic hours. Personally, twenty hours each week in the car is NOT worth it.

i lived in atlanta for 20 yrs, 1970 to 1990. don't currently live there but have been back several times the last year, i have 3 uncles that live in ga.

I graduated high school in 1990, and Atlanta has changed so much since then it's not even recognizable. It's amazing when I think back even 14 years as to how different it is.

i've been back 3 or 4 times in the last two years. yes it's changed. i'm willing to bet it changed more from 1970 to 1990 than it did from 1990 to present.

i 85 went from being a 2 lane highway in gwinnet county to the monstrosity it is today. i watched them build spaghetti junction. i watched jimmy carter blvd pretty much being built from nothing to one of the busiest intersections in america.

of course i mostly stayed in the NE part of atlanta tho.

 

[FiLeZz]

winters what winters?


and how about the west side of atlanta.
I have been all around Atlanta. I like the west side.
down I20 Douglessville/Villa rica area.

 

[themightyplatypus]

YHPM

 

[Lazy8s]

I've lived in atlanta for 15 years, goin on 16 this christmas. We're about to move though. Everything really depends on if you have kids or not. If you do try to live in cobb county even though it's more expensive. Walton is your best bet for a highschool, try and live in their district. If not, Lassiter has a nation renown band program, Sprayberry and North Cobb are all good schools as well.

If you're single then you pretty much can't go wrong. Mostly it depends on your price range. PM me, my parents are selling their house right now and I can at least suggest some good realtors to you.

 

[Lazy8s]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
So if I were to move out to Atlanta what would be a good area to look for a single family house in? What areas should I avoid at nights (or days for that matter)?

Whats the traffic situation like? (light, moderate, heavy or rent a copter)

Is there a night scene worth looking into? (clubs, live music, good food)

Whats the winters like in Atlanta?

Oh yeah as for your questions:
1) Depends where you live but basically figure an average of about 15mph during rushour.
2) The night scene is freakin amazing. PM me or give me your e-mail and I can hook you up (bein in college and all really helps). There are a TON of free concerts here, plus we have Music Midtown, Warped Tour, 311 just came, we got all the sports including arena football, etc. etc. Personally I have more fun here than in Boston or Florida.
3) We had a blizzard one year but short of that figure no more than a snowday or MAYBE 3 per year. I think the last 3 years of highschool we didn't have any. It get down to like 35 in the morning but it's up in the low 40s at the coolest during the day.

 

[300MDemon]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
sounds like traffic is a hassle out there and the last thing I want these days is more traffic, now days its taking me an hour and 15 minutes to commute in one direction. ah well, maybe I should look else where

Don't give up yet by any means. I've lived all over Atlanta (in-town, suburbs, the hood). The ideal way to beating traffic is to move somewhere that has an easy commute to your job AND somewhere that is against the flow of traffic during both rush hours (morning and evening). I've lived in Buckhead for the past two years just because I knew that there was no telling where I'd be working so this location was central to everything. It really all depends on your job location and how much traffic you are willing to deal with. The traffic monster will inevitably get you but it's all good. :thumbsup:

 

[phantom309]

I lived there for 9 years:

Don't ever live south of Ponce de Leon, period.

Yes, the winters are mild and it only snows 1-2 times a year. But there's a congenital birth defect in Southerners which makes them all get in their cars and drive pointlessly around whenever it snows - as if they must...find...out if it's really as slippery as it was last time....

If you live intown, your car stereo is public property. Just accept it. All that alarm will do is piss your neighbors off.

All white native Southerners want to talk to you about the Civil War. Nod your head knowingly when they get to the "It weren't fought over slavery, it was fought over State's Rights" spiel, and leave it at that. Under no circumstances ask which rights were actually threatened and why. They don't know, it's none of your damn business, and they don't want to talk about it.

Nightlife has historically been in the neighborhoods, not downtown. There's anything you could possibly want. You just have to know where to find it.

There's a huge Asian community north of the city along Buford Highway. It's the most interesting part of that whole area - really cool stores, fantastic restaurants. There used to be a Korean restaurant whose menu featured a dish of peanuts for $45.00. The price included a woman.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: phantom309
I lived there for 9 years:

Don't ever live south of Ponce de Leon, period.

Yes, the winters are mild and it only snows 1-2 times a year. But there's a congenital birth defect in Southerners which makes them all get in their cars and drive pointlessly around whenever it snows - as if they must...find...out if it's really as slippery as it was last time....

If you live intown, your car stereo is public property. Just accept it. All that alarm will do is piss your neighbors off.

All white native Southerners want to talk to you about the Civil War. Nod your head knowingly when they get to the "It weren't fought over slavery, it was fought over State's Rights" spiel, and leave it at that. Under no circumstances ask which rights were actually threatened and why. They don't know, it's none of your damn business, and they don't want to talk about it.

Nightlife has historically been in the neighborhoods, not downtown. There's anything you could possibly want. You just have to know where to find it.

There's a huge Asian community north of the city along Buford Highway. It's the most interesting part of that whole area - really cool stores, fantastic restaurants. There used to be a Korean restaurant whose menu featured a dish of peanuts for $45.00. The price included a woman.

hmm you happen to have the name of that restaurant

 

[PanzerIV]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
I graduated high school in 1990, and Atlanta has changed so much since then it's not even recognizable. It's amazing when I think back even 14 years as to how different it is.

Funny you should say that. I just got back Saturday from Atlanta. I haven't been there since 1986. The Duluth, Lawrencville area has seen an explosion of growth and I was awestruck at what I saw. Duluth went from a sleepy, modest town to an affluent suburb of Atlanta with luxury car dealerships all over the place and very expensive homes. It was a true eye opener and I still couldn't get used to the difference.
It was great seeing my old house, neighborhood and schools, though. They still looked pretty much the same.

 

[shatton]

I have lived in Atlanta for about 6 years and the traffic is terrible. As for where you live should be close to your job if possible. Between the traffic as many have pointed out (cost of gas and sitting in traffic) , as well as the time you would waist in your car. If you were to add all of this to the equation, it is cost effective to live near your work. Also, the MARTA system works well, especially if your job requires travel. ( Best way to the airport these days.) You would really need to visit the area to have a grasp of where you would want to live as it is such a diverse area.

cheers.