CHUD.com Community › Forums › REGIONAL › Atlanta Stuff › Moving to Atlanta
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Moving to Atlanta

post #1 of 46
6/15/10 at 11:57pm
Thread Starter 
So I've been offered a new job situated in the Atlanta area and have been trying to figure out where would be a decent place to live. I'm from Texas and don't know anyone from the Atlanta area, so I really don't have a good sense of the place. Mostly I've just done some basic hunting online, but I take a lot of the online advertisements with a grain of salt.

What areas/districts/neighborhoods would any Atlanta Chewers recommend to live in? My job there will be near the airport, so I was looking in the East Point and College Park area. Midtown seems cool and trendy but kinda expensive. Anyways, I'm pretty much blind right now and don't know when I'll be able to actually go to Atlanta to see things for myself, so any advice you guys can give would be great.
Reply
post #2 of 46
6/16/10 at 12:06am
Midtown is great but is indeed expensive. Virginia Highlands is a cool area, really close to Little 5 Points which has lots of neat shops & stuff. Hell, you should look into the condos they just built across the street from my spot (Lindbergh area), they are really nice & they are apparently slashing move-in prices because it still isn't full.
Reply
post #3 of 46
6/16/10 at 12:30am
I'm in the Poncey Highland area (one 'hood over from Virginia Highland), and agree that it's pretty nifty. There's a lot of great entertainment right around here, and you can get out to the highway VERY easily via Freedom Parkway.

What are you most interested in, besides convenience to the airport?

Movies / live music / bars / parks / bike riding / snake handling / strip clubs?

I'm sure a few of us could give you some leads.
Where are you from in TX? I lived in the Dallas area for a while, and went to school at A&M.
Reply
post #4 of 46
6/16/10 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
I grew up in Killeen, did undergrad studies in Arlington and graduate studies at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. A lot of people I know from grad school also went to A&M since it's pretty close.

I only have a few considerations. I've been looking for a reasonably nice one-bedroom apartment in the price range of $600-900/month, something as close as possible to Ft. Gillem for a short commute. Those are my necessities, but for myself I'd like to be in an area that has a good selection of restaurants, movies, nightlife, etc., or is at least close by.
Reply
post #5 of 46
6/16/10 at 2:43pm
I work at the airport and live in Stone Mountain on the east side. It is an approx 30 minute commute along I285. Its not bad. The southeast part of Atlanta near the fort is touch and go as far as good places to live. It didn't get redeveloped much in the 90s and 00s. If you are going to be on the east side Decatur and Avondale Estates are viable options. If you are more into "country" life then you might want to look into Stockbridge. Not everyone likes to live down town. When I moved out here my first apartments were in Vinings on the north side. The commute to the airport was about 30 minutes, but it might be longer for you.
Reply
post #6 of 46
6/16/10 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by f86sabre
If you are more into "country" life then you might want to look into Stockbridge. Not everyone likes to live down town.
Well, I'm definitely more into city life than the country. I've been looking at a few places in East Atlanta, near Grant Park. Is this area any good? Also searching some places to the southwest along I-285....
Reply
post #7 of 46
6/16/10 at 3:37pm
I was just about to suggest East Atlanta Village. Good restaurants and nightlife, and convenient access to the highway. And a couple of miles from the Drive-In!
Reply
post #8 of 46
6/16/10 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt M View Post
I was just about to suggest East Atlanta Village. Good restaurants and nightlife, and convenient access to the highway. And a couple of miles from the Drive-In!
Yeah, since you're heading South to work, I'd definitely give this area a look. Some good options in the area, and a very popular place for younger folks to live over the past few years. A few crime issues in some spots, I think, but I don't believe it's too bad. Plus, DRIVE-IN! And The EARL!
Reply
post #9 of 46
6/16/10 at 7:05pm
The Starlight Drive-Inn and the Earl are big pluses. Also keep in mind that housing prices in Atlanta right now are dirt cheap. You might be able to find a really affordable house or condo to rent instead of an apartment.
Reply
post #10 of 46
6/17/10 at 2:12am
Thread Starter 
Hmmm... I didn't really think about renting a house. I think that would be a little more responsibility than I'm willing to handle. This is my first big move, so I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible.

Looking around online some more, I found some info about the Ford Factory Lofts. Looks pretty cool, but too cute maybe?
Reply
post #11 of 46
6/17/10 at 2:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonard View Post
Looking around online some more, I found some info about the Ford Factory Lofts. Looks pretty cool, but too cute maybe?
I don't think you'd use the word "cute" if you were standing in front of the building. I've never been inside, but it's right next door to the infamous Murder Kroger, and also next to City Hall East, a MASSIVE former Sears warehouse that's soon to be redeveloped into condos/a Target/an REI/other stuff.

That stretch of Ponce has a lot of odd and/or sketchy foot traffic, but it IS right across the street from Bookhouse, the Drunken Unicorn, a Chipotle, a Doc Greens, a brand new drugstore, a Barnes & Noble, a Qdoba, and other things. It's also about a block away from The Clermont Lounge, our most infamous nightspot.

If you're used to city life, you'd probably feel fine.

This spot would also be very close to Freedom Parkway, which gets you out to the highway very easily.
Reply
post #12 of 46
6/17/10 at 7:58am
It's also just down the street from the Plaza Theater.
Reply
post #13 of 46
6/17/10 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gray
I don't think you'd use the word "cute" if you were standing in front of the building. I've never been inside, but it's right next door to the infamous Murder Kroger, and also next to City Hall East, a MASSIVE former Sears warehouse that's soon to be redeveloped into condos/a Target/an REI/other stuff.
Whoa. They didn't mention in the brochure that the surrounding community is a corpse dumping ground. I think I'll pass.
Reply
post #14 of 46
6/17/10 at 2:01pm
To be fair, this is true (or, at least, as true) in a fair number of "hip" Atlanta neighborhoods. Yeah, Murder Kroger is next door, but so is a Whole Foods.
Reply
post #15 of 46
6/17/10 at 2:02pm
lol Murder Kroger. I wish I could help but I do not live/work in that part of Atlanta.
Reply
post #16 of 46
6/17/10 at 2:16pm
I live in Grant Park and I love it. I can be in East Atlanta, Cabbagetown, Little Five Points, or the Highlands in 5-10 minutes max. There are some shady spots here and there but that is true of any neighborhood in Atlanta that's affordable.
Reply
post #17 of 46
6/17/10 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 
So far Grant Park seems to be the most reasonable in terms of rent, central location, and closest to where I'll be commuting. Everywhere else seems too far away and/or costs at or beyond $1000/month, which seems crazy for a simple one-bedroom place.
Reply
post #18 of 46
6/17/10 at 6:03pm
Just tossing it out there since I don't live in Atlanta anymore so maybe others could shed some more info on the pros/cons of living there, but how about Atlantic Station? I don't know if there are apartments there or if there are only condos, but it seemed like an awesome area to live (that wasn't there when I was going to school in the A *grumble*)
Reply
post #19 of 46
6/17/10 at 6:09pm
Last time I looked Atlantic Station was pretty pricey. This could have changed recently with the housing bust.
Reply
post #20 of 46
6/17/10 at 6:26pm
I don't know about prices, either, but I'm sure they've dropped in the past year or two. That place would be a matter of taste-- I sure wouldn't recommend it to someone blindly. It has gotten more convenient to approach with the new 17th Street ramp, at least.

In my opinion, there are always too many people and cars clogging things up at ATL Station. It's pretty frustrating to get in/out of there, and it doesn't really offer anything unique, unless you LOVE IKEA.
Reply
post #21 of 46
6/18/10 at 11:17pm
I live in the west part of Midtown, but I wouldn't really recommend where I live. It's far from the freeway and no one can ever find it, but it's incredibly cheap. I just wanted to chime in and say that I wish I lived near Little Five Points, although my liver probably does not agree.

EDIT: I gotta say, I'm not too impressed by the dead guy in the car at Kroger, the same thing happened at my school among various muggings and carjackings. That's just Atlanta for you, somehow people don't learn that walking around the city in the middle of the night is not a good idea.
Reply
post #22 of 46
6/19/10 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 
I've seen a handful of comparably cheap places ($500-600) in East Point. Is that area worth looking at? It's farther from the city, but if that means a substantial price decrease it might be a better alternative...
Reply
post #23 of 46
6/19/10 at 6:03pm
East Point is transitional. Very "good street, bad street."
Reply
post #24 of 46
6/19/10 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonard View Post
I've seen a handful of comparably cheap places ($500-600) in East Point. Is that area worth looking at? It's farther from the city, but if that means a substantial price decrease it might be a better alternative...
You should come down and check these areas out first before signing anything. While we may recommend some nice places only you can ensure it fits your style and needs.

East Point may look good on paper but it's honestly pretty sketchy. I think you'll enjoy Grant Park, Cabbagetown or some of the other areas Chewers recommended much more.
Reply
post #25 of 46
6/20/10 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JudgeSmails
You should come down and check these areas out first before signing anything. While we may recommend some nice places only you can ensure it fits your style and needs.
Good advice. Definitely. I've decided not to snatch up a place sight-unseen, especially after getting saddled with a dump during grad school. But I was pretty much broke then, so I would've stayed anywhere. Having a real job and money opens up a lot more options, but I don't want to splurge too much on a good apartment since I have to think about paying back student loans and a car note. At the same time, I don't want to get a dirt cheap place and wind up hating my time in Atlanta. Plus, it's my first big move so I'm agonizing over all of the details!

But thanks to all the Chewers for your insights. It's much appreciated.
Reply
post #26 of 46
6/20/10 at 5:01pm
If you need some recon done on a place, I could probably at least do a drive-by at night and day and check it out (within a reasonable distance).
Reply
post #27 of 46
6/21/10 at 4:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gray
If you need some recon done on a place, I could probably at least do a drive-by at night and day and check it out (within a reasonable distance).
Thanks a lot for the generous offer. I've mostly been using the street-level view in Google Maps to do location scouting. Very helpful.
Reply
post #28 of 46
6/21/10 at 5:08am
I'm appreciating the discussion as well- it's my intention to move somewhere near downtown very soon. Might move into a joint on 4th St. in Midtown with a whole bunch of other SCAD grads, but still keeping an eye out everywhere.
Reply
post #29 of 46
6/21/10 at 6:19am
Hey, I just realized that nobody has name-dropped Videodrome yet in this thread. It's the local cool video rental spot that rents the stuff you are looking for that isn't carried anywhere else. It's on North Ave & N. Highland Ave I think, really close to where Freedom Pkwy takes you to Little 5. The staff know their stuff, it's a really fun place to talk movies. Be sure to check it out when you get here.
Reply
post #30 of 46
6/21/10 at 7:01am
Not to mention The Plaza right around the corner...
Reply
post #31 of 46
6/21/10 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Umami
Hey, I just realized that nobody has name-dropped Videodrome yet in this thread. It's the local cool video rental spot that rents the stuff you are looking for that isn't carried anywhere else. It's on North Ave & N. Highland Ave I think, really close to where Freedom Pkwy takes you to Little 5. The staff know their stuff, it's a really fun place to talk movies. Be sure to check it out when you get here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renn Brown
Not to mention The Plaza right around the corner...
Thanks for tipping me about some good movie spots. That's another thing I'll need to educate myself about when I get there--good places to eat, watch movies, nightlife, et cetera et cetera. But hopefully that will be the easy part after finding a place.
Reply
post #32 of 46
6/21/10 at 9:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonard View Post
Thanks for tipping me about some good movie spots. That's another thing I'll need to educate myself about when I get there--good places to eat, watch movies, nightlife, et cetera et cetera. But hopefully that will be the easy part after finding a place.
If you stay roughly South of 17th Street, East of the Connector (sorry, Sweeney, and any other West-siders), and North of or not too far South of I-20, you'll have a wealth of greatness close at hand.

If you are interested in walkability or bikeability to certain things, I could refine the parameters a bit.
Reply
post #33 of 46
6/23/10 at 3:46pm
You know, if you're looking to make some double sink bathroom vanity purchases, I know a guy.
Reply
post #34 of 46
6/27/10 at 6:11pm
Well, whatever you do, don't cross Namor.

Oh. AtlantA.
Reply
post #35 of 46
6/29/10 at 9:22am
"Namor" is "Roman" backwards. Never noticed that before now.
Reply
post #36 of 46
6/29/10 at 8:09pm
Found a joint in Peachtree Hills, right by Piedmont. 5 or so minutes from The Tara, 15 or so minutes from everything else. Affordable. Seems great.

Any super-rapes going on there or other issues I should be aware of?
Reply
post #37 of 46
6/29/10 at 10:13pm
I think the super-rape is mostly isolated to one wing of the local prison.

I don't know Peachtree Hills well, but yeah, it's plenty convenient. Close to Oxford Comics and some good eats. There's a Target/Best Buy/Chick Fil-A and MARTA all there at Sydney Marcus, and that's close by. Also, ZESTO! Also, also, a lot of porn stores. So, win/win/win.
Reply
post #38 of 46
6/29/10 at 10:23pm
Looks like we're pulling the trigger on it, so if it ain't great already, it's about to become.
Reply
post #39 of 46
6/30/10 at 9:25am
And you're just down the road from Nancy's Chicago-Style Deep Dish pizza, where I had lunch just last Friday. And you can always spend your dinners eating at Fogo and Bones...and then the rest of your life paying off those bills.
Reply
post #40 of 46
6/30/10 at 7:21pm
Shut up, Tom.
Reply
post #41 of 46
6/30/10 at 10:52pm
I guess we should have mentioned that we're all a bunch of complete assholes here.

Welcome aboard!
Reply
post #42 of 46
7/1/10 at 8:32am
Most of the commuters are pretty nice. Just give them a honk and a wave.
Reply
post #43 of 46
7/4/10 at 4:45pm
We got a new text and drive law, might want to know that in case you feel like giving a cop a reason to pull you over. Now I just start my playlist or start pandora and sign out of AIM.
Reply
post #44 of 46
7/25/10 at 3:00pm
Thread Starter 
Bumped.

I'll be driving from Texas to Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday finally, after getting word about the new job. Thursday I'll be checking out apartments in the East Atlanta, Cabbagetown, and Inman Park areas.
Reply
post #45 of 46
7/25/10 at 5:00pm
Cool! It's freakin' HOT this week, but that's no big thing when you're driving from TX.

Are you staying through the weekend? Some cool movie stuff going on-- CADDYSHACK & IRON MAN 2 at the Fabulous Fox, and GODZILLA VS. GAIGAN at The Plaza.

Give a shout upon arrival if you need any local intel. I'll probably be around, and I live a couple of miles from those areas.
Reply
post #46 of 46
7/25/10 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, the heat isn't a big deal--I hate it, don't get me wrong--but I'm used to it after living in TX the last 15 years.

And I am staying through the weekend, since I have to start my new job on the following Monday. My plan is to look around on Thursday, make a decision, and occupy a place no later than Sunday. Thanks for the help, though, it really gave me some insight that you can't find except from people who know the area. And I'll definitely have to look into the cinema stuff going on. I saw on the Plaza's website that they are playing The Killer Inside Me and I've been wanting to see that since i saw the trailer.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Atlanta Stuff
CHUD.com Community › Forums › REGIONAL › Atlanta Stuff › Moving to Atlanta