Likely relocating to Atlanta from NYC; need help on choosing a neighborhood. (Roswell: rent, condo)

[Breezy300]

Hi Everybody,

My fiance and I may be relocating to Atlanta in the near future, and we're looking for advice on which neighborhoods to check out during our visit in late June. Here's a little about us:

We currently live in NYC (love it here, but are tired of renting and simply can't afford to buy unless we're willing to move far out). We're in our early 40s and think it might be time to stop paying rent and start paying a mortgage. Since my fiance has the option of relocating to Atlanta for work, we're seriously looking into it. A couple of years ago, we made a trip to GA but we looked mostly at the Alpharetta/Roswell area. While the houses were open and affordable, the suburbs just didn't feel right to us. Now we're headed back to check out Atlanta proper. Last time we were there, we did happen upon Virginia-Highlands and really liked it (we thought the houses were beautiful; we enjoyed seeing people walking dogs, pushing baby strollers, and stopping to talk to one another; we liked the general store called Belly and saw that there were other restaurants and shops in the area); however, it's a little too expensive for us. So maybe some of you can make some suggestions?

1. Our Budget: $440k, but would prefer to stay in the mid to upper $300s

2. House/Condo/Townhome? Would really prefer a detached house with 3+ bedrooms and a fenced-in yard. (We want a garden!) The house does not need to be huge--just big enough for the two of us and the child we may parent, along with a guest room/office. We would love to have a wood-burning fireplace too!

3. Employment Status (commute/work from home): Hopefully, he will be able to work from home (telecommute). I will find something in the city.

4. Children (public school vs. private): At the moment we don't have a child, but we are looking seriously into adopting. In that case, a decent public school would be important (walking distance would be wonderful). If we don't adopt, we're more open to neighborhoods that might not have the best school systems, so if you're so inclined, please feel free to make suggestions about both kinds of 'hoods.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two? We're definitely more urban than suburban, but love the idea of (finally) having a yard. However, it's extremely important that wherever we live, we have some walkability. We don't want to be 100% car dependent. If we could walk to the grocery store, a green space, some restaurants and cafes, it would be wonderful. If we could add a farmer's market, the library, the post office and a bank into the mix, it would be getting downright heavenly. Our current address gets a 98 on Walkscore. We realize we're probably not going to find anything like that, but some walkability is important.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? We don't know much about the Marta but, being from New York, we're obviously huge fans of public transportation, so yes please.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. We prefer diversity and a neighborhood that opens its arms to all walks of life. Politically we're on the left, so that would be nice too.

8. Other: We have a little dog so a pet-friendly neighborhood would be a plus. A sense of community would also be nice. And, finally, do people ride bikes in Atlanta? By that I mean, is it safe to bicycle to various locations?

Decatur is on our radar, but we know very little about it aside from what we've been able to read on this site and in some travel books. Can somebody please explain the difference between Decatur and North Decatur? Are they both part of Decatur? Is one better than the other? One person also recommended Oakhurst to us, but I'm unclear as to whether this is part of Decatur or its own area? Can anyone tell me anything about Poncey-Highland, Inman Park and Midtown? Are there amenities in walking distance of the houses in these neighborhoods?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. We're planning to visit at the end of June to look at some neighborhoods and houses! On that note, I may as well go ahead and also ask if there are any hotels that come highly recommended (for about $100/night). A swimming pool/gym would be nice. Thank you so much.

[IntownHomes247]

Decatur is it's own little city (very Mayberry-like). North Decatur is an area outside of the actual city limits of Decatur in unincorporated DeKalb county that still has a Decatur mailing address. The zip code for the City of Decatur is 30030 (although there is a bit of 30030 that is not inside the city limits). The major zip code for North Decatur is 30033, although you can also make an argument for parts of 30345 and 30329 being "North Decatur."

Decatur and North Decatur are both excellent areas but they have very significant differences.

First, Decatur is a nicely self-contained unit. Much of Decatur is extremely pedestrian-friendly. You can walk to the Square (where they have concerts and festivals), you can walk to a ton of restaurants, nice shops, the MARTA rail station, etc. It's very much a charming small town. Decatur also has significantly more expensive homes and higher taxes. The City of Decatur also has its own school district (a charter district).

North Decatur is very suburban -- subdivisions built primarily in the 1950s - 1970s. Lots of ranch houses and lots of homes like you might have seen on The Brady Bunch. There are a few neighborhoods with a swim/tennis club, but aside from that, there are very few places in North Decatur where you can walk to anything. The Leafmore/Oak Grove area has one tiny little business district so if you live close enough you can walk to that, but the selection of businesses & restaurants will be extremely limited. The trade-off for the suburban environment is that you'll find home prices generally less than inside the City of Decatur. Taxes are also lower (although still fairly high). DeKalb's school system has some major endemic problems but several of the best schools in the county are in the North Decatur area (Oak Grove & Fernbank in particular).

It sounds to me like Decatur would be just about perfect for you and you can definitely find a house you'll like for $440k although perhaps not for under $400k (although maybe).

I'm a native of this part of town. Feel free to DM me if you have questions.

Oh, and Oakhurst is a neighborhood on the southern side of the City of Decatur (inside the city limits). Very cute, very "happening" -- not quite as much you can walk to, but several cafes. It's on the other side of the railroad tracks from "Downtown Decatur."

[mike7586]

The nice thing about Atlanta is you can live in "the city" and still have a home with a yard, trees, etc in a lush neighborhood. I'd recommend Virginia Highland, Inman Park, and the city of Decatur for you. I see a good amount of people riding bikes - the Atlanta Beltline (they are paving a walking/biking trail this summer from the Inman Park neighborhood to Piedmont Park) as well as Freedom Park/PATH trails come to mind.

These areas are also much more liberal compared to the suburbs. Inman Park and Decatur have train stations but Virginia Highland does not have one... the closest would probably be the Midtown station if you're wondering. All three areas have walkable "villages" with stores/restaurants/bars. Oakhurst, Kirkwood, and Grant Park are options but I think Grant Park is still somewhat "transitional".

Remember though that you will be driving a lot more here compared to NYC as Atlanta is more "spread out". It's just a different lifestyle so if you're okay with that then I think you'll be fine.

[IntownHomes247]

Oh, one more thing about Oakhurst. It is home to a FABULOUS community garden that is an incredible resource for home gardeners (particularly veggie gardeners).

Oakhurst Community Garden Project:

Really, I don't think you can do better than Decatur in the Atlanta area given your criteria.

[Breezy300]

Thank you both for all the great information--we really appreciate it so much!! I've been told that Virginia-Highland has some traffic issues and that's it's fairly expensive (though we loved it when we visited a couple of years ago). Is the Marta midtown station in Midtown (seems that it would be, but one never knows)? I printed out that Creative Loafing neighborhood guide, which is wonderful, but I also a little bit confusing. It says that Midtown is the most walkable neighborhood in the city, but other sources say that Decatur is. Are they both walkable with access to the Marta?

Thanks again!

Also, can anyone tell me the approximate property taxes for Decatur vs. Midtown, Inman Park and Poncey-Highland?

[plessthanpointohfive]

Hey Breezy, check out your other version of this thread - I posted some info there.

[IntownHomes247]

Midtown, Virginia-Highland, and Decatur are all extremely walkable neighborhoods with lots of things within walking distance of much of the neighborhood. If you start looking at individual properties, go to Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address and plug in the address to see the "walkability score" for that location.

There are several MARTA rail stations in Midtown or within walking distance of Midtown. This is the part of the city that is actually best served by rail. Our rail system has nothing on NYC and goes such limited places that it's mostly good for getting to work, ball games, or the airport for most people. Here's a map: MARTA > Schedules And Maps > Rail Schedules or Route Depending on where you are in Midtown, any station from Arts Center to Civic Center may be within walking distance.

The Decatur MARTA station is smack dab in the center of Decatur underneath the courthouse square. There are also stations just east and west of Decatur (Avondale and East Lake), which again, depending on where you live in the city, might be more convenient.

Most property listings will show the property taxes that were paid during the previous year, so that's generally a good way to get an idea about what you'd be paying (of course, the current homeowner may or may not have exemptions for which you qualify so you can't take that number as a given, but it's a good place to start.

[ski-mann]

If you are going to live in town you should just stay in NYC! Crime, high taxes, constant breakins (even in ~good~ areas with a good security system in your house) and I repeat TAXES TAXES TAXES and horrendous public schools!!! You do NOT have to live that way in the metro!
Check out Snellville in Gwinnett County and the areas south of it in Gwinnett County all the way to the County line. We have a Mayor from Jersey but he has NY roots LOL! There is GREAT NY pizza to be had. Another restaurant in Snellville also belongs to a man from the city. The area has a HUGE population or people from NYC and NYS, this came about from companies moving there over the last 30 years from NYC and NYS then those people who the companies transferred having friends and family moving to the sunbelt and settling around Snellville. Snellville is home of several technology concerns and you can commute EZ into midtown on the back highway. We have a house at Norris Lake and we have two direct neighbors from NYC and probably a dozen from NYC and NYS in the south end of the neighborhood.
Check out a great neighborhood in Snellville called Governors Walk. Some NYers have bought in there too.

[shivtim]

^Wow, aren't you a ray of sunshine.
She specifically said she disliked suburban Alpharetta/Roswell, and is looking for a walkable and transit-friendly left-leaning urban neighborhood. Why on earth would you think to suggest Snellville? It may be perfect for you, and that's great, but it's clearly not what the original poster was asking for. Instead you take the opportunity to bash safety, schools, and taxes in Atlanta. Classy.

By the way, Decatur is very safe and has some of the best public schools in the state, as well as a wonderful walkable downtown with lots of independent restaurants and shops, festivals, farmers market, etc...

[JPD]

I can't think of anyplace in the metro area that is LESS suitable for the OP than Snellville.