Midtown vs Vinnngs vs.....(for 35 yo single) (Atlanta, Marietta: apartments, home)

[brianlmason]

- I am 35 going on 25 (I like to go out till 2 or 3am)
- I would like a place with a lot of good bars, but I don't want to be the only person over 30 in the place.
- I am single heterosexual.
- I don't mind clubs, but that is not my thing.
- I am hoping to get a studio/one-bedroom for $800 - $1400.
- I don't particularly care about live music
- Upscale and dive bars are great.
- Ideally I would like as close to walkable community as Atlanta has to offer. - I would like some sense of community in the sense that if I go to my neighborhood pub I would see a lot of the same people week in and week out.

My thoughts are:
Virginia Highlands gets good reviews but I wasn't sure if eveyone there was under 30? If I walk in the bars will I be the creepy old guy?

Midtown - Is it actually walkable, or just short taxi rides? Is it easy to catch taxis at night or do you have to call ahead for one? I work from home but will have to see customers in the Dunwoody area often. How hard it to get in and out of midtown - leaving at 10am and coming back in at 3pm - reverse commute? Are ALL of the bars upscale (i.e. guest list) or are there some dive bars and in between places?

I have heard mention of Vinnngs and Brookhaven as a place for young professionals but I wasn't really sure if there were many bars there.

Thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.

[K-SawDude]

Because you want bars (plural), I would not recommend Vinings. It's a nice compact area with a couple of great bars, but it doesn't seem to offer the range you're looking for (upscale and dive).

Midtown will have more, but it's the least likely to have the "small neighborhood" feel that you mention.

Decatur, Virginia Highland, West Midtown (Westside), and Inman Park may have a better balance in terms of what you're looking for.

[FlyingFox]

I would describe Vinings as yuppie and Midtown as cosmopolitan. Different flavors for different people.

[cqholt]

Midtown sounds better. MARTA can take you from Midtown, 3 stations available, to Dunwoody in 10-15 minutes. Midtown is more walkable, with grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and retail available in compact area. Piedmont Park is also located in Midtown.

[ATLTJL]

Midtown.

Vinings has a few pubs here and there, but what happens when you decide you want to go to a slightly different area? Get in your car and hop on the interstate, pal!

Midtown has a lot more. Even so, what happens when you get bored and want a dive bar or a more neighborhood feel? Midtown is central. You're still going to have to get in your car, but you won't have to drive more than 5 or maybe 10 minutes to get to a huge variety of cool places.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Midtown.

Vinings has a few pubs here and there, but what happens when you decide you want to go to a slightly different area? Get in your car and hop on the interstate, pal!

Not if you're heading downtown. Vinings has several backdoor routes into the City of Atlanta. You're also not that far away from Marietta.

[testa50]

Midtown is the best for what you're seeking--and yes, there is almost every manner of bar here: everything from black gay bars to rave-type places that spin dubstep until 5AM to sports bars to chic gastropub places. There aren't that many "guest list" type bars; that's not really Atlanta's way of doing things (although there are a couple places like that in Midtown).

The one thing we really lack is a dive bar. You have to go east on 10th over to Monroe to the Independent, or else take 14th to Howell Mill to Northside Tavern. I've heard permitting is responsible for Atlanta's lack of a good dive bar scene: in order to get a cheap liquor license, you have to serve food. So there aren't many small hole in the wall types of places, since most bars make some attempt at serving food. That kind of screws everything up.

Midtown is pretty walkable, but it's not exactly small: 14th Street to North Avenue is over a mile. So sometimes you need to take a cab unless you like to walk.

[brianlmason]

Thanks for the all of the post and tips everyone. Midtown is sounding pretty good. I will swing by this weekend and look at some apartments.

Any perspectives on the age demographics of Virginia Highlands? Is it mostly sub-30 year olds?

[ATLTJL]

rave-type places that spin dubstep until 5AM

Where does that?

[testa50]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Where does that?

Spring4th Complex and QUAD | Home

Weeknights until 4, weekends until 5. They can't serve that late, of course.