Please help! New to Atlanta, renting: Lenox vs Midtown (Savannah: apartment, violent crime)

[ainad]

Hello
I just relocated to Atlanta from Washington D.C. for a training program with AT&T at the AT&T Midtown center. Im torn between two communities: Alexander on Ponce on Juniper St.near North Avenue Station and Alexan Lenox,directly across from Lenox Station on East Paces Ferry. While Alexander on Ponce offers the luxury of a 7 minute walk to work, I'd also be paying about $200 more per month, in addition to living in an older building with fewer amenities than the Alexan.....HOWEVER being that I am new to the area and MARTA is foreign to me I'm a bit unsure on how I feel about it's reliability(based on my experiences thus far), on getting me to work in a promptly manner(by 8 am) without having to leave ridiculously early (in DC I would have to leave my job 2 hours in advance to be there on time).


-Can anyone tell me a bit more about MARTA and its reliability? Do trains frequent Lenox station during morning rush hour, or is it still a 15-20 min. wait per train?
- Living in Buckhead vs Midtown living with no car?
-As a 23 year old single female are their safety issues in either area I should be worried about?
-Also if anyone has information on either properties good and bad Id greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

[atltechdude]

I wouldn't live in Buckhead with no car. Midtown is sometimes doable with no car, but even that can be hard at times.

[GaBison2007]

Ha we moved from DC 8 months ago.Did you check out Savannah Midtown on North Avenue, West of Alexander on Ponce? They're owned by the same company, Equity Residential, but Savannah Midtown is significantly cheaper (and more convenient) in my eyes....

I've enjoyed my stay at Savannah and we toured Alexander on Ponce (and it was nicer being a grade A property) but it wasn't worth the extra expense. Another equity property that might be of interest is Tuscany at Lindbergh (and their swimming pool is awesome)

Marta is reliable for my commute but I'd much rather walk to work than take Marta to be honest....even if it was a short commute. I don't care if it's the greatest public transport in the world, walking to work is such a great thing to me. So if you don't like Savannah Midtown, I'd go with Alexander. Me and my BF both take marta to work though and we always get to work on time (sometimes earlier) and our jobs are supposed to start at 8:00 and 8:30, respectively. We typically wake up at 7:00 AM. One thing about ATL you'll notice...noone who DRIVES in this city ever comes to work on time, just kidding somewhat lol. We talk about it alot but people would rather sit in traffic and show up half an hour/hour late than take a 15-20 minute train ride(if they can) and show up on time/leave on time......

Safety Issues around my neighborhood-In the early mornings (some times at night), we see crackheads, homeless people, and a few paid companions. That area further west houses a pretty large homeless shelter called, peachtree pine, which I abhor but I mean what can ya do?.......The area I live in is generally harmless and nothing worse than you'd see in DC. However, I don't go further west closer to the shelter during certain times of the night. Going east, you'll find a very nice environment with Fox Theatre, GA Tech Campus, and plenty of other bars/restaurants, etc. Just be aware of your surroundings (like you should do in ANY major city) and you should be fine.

We both share a car, we preferred midtown without a car when we first moved down. but you're going to want one sooner or later. It's walkable but everything is so spaced apart sometimes you get tired of walking a mile just to get some starbucks lol

[noah]

I'd choose midtown, you will be 2 blocks from the Publix, Walgreens and walkable to your work and restaurants etc in midtown. Not having a car being right by the grocery store will be invaluable of course.

The area is perfectly safe with lots of people living in the area but as said going further south at night is not as good.

[Newsboy]

One thing about ATL you'll
notice...noone who DRIVES in this city
ever comes to work on time

LOL! Oh my gosh GaBISON that is absolutely HILARIOUS and 100 percent true! When I worked downtown, not only did everybody show up at different times but everybody left at weird times too -- except on Fridays at 5 pm when every office in Atlanta becomes a ghost town! WOOSH! Personally speaking, I always preferred coming in an hour or so late and staying a couple hours later in return (fortunately I had that flexibility). Amazing how much traffic you avoid by being just an hour or so on either side of eush hour.I don't know how people who work a strict 8-5 schedule do it.

[ainad]

Originally Posted by GaBison2007

Ha we moved from DC 8 months ago.Did you check out Savannah Midtown on North Avenue, West of Alexander on Ponce? They're owned by the same company, Equity Residential, but Savannah Midtown is significantly cheaper (and more convenient) in my eyes....

I've enjoyed my stay at Savannah and we toured Alexander on Ponce (and it was nicer being a grade A property) but it wasn't worth the extra expense. Another equity property that might be of interest is Tuscany at Lindbergh (and their swimming pool is awesome)

Marta is reliable for my commute but I'd much rather walk to work than take Marta to be honest....even if it was a short commute. I don't care if it's the greatest public transport in the world, walking to work is such a great thing to me. So if you don't like Savannah Midtown, I'd go with Alexander. Me and my BF both take marta to work though and we always get to work on time (sometimes earlier) and our jobs are supposed to start at 8:00 and 8:30, respectively. We typically wake up at 7:00 AM. One thing about ATL you'll notice...noone who DRIVES in this city ever comes to work on time, just kidding somewhat lol. We talk about it alot but people would rather sit in traffic and show up half an hour/hour late than take a 15-20 minute train ride(if they can) and show up on time/leave on time......

Safety Issues around my neighborhood-In the early mornings (some times at night), we see crackheads, homeless people, and a few paid companions. That area further west houses a pretty large homeless shelter called, peachtree pine, which I abhor but I mean what can ya do?.......The area I live in is generally harmless and nothing worse than you'd see in DC. However, I don't go further west closer to the shelter during certain times of the night. Going east, you'll find a very nice environment with Fox Theatre, GA Tech Campus, and plenty of other bars/restaurants, etc. Just be aware of your surroundings (like you should do in ANY major city) and you should be fine.

We both share a car, we preferred midtown without a car when we first moved down. but you're going to want one sooner or later. It's walkable but everything is so spaced apart sometimes you get tired of walking a mile just to get some starbucks lol

GABison2007....would you by chance be a Howard alumna? While in DC I lived in several areas near Howard University: Bloomingdale, U ST., Columbia Heights, and Petworth. Would you say Midtown is generally safer than these areas? Being that I am new to the whole "ATL" scene I am solely relying on the opinions of family who live in the suburbs of Atlanta (Conyers), and look down on the fact that I would even consider living in the city. Listening to them you would think Midtown was hell on earth....glad to hear that isn't the case.

I've also looked at Tuscany at Lindbergh but they had no availability. I am also looking into Biltmore at Midtown.

[GaBison2007]

^^ HA yep I am an HU alum. Did the Bison give it away? When talking about those areas are you talking about pre or post gentrification? lol.

I would say Midtown NOW is significantly safer than U Street/Columbia Heights/Petworth pre gentrification. Post? I would say less safe when it comes to things like car thefts and burglaries. So if you get a car, be alert, the places you're looking at have covered secure parking so I wouldn't worry too much especially if you park on an upper level. FYI-As a single female, I would never get a ground floor apartment in any city due to potential burglaries, moreso in Midtown.

Prostitution, Loitering, and Vagrancy is VERY evident in Midtown compared to DC. However, I'll take the hooker/homeless bum/crackhead over a gun battle any day. In terms of violent crimes, I've heard about and increase in muggings and such on the GA Tech campus. This does disturb me but I almost think that's normal to hear about when it comes to Universities especially if students aren't watchful. Plus, if you hang out around the GA Tech campus at the bookstore , for example, you'll see students do some OUTRAGEOUSLY dumb things? For example, I was hanging out in Borders at GA Tech and a student LEFT his Macbook out in the open and walked away from it to go to Starbucks next door. Lo and behold...it was stolen and I heard a loud commotion when he was yelling about his laptop. I've also had to return more than one UNLOCKED smartphone or two when I go to the Starbucks each morning before heading to work. I also love it when I see a student alone at night walking around with an Ipad..........

However, I haven't seen or heard about anything crazily violent like murders/sexual assaults *Knocks on wood* So I'd say overall there needs to be some improvements (Which I heard Kasim Reed is going to increase the police force this summer) but it's not terrible and I do feel much safer than I did when I lived near Trinidad in DC

I think the only thing to be aware of is ATL is less respectful of pedestrians than in DC so please be aware of your surroundings. Don't jaywalk when a car is coming (because you don't want to walk to the crosswalk a mile away) and think a car will pause for you to cross the street. Cars WILL run you over without a second thought lol.

[ainad]

Cool, I actually just graduated in May of this year. I wont have a car since I'm only here for a few months so car theft wont be an issue, and yes I refuse to live on anyone's first floor,lol. I'm also looking at Biltmore at Midtown, is W. Peachtree a fairly safe street/area as well? Thanks so much for your help

[GaBison2007]

^^Congrats !!! I'm class of '07 but if ya ever need any advice while down here, ya can also pm me.

W. Peachtree is extremly safe ( especially with the AT&T building right there as well). I walk down it every morning with no issues.

BTW-We have an alumni club in ATL if you ever need to hook up with fellow bison while you're down
Howard University Alumni Club of Atlanta