Just how expensive is it?

[testa50]

Originally Posted by westau

The reverse commute thing doesn't always work out. Depending on what part of Midtown you were to live having to deal with where I-75 merges into the downtown connector slows down to a crawl in both directions during 5pm traffic. I have had all kinds of bad traffic trying to head downtown for a Braves game during a weeknight.

For most parts of Midtown you'd got off at the 17th/14th Street exit and avoid the merge. The only bad thing is that 14th often backs up.

Why make compromises to live in a worse apartment for the same price as a better apartment that is closer to work and has 70-80% of the nightlife of Midtown? Vinings can also only be 20 minutes or so down to Buckhead or Midtown if you do decide to go there on the weekends.

Definitely not 70-80% of the nightlife of Midtown. But then again, I've never gone out in Vinings so I don't really know for myself. Nor have I ever really heard of going out in Vinings. West Midtown has nowhere near 70-80% of the nightlife of Midtown, although it does have some cool spots. And that's actually a common place to go, unlike Vinings.

It's all about preferences. OP should visit the two and decide which one has a better vibe. But if being social and dating are very important (for most 22 year old singles they are), I would lean towards Midtown.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by testa50

You've either got to go all the way down to North Avenue then merge over several lanes, or go up to the end of West Peachtree and take the Buford Spring Connector. To get on Georgia 400, you then have to jog over on Sydney Marcus which often backs up.

Meanwhile, I-75 is served by the same North Avenue exit (without needing to merge over onto 85), as well as Williams Street which parallels the entire northern half of Midtown then merges directly onto 75. Williams is good because it doesn't back up very much; West Peachtree is a nightmare on the other hand.

I live in Midtown; it's definitely easier to get going north on 75 from a random point in Midtown than it is to get on 400 or 85.

The only way 85 has an advantage is if you're headed southbound you can bypass 14th and go directly to 10th. But going through 14th isn't that big a big deal as long as you aren't turning left.

Or if you live north of 17th street you have the option of taking the Buford Spring Connector via Peachtree, but not many people live in that part of Midtown. For the core of Midtown (5th through 14th streets) 75 is way quicker to access than 85/400.

well, first.... 400 and I-85 are two different things.... you said I-85

I use the spring-buford connector alot over the years and it is wonderful. It is a small mini-freeway that flows right in and out of the heart of midtown and connects you right into I-85 north at a good point to merge into traffic.

It often seems to help many avoid some of the congestion caused by 400 and I-85 merging.

More importantly it separates traffic movements... so not everyone is trying to get to 10th, 14th street, etc... (to me W. Peachtree/Spring often move a bit more consistently than east-west on 10th and 14th).

GA 400 the left turn at buford hwy is burdensome. I almost wish they delayed removing the tolls just to make a single lane northbound ramp from the spring st connector to Ga 400 north.

However going back into town there is plenty of access to the 17th, 14th, and 10th street c/d system and I-85 has the choice of doing that or using the spring st connector.

Coming into town there is definitely more access.

[Esteban5]

Is the OP gay? Midtown is the gay mecca of Atlanta.

[pit2atl]

Originally Posted by Esteban5

Is the OP gay? Midtown is the gay mecca of Atlanta.

Oh please

[pit2atl]

Originally Posted by testa50

You've either got to go all the way down to North Avenue then merge over several lanes, or go up to the end of West Peachtree and take the Buford Spring Connector. To get on Georgia 400, you then have to jog over on Sydney Marcus which often backs up.

Meanwhile, I-75 is served by the same North Avenue exit (without needing to merge over onto 85), as well as Williams Street which parallels the entire northern half of Midtown then merges directly onto 75. Williams is good because it doesn't back up very much; West Peachtree is a nightmare on the other hand.

I live in Midtown; it's definitely easier to get going north on 75 from a random point in Midtown than it is to get on 400 or 85.

The only way 85 has an advantage is if you're headed southbound you can bypass 14th and go directly to 10th. But going through 14th isn't that big a big deal as long as you aren't turning left.

Or if you live north of 17th street you have the option of taking the Buford Spring Connector via Peachtree, but not many people live in that part of Midtown. For the core of Midtown (5th through 14th streets) 75 is way quicker to access than 85/400.

Just did the google map and you're right. It is more difficult to get to 85. But to the naked eye (aka someone moving to the area) it's hardly much of an inconvenience to just go up W. Peachtree to the Buford connector.

[westau]

Originally Posted by Freeminds

I am sorry, but I have never heard Vinings referred to as a " nightlife" spot. Looking on google maps I don't see that much in the way or bars or clubs either.

Plenty of bars, not so many clubs though if that is what you are looking for. Obviously since your knowledge is limited to looking at Google Maps you don't know anything about the area.

I graduated from college in 2007 and moved to the Vinings/Smyrna area and there are a LOT of young professionals in the area and bars for them to go to. Again, not as many as Midtown but there are still plenty around.

[K-SawDude]

I was a little older than you when I first moved here, with similar interests. (Worked in Kennesaw, but wanted to live closer to a social scene.)

I first lived in the Vinings area, near the Akers Mill/Powers Ferry part. It was safe and super convenient, but you had to drive pretty much everywhere to find good bars and eating spots. Vinings proper has *some* walkability, but it's much smaller than it sounds. (And you still have to drive between the better bars like Vinings Inn, Marlowe's, Meehan's, Padriacs, etc.) The stores also feel sort of targeted towards "single yuppy white girl" overall--not necessarily a bad thing, as it could play better or worse for you as a guy. (There does seem to be a high percentage of girls in Vinings if you're a hetero guy looking to date, but the area offerings didn't appeal to me as much as a guy.)

I later found West Midtown, and I love it SO much more than Vinings. It only added about 10 min. to my commute, it's way more diverse, has better walkability, has better and more interesting restaurants and bars, has a better art and music scene, etc. And it wasn't really more expensive than Vinings. Midtown has options, too, but it's a bit more expensive and traffick-y.

[Tarzanman]

Ignoring nightlife (which midtown a Virginia Highlands does have more of), you will find more dateable eye-candy literally just walking (or jogging, skating, bicycling) around midtown. Vinings does also have a somewhat sizeable portion of singles who live within the limits, but in my experience (some 8 years ago), you come across them far less unless you happen to make a habit of attending pool parties and the like at apartment complexes.

As a 22 yr old, it not out the question to socialize with college students. Midtown will put you closer to Ga Tech, Emory, Ga State, and the clubs/restaraunts/events that they frequent.

I do think that the season plays a part... late fall or early winter, you can probably find almost as much to do within driving distance in Vinings as in Midtown. Spring, or summer....? Midtown reigns king, IMO

[Freeminds]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

Ignoring nightlife (which midtown a Virginia Highlands does have more of), you will find more dateable eye-candy literally just walking (or jogging, skating, bicycling) around midtown. Vinings does also have a somewhat sizeable portion of singles who live within the limits, but in my experience (some 8 years ago), you come across them far less unless you happen to make a habit of attending pool parties and the like at apartment complexes.

As a 22 yr old, it not out the question to socialize with college students. Midtown will put you closer to Ga Tech, Emory, Ga State, and the clubs/restaraunts/events that they frequent.

I do think that the season plays a part... late fall or early winter, you can probably find almost as much to do within driving distance in Vinings as in Midtown. Spring, or summer....? Midtown reigns king, IMO

This post.

A straight, single and professional 22 year old male with no kids only has a few priorities. Girls in being at least two of those.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

well, first.... 400 and I-85 are two different things.... you said I-85

I use the spring-buford connector alot over the years and it is wonderful. It is a small mini-freeway that flows right in and out of the heart of midtown and connects you right into I-85 north at a good point to merge into traffic.

It often seems to help many avoid some of the congestion caused by 400 and I-85 merging.

More importantly it separates traffic movements... so not everyone is trying to get to 10th, 14th street, etc... (to me W. Peachtree/Spring often move a bit more consistently than east-west on 10th and 14th).

GA 400 the left turn at buford hwy is burdensome. I almost wish they delayed removing the tolls just to make a single lane northbound ramp from the spring st connector to Ga 400 north.

However going back into town there is plenty of access to the 17th, 14th, and 10th street c/d system and I-85 has the choice of doing that or using the spring st connector.

Coming into town there is definitely more access.

Agree with all of this, and the importance of the Spring/Buford Connector, which is a wonderful convenience to Midtowners.

But here's the problem: on weekdays, West Peachtree is just terrible in the afternoon. The left two lanes (which lead to 85) often back up to 16th street. However, it's almost always free flowing onto 75 via Williams.

And yeah, I was considering 400 part of the 85 corridor. It's mostly a Midtown-400 problem.