buy a condo in midtown or va highlands?

[afonega1]

If i were to buy a condo now,it would be Downtown.Like Castleberry Hill.Also in some transitional areas they are building upscale condo's and townhomes for great deals.These areas while somewhat rough will appreciate at a faster rate.You will be able to sell easy because while there is new development,it is more controlled because the people are moving in these area but not flocking in droves like Midtown and Buckhead.Supply is behind demand instead of beyond the demand.If you are looking for a lifestyle versus a profitable venture,then in some of these places that will be the determining factor.

[evanharrison]

thank you so much. some of you have been extremely helpful!

[stoddaro]

Hi there, I'm glad you stuck to your guns on Midtown/VaHi; I agree with you! Before I moved to Atlanta in 2000, I travelled here for work and knew that Midtown was right for me (you and I are about same age). VaHa was great for date nights. I've been here ever since, year 1 in an apartment at 17th & W Peachtree and since then a condo on Peachtree. It's great! Yes, you probably won't make as much profit when selling a condo vs. a house, but I haven't mowed the lawn (or shovelled in this winter) in a condo.

I'd suggest you look at some of the established mid-rise condos along Peachtree (vs. the more expensive, newer high rises). A good friend of mine is a kindergarten teacher and he bought an affordable one-bedroom at Cornerstone Village. Also, below are 2 write-ups I made for ther people looking to move here. Good luck with your decision!

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I live in Midtown along Peachtree and it's great. Sure, a townhome or single family home may increase in value more reliably, but if you're an entrepreneur you don't have time to mow the grass and take care of maintenance things - condo living is great!

People have mentioned some new developments already. If you want a 3 bedroom that will be tough - not many of those around and they're EXPENSIVE ($350k or over in a decent place). If you really want a 3 bedroom, you could buy 2 units next to each other and combine them, which is very popular in some of the more established properties (like Peachtree Lofts, Cornerstone Village).

I have a 2 bedroom and it's plenty of space. 1 bedroom to sleep in and 1 for your home office (tax deduction).

Part of town to live in - Buckhead is professional but a bit stuffy (and trafficky). Midtown is professional with some of the city edge. I met my wife in Midtown. Both have great restaurant options. I would not recommend the W as downtown is still up and coming but there's not even a grocery store there yet. Midtown and Buckhead both have great living options for professionals who like to enjoy a drink now and again. I recommend Midtown a bit more.

Let me know if you need more ideas.

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Hi, I own/live exactly in this area, at a different condo building. I used to work at BoA so I completely understand wanting to walk to work; it was great (except when it rained)!

There's an excellent LA Fitness that my wife uses at 5th and Spring St, just 2 blocks west of Peachtree St.

Here are my thoughts:
Metropolis - modern high-rise, newer units, hip crowd. 2 towers = lots of units/people. Amenities are among the best in terms of workouts. I will say that the fire alarms go off once in a while, often late at night or early morning (3am on Saturdays is typical). I can hear it from my place. But it still seems nice. It's a little over 1 mile to walk to BoA from here.

Biltmore - older but proud historic building; much fewer units/people than Metropolis, but has almost no amenities. If you're away a lot you'll also miss a concierge here because they don't have one.

Mayfair - great location near Piedmont Park. Lots of units/people here. There are 2 towers; the older building has very low ceilings/cramped units and many homeowners are bitter that the 2nd newer tower blocked their views. The 2nd tower is a bit nicer. Note that this is not close (not walking distance) to BoA Tower and not too convenient to Marta.

Post Parkside - if you mean the one at 10th & Piedmont, it has nice spacious units, lots of dogs here, etc. Not sure of amenities as it's an apartment complex vs. condo complex. It's also not close to BoA or MARTA.

You may also want to consider renting at 2 other places within a few blocks of Metropolis - Cornerstone Village and Peachtree Lofts. Cornerstone is closest to BoA and LA Fitness, Peachtree Lofts is only 2 blocks further north but also within walking distance to Publix grocery store.

Here's a good descripton of some of the amenities at Peachtree Lofts:
Kelly Chancy's Condo of the week - Peachtree lofts (broken link)

You can likely find a similar list of amenities for Cornerstone Village.

And, as an example, here's of a unit for rent there ($1150) <in the spirit of full disclosure, I own this rental unit at Peachtree Lofts>:
Spacious & Modern Midtown Loft Condo for Rent (http://atlanta.craigslist.org/apa/614334091.html - broken link)Good luck, and please let us know what you decide so we can understand the mentality from an "outsider's" perspective.

[evanharrison]

thanks! that was very helpful.
I'm looking more for a lifestyle at this point. I live in a really cute area of Charleston but there are only a few spots for young professionals to hang out in without being besieged by families. atlanta has so many cute neighborhoods to offer, but many have been developed like the ones down here. After living in Raleigh, Charlotte and now Charleston, many areas seem practically interchangeable. My friends in Atlanta who took me around in February live in VAHI and I LOVED walking (actually walking! no driving to astrip mall!) to the shops and restuarants.
Any other areas that offer the ability to walk around to restuarants, shops, etc...?

[plessthanpointohfive]

Yes, as mentioned previously, other hip neighborhoods where you can walk to shops and restaurants: Inman Park, Candler Park, Lake Claire, Decatur, Cabbagetown, Kirkwood, Grant Park.

Try this link to see how most of these neighborhoods connect to each other:

Google Maps

[evanharrison]

What are the schools like in those areas? safety?

[IntownHomes247]

Originally Posted by evanharrison

What are the schools like in those areas? safety?

Didn't you ask about Mary Lin Elementary before? It's in Candler Park.

Paideia is in Druid Hills/Candler Park (kind of right on the border between the two) -- Druid Hills is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city with most houses priced well into the millions

The Waldorf School is in Decatur.

The City of Decatur elementary schools are excellent.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Mary Lin (on your list) serves Inman Park, Candler Park, and Lake Claire. A very safe area.

Morningside serves VaHi, Atkins Park, Morningside/Lenox Parx and parts of Midtown. Very safe.

Fernbank serves Druid Hills (just north of Ponce from Candler Park and just east of Briarcliff from VaHi. It also serves part a more traditional suburban feeling, though still ITP neighborhood called Medlock park (north east of Emory). Also very safe.

Decatur City schools serves city of Decatur. Very safe.

Neighborhood Charter Schools serves Grant Park. Mostly a safe area (closer to the zoo the better). It also serves part of East Atlanta.

Cabbagetown - not sure of the schools. A very hip but transitional area. Mostly populated with young singles. Not much kids because the schools haven't caught up. More of an urban pioneering neighborhood - excellent restaurants.

Kirkwood - served by Toomer Elementary which is currently undergoing a restaffing and area parents are excited. You might want ot look here for a job since they are supposed ot be restaffing. Has a history of being not such a great school but the Kirkwood neighborhood is on the good side of gentrification and are taking back the school. Kirkwood Neighbors' Organization (KNO) :: Kirkwood Neighborhood, Atlanta, GA

I forgot to mention East Atlanta in previous posts. This is a popular night spot and a trendy place to live. http://eaca.net/ I am not all that familiar with the other schools that serve East Atlanta. However, East Atlanta is like Kirkwood in its stage of revitalization. Mostly safe.

This is a city. A real city. So none of these neighborhoods will be so safe that you can go for a jog at night with your iPod. In fact, you shouldn't jog at night without your iPod unless you have an exercise partner. This is true of Midtown and VaHi, too. Cabbagetown and East Atlanta probably a bit more so. If you go on over to their buzzboard you will see what kind of incidents go on.

EAV Buzz - Index

You can get to other neighborhood buzzboards from here.