Candler Park vs. Kirkwood (Atlanta, Decatur: crime, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[EleanorRigby76]

Greetings from London, UK! We are so excited about moving to the great city of Atlanta! My husband just got a job in the Midtown district.

We are torn between two areas of the city to live in: Kirkwood and Candler Park. We have not gotten a chance to get over there to check out our options, but are price range is in the mid-to-high 400's. We need a 3 bed/2 bed and dont mind if its not renovated!

We can find what we are looking for in both neighbourhoods, but could someone compare these two and give one a competitive advantage! Thanks so much!

[Iconographer]

Candler Park is, IMO, further along than Kirkwood in the gentrification game. I'm guessing that petty crime is less of a problem in CP, too.
Of course, you'll pay a premium for the same house in CP over Kirkwood for the reasons stated.
Not taking anything away from Kirkwood (it's definitely an up and coming neighborhood), but that's my take on it.

[cmtiger]

Ditto on Lovin'.

[atlanta hope]

I'd go with Candler Park. I think Kirkwood has more crime. Also CP is more charming and has cute surrounding neighborhoods. Kirkwood is still "up and coming" and the surrounding areas are a bit rougher around the edges.

If you could afford, Virginia Highlands is a nice hood too. Not sure what $450K will get you over there though. Morningside is also nice but $$.

It's good you're staying intown, traffic is awful here and our public transportation sucks. Although if your husband works near a Marta train station, you may want to look for a house near a Marta station. MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

[gumboula]

I live in Kirkwood and think the above posts are fair assessments of the difference, IMO. You can get far more house in Kirkwood than in Candler Park. $475k in Candler Park will get you a nicely renovated 3/2 bungalow, about 1800 sqft. The same house in Kirkwood would be $100k less. $475 in Kirkwood would get you a large, 4-bedroom, new construction. The feel of the neighborhoods is very different. Kirkwood is far more diverse both racially and socio-economically than Candler Park. Kirkwood probably has more property crime than Candler Park, but I would actually check with the local police to confirm that (Atlanta Police Department | Zone 6 (http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=Zone6&menu=64 - broken link)). The neighborhoods are geographically proximate. I know in the past when Kirkwood would get a spat of car breakins, Candler Park would too. The neighborhoods are very different. If you are comfortable with some minor "incivilities" (more teenagers up-to-no-good, a bit of panhandling, some active drug crime) then you will be comfortable in Kirkwood. BTW, if you are looking in Candler Park, then look in Lake Claire; they are side-by-side and very similar.

[IntownHomes247]

Other things to consider:

1. Business districts. Both neighborhoods have small internal business districts. Here's a map of the Candler Park business district:

atlanta-midtown.com : Guide to Candler Park Business District

I'm currently working on the Kirkwood business district feature, but, in short, Kirkwood has a small, newly redeveloped business district located at the intersection of Hosea L. Williams Drive and Oakview and anchored by the new Kirkwood Station multi-use development (street level retail with residences above including some live/work townhomes). Candler Park's business district has a slight edge over Kirkwood at this point because it has a market. Candler Park also adjoins the Little 5 Points business district (a plus or a minus depending on your feelings about Little 5). Kirkwood is obviously also close to Little 5 Points and is slightly closer to the recently developed Edgewood Business District (lots of big box stores). Be sure to check out the business districts when you're looking at homes to see which offers you the most compatible vibe. Also look at the City of Decatur, which is very convenient to both Kirkwood and Candler Park and offers a wide range of shops & restaurants.

2. Parks. The 2 neighborhoods are also fairly comparable when it comes to parks. Candler Park is nicer than Bessie Branham or Coan Park individually, but the 2 Kirkwood parks combined and included with Charlie Yates Golf Club and the East Lake Family YMCA could actually give the edge to Kirkwood. But again, take a look at the parks when you visit the neighborhoods to see which ones offer you the best fit for your lifestyle.

3. MARTA. Again, both neighborhoods are comparable. If rail service is important to you, you can certainly find a house in either neighborhood that will offer you convenient access to a MARTA rail station.

4. Architecture. Candler Park has some of the best Craftsman bungalows in the city while Kirkwood has some nice bungalows, some gorgeous Victorians, and more new construction (primarily NeoCraftsman) than Candler Park. There are more large homes in Kirkwood because of the Victorian history of the neighborhood, but a much larger percentage of the homes in Candler Park are renovated than in Kirkwood.

Good luck!