18 yr old moving to Atlanta for school..needs help? (Decatur: loft, high crime)

[FeeFee716]

hey, im moving to ATL next month from Buffalo, NY alone. im attending college,

-what are some activities i can participate in? (don't judge me because im black, i like fashion shows, open mics, museums and i dont mind attending events with diverse crowds)

-is it easy to find an entry level job? (i am a makeup artist and ill probably work in retail for now)

-what are some areas to stay away from?

-is riding the MARTA safe?

is ATL overall safe (i rather have a black persons opinion, since ATL has a big black population..the same things that might not scare some black people may scare the **** out of some white people lol)

[Mattie]

I think you will get more direction if you let people know which school you are attending.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by FeeFee716

hey, im moving to ATL next month from Buffalo, NY alone. im attending college,

-what are some activities i can participate in? (don't judge me because im black, i like fashion shows, open mics, museums and i dont mind attending events with diverse crowds)

-is it easy to find an entry level job? (i am a makeup artist and ill probably work in retail for now)

-what are some areas to stay away from?

-is riding the MARTA safe?

is ATL overall safe (i rather have a black persons opinion, since ATL has a big black population..the same things that might not scare some black people may scare the **** out of some white people lol)

Not all of us white people are Chicken Little, honey.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Not all of us white people are Chicken Little, honey.

I was counting down to see how long it would take you to zero in on his comment.

10...9....8....7.... LOL

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I was counting down to see how long it would take you to zero in on his comment.

10...9....8....7.... LOL

My morning LOL...thanks, Greg!

[sweettea1]

Gotta love the posts that are under the guise of asking for advice but throw in a dig to get the crowd's blood boiling so early in the am.
I rode MARTA yesterday (don't judge me because I'm white) and guess what, I'm here today to tell you about it!

[FeeFee716]

lol i know! trust me i have white friends that will beat some ones a** early...but sometimes white people are good at making a black population look like monsters as well..so please take no offense.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by FeeFee716

lol i know! trust me i have white friends that will beat some ones a** early...but sometimes white people are good at making a black population look like monsters as well..so please take no offense.

None taken, dear.
Be patient and at some point someone more knowledgeable on what you are looking for than this 54 yo white lady will chime in with some good information for you.

[bizchick86]

Okay, to actually answer some of your questions. Yes, it would help to know where your school is to guide you towards neighborhood options. However, most schools require you to live on campus the first year, so your residence is probably set anyway. I touch on this as well as your other questions below:

Activities
Things I suggest are things open to 18 year olds. A lot of Atlanta's nightlife is geared towards the 21+ crowd, but there is still a lot of fun you can have:

- Back in my day (like 2 years ago, lol) the Clark Atlanta campus hosted a weekly open mic. It was mostly the AUC kids in attendance and performing, but every now and then you get semi-professional people on the mic. I loved the hip vibe and warm atmosphere...plus it was free. I'm quite sure they still do this.

-For a cover (usu relatively inexpensive) hit up Apache Cafe- mostly professional artists hit up Apache for a variety of events on several days out the week. Just do a google search for event info and check for that specific event's age limits. Some are open to 18 y.o some aren't.

-High Museum College Night- Believe me, you will find just as many black people into what you're into than you think. This bi-annual night at the museum is usually packed with young black college kids looking at art along with numerous activities within the museum (live performances, DJ booth, art instruction, etc.) Event Details | High Museum of Art Atlanta (http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=4,3,2&eventId=249&eventTypeId=12 - broken link)

-Numerous film festivals throughout the year. For starters, check out Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (UMFF)

- For nightlife, Crescent Avenue bars and nightclubs form the best central nightlife district in the city. However, you're 18, so the clubs won't be much of an option for you. However, on many occasion colleges would hold special events at these clubs and would admit students with their college I.D. There are also restaurant options for you in this area. Check out Opera's website, one of the most popular clubs in the city, just so you know where the area is. Atlanta Night Clubs, Atlanta Night Life and Nightclubs - Opera Atlanta

- Another great nightlife option is Castleberry Hill. A lot of AUC kids hang out here because it's right behind the AUC, but it's not a typcial college scene. It's more a 21-35 y.o vibe. Slice is a hip pizza place with a live DJ and good for people watching, No Mas Cantina is a fun Mexican-style restaurant with a diverse crowd, and there are a number of art galleries in the area. There's a monthly art stroll where you can view the galleries Castleberry Hill ArtStroll.

- For other events and activities. check out www.creativeloafing.com. This is one of the best sources for things to do in Atlanta.

- For the most part, if you go to a school with an active social scene, you'll do much of your first year partying on campus as well as nights hosted by frat/sororities at clubs in Atlanta. Most bars/clubs in Atlanta are 21+, so going to school events is a good way to meet your peers and make friends that can last throughout your college years. When you end up doing the city party scene, you'll already have a group of people to hang out with regularly.

Job
This is hard given the economy, and Atlanta is definately going through a downturn. However, there are still good opportunities for those in the beauty scene. Check out the jobs or gig section in Craig's list Atlanta. I often see openings for hair stylists, shampoo assistants, etc. if you still want to be in the beauty field. Retail may be harder to come by, but there are often openings for various beauty gigs.

Areas to stay away from
Generally, Atlanta's bad hoods are not like others. Most of them don't really look that bad, even if they're high crime. If you stay in the city of Atlanta, you're less likely to really be in bad areas, and many of those bad areas are in transition, with more suburbanites and professionals moving to them. I would say Bankhead is still not a place you'd want to settle, areas off of Boulevard in Old 4th Ward, and parts of Vine City near the AUC. The general surroundings of the AUC are pretty rough and shabby, but developers are steadily trying to improve the area.

Areas that are good to live
Intown living is definitely more expensive than that in the suburbs, but if you can afford it and if your school allows off-campus living your first year, here's a rundown of great hoods for young folks:

Little 5/ Candler Park/Edgewood/Inman Park- These East Atlanta neighborhoods are close to the city, have a quirky community feel (if not a little more family oriented), and close to great retail options and urban living while still feeling suburban. There are numerous loft communities that are trying to close out on their properties (so they've dropped prices) along DeKalb Avenue streching from Old 4th Ward to the City of Decatur that pass through just about all these neighborhods.

Virgina Highlands- Stretching from N. Highland to Highland Rd in between Old 4th Ward and Moreland Ave/Briarcliff, this is a magnet for college kids/young professionals and diverse. It's predominately white, but diverse enough to be considered diverse in my book. A number of new residential developments have propped up here (so their prices have dropped as well due to the oversaturation of properties) in addition to an established nightlife scene.

Midtown- The most expensive, but the city's art and nightlife center. If you can find a roomate or two and settle here, you'd be in the center of everything.

Is Riding Marta safe
Yes.

Is ATL overall safe
Yes. Crime in general is grossly overhyped. The likelihood of anyone getting in some type of violent crime situation is low. However, you always should be aware of your surroundings and do the standard stuff to not be a target (don't walk by yourself at night, take a cab if you'll be out late, etc.). Crime in ATL is moreso property crime (robberies, car theft, etc) than anything else. Keep your stuff locked up always if you have a car. I almost always put my purse in the trunk if I'm parked on the street. You will see plenty of homefless folks in the city proper, but other than being annoying if they're panhandling, they're not dangerous.

[FeeFee716]

i am attending bauder college and its located in midtown