What are the best neigborhoods in Atlanta?

I have a question? Where do you work? Are they hiring?

I am a yoga teacher.

Do you live in Georgia now?

frances rodney in Yonkers, New York said: I AM GETTING SUCH CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT ATLANTA. WHAT IS THE REAL TRUTH, IS IT OR ISN'T IT A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE? I AM CONFUSED
WHAT ABOUT THE STONE MOUNTAIN AREA?

just depends on what you can afford and where you want to live..i lived there for 10 years in buckhead but i also lived in peachtree city.....i was young in my 20s so i wanted the city life ....ifi had children or was married i would say marietta,dunwoody,sandy springs or alphraetta ... the main thing is what can you afford?

angela james in Wyoming, Michigan said: families, single mother of three kids ages 11, 9, and 5

just depends on what you can afford..

Shenike in Baltimore, Maryland said: Do you live in Georgia now?

is this question for me?no i dont live in atlanta right now ...im trying to go back though.

Yes that question was for you. Oh ok then. Did you like it when you went to visit?

I was considering relocating to Georgia my voucher.We are planning on moving from Baltimore A.S.A.P. Looking for somewhere in Georgia I can relax and have a peace of mind and still be involved with the inner city with a little distance in between the city and me. I am a single mom too my daughter is 11 soon to be 12 and she loves to be active. She loves Gymnastics. Anyone know of any Gymnastic schools in Georgia?

Well I just turn 30 yesterday and I love the family setting.What do you know of Dekalb county? (Decatur) That's where I considering. What about Lithonia?

Shenike in Baltimore, Maryland said: Yes that question was for you. Oh ok then. Did you like it when you went to visit?

i didnt visit.... i lived there for 10 years 97-2007 yes atlanta is cool ...if you dont make at least 35-40k a year you will struggle...decatur is ok ..i liked the part i worked at ...at it was like 10 minutes to the middle of the city yet has its own little community vibe...

Shenike in Baltimore, Maryland said: Well I just turn 30 yesterday and I love the family setting.What do you know of Dekalb county? (Decatur) That's where I considering. What about Lithonia?

personally i dont like lihonia only because its too far from the middle .....i dont like spending 30 minutes in the car when there is no traffic to get to the action ....where are you going to work?when i moved to atlanta i had never been there ..i just moved ...takes time to learn all the differnt areas...

HI IM A 35YR OLD BLK MALE RELOCATING TO ATLANTA,GA THIS SUMMER FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IM LOOKING INTO THE ATLANTA SURBURBS MAYBE ROSWELL OR DECATUR I HERE ALOT OF GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE SURBURBS I DON'T MIND LIVING IN ATLANTA IM JUST SO USE TO THE CITY LIFE I NEED A CHAGE OF PACE ANY OPPORTUNITY THATS WILLING TO REACH MY CAREER GOAL PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE THANKS

Decatur is not really such a suburb...it is a city w/in Atlanta...it is a 12 minute ($2) ride on the Marta train from downtown Decatur to downtown Atlanta.

Well I am a 30 yr sigle mom moving from Baltimore, MD. I have done alot of researching in Georgia and I've heard alot about Decatur too. I am also looking to move there some time in August. I have an 11 year lod little girl who can't wait.

I bought my house when I was nearly 28, my son was nearly 4. Moving to downtown Decatur and enrolling my son in the Decatur City School system was the best gift I could have ever given him. He's currently an honor student in the top 5% of his class at UGA's business school...and he's a great kid with a great group of kids with whom he's been friends since prekindergarten.

I am 36 yrs old I have two teenage daughters and two sons 1&10. I am also married and about to be a grandma(first one). I am looking to relocate , to college park oe decatur, would love some advice on which area would be nice enough to finish raising my kids and to start planning for my grandchild's future. If you can help me, please us. Thank you, God Bless

moving to Decatur was one of THE BEST decisions I EVER made regarding providing a strong community for my son. All due respect to College Park, I wouldn't live there if I was paid. ;~) Decatur was JUST named the BEST overall neighborhood in all of the metro ATL area. The schools are superior, it is low in crime and safe. My friends w/ kids who moved to cheaper areas to save $$, have paid dearly with having kids in trouble with drugs and/or getting lousy educations. My kid is at one of the nation's top business schools as a junior in the top 5% of his class. All that money I spent on high property taxes was worth EVERY penny.

Hello, my name is Shenike I am 30 years young and a single mother,when I saw your ad and I kinda smiled because I was seriously thinking of relocating from Baltimore, Md to Decatur,Georgia with my 11 year old daughter. My lease is up in July and I have a section 8 voucher to assist with my move so I want to take this advantage of the opportunity. I am in the healthcare field but looking for something new.. is the job market OK there.. I know the pay I am use to getting will not apply there but it's Ok. If you have anymore information for me please feel free to let me in on it.

hi Shenike. I am not really an expert in the job market here. I teach yoga and there are plenty of opportunities for me here. I also have had an online business for years and still plug away at it. Decatur is also the county seat for DeKalb County, so there are tons of city and county government jobs, plus healthcare jobs as well. It IS expensive to own a home here due to high taxes..and worth every penny in the quality education our kids get!

My brother lives in Midtown Atlanta, which is really nice. In fact, it's more alive than downtown Atlanta. My other brother and I were there in October of 2008, and he drove us around the city. It's more like the University City section of Philadelphia. High-rise condos, shops, restaurants, and so forth.

Marietta, where my sister lives, is very spread out, but it's also a very nice community, and it has a lot of shopping centers.

lroutledge in Los Angeles, California said: Wow...sounds like YOU need a change of scene...

RITE...CAUSE IF THEY HAVE A HIGH RISK OF HIV MAKES ME THINK YOU GOT IT.......AND U STILL LIVE IN ATLANTA....WHAT EVER.......IM TRANSFERING MY SECTION 8 TO DEKALB COUNTY.....PEOPLE THAT WANT TO MOVE TO ATLANTA DO NOT LISTEN TO PEOPLE WITH BAD ANSWERS......ATLANTA HAS THE BEST SCHOOLS AROUND......WE ALREADY KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE GAY......WE DO WATCH T.V

Hello I am from Georgia but I live 4 hours away frm atlanta. I am now looking for a place their in the Decatur area? Does anyone have any suggestion? I am 22 yrs old and will start Georgia Perimeter College in Jan 2012. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks Much

I LOVE downtown Decatur where I live. College students can find good deals around here through the Emory and CDC lists...you can google Emory univ and find links to network to find a place.

Going to be going to CSU in Morrow, GA been looking for places to stay and JonesBoro, Ga is standing out to me on this specific side of Atlanta. Can someone please give me more information please and thank you!!

Im looking to relocate to Atlanta early of 2012 and i havent heard much about Gwinnett county. I've heard good things about it but in which areas are the best schools I have a 9 year old child.

ATL FA in Marietta, Georgia said: The commute from acworth to downtown atlanta during rush hour can be 3 hrs. Do you really want to spend 6 hrs a day in traffic? I live in marietta and work at the airport (just south of downtown) but I typically leave for work around 2 pm and arrive back home at midnight so I miss the traffic. If you plan on working more traditional hours your commute will be awful. This is one reason why homes further north like kennesaw, acworth, canton etc are cheaper. Rush hr lasts from approx 6 am to 9:30 am - imagine 6 lanes all moving at 10 mph.

I commute from Kennesaw to downtown every day. It takes no more than 45 minutes each day. Occasionally it will be as low as 35 minutes or so, and this is departing 7:15-7:30am from Kennesaw.

I am a 19yr old single mom with a 1yr old son. I am originally from arkansas but now i live in chicago. I attend the institute of art in chicago, but I'm looking to move soon to ATL. I was wondering what would be a good location. I am looking for a slow pace with nice people but also a place that offers great nightlife and recreational activities.What would you suggest?

lisaconehead in Decatur, Georgia said: Hi Jay. I am a 40 min Marta train ride...about $2 or so...from the airport in downtown Decatur. I'm a short walk to the Marta station. I am a female and would prefer a female renter as well, however, for short term stays, i would consider a male. Feel free to email back with your contact information if interested.

Hello im going to move in Feb but im debating on what side
i want to live my fam is against it but im tiref of Fort Worth and ready for change....

Tyson Maltby in Huntsville, Alabama said: I have two daughters that went through Middle & HS in Gwinnett County; not that it makes me an authority but my now Ex-wife is still a teacher there and she was always praising (some times complaining)how much the County expected from the teachers... even with that said... she was and is teaching in one of the best funded and most advanced districts in all of Atlanta and Georgia from our point of view. Duluth is a superior environment to raise your child. I am extremely proud of both my girls for having been accepted to the Univ. of Ga. on the Hope Scholarship. My Older Daughter went on to get her Masters in Guidance Counseling at Valdosta State which is known for being one of the best and toughest in her field and now lives in Tampa, Fl. working for the school system there; her sister is a Senior at UGA (Loves it and followed her sister's footsteps)this year and going into Sports Medicine. We moved to Atlanta from Daytona in the mid 90's specifically to get them in a better place for educational reasons. Even if the marriage didn't work out we are both very proud parents and very glad we made that decision for them.

I'm glad to hear good things about duluth, because that's where i'm targeting to live. I've done good research on schools and found a couple that I think would be perfect for my daughter to attend. I would also like to know how is the berkly lake area or pleasent hill rd area in duluth?

Can anyone please be specific?

I just got a job near the airport and will have about $500 for rent. Does anybody have experience with a specific apartment complex within 5 or 6 miles in a reasonable part of East Point, College Hill or Forest Park, etc.?

Did you ever end up moving?

Hi all,

I am a 32 year old female who will be divorcing, and I want to relocate to atlanta,ga in the summer (2012), and wanted to know where are the best places to live while raising kids-I have a 9 yr old daughter. I don't have any job lined up as of yet, but I do have a B.S. in Political science with a minor in Psych. I am looking to g into human resources or human services. It has been hard to get a reply back from employers, as I am currently living in Germany (Air force spouse), however, I'll be in the states sometime in june. I'm looking for somewhere I can find nice housing, community, and schools, without breaking the bank. So if anyone could give me some Feedback, I'll appreciate it!
QMaine

Good neighborhoods are Smyrna, Duluth, Snellville, Peachtree City, buckhead.

I was wondering if someone can give information about Smyrna? I am looking for a place near/in Atlanta and wondering if Smyrna is safe?

shawnmc in Knoxville, Tennessee said: I was wondering if someone can give information about Smyrna? I am looking for a place near/in Atlanta and wondering if Smyrna is safe?

Very safe, especially the houses on atlanta road, and ridge road.

squirrelonfire in Atlanta, Georgia said: Very safe, especially the houses on atlanta road, and ridge road.

Thank you. I'm looking at places right now in Smyrna area. Could you give any other suggestions that are safer? I know there are some info on this forum, but they were posted at least couple years ago. I will be working in downtown ATL.

decatur city is the best place to raise a kid. crime is up EVERYWHERE in general...i've been in my home 20 yrs; the next door neighbors 50..my neighbors fell for a scam a few months ago and their jewelry was stolen. otherwise, nothing in 50 yrs and a few car break ins every so often here and there. choosing to move here for the safety, community and superior public school system (Decatur City schools...you want to be in zip 30030...right near Decatur Square..NOT in some areas that have Decatur addresses but are not in the city proper.) was THE single BEST decision I ever made as a single parent in raising my son, who is now 22. No comparison to other areas..it is NOT cheap, but it's been worth EVERY penny..with dividends..

downtown decatur is $500,000 houses. And Decatur on exit 24 is $1000,000 houses.

But in Smyrna, with $300,000 you can get a 5 bedroom house with massive yard, great neighborhood.

Hurt road, all the houses along side old concord road after u pass the spring road / hurt road junction. You do not want to stay on sprint road between hurt road and Southcobb parkway.

All the houses around Vinning, very old neighborhood, very rich. They finished constructing that super high condo right on Paces Ferry Road (around Vinning). Houses' value there probably just went up again. Besides living near Vinning, houses there are right next to 75, and 285. Also they are near the Lovette High School, publix, home depot, Cumerberland Mall.

downtown decatur is $500,000 houses. And Decatur on exit 24 is $1000,000 houses.

But in Smyrna, with $300,000 you can get a 5 bedroom house with massive yard, great neighborhood.

Hurt road, all the houses along side old concord road after u pass the spring road / hurt road junction. You do not want to stay on sprint road between hurt road and Southcobb parkway.

All the houses around Vinning, very old neighborhood, very rich. They finished constructing that super high condo right on Paces Ferry Road (around Vinning). Houses' value there probably just went up again. Besides living near Vinning, houses there are right next to 75, and 285. Also they are near the Lovette High School, publix, home depot, Cumerberland Mall.

We are interested in moving to Decatur in the next 6-8 months. Looking at homes for sale, however, I notice them being extremely inexpensive. Like, a really great looking 5 bed/4 bath for less than $100,000. Some 4 bedrooms look really nice and are $50,000 or even less. Why is this?

I wonder what happened to the people that were thinking about moving here if they did and if so what happened???

Mom2dom in Bluffton, South Carolina said: We are interested in moving to Decatur in the next 6-8 months. Looking at homes for sale, however, I notice them being extremely inexpensive. Like, a really great looking 5 bed/4 bath for less than $100,000. Some 4 bedrooms look really nice and are $50,000 or even less. Why is this?

There is not a $100,000 house that is 5 bed/4bath that is liveable. Those houses are forclose, or shortsale and they are all craps. The situation is that people lose their job and so the bank take their houses away. And so before they got evicted, they would destroy the houses and move out.

Don' even bother with short sale because it will take decade to go through.

You need half a million to own a house in Decatur unless you wnt to stay in the crappy area. And yes the crappy area are very very cheap.

i live in the most desirable part of Decatur and it is completely possible to find a livable home for under $250K. as for $100K foreclosures, it depends on the location, but chances are much work would be needed or it would be in a sketchy neighborhood. I decided nearly 20 yrs ago, i'd rather spend my money on a home in a lovely area that was safe and community oriented for me to raise my son, than on an expensive car or eating out or going on lots of vacations or other things that can suck up money. what i got from that was lots of friends who are also neighbors, a son who is a scholar (great public schools) and about to get his masters in accounting, the ability to walk for most all of my errands, and about $300K equity (would be closer to $400K in a stronger economy).

i live in the most desirable part of Decatur and it is completely possible to find a livable home for under $250K. as for $100K foreclosures, it depends on the location, but chances are much work would be needed or it would be in a sketchy neighborhood. I decided nearly 20 yrs ago, i'd rather spend my money on a home in a lovely area that was safe and community oriented for me to raise my son, than on an expensive car or eating out or going on lots of vacations or other things that can suck up money. what i got from that was lots of friends who are also neighbors, a son who is a scholar (great public schools) and about to get his masters in accounting, the ability to walk for most all of my errands, and about $300K equity (would be closer to $400K in a stronger economy).

Best neighborhoods depends on what you are looking for.
From Atlanta south and east it tends to have mostly minorities and can be
very crowded.
Much less so north west of Atlanta which tends to be nicer/safer areas but not
much to offer for the night life crowds. More family oriented.

Hi everyone. Just found out I've been accepted to a graduate program at Emory and am looking for a townhouse or small single family home in NW Atlanta. I've focused my search in the vicinity of Decatur (Scottdale, Avondale Estates and down to Candler-McAfee) but my real estate agent is really pushing Chamblee up north although I can't find much info about it. I like the idea of Decatur with festivals, mom and pop stores and independent restaurants. I prefer character over the standard Walmart/Starbucks/McDonalds on every corner. Safety is also important as a young woman living by myself.

Can anyone give me more info about Chamblee or other reasonable neighborhoods in the Emory/Decatur area? Thanks in advance!

- Renee

Correction - looking in NE Atlanta, sorry for the typo!

What are your opinion about areas like Douglasville or Villa Rica and their comparisons to areas like Decatur or Marietta.

Ive lived in Philadelphia my whole life! And im ready for a change! Im a single parent of two girls(ages 5&15)I work and my company has said them can transfer me to Alanta!Ive been looking online and asking friends and family about Alanta and its pros and cons vs living in Philly. Im pretty sure i want to move my family down there but if anyone else can give me some insite I would apprecaite it! How are the public schools? (Elementary and High Schools) How bad is the crime? Right now Phillys crime rate is sky high! Almost a murder a day!!! What neighborhoods are good? A lot of people say that Stone Mountian is really nice!!! If anyone can reply back that would mean the world to me!I want to raise my children in a place where crime isnt the norm! EVEN THOUGH I REALIZE IT IS EVERYWHERE I DONT WANT IT AT MY FRONT DOOR DAILY! Thanks in advance! :)Nikky from Philly