Hey guys I know this is a little removed given the change in city for a few years now but I was hoping to get some advice on Atlanta. I will be moving there shortly with my fiancé and have no idea where to live. We are looking for a city feel with walkable restaurants, bars, shops etc. I will be at emory and need to travel there if that helps at all. We greatly appreciate your advice. Thanks in advance. Vik
Welcome to Atlanta and congrats on being at Emory. My GF just finished her Masters there. If you are going to be at Emory and want a walkable area, I strongly recommend Downtown Decatur (30030 zip code). It's where I live and I love it. It was also named one of the top 10 neighborhoods in the country by the American Planning Association. It is extremely walkable, has access to mass transportation (including shuttles to Emory), and has a lot of the best bars and restaurants in Atlanta (Brick Store, Iberian Pig, etc, Farm Burger, etc).
Another area you might consider is Inman Park. It's VERY hard to find housing there, but it's another cool walkable up and coming neighborhood in Atlanta.
I should probably also mention Little 5 Points (L5P) and Virginia Highlands (VaHi). L5P is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta and is very walkable, but whether you like it or not depends a lot on what kind of a crowd you enjoy. L5P is pretty..alternative. VaHi is sort of on the opposite end. Very preppy, but really nice with some great bars and restaurants.
And a couple more just for completeness sake. If you happen to be a hipster, check out East Atlanta Village (EAV) or Old Fourth Ward (O4W). Both are fun neighborhoods to go drinking in and are cheaper to live in than the others I listed, but they are super hipster and are areas that are gradually becoming nicer, but still have that air of sketch to them.
Let me know if you want any more information. I'm happy to help any way I can. The city needs more hockey fans.