Would appreciate advice Atlanta residents

[TheKingPin]

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

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[copernicanrevolution]

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.

 

[thrashniac]

That's good advice you got above - particularly for close to Emory. I have clients in Virginia Highlands Morningside area and they love it - lots of empty nesters or double income types with no kids. Still very near the city (if you like that) and close to Emory and "old Atlanta", heck even Philips Arena if you ever want to go in that place (I will not be returning).

To take a different tack, you might consider the suburbs in say Gwinnett County - farther from Emory, but a lot more house for the money if that's appealing to you. Emory is a very congested (to say the least) area - so close in will save lots of time but cost a lot too. For an example, my brother and sister-in-law sold their long time house on Clifton Road (walkable or bicyclable to Emory) over 10 years ago for in excess of half-million dollars - wow I thought - this was not one of the McMansions that have sprung up in that area - think a Driving Miss Daisy house (literally, the movie was filmed a couple of blocks away). Every time I see the movie I think about their house and how small it was for such a price - limited closets and other type space, old plumbing, etc - but very quaint and right in the middle of the Emory community.

So to add to the previous poster, if you think you'd enjoy the suburban lifestyle look north - hey they even still have a professional hockey team (if only the Glads owners could have ran the Thrashers - I think things would have turned out much differently, but I digress).

Welcome south brother (even if you are a Flyers fan (I'm old enough to remember the Broad Street Bullies, and not fondly either!!)