lived in Atlanta for 5 years, moved out in 2010 but i still pass through a couple times a year on the way to visit family in Acworth from where we are in Augusta. we had an apt. in Decatur, right near Emory University. i worked in Duluth and Conyers, doing the reverse commute out to those locations.
i'm not 100% up on property values since its been a while, but it might be worth looking in Decatur, which is due east of downtown. Neat older part of town that's come a long way in the last 20 years. we had an apt on Clairmont, near Emory and we could be at the airport within 25-30 mins if traffic was light. the reverse commute was awesome and i liked the neighboring area of Little 5 Points. You aren't going to get a nice sized yard in that area for those prices, but if you can do a townhome or maybe a smaller, older home you might be able to make that work for you.
Outside the perimeter I think you could possibly get a place in Vinings, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain or Dunwoody although i'm sure its not as much house as you would if you went out further. I'm not a fan of the areas south of I-20, crime is higher there generally speaking. Past I-575 on the west side or Duluth on the east side i think traffic gets pretty rough if you need to use the interstate a lot to commute. For me it wasn't so much the volume of traffic, just how aggressive people get and the speed delta sometimes...even travelling 75-80 you'll get passed by people doing well north of 90 and you just have to watch your mirrors and commit to a gap or hold your ground and be predictable.
As others have mentioned - stifling heat in summer, no real winter which some people love. traffic at peak hours is pretty awful to experience but if you can reverse-commute or travel during off-hours, its nothing to really fear. Lots to do, although you have to drive for it due to the sprawl. One thing i liked that i wasn't prepared for was how close you actually are to the mountains. From the north side of town you can get deep into the blue ridge in about 2 hours....hiking, fishing, apple picking, and small mountain towns. 2 big lakes (Lanier and Altoona) which is fun if you're a boater or do kayaking. the car scene is pretty healthy with tons of clubs, cruises, specialty shops and there's plenty of tracks to try out within 2-3hrs or less of the city. We never did get to try all the restaurants we wanted to, either....so many choices. The Braves just got a new stadium and the Falcons are worth seeing.
i think Greenville SC is a very worthwhile mention. i did an internship in Greer for a summer and LOVED downtown Greenville, and it seems to have gotten even better over the past 15 years I've visited it again and again. its got a lot going for it and a job market that seems to remain pretty good. Not as much to do as Atlanta of course, and without that big airport connection but lots of nice homes and the associated shopping areas and schools.
OHSCrifle said:
Damn. Didn't know that. I made the suggestion because I have several co-workers living over there. Two have lived there for fifteen+ years and two who have moved there recently. Single people. Married people. They all like it and recommend to everybody that asks as an area with upside potential.
i would not mess around with College Park or any area right near the airport. i'm sure there are some "up and coming" spots there but for me it seems like a tough gamble with the consistent crime in that area.
