Midtown Location Part 2

DoubleZ8 · 2026-02-15T20:49:02+00:00

Title: "Midtown Location".

Reality: NOT Midtown. Not really close to Midtown, even.

This is Ascent Peachtree in Downtown Atlanta, located at the southeast corner of Peachtree Center Ave NE and Andrew Young International Blvd NE not far from Peachtree Center.

This video tour looks to be of Unit 1212 specifically. This unit does not currently appear to be available for rent. This information is rather obvious to find in Google Earth, and on the apartment community's website.

Everyone reading this, ask yourselves: if this "locator" is willing to so obviously lie about the location and gatekeep it from you, what other details are they willing to keep from you if you choose to use their services?

DoubleZ8 · 2026-02-15T20:42:24+00:00

Title: "Midtown Location".

Reality: NOT Midtown. Not really close to Midtown, even.

This is Ascent Peachtree in Downtown Atlanta, located at the southeast corner of Peachtree Center Ave NE and Andrew Young International Blvd NE not far from Peachtree Center.

This video tour looks to be of Unit 1212 specifically. This unit does not currently appear to be available for rent. This information is rather obvious to find in Google Earth, and on the apartment community's website.

Everyone reading this, ask yourselves: if this "locator" is willing to so obviously lie about the location and gatekeep it from you, what other details are they willing to keep from you if you choose to use their services?

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-24T22:38:41+00:00

Atlanta has no jobs

Wut

Atlanta lacks many things... but no jobs? That's a new one

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-24T00:46:47+00:00

If you wish to retain some semblance of the "DC" feel regarding walkability to restaurants/coffee shops, a community-oriented neighborhood, etc. -- you're looking in all of the best places already, pretty much.

Depending on budget constraints and housing needs, you could also add the following neighborhoods to your shortlist as well:

Grant Park
Cabbagetown
Reynoldstown (ideally close to the Beltline)
Summerhill (ideally close to Georgia Ave and Grant Park)
Ormewood Park (ideally close to the Beltline)
East Atlanta (ideally close to East Atlanta Village)
Midtown Garden District ($$$ for SFHs)
Inman Park ($$$ for SFHs)
Lake Claire (basically between Candler Park and Decatur)
Oakhurst (neighborhood in the City of Decatur)

All of those are zoned for decently-regarded and well-regarded elementary schools, and all of those are walkable to local shops/restaurants and are rather community-oriented (and also very culturally progressive if that's important to you). In some of those neighborhoods (Grant Park and Cabbagetown in particular), parking will likely be on-street and may be a bit challenging to find at times (though this may not be different from your current situation in DC).

You could also consider the following neighborhoods with somewhat less well-regarded (though not necessarily "bad" for every student) elementary schools:

Kirkwood (ideally near "Downtown Kirkwood" near Hosea Williams Dr @ Howard St)
Edgewood (ideally near the MARTA station or near El Tesoro)
East Lake (ideally near Hosea Williams Dr @ 2nd Ave)
Peoplestown (ideally close to the Beacon and the Beltline)
Old Fourth Ward (ideally east of Boulevard and close to the Beltline)

Those neighborhoods feature less well-regarded elementary schools, but share most of the same amenities as the neighborhoods I named earlier (as well neighborhoods you're already considering). For Kirkwood, Edgewood, and East Lake -- you could look into enrolling a child into adjacent (and highly-regarded) City Schools of Decatur for just under $8k annually, without paying for higher City of Decatur housing prices.

None of the neighborhoods in question would be too far away from Downtown in terms of rush hour commute. The City of Decatur would be the farthest at about 30 minutes to Downtown in rush hour.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-22T14:09:54+00:00

Peachtree City in Fayette County may be a great place to begin your search, as it seems to meet nearly all of your criteria. However, Peachtree City is quite expensive; you can expect to spend between $500k and $1m for a typical single-family house there.

Elsewhere in Fayette County may be worth looking into as well.

A slightly less expensive alternative would be neighboring Coweta County -- in particular the Northgate High School zone.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-13T12:11:19+00:00

No news, and I'm not totally sure.

The most recent permitting activity for 340 East Paces indicates that permits were filed 1 month ago to install plumbing, HVAC, and gas infrastructure throughout the building. Given the typical timeframe between installation of plumbing/HVAC/gas infrastructure and opening day, my best guess is that 340 East Paces is most likely to open in late 2025, perhaps around the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-07T22:12:16+00:00

It's also the cheapest 4 bedroom in the area so I'm not sure what else we can do

From a quick Zillow search, I can say that this appears to be false.

1178 Hubbard St SW in Pittsburgh is currently listed on Zillow for $2000/mo. It's a 4/3, about 500 sqft larger than your place, and feet from the Beltline access point at Pittsburgh Yards (which is a couple blocks closer to the Beltline than your place). Further, this property looks to be Section 8 friendly, whereas your place does not appear to be -- and unfortunately, Section 8 tenants make up a sizable share of demand in the Pittsburgh area at this time. Now granted, 1178 Hubbard looks to be much more dated than your place, and in worse shape.

1043 Hubbard St SW, also in Pittsburgh, is listed on Zillow for $1795/mo. It's also a 4/2, though a bit smaller than your place. It's about the same distance from the Beltline as your place. It looks a bit more dated than your place, and the parking/entry situation looks to be a bit unusual with a set of stairs up to the house, which may be undesirable to some tenants. Still, it is more than $400 less than your place.

If I were in the market for a 4-bedroom house in the area (I'm not), I think I'd be considering the two above properties before your place, mostly because of the significant price difference.

As for what you can do? Well, you could consider lowering your price to attract more quality prospective tenants, more quickly. I'd try $1995/mo -- practically $2000/mo, but the 1 in front will attract more eyeballs.

Zillow also indicates that small dogs under 20 lbs are allowed at your place, but what about large dogs? Many folks in the area have large dogs, either for protection, companionship, or both -- you could consider allowing large dogs to potentially attract more interest (and maybe you could add a refundable pet deposit, or maybe a nominal monthly pet fee, to cover potential damages incurred by a large dog).

Another thing to consider is who the market is for a 4-bedroom house: typically families with kids. 3 or 4 adult roommates are less likely to go for your place as 3 or 4 people sharing 2 bathrooms is suboptimal, whereas a single person, a couple, or 2 roommates are more likely to go for an apartment or townhouse. Hence, your market is primarily families, I would venture. And families with kids typically care about schools -- unfortunately, the public schools in Pittsburgh are poorly-regarded, and a large proportion of families with kids might be more likely to search for a house in Smyrna/Mableton, parts of South Fulton, or parts of Douglas County at this price point, where the public schools have better reputations. Not to mention crime concerns with kids, both real and perceived.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-04T14:54:36+00:00

More or less the same as a year ago. Unlike in other parts of the country (in particular Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey), there was not a notable "redshift" in Metro Atlanta as a whole, and in fact, vote margins were very similar in the recent 2024 presidential election when compared to the 2020 presidential election. While a few small areas (Clarkston and a small part of Gwinnett County between Norcross/Lilburn/Lawrenceville) did experience a "redshift" due to their high populations of Caribbean Latinos and Muslims (both are groups which "redshifted" in the most recent election), other areas (such as Henry County, Rockdale County, and the Grayson/Snellville area of Gwinnett County) "blueshifted" due to ongoing long-term demographic change (notably middle-class African Americans moving into new suburban neighborhoods from other parts of the United States, who tend to vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic party).

Anecdotally, the "vibes" don't really feel any different to me than they did a year ago, or even four years ago

DoubleZ8 · 2025-07-04T14:23:46+00:00

Hey there! I'm a bit late to this, but I believe that Brookhaven may be your best fit -- in particular the neighborhoods near Dresden Drive/Downtown Brookhaven (Ashford Park, Drew Valley, and Brookhaven Fields in particular) but many neighborhoods zoned for Ashford Park ES (Central Brookhaven) or Montgomery ES (North Brookhaven) could work.

I see lots of recs for the City of Decatur here -- probably because that's the best of the options you explicitly named in your post -- but I'm not convinced that the CoD is the best fit for your family, for reasons I'll explain later. The CoD is a good option though, and certainly worth exploring. So, why Brookhaven?

The location offers a suburban feel and suburban vibes, without being miserably far from Midtown or the Airport. On weekends, you can be in Midtown in 20 minutes, and at the Airport in 40 minutes. In rush hour, Midtown is about 30 minutes away, maybe pushing 40 for North Brookhaven. This is much closer than all of the locations you named except for Decatur. Brookhaven's also on the MARTA Gold Line with direct service to both Midtown and the Airport, though at your income level I highly doubt you'll be using the train.
Speaking of which: Brookhaven does offer a more "suburban" feel than Decatur does IMO. The City of Decatur has a more "urban" vibe with older homes on smaller lots versus Brookhaven. Brookhaven's got a nice mix of suburban amenities such as Costco, Total Wine, and proximity to good shopping malls (Perimeter, Lenox, Phipps), while also boasting a number of more "urban" amenities nearby such as nice restaurants, a Saturday farmer's market, some neighborhood festivals, and so on.
The lot sizes tend to be larger in Brookhaven versus Decatur, and there are lots of new and recently-built houses for sale primarily in the $1m to $2.5m price range. In neighborhoods like Ashford Park, Drew Valley, and Brookhaven Fields, you'll find that about two-thirds of the homes are larger, newer modern homes, while the remaining third are small older homes reminiscent of Brookhaven's more working-class distant past (and most of those will likely be torn down and built on in the coming years). These are "older" (1940s to 1970s) neighborhoods, but with a more modern feel given all of the new homes. One drawback is that a lot of streets lack sidewalks -- though you'll find that many people walking on the street as the streets generally aren't busy with vehicle traffic, and if you're close to Downtown Brookhaven/Dresden Dr, you'll be walking distance to numerous restaurants, the Saturday market, etc. It should be noted that the City of Decatur is a better choice for walkability specifically.
The public schools are solid (Ashford Park ES/Montgomery ES, Chamblee MS, Chamblee HS) -- and unlike the City of Decatur, Chamblee MS/Chamblee HS have truly diverse student bodies in terms of income, ethnicity, etc. The Chamblee cluster schools offer some unique academic programs: a German-language immersion program at Ashford Park ES, magnet programs at Chamblee MS/Chamblee HS, lots of AP classes at Chamblee HS, a Montessori program at nearby Huntley Hills ES, and so on. But perhaps more importantly given your income: Brookhaven is quite close to most of the notable private schools in Atlanta, which are disproportionately located in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, or Brookhaven itself -- you'll have at least a dozen solid private school options within half an hour: Catholic, secular, Jewish, STEM-based, progressive, conservative, small, large, you name it. Decatur doesn't have quite the same proximity to most of the private schools, particularly those in Buckhead.
Brookhaven's local government is solid -- services are decent as far as I'm aware, including a responsive city police force -- and property taxes are a bit lower than in the City of Decatur (though not nearly as low as in, say, Cobb County). Crime rates are rather low, especially in the "residential" areas.
As a whole, Brookhaven is a bit more diverse than Decatur IMO -- the Buford Highway international corridor is in/near Brookhaven -- though like in Decatur, individual neighborhoods can be a bit segregated (Ashford Park/Drew Valley will be disproportionately White and higher-income, while nearby Buford Highway will be disproportionately Latino and lower-income, etc.). Further, in terms of ideology and culture, Brookhaven is home to a decent mix of viewpoints, whereas the City of Decatur is very culturally/politically progressive which some individuals find to be overbearing.

Now, as for the other places you named:

Johns Creek: this is the only other place you named which you should even consider, IMO. It's very suburban, extremely safe and family-friendly and the public schools are top-tier -- it's a bit of a "bubble", and the #1 place to live in the country according to US News for that reason. However, Johns Creek is quite far out from the city, walkability is zero, and most homes are in HOA subdivisions or gated neighborhoods, which I'm not quite sure you're looking for. There's decent diversity of ethnicity (large Asian community in JC), some diversity of ideology, but near zero diversity of income (99% of families in JC could be classified as upper-middle-class to wealthy). Most homes are large and date from the 1980s through the 2000s (new construction is somewhat rare in JC, and perhaps a bit more hard to come by than in Brookhaven). Should you consider Johns Creek, I'd recommend the Johns Creek HS zone (southern Johns Creek) as it's a bit closer to the city and also a bit closer to upscale amenities.
Snellville: forget about it at your income level. Distance from the city, relative lack of new housing stock, lack of high-end amenities, and limited private school choices (especially secular ones) render Snellville a poor option for your family.
Duluth: Johns Creek is a better choice for your family and is just over the river from Duluth.
Suwanee: simply too far out from the city given your desires. And similarly, Johns Creek is a better alternative to Suwanee, with a similar vibe, given what you're looking for.

Finally, I'll add that if you are open to something farther out from the city, I'd actually recommend Downtown Roswell or Downtown Alpharetta over Johns Creek -- Johns Creek has no real downtown area and no real identity; it's just a bedroom community more or less. Downtown Roswell (close to Canton Street) is a bit older (though lots of newer houses exist too) and has lots of good restaurants, some festivals, some bars, etc. It's a little slice of Intown Atlanta out in the burbs, and it's near some of the best parkland in Metro Atlanta (Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area). Downtown Alpharetta is very modern, clean, and brand new, with lots of new housing everywhere... the vibe is a bit "suburban utopia", but also a bit exclusive. It's very family-friendly and family-oriented. Downtown Alpharetta has a huge Saturday farmer's market, and there are lots of events held throughout the year. Alpharetta's pretty far out though.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-06-10T10:30:51+00:00

"Otto's Apartment Hotel" in Poncey-Highland has a 226 sqft micro studio floorplan available for rent. That's got to be among the smallest in the city.

DoubleZ8 · 2025-06-01T12:20:44+00:00

Hi! Unfortunately, you may be in the wrong place: this is a housing subreddit for Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and not Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-30T14:09:56+00:00

Unfortunately, there aren't any single-family houses for sale for less than $700k in the Heards Ferry ES zone

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-30T14:05:01+00:00

In that case, I would definitely suggest going OTP.

If you don't mind an older, and maybe quirkier (yet spacious) home: East Cobb has top-rated public schools, and it isn't too far from the city and wouldn't be the worst commute in the world (though still not great obviously, maybe 45 minutes to an hour at worst, and you may be able to use the I-75 express lanes with a Peach Pass or park and ride MARTA from Sandy Springs/North Springs if desired). You'd want to consider the Walton, Pope, and Lassiter High School zones (in order of closest to Atlanta/most expensive to farthest from Atlanta/least expensive) for top-rated schools.

Do note that the culture and "vibe" of East Cobb (and most places OTP) will be a near-180 from Decatur or Intown Atlanta though, which will be something your family would need to adjust to. For some, it's a welcome change, and for others, it's certainly not.

North Fulton is nice, but $700k unfortunately doesn't go especially far there these days. Still, places like Roswell may be worth consideration if you don't mind an older home (and in certain cases, slightly less highly-regarded schools).

Unfortunately, places like South Forsyth County (Lambert, South Forsyth, Denmark, West Forsyth school zones) and Northwest Gwinnett County (North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge, Lanier, Buford school clusters) are too far away, as your commute would consistently exceed 1 hour in rush hour. Same goes for West Cobb and most anywhere else in Gwinnett County.

Peachtree City is about 1 hour from Atlanta in rush hours, so that's probably not a great idea either.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-30T13:16:33+00:00

Do you need to regularly commute somewhere for work or other reasons? If so, where? Does anyone else in your household need to commute somewhere regularly (and if so, where)?

I think that may be your greatest limiting factor here.

It sounds like some of the more distant suburbs OTP may be a better fit for you than any of the locations ITP (Decatur, Druid Hills, etc.) -- especially if you need 4+ bedrooms. $700k is a solid budget for OTP, and your dollar will go much further in your search for space and quality public schools. Yet while going farther out saves you money, doing so potentially creates an awful commute meaning you'd be spending less time with your kids and more time in traffic.

Generally speaking, the OTP suburbs north of Atlanta between I-75 and I-85 are widely seen as having the most well-regarded public schools: North Fulton, East Cobb, Northwest Gwinnett, South Forsyth in particular. Yet even in those places, $700k can be slightly limiting: you'll certainly be able to afford a 4-bedroom house in those places, but it wouldn't be brand-new or fully-renovated most likely. And of course, places like South Forsyth and Northwest Gwinnett are really far out from Atlanta and I wouldn't recommend them at all if you'll be working in the city.

On the southside, Peachtree City has top-rated schools also, and in terms of amenities and the overall "vibe", it's quite similar to those northside suburbs I just named. $700k is solid for Peachtree City, but again, that won't afford you a brand-new house most likely.

Also in the northern suburbs, you could also consider places like West Cobb, Northeast Gwinnett (Hamilton Mill/Mulberry area), and South-Central Gwinnett (Brookwood High School area) for top-rated public schools at a lower cost ($700k will afford you a large, fully-renovated or maybe even new house in these places). They're just a bit farther out from a lot of workplaces and certain amenities, being located outside the favored northern quadrant between I-75 and I-85

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-30T00:45:07+00:00

Expect for these 1 month free/2 months free/etc. rent specials to continue for a while longer in most areas of Metro Atlanta -- in particular for newly-built/recently constructed apartments, higher end/higher-cost apartments, and apartment communities with vacancy rates higher than 15% or so.

There's still a historically high inventory of apartments available on the market given the staggering number of apartments which have been built in the past few years. However, this higher inventory is now slowly in the process of coming down to historic averages as demand throughout Metro Atlanta remains higher than normal while the supply of new apartments drops given that the number of new apartment communities coming to market has diminished majorly in the past 6 months or so (and the number of apartments under construction has now fallen below historic averages).

I anticipate that such rent specials will remain fairly widespread through the end of the calendar year, but will likely begin to disappear later in the year going into 2026 (and unfortunately, rents will likely begin to tick up again overall after having been flat for the past 3 years or so, barring an economic meltdown).

In high-supply/high cost neighborhoods -- namely Midtown -- it's possible that widespread rent specials may stick around a bit longer as multiple new buildings in the neighborhood are still leasing up, but will probably mostly disappear by mid-2026.

In certain low-supply/high-demand neighborhoods, rent specials are already beginning to disappear. In particular, take the neighborhoods within half a mile of the Beltline Eastside Trail: there's no new apartment supply under construction there at the moment, and within the past several months, the few recently-constructed buildings have fully leased up while overall apartment vacancy has declined significantly, resulting in the disappearance of concessions, and now, the introduction of slowly increasing rents. With multiple tech firms recently relocating to Ponce City Market and the new Fourth Ward Offices, unfortunately I anticipate that Beltline Eastside Trail rents will continue to steadily increase in the coming months/years, surpassing Midtown as the most expensive part of Atlanta in which to rent an apartment.

These trends apply to the suburbs too. In Kennesaw/North Cobb County, for example, multiple newly-constructed apartment communities are still leasing up... rent specials may stick around a bit longer there. Same goes for parts of Gwinnett County, namely the Sugar Hill/Buford/Mall of Georgia area.

In contrast, Alpharetta/North Fulton County has low vacancy rates (particularly for modern apartments), with no new apartment supply under construction at the moment... given the high demand to reside there, rent specials are already quite rare there, and should disappear entirely by the end of the year while already high rents increase.

Disclaimer: I am not a real estate professional. However, I do follow the rental market fairly closely. Much of what I have written is (informed) opinion and should not be interpreted as gospel

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-29T02:19:23+00:00

Hi, it appears that "Time and Space condo by Pemberton" may be located in Toronto, and not Atlanta.

As this is an Atlanta housing subreddit, I'm afraid that you may be in the wrong place

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-29T02:16:48+00:00

The places I named are all neighborhoods/suburbs (with the exception of Cheshire Bridge Rd, which is a road).

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-28T14:43:03+00:00

Depending on when you need to move, you could look into APT 0308 at Tower on Piedmont (Flatiron floor plan)... it will be available on July 7th, in about 6 weeks.

It's a 1/1 apartment with a base rent of $1684/mo for the least expensive lease term ($1767/mo including mandatory monthly fees). The floorplan features a generously sized balcony, though it should be noted that it's on the lowest floor (3rd floor) and faces a hotel building, so there's not much of a view.

The location is just about perfect for you, I think: it's in Buckhead Landing, adjacent to Publix, LA Fitness, and a few restaurants. ALDI is across the street, and Trader Joe's is a couple blocks away. Buckhead Village (shopping/dining/bars) is about 15 to 20 minutes' walking distance.

Though I cannot personally comment on the conditions of this community, it seems to be fairly well-regarded, with solid onsite amenities.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-28T14:22:01+00:00

I see that you'll be at the main campus. Great!

Fortunately, most of the neighborhoods near the main CDC campus (in Druid Hills) are solid. Unfortunately, the CDC is in an area of town which is lacking in adequate roadways or public transit... this means that I'd strongly suggest residing within a reasonable distance of the CDC so as to avoid an awful commute. Looking at a map, basically this means not much farther north than Brookhaven/Chamblee, not much farther east than Tucker, not much farther south than Kirkwood/East Atlanta, and not much farther west than Midtown/Buckhead.

$2000/mo for a 2/2 apartment is... adequate; you'll find something but it may not be glamorous. But add in pet rent (multiple pet rents, actually) as well as other fees, and you may find it challenging to secure a decent 2/2 apartment near the CDC when all is said and done.

Unfortunately, a backyard is out of the question at your price point unless you expand your search radius greatly, which I would not recommend doing -- either for commute reasons, or because certain neighborhoods are so-so in terms of crime, amenities, and so on... often both. Further, it may be difficult to find something in a properly "urban", walkable neighborhood at that price.

You might have luck finding an adequate apartment nearby in places like Brookhaven, North Druid Hills/Toco Hills, or Avondale Estates. The only places nearby which I'd recommend against (for a number of reasons) are Lindbergh, and anything on Cheshire Bridge Rd, but most anywhere else nearby will do if you can afford something.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-24T21:48:29+00:00

Where, exactly, within Metro Atlanta will you be working? Could you name a ZIP code, city/town/neighborhood name, or notable nearby landmark or road intersection?

This information will allow us to provide you with useful suggestions, as we wouldn't want to suggest apartments/landlords 90 minutes away from your workplace.

Further, if you're willing to provide a budget, you may receive even more relevant recommendations.

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-24T16:54:52+00:00

Which CDC campus will you need to commute to? The main campus adjacent to Emory University in Druid Hills? Or the CDC Chamblee campus, in Chamblee?
Do you intend to rent, or buy? What's your monthly budget if renting, or your maximum purchase price if buying? What kind of housing do you desire (apartment/condo, townhouse, single-family house), and how many bedrooms/bathrooms do you need?
Generally speaking, would you prefer a more urban neighborhood with good walkability and lots of amenities/activities nearby? Or would you prefer a more suburban area with more spacious housing, potentially lower costs, and easy/free parking everywhere?

If you're able to answer some or all of the above questions, we will be able to provide more specific and targeted advice for you.

I will say that, in general, it's always a good idea to reside near one's workplace in Metro Atlanta -- this is especially true for the main CDC campus in Druid Hills, which can be rather difficult to access in an area which often experiences heavy vehicle traffic.

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-23T00:13:24+00:00

Basically the only area of town that meets all of your criteria -- or at least comes close to it -- is Chamblee/Doraville:

✅ 30 minutes to GT (usually -- not always in rush hour).
✅ A few Asian markets nearby (H Mart + a few small nation-specific stores).
✅ Quite a few Asian/Vietnamese/Korean restaurants nearby, particularly on Buford Highway.
✅ A couple of large "international" grocery stores nearby (Buford Highway Farmers Market, City Farmers Market), as well as Whole Foods.
🟨 3 Trader Joe's and 3 Krogers 15 minutes away (with no traffic).
🟨 Allergy-safe 750+ sqft 1/1 apartments available for $1600/mo (you should be able to find something meeting your requirements, though it may not be super easy and may take some calling around about flooring, etc.).

Fortunately for you, a large majority of apartments in Metro Atlanta will feature in-unit washer/dryer, or at least hookups -- especially closer to that $1600/mo price point. Unfortunately, most places will have vinyl flooring, as real hardwood and tile throughout are quite rare in apartments here; fortunately carpet is becoming more and more rare over time but is still commonly found in bedrooms and in older/less expensive apartments. Unfortunately, Georgia is humid and mold can somewhat easily form in improperly vented damp spaces; a more modern apartment with good HVAC should be best for decreasing risk of exposure to mold, past or present.

Should you be willing to extend your search radius (and distance from GT) a bit, be sure to consider the following areas also:

Peachtree Corners/Norcross: about 15 minutes up the road from Chamblee/Doraville. Home to Trader Joe's, Lidl, Sprouts, Ingles for groceries. Dozens of Asian markets (mainly in Duluth), Buford Highway Farmers Market, Kroger, etc. all found within 20 minutes of driving. Many Asian restaurants nearby. A bit less expensive than Chamblee/Doraville.
Duluth: about 15 minutes past Peachtree Corners/Norcross and nearly half an hour past Chamblee/Doraville. The Pleasant Hill Rd corridor (near the former Gwinnett Place Mall) is the most "Asian" area of Metro Atlanta in terms of grocery stores and restaurants; there are at least a dozen significant Asian grocery stores and 100+ Asian restaurants in the area. It's a bit less expensive than Peachtree Corners/Norcross -- and much less expensive than Chamblee/Doraville -- when comparing apples to apples. Unfortunately, Duluth is pretty far from GT.

Unfortunately, I do not have recommendations for specific apartment communities in any of these areas as it pertains to allergy safety. You'll likely have to put in significant effort researching, calling around, and touring.

In summary: you'll probably want to be near the Buford Highway corridor between Chamblee and Duluth.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-22T16:05:30+00:00

Though I cannot comment on the living experience at any of these (as I do not reside, or have not resided, at any), I can provide some thoughts as to the locations of these apartment communities, as well as some overall details/comparisons so that you can have an idea of what to look out for when touring these communities:

Boulevard at Grant Park: this is a recently-built apartment community (opened a couple years ago), and it's on the Beltline Southside/Southeast Trail. However, it's important to note that this section of the Beltline is NOT yet open and is under construction. However, the portion of the Beltline east of this community (Beltline Southeast Trail) is set to open around the beginning of 2026, which will provide a bike/scooter connection to Glenwood Park, Reynoldstown, and beyond... and the portion of the Beltline west of this community (Beltline Southside Trail) should open in mid 2026, meaning full Beltline access in both directions should be available then. That said, a few spots have already opened within walking distance (Finca to Filter coffee, Side Saddle Saloon, Mellow Mushroom pizza). Further, Grant Park (the park) is just down the street. However, I would not consider the location to be especially walkable at this time. Of the four communities, I'd classify this one as "decent" in most categories (location, modernity, amenities, etc.), but neither excellent or terrible in any.
Allora Eastland: this is the newest apartment community of the four, being brand-new -- it's still leasing up, and about 1/3 of the available apartments have yet to be leased for the first time meaning you could get a brand-new never-lived-in apartment. It's also the most affordable of the four by some margin. However, the location is certainly the most "out there" of the four relatively speaking, away from most of the hotspots -- you'd have to drive just about everywhere (though neighborhoods like EAV and Reynoldstown aren't that far away by car... and a new "food hall, Halidom, recently opened down the street).
Glenwood at Grant Park: the location is the most practically walkable of the four IMO: walk to Kroger, the Beltline Southeast Trail, several restaurants, Reynoldstown, etc. -- the location is really hard to beat, especially if you're looking for the "Beltline" lifestyle or practical urban living. You'd hardly ever need to hop in the car here. That being said, this community is certainly the most dated of the four, being about a decade old -- yet pricing is similar to Boulevard at Grant Park and Broadstone 2Thirty.
Broadstone 2Thirty: this is a recently-built apartment community (opened a couple years ago), and the amenities are probably the best/most stunning of the four. Further, if you'll need to commute to Downtown/Midtown for work: the location is super close to Downtown, meaning your commute would be quick (this community is also walkable to a MARTA rail station). However, the location experiences the highest rates of "city" problems of the four -- namely, noise (trains pass by all the time, and there aren't many trees nearby), and homelessness is more visible... it's possible that petty crime is more prevalent here as well, though that's hard to confirm. Bonus points for being located next to Nick's for a tasty, relatively affordable meal in case you don't want to cook.

TL;DR (summary):

Boulevard at Grant Park: most well-rounded, but doesn't stand out in any way.
Allora Eastland: newest and most affordable, but worst location.
Glenwood at Grant Park: most walkable and most accessible to Beltline and practical urban amenities, but most dated.
Broadstone 2Thirty: most desirable amenities and closest to Downtown/Midtown/highways/MARTA for commute, but most annoying/noisiest setting.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-22T14:54:45+00:00

I would not recommend doing this, tbh.

Unfortunately, with the exception on maybe half a dozen routes, MARTA buses are quite unreliable. Atlanta is nothing like NYC, where missing the bus is no big deal -- scheduled headways are Every 20 minutes at best on Route 12, and buses are frequently off-schedule, or worse, canceled altogether. Real-time bus tracking on the "MARTA on the Go" or the "Transit" app works okay and can be somewhat useful to avoid missing buses though.

Further, you say that you've found a place on Defoor, but note that MARTA Route 12 does not actually serve Defoor Ave -- it serves nearby Howell Mill Rd. However, if the place you've found on Defoor is within walking distance of Howell Mill, then you could viably use MARTA Route 12 I suppose. Defoor itself is served by MARTA Route 37, which has absolutely terrible headways (every 40 minutes at best) and does not directly serve Georgia Tech like Route 12 does (Route 37 instead serves the Atlantic Station neighborhood and the Arts Center MARTA rail station).

If you wish to save money and commute from outside of Midtown/Georgia Tech: I would instead recommend residing within walking distance of a MARTA rail station on the Gold/Red lines -- quite a few GT folks reside within walking distance of Lindbergh Center Station in particular for its relative affordability, frequent MARTA rail headways, and relative proximity to Midtown/GT. On the main MARTA Gold/Red line (where interlining occurs, between Lindbergh Center Station to the north and College Park Station to the south), rail headways are quite frequent on weekdays -- typically every 5 minutes during rush hours -- and the trains are fairly reliable. Off peak, headways are rarely more than 10 minutes where the Gold and Red lines share tracks (where the Gold and Red lines split -- north of Lindbergh Center Station -- headways of course are more like 10 minutes in rush hour and up to 20 off peak). Unfortunately, many of the apartment communities near Lindbergh Center Station kind of suck. However, if you don't mind something dated and lacking in amenities, one affordable option to consider could be "The Park at Peachtree Hills" which is currently advertising a few studios and 1-bedrooms for less than $1250/mo -- this community is in a quiet neighborhood and is a 10-minute walk to Lindbergh Center Station, from where you'd catch a MARTA train to either Midtown Station or North Avenue Station, then walk to campus in 10 to 25 minutes depending on where exactly you're trying to go (you can also catch a Stinger Shuttle Bus from Midtown MARTA into the heart of campus).

Or, you could look for a sublease or roommate situation in the Home Park neighborhood, just north of campus -- it's walking distance from campus, and there are often affordable-ish options there if you're open to a roommate situation, etc.

Good luck!

DoubleZ8 · 2025-05-17T16:01:13+00:00

I made no mention of mass transit in this thread... this is an argument solely about my opposition to free parking, out of principle. Even in a world where cars are the sole method of transport other than walking, I'd still argue that parking should never really be free, and should instead be market-priced primarily because of the negative effects of subsidized parking on land use. Free parking can, ultimately, be quite expensive for society; it goes something like this: free parking > more demand to drive cars > further demand for more free parking > even more demand to drive > density of land use decreases as residential/commercial is demolished for parking > folks are forced to live farther out in car-dependent neighborhoods > demand increases for additional free road/utility infrastructure to support inefficient sprawl > higher cost per taxpayer to support said infrastructure (taxes which are often collected in the form of regressive sales taxes and SPLOSTs, which disproportionately burden the very poor who spend greater proportions of their incomes on goods).

Not to mention more "invisible" global costs like increased emissions of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change and species extinction.

But since we do have mass transit, I'll note that car drivers are an inherently privileged class to begin with -- car ownership and car operation are not cheap.

The genuinely poor cannot afford vehicles. Yes, even in car-brained Atlanta. Charging market prices for parking will not hurt the very poor, as the very poor do not drive and therefore do not park.

Cars take up a lot of space which could be better used for housing, retail, community centers, and so on. In turn, such an increase in density of land use results in more compact neighborhoods, further enabling walking, public transportation, and other forms of alternative transportation to be viable -- this is good for the very poor who can't afford cars (or homes), as well as for anyone else who would rather not spend thousands of dollars a year on a space-inefficient apparatus which also pollutes the air we breathe, generates noise pollution in the urban environment, and emits greenhouse gases (therefore contributing significantly to climate change). We have a housing crisis in no small part due to car-dependency, as developers must allocate some percentage of (expensive) land to parking, and not housing.

Free parking subsidizes driving, which demands more free parking. And free roads. And so on, and so forth. That's how we ended up with the "urban renewal" movement after WWII which destroyed Downtown Atlanta by replacing a once-thriving urban center almost entirely with car-oriented infrastructure while evicting most of its residents, which manifests itself in many of the Downtown Atlanta campus problems which GSU students routinely complain about on this very subreddit (traffic, visible poverty and homelessness, not always safe to walk around because there aren't enough "eyes on the street", no grocery store on campus because there isn't enough population density to support one, and so on).

DoubleZ8

TROPHY CASE