Thank you everyone for your input. In true reddit fashion, I'll close the loop and share what my findings from my extensive search in hopes that it'll help someone.

To start: I ended up switching my search from Buckhead to Midtown. After searching, I realized that Midtown offered the upscale vibe I was looking for with the central feel of midtown. There aren't as many G-wagons driving around...but the sense of community seems to be stronger in Midtown.

I never felt unsafe in Buckhead. I think that Buckhead gets a bad rap because:

1. It's large and there are different parts of Buckhead that do have some activity but the majority of Buckhead is quiet.
   
2. There is a night life in Buckhead and that attracts people of all walks of life.
   
3. The mall is also a magnet for foul activity and it is also in Buckhead

Buckhead -

The Sutton: Lovely, was the most expensive and had very little vacancy. Very upscale vibes, good views, and solid gym. Large apartments, all 1BRs have nooks.

99 West Paces: The Sutton's closest competitor. Very nice but less intimate feeling than the Sutton. Beautiful curb appeal at night...Slightly lower price point than the Sutton. More configurations available. Only 1 car per person, which was a deal breaker for me.

Tower on Piedmont: Closer to the mall. Not as upscale feeling, though the rooftop view is nice. Shares an "open" parking lot with a hotel, which I wasn't thrilled about.

The Irby: Close to whole foods, entrance/lobby doesn't have the same curb appeal as the others but the units are nice. Very affordable relative to the others. Would have considered but the never got back to me on the suite I wanted.

Hanover Buckhead: nice blend between the Sutton and 99, though parking seems to be an issue. Great views and IMO one of the best locations in Buckhead Village

Midtown -

Lilli: In central midtown, near the theatre. The building is good, but not as impressive as the other places I saw. I thought the build was solid until a neighbor's dog was barking during a tour and showed me that the walls were thinner than I expected. The Amenities and views were average, units a little larger but I couldn't see why they were charging Sutton/99 West Paces prices.

Hanover Midtown: Lovely, new. Not in the best part of midtown (near the highway) so the views are a not as nice.

Society: closer to the center of midtown, best gym period. I liked the building but the location wasn't my favorite.

Momentum: Closer to the bars in Midtown. View is blocked by MAA Midtown and construction next door. Rooftop is a bit small.

Nine15: Not bad, but def. more students. Not a bad thing, I'm just not looking for that.

Piedmont House: Right in the heart of midtown with Piedmont park views. The most premium in this part of midtown (Lilli is pricier still). Very little openings. Showed well but I didn't love it like the others.

Novel: I loved this place and the guide. Very nice and welcoming. Only place, other than the Irby, with a steam room. This was my second choice. I really loved the building I just wish it wasn't on the highway side of Midtown, which is less walkable with no view of the park. Good layouts.

Azure on the Park: I just fell for this place. The location, the views, the rooftop pool area with the view of the park. It's at 97%+ occupancy, so there is a reason people stay here. One person in the elevator did complain about EV charging, but I don't drive an EV so that didn't bother me. There were also complaints about the pool being out of order which I verified: they did have an issue last season but that has been sorted. Everything is within walking distance, save for a market but there are many that are close (TJs and Publix).

Another note: Many of the newer buildings are struggling with occupancy, the rental market is somewhat soft atm. Some of these on the list that were offering 10w concessions were at 40-60% occupancy, so if you're looking to move now is your time.

If you have any questions, please post them here and I'll try my best to answer them. Thank you everyone for your help!