STATE YOUR CASE! - Intown Neighborhood Edition

[dtm1997]

I don't live in ATL any more, but hope to have, at minimum, a winter home down there, in retirement.

A lot can change in the next 20 or so years, but STATE YOUR CASE for your intown neighborhood and what you like about it.

I lived in Midtown/Atlantic Station for my 10 years in ATL, post-graduation and will more than likely move back to within walking distance of campus, but I lucked out with some nice weather during a mid-January trip and walked from Midtown Proper, through the Beltline, on to Little 5 points. All the while, thinking about what will make sense for me in the future.

Conversely, I've always had a healthy dislike of Buckhead and would rather jump off Tech Tower to my death than live in Buckhead.

What do you folks think?

 

[kg01]

Not enough information.

Will you or won't you have a space for swarm meetups?

And who among us will have a standing invitation?

 

[dtm1997]

Not enough information.

Will you or won't you have a space for swarm meetups?

And who among us will have a standing invitation?

If the rise in prices between Downtown Brooklyn & Intown Atlanta remain fairly correlated and the long-term HOA dues are reasonable, then yes, I will have space.

You're not allowed to bring the ice cream though, unless kg02 made it.

 

[MWBATL]

I moved to the Old Fourth Ward on the Beltline 5 years ago from the burbs and have LOVED it ever since.

Benefits have been many, but the major ones are:
(1) lifestyle is healthier. I live in a townhome and as a result average 20 flights of stairs daily. The proximity of the Beltline helps but what REALLY makes it work is that there are tons of destinations that you want to get to on it. I will walk up to Ponce City Market to grab a lunch or a salad for dinner, or down to Krog Street. There’s a farmers’ market most Saturdays at the Carter Center (another reason to walk). I still work in an office, but I average over 10,000 steps on weekends without making any special effort.
(2) property values have skyrocketed because of the popularity of the area. I am getting close to doubling my money in just over 5 years. Why? The Beltline is like a beach. If you are very close to it, there are very few properties and they are in high demand. Yes, they’re expensive. But yes, they’ll rise in value faster than just about anywhere else over time.
(3) convenience!! I can be at a GT game in 15 minutes, or 30 if traffic is intense and I struggle to find parking. And be home again just as quickly.
(4) TRAFFIC. You can keep you drive on the interstate and the traffic we experienced in the burbs was WORSE than traffic in our area. And there are always 5 different ways to get from here to there on the surface streets.
(5) somehow, folks seem more chill and relaxed in my area.
(6) Crime is mostly a non issue. Biggest issue is car break-ins. In over 5 years neither I nor my wife have felt uncomfortable living in this area.
(7) I kinda like diversity as long as it doesn’t also mean tension or problems. This area has young and older folks, folks of different nationalities and races, and a variety of political views. But I haven’t seen much in the way of tension or problems.

Can’t think of a downside, although I am sure there are some...

 

[Techster]

@dtm1997

If real estate is part of your investment portfolio, and you have the means, I highly suggest you invest in an Atlanta intown property NOW if your end goal is to have a place here one day. Rent it out or make it a permanent AirBnB/VRBO place and have a professional management company look after it. Even if you break even the first few years after management fees/HOA dues (if you are getting a condo/townhome), upkeep after tenant leaves/etc, something to keep in mind: Rental rate increase in Atlanta is one of the strongest in the nation, as well as occupancy rates. That is not going to change as the influx of people and jobs to Atlanta is heavy. Builders can not keep up with the demand for housing in Atlanta. Guess what? At some point, you just can't build anymore in Atlanta unless you build up, and the acquisitions and development game in Atlanta is getting prohibitively expensive. Within 5 years, you will be making a profit, and that's not including appreciation over your 20 year time frame.

I am going to echo what @MWBATL said. Old Fourth Ward, for my money, is probably the best area in Atlanta right now. Prices are still fairly reasonable comparatively speaking versus other well developed and "matured" areas. Where I live, I'm a 2 minute walk through my development and our dog park to the Beltline. Once on the Beltline, I'm a 5 minute walk to all the Inman park restaurants/bars on N Highland Ave, 15 minute walk to both Ponce City and Krog Street (both are direct opposite end on the Beltline from me), and an 18 minute walk to Little 5. It's like I get 4 awesome neighborhoods for the price of one! Oh, and I can Uber to Virginia Highlands within 5 minutes and Downtown Decatur within 18 minutes. If I don't want to deal with the crowds on Gameday, I can take a 20 minute walk to Marta to get to GT campus. The level of walkability is off the charts. You can literally spend months in this area without starting your car up...unless you have pesky friends and family in the burbs unwilling to drive down to see you. F them. O4W gets my vote here.

Midtown, IMO, is getting too congested and most of the restaurants are chains. Rent is skyrocketing and you don't get much. I lived in Midtown years ago, right on 14 street and maybe a quarter of mile from 75/85. It took me 20-30 minutes to get to the freeway because it was so congested. I shudder to think how long it would take me now.

Buckhead...yuck. Overpriced, and you don't get much...except for the whole "I live in Buckhead" thing, which if that's what you want, more power to you. Shopping is better there, but of course, have fun with traffic and parking during the weekends.

Places like Kirkwood, Grant Park, and Reynoldstown are pretty cool. You just don't get the variety of restaurants and things to do like you do in my area. Walkability isn't as high, though it's not bad.

Keep in mind they are still expanding the Beltline. There are still pockets where you can make a great investment, but those areas are further away from GT campus.

In 20 years, I can foresee Atlanta becoming a housing nightmare much like NY city/San Francisco/Seattle.