Moving to Decatur- What's it like?
 

Hi everyone. I apologize for adding on the endless list Atlanta relocation questions. But this one is more specific!

I'm moving to ATL to start my graphic design career with Turner or an advertising agency. These jobs are all mostly located downtown/midtown. I have the opportunity to move in fairly cheaply with a friend in Decatur. Is this where I wanna be? I don't have a car & don't ever plan on getting one, so easy MARTA/bike/walking commute is top priority. I'm 21 years old & fresh outta college so I can't even afford to live in Atlantic Station.

#1 What would the commute be like from downtown Decatur to downtown ATL using Marta? I'm not above hoofing it and riding a bike or any combination of those things.

#2 Would I be better off somewhere closer Virginia-Highlands or something?

#3 I've visited Midtown/Buckhead & I love it. I want to live where the arts are thriving, lots of culture, lots of art happenings going on. (I admit, I want to surround myself with young urban artschool hipsters) What is Decatur like in this aspect? Or is it close enough to ATL so that it really doesn't matter?

#4 Is Decatur part of the "suburban sprawl" outside the perimeter?

I'd appreciate any experiences you can share with me! Please give me any info you can. Thanks!

Forget moving to Atlanta and the surrounding areas if you have no plans of ever getting a car.

It is one city that it is impossible to live in/near/around without a car.

I actually visited Decatur the other night, although Buckhead is very "hip" Decatur is coming into their own, I thought it was a lovely area. The traffic really isn't too bad (on rare occasions) and I believe MARTA runs through Decatur, at least I saw signs for MARTA

Decatur is fantastic. If you can walk to the square, you can take Marta into downtown easily. However, life without a car will be difficult for other things (grocery shopping, other errands). Atlanta is not dense enough.

Hmm. I always hear 2 extreme views, 1 being it's impossible without a car and the other being MARTA is totally convenient! Haha, I used to live downtown Sav and got around okay on my bike/bus and I can carry groceries on my bike in a pack no prob. I look forward to hearing others experiences.

Decatur is inside the perimeter, minutes from downtown on the Marta train, east-west line. To get to midtown on rail requires taking the train west to downtown, then transfering to the north line.

Existing without a car in Atlanta is surviving, not living and experiencing all the city offers. Carless in Atlanta makes you needy, not independent.

Virginia Highland (no "s") has no direct Marta rail access. Both areas have a vibrant street life.

There's a little Kroger less than 2 blocks from the square in Decatur that the condo livers walk to - but most drive their cars elsewhere to do their grocery shopping. There's a big Publix on N Decatur about a mile away - but I wouldn't ride a bike on that route. But, you many. Don't know. Given your constraints, Decatur sounds like a good choice.

Downtown Decatur's a great option for you, as the commute downtown is a straight shot on MARTA. You can also get to the airport via MARTA train, and have easy access to excellent shopping via train (Lenox and Perimeter) as well as the Arts Center and other locations in midtown. The many small shops and restaurants in downtown Decatur will be convenient for errands. Some of the very best grocery shopping in the area (in the country, actually, and I'm not exaggerating) is at Dekalb Farmer's Market, just east of the downtown on Ponce de Leon.

Decatur hosts lots of concerts and festivals downtown (this weekend was the Decatur Beer Festival), and the locals are generally young (singles and families), affluent, well-educated, socially responsible sorts. People pay a premium to live in Decatur, and it's one of the few places in Atlanta where you can actually live without a car.

Please understand that none of the destinations mentioned by Therese (except parts of downtown, not including Turner) is accessible without switching trains in downtown Atlanta. Not my idea of easy or convenient. Functional.

You can take your bike on Marta trains and busses, I believe.

Good luck with your move and career pursuits. Atlanta is a great place to start, and Decatur certainly embraces artists.

Decatur is a great place! DH and I lived in a rented house when he was in medical school there, and even then when Atlanta was not as congested as it is now, loved the convenience. If you are near the MARTA station you'll be fine. As lex says, you will have to change trains to get to work, but people in New York and Boston do that every day, too. I hope that your friend has a car; that will simplify grocery shopping.

There are several colleges in Decatur, most notably Agnes Scott for women and Emory University. Both have art departments and exhibits and shows. With your budget in Atlanta, you can't really do better than Decatur. Atlantic Station is fabulous but pricey, and personally I would avoid Virginia Highland. It's full of carpetbaggers :)

Funny, k!

Howse your foot?

Go to city-data.com for a great place to find info about relocating to anywhere in the USA.

Hurts like Hades. The opposite knee doesn't feel great either.

Talk about feeling like a doofus. I was less than a block from Piedmont Park when it happened (ate at a restaurant adjacent to the park) and watched hundreds of women walk in for the end of their 3 day, 60 mile walk. I go less than 2 blocks and hit the dirt - or concrete in this case!

Well, if there was a quota on messed up ankles today, I'm glad it was me and not one of those ladies. Good for them. GREAT for them!

You'll want to have a car. I lived in Atlanta for 5 years and took MARTA (train only) on and off. As a woman, I recall being concerned for my safety a number of times riding the train, especially when I started working until 6 or 7 in the evening. Atlanta is not like NY or Chicago.....you need a car to get to certain places and be safe. Decatur is a nice area, if you're living by Emory or the square. It has that small-town feel in a big city---lots of character, and good restaurants. Moving in with a friend will help you get your bearings as well.....getting lost in Atlanta is easy. Best wishes, Atlanta is a great town.