I am starting grad school at Georgia Tech in the fall. Where would be a good, safe place to live within 20 minutes or so of campus? I am looking for 2 bedrooms around $1000/month.

The Home Park Neighborhood is the closest and you can likely get half a house, but it's not considered that safe. Safe is a relative term. I doubt you'd be at risk of violence in that neighborhood, but you may find your car window smashed or house broken into.

I live across the interstate in the Midtown neighborhood where there are a lot more people and more apartments to choose from. With a little luck, you can probably find a 2/1 in an older building for $1000. Midtown's got a lot of restaurants/shops/bars relative to the Western side of I-85 where Tech is located. It's about a 5-minute drive to campus.

Virginia Highlands is a nice neighborhood a bit further east, and there should be lots of apartment choices there too.

South Buckhead is another option, and apartments may be pricier, but there are lots to choose from. It's about a 10-15 minute drive to Tech depending on the time of day.

Beware recommendations to live in Vinings or Roswell or anything outside the Perimeter (I-285). Rents will be cheaper, but any commute that requires you to get on any interstate can be torture at certain parts of the day.

I did my graduate work at Tech too. Welcome to Atlanta.

Brian is absolutely correct about staying inside the perimeter. But there are some properties in the Vinings area that are inside the perimeter and are not a bad commute to Tech. Check the Northside Drive area and the area around Cumberland Mall. Just whatever you do, do not go outside the perimeter! You'll see what we mean when you get here. Personally, Virginia Highlands would be my first place to look.

Thanks for the suggestions. What is the best source for finding an apartment? The newspaper, Apartmnent.com and etc., an apartment locator, or what?

There are locator services, but these tend to contract with big complexes that have trouble attracting tennants (there's usually a reason).

Best bet is either Creative Loafing (www.cln.com) or the Atlanta Journal & Constitution (www.ajc.com).