Moving to Atlanta - 25 Things You Want to Know

Moving to Atlanta
25 Things You Want to Know

So, you’re moving to Atlanta? Here are 25 things you may want to know:

1. To many people that live and reside in the City of Atlanta, they consider any areas inside the Perimeter (I-285) to be the “City.” Others feel that Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead and nearby surrounding areas are only the “City.”

2. I-285 is that circle you see on the map when you are looking at Atlanta on the map. It makes a complete loop around and joins up with the interstates.

3. I-20 runs east and west.

4. I-75 and I-85 run north and south.

5. Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead are just minutes apart and not at all like Manhattan. On a quiet Sunday morning you can reach Downtown to Midtown in less than 5 minutes. Downtown to Buckhead will take about 15 minutes on a quiet morning.

6. Peachtree Street runs north and south between the City. There are probably at least 50 streets with the name Peachtree in it throughout Atlanta (Place, Road, Street, Way, etc.).

7. Nearby little and very fun areas surrounding the City are Virginia Highlands, Poncey Highlands, Cabbagetown, Little 5 Points, Castleberry, Home Park, Loring Heights, and Brookhaven to name a few. Most of these are just minutes from the central core of the City.

8. When you are eligible for a "homestead" exemption on your property, you will get a discount of $30,000 off the value of your property in computing ad valorem taxes.

9. MARTA is Atlanta’s mass transportation; they are buses and trains. They have numerous stops and it is easy to get around the City using either one of these. MARTA trains are particularly useful when going to the airport. You can take the train and get off directly at the Delta terminal.

10. Within the areas of Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead, the cab rides are considered “zones.” You pay for your trip from one zone to another, so you avoid the “meter ticking.”

11. The sales tax within the City of Atlanta is 8%, which is broken up as follows: 4% for the State of Georgia, 3% for Fulton County and 1% for the City of Atlanta. Thus, if you purchased something in Fulton County but not in the limits of the City of Atlanta, your sales tax would only be 7%. Other counties such as Gwinnett are even lower at 6%.

12. Your automobile tags are due on your birthday. The amount you pay to for your tags is based on the "value" of your automobile. This was a big shock for us when we moved to Atlanta. So, the newer the car, as well as the type of car, will determine what you will pay for your auto tags. The good news though is that these fees decrease as your vehicle ages.

13. The main power supply company is Georgia Power. There are some small electric companies such as ISTA and there are a few condo buildings within the City of Atlanta that use ISTA.

14. The City of Atlanta Water Department is the municipality for your water source.

15. Comcast is the biggest supplier of cable and high speed internet; although there are a few others you can choose from.

16. MetroPCS works in the City of Atlanta. We also have Verizon and AT&T.

17. In Atlanta, you have to dial the area code along with the phone number to make a local call. In being from another state, it did take me a while to get used to that. The main phone number exchange is 404, although some people do have 770 and 678 as their exchanges.

18. If you move to a condo that is short on storage space, there are plenty of storage companies within the City.

19. The more prominent super markets are Publix and Kroger’s. There are other wonderful places such as Whole Foods and Fresh Market.

20. Walmart, Target, Costco and Sam's Club are all in the area or nearby vicinity.

21. CVS is the most prominent drug store in the area, some of which are 24-hour stores. We also have Rite-Aid, which formerly were Eckerd’s, and other some smaller pharmacies.

22. The biggest newspaper in Atlanta is the Atlanta Journal Constitution. We also have Creative Loafing, Atlanta Business Chronicle, along with others.

23. Within the "City" we have the High Museum, The Fox Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, History Museum, the Carter Museum, the Martin Luther King Memorial, and so much more. There's culture abound!

24. The City of Atlanta is home to the Georgia Dome, Turner Field, CNN, the Convention Center, The Governor's Mansion, and state assembly. That Gold Dome you see on the horizon is where all the legislative bodies meet since Atlanta is Georgia's State Capitol.

25. Piedmont Park is Atlanta’s NYC Central Park. Our residents thoroughly enjoy and make use of it from playing ball, with their dogs, outdoor concerts and movies, art shows and so much more. It is very “alive” during the spring and summer months, and when we have snow, it is the place most people go to for sliding down the hills and making snow angels.

Atlanta is a wonderful, fun and vibrant City filled with a diverse group of people from all walks of life. We have plenty of great restaurants, cultural activities and events that fill the calendar. It’s the New York of the South with a lot of charm!

Pat Mistretta, REALTOR
Your City and Loft Specialist
Morris & Raper Real Estate Consultants
http://loftsinatlanta.com/
http://atlantacityliving.com/
June 27, 2011

Copyright 2011 – all rights reserved
No portion of this document can be printed or used without the express permission of the author.

90 Fairlie Lofts

Nestled in Atlanta's Historic Downtown district is 90 Fairlie Lofts. On a side street surrounded by restaurants and shops, as well as area attractions, this wonderful loft building is a quiet secret. Although it does not have all of the bells and whistles as some of the newer loft developments with amenities, it has its own uniqueness and charm.

I had the opportunity to view one loft in this building the other day. Being a loft lover, I can say I usually like most lofts. However, the one I saw was very impressive. The size alone (2,600 square feet) was an attention getter. Add to that a gigantic circular kitchen of beautiful cherrywood cabinetry and top of the line stainless appliances, and I was immediately drawn into wanting to see more. Being an end unit, it had a wall of windows in it's large living area and master bedroom with various views of the City. Although there was no exposed ductwork, it did have the staggered cement ceilings to remind you that you were in a loft. Hardwood flooring throughout which made this already expansive space appear even larger. Cherrywood cabinetry continued through the bathrooms and the master bathroom had a very large walk-in shower with an added bonus of it's own private sauna. How cool is that?


The rooms in this unit were of a generous size, adding to it a dining area, as well as a divided space that would be perfect for an office.

I did wish that it had a balcony that you could sit out on. That would have just made it perfect! It did have a Juliette balcony, but I was hoping for an outdoor space. Time constraints preventing me from checking out the roof decktop, but I am sure that makes up for any lack of personal balconies.

Two things of my own personal taste that I would do to this unit. I would restain the flooring to the cherrywood. I have a personal love of that color for it's richness and quality. Second, I would add red bricks to the entire wall of windows. I have a fondness for red bricks, especially in lofts, and I feel that would not only enhance the windows, it would create an even greater loft feel. Again, it is all selective and that is just my own personal tastes.

I have to say, this unit impressed even me! I would even consider buying it. I am anxious to go back and check out more units, as well as the rooftop deck. I'll update my post with more info after I do that.