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Grant Park opinions
We have been looking at areas we are familiar with to move to: Brookhaven, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, etc. A couple of our friends live in Grant Park and are trying to convince us to move there since DH's office will be there. They have a lovely 3 bedroom home, but I am not familiar with the area.
What is your honest opinion of Grant Park?
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Re: Grant Park opinions
There are positives and negatives to Grant Park.
Having formerlly lived in the Fourth Ward, I can tell you that Grant Park is one of those neighborhoods that was trying to revitalize itself (and well on its way) but was cut short when the economy went to crap. As you drive down the streets, you'll find a mix of new construction and beautiful restorations right next door to boarded up foreclosures. That may be okay for you, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.
The property values have really suffered in that area, so you may be able to find a great deal. The flip side is that if you decide to sell, it may take you quite a while. My husband and I both have friends that bought houses there about 5-8 years ago. They've moved away now, but they're having to rent their houses to avoid taking a bath because their property values have plummeted.
Moreover, if you intend to stay in this house until your kids hit school-age then you need to take a long hard look at the public schools (unless you've already decided to go private). APS is having a doozy of a time at the moment with the cheating scandal. You may want to see how the area schools faired in investigation.
Don't get me wrong. Grant Park is a great in-town neighborhood with a lot of charm. It's rich in history and diversity, and it's a great fit for a lot of people. However, it is DRASTICALLY different from Sandy Springs, Dunwoody or Druid Hills, and if those are the types of areas that you have in mind, Grant Park may not be for you.
Grant Park is great. Beautiful homes, good diverse neighborhood, close to everything. Tons of stuff at your fingertips: farmer's market, zoo, restaurants, etc.
But it is "city" proper, which may make a big difference from more suburban areas. Homes may not have driveways or garages (some of my friends back home could not believe this!), so street parking is a pain. You will have walking traffic which some people are not used to. All depends on what and where you are coming from.
See, these kind of statements are why intown neighborhoods get such a bad reputation. Of course crime happens - especially in concentrated areas, but families still live there and not all of them get car jacked every day. There are meth labs in Sandy Springs, but people go on living there. A man was gunned down at his kid's daycare in Dunwoody, but people are not moving out in droves. I live in Kirkwood, and a neighbor was shot mowing his lawn. I'm not moving because of that. When it happens everyday, then maybe.
Again, this all depends on your experience and the quality of living you seek. If you're moving from an urban area, this will not be news to you.
/soapbox
i second all of the above. you have advantages and disadvantages to living in the city or the burbs or the country, and crime happens everywhere. i have never known so many of my neighbors as i do here intown and i think transitional neighborhoods tend to breed a camaraderie that is hard to find in a lot of areas.
couldn't have said it better! Personally I wouldn't trade living intown for anything. We love it here.
If your dh's work is going to be in grant park just know traffic getting from sandy springs, dunwoody is not going to be great. dh's coworker lives near grant park and the client is in dunwoody. Sometimes it takes him 1 1/2 hours to get home and he's going against traffic somewhat
Thanks for the opinions ladies. We will definitely take all of these into consideration when we are looking at places. I know every neighborhood has its pros and cons, I honestly just don't know much about Grant Park and will have to do some more research on the area.
Oh and I haven't heard about the APS cheating scandal and just read about it. How horrible for the children that attend schools within the APS district and I hope the ones responsible are held accountable.
My Israel Blog!
I lived in Grant Park for the past 8 years (and work there a TON - I am a realtor) and I absolutely love it. It is a wonderful intown neighborhood with beautiful historic homes, a wonderful park, and fabulous walkable streets. There are a bunch of fabulous restaurants & bars, and it is a tight-knit community where people really know their neighbors (and there is a FABULOUS parent group with tons of active playgroups). But it is an intown neighborhood. And with that comes a bit more crime, and a bunch more diversity. There are definitely "nicer" parts of the neighborhood.
I have actually seen the intown neighborhoods hold their value MUCH better than the suburbs in this market. You can get into a nicely renovated 3 bedroom/2 bath for about $250k.
Some things to keep in mind about living intown:
-Basements are very rare, so if that is important to you it may not be the right area
- Garages can also be hard to find. Most houses have off-street parking (usually via a back alley), but not all.
- Because the houses date back to the 1920's, very rarely are you going to find much bonus space (i.e. a family room in addition to a living room).
The Grant Park charter school is wonderful (elementary school) and the Ormewood charter middle school is also great. The highschool situation is not great, though, so keep that in mind.
If you have any additional questions, I would be happy to answer them! Or if you need any help with your home search in general, I would love to help! You can email me at alix.nadi @ gmail.com.
Good luck!
Alix
This happens in Brookhaven. And Buckhead. And Sandy Springs. Grant Park is not immune, but neither is any other area ITP in Atlanta. If you want to live in utopia then you need to move to the country somewhere.
I love Grant Park. I think the schools may be my only hesitation, but I love transitional areas and think Grant Park has some amazing homes. There are other areas around there that would work with being close to GP - Kirkwood, Oakhurst, even Decatur.
Dude, my car got broken into while it was inside my carport in Roswell. One of my students had his car stolen from his driveway in Brookhaven (in a neighborhood where houses start in the high six figures). Grant Park isn't a criminal mecca any more than Roswell or Brookhaven or Dunwoody is a safe haven.
I love Grant Park. We have lived there for the past 7 years, and I can honestly say, (knock on wood), we haven't experienced any crime. We have great neighbors, and everyone looks out for each other. I absolutely love taking the LO to the zoo and the park. We know we will be moving in two years, so schools aren't our primary concern, but I've heard nothing but good things about the Neighborhood Charter School as well as the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool.
Let me know if I can be of any help!