Opinions needed on an Atlanta neighbor I may be moving to

January 27, 2011 1:38 PM

I'm considering subletting a home in the East Lake Meadows area of Atlanta, between the two major golf courses. I realize that this area was once extremely crime-ridden and poor, and was wondering if anyone could speak to the safety of the area today? What about the surround neighborhoods, if I were to be going to Midtown, Decatur, etc.? Thanks
posted by rbf1138 to Society & Culture (3 answers total)

I don't really know that area of the city well, but here is the Atlanta PD crime map page for some non-qualitative assessment.
posted by deludingmyself at 4:05 PM on January 27, 2011

Response by poster: I'd already had a look. It's hard for me, as someone new to moving to a major city, to understand what to even glean from those stats. Yes, I know not to live in most of West Atlanta, but the area I'm talking about is getting better and it's just tough to say whether I'd be making a big mistake to rent here. Maybe I can add that the driveway is behind the house, and there is a security system. The renter/my roommate renovated the house himself, is a professional who works for a major company, and has assured me that while a few blocks away are not great, the house is ok. I'd just like some input from perhaps less biased Atlantans.
posted by rbf1138 at 4:23 PM on January 27, 2011

East Lake is an entirely different place than it was fifteen years ago. Back then, it was known as "Little Vietnam", and was one of the few parts of the city I wouldn't venture into. These days, I would call it pretty damn safe. I frequent a pub in the adjacent neighborhood of Oakhurst, often taking the train to the Eastlake MARTA station and walking through East Lake after dark, and I've never had any trouble at all. Of course, I'm a large man with thirty years of experience walking city streets, so your mileage may vary; but I'd say East Lake is as safe as any of the intown neighborhoods. It gets a bit sketchier, though, the closer one gets to Memorial drive.

It's not difficult or dangerous to get to Decatur from East Lake. Getting to Midtown is a bit complicated, but also not dangerous.

Again, take all of this with a grain of salt; I've lived in some pretty rough neighborhoods, and might not be the best judge for somebody who's new to city life. If you care to send me the address of the house you're thinking of via MiFi Mail, I'd be glad to give you a more specific opinion.
posted by steambadger at 5:01 PM on January 27, 2011