Which are the best neighborhoods in Atlanta? This is my top five, as I saw it when I filmed this in 2023. It’s for anyone relocating here, or already in Georgia and deciding where to buy.
I’ll say this up front: it is not an official list. It’s my opinion, and it is arbitrary. But I had lived here for 15 years when I filmed this, and I’ve watched the city develop. Each of these five neighborhoods is special in its own way and has its own value proposition. If you’re choosing a neighborhood in the Atlanta area, these are worth a look.
What I Mean by “Atlanta” in This List
Not every neighborhood here is technically in the city of Atlanta. If I only covered neighborhoods inside the city limits, I wouldn’t have much to talk about. So for practical purposes, I use the perimeter, which is Interstate 285, the loop around the city. Some of these neighborhoods are in DeKalb County, but all of them are inside the perimeter (ITP, as locals say), and for practical purposes they’re in town. I use the word “Atlanta” pretty liberally.
5. Avondale Estates
Avondale Estates is on the east side of town, just east of the perimeter at I-285. It might surprise someone who knows the area, because it’s an established, historic, very wealthy part of town. There’s also a lot of development going on. Town Green, a pretty big mixed-use development, was being built when I filmed this, right next to an already quaint, historic little downtown with a lot of German influences, beautiful architecture and an old-school movie theater.
There’s Avondale Estates Lake, which has a great fireworks show every Fourth of July. When I lived on this side of town, I loved being close to the DeKalb Farmers Market, one of the best farmers markets in the city. You’re also extremely close to downtown Decatur, which has a ton of high-end restaurants and bars. Any time I make a “best of” video about in-town areas, I’m talking about the city of Decatur, Avondale Estates or Scottdale, one of my favorites because it’s a little lesser known and more affordable.
It’s also a really tight-knit community with an easy commute, both in town toward downtown and to the airport, which is about 20 minutes away.
The cost, when I filmed this in 2023: a detached single-family home needed a budget in the high $400,000s at the bare minimum, and that probably buys a home that needs some work. If you’re willing to live in something attached, like a condo or townhome, you can get into this general area in the high $200,000s. It’s an expensive area, but it has a suburban feel while still being very much in town.
4. Grant Park
Full disclosure: I’m biased. I lived in or around Grant Park almost the entire time I’ve lived in Atlanta, about 15 years as of this video. The first place my wife and I lived was a 500-square-foot apartment right on Cherokee, facing the park.
Grant Park is my favorite park in the city. I love Piedmont Park, but Grant Park is quieter, with fewer people, and it has so many more trees. You can feel isolated walking through it, which makes it easy to get away and have some privacy. In the summer you’ll see families holding reunions. When I filmed this, the park had just gotten a parking deck and a restaurant.
The architecture is a big reason I love this area. Outside of Inman Park, it has some of the highest concentrations of Victorian-style homes, plus bungalows and historic craftsman homes well over 100 years old. Think heart pine floors, stained glass windows and ceilings 12 feet or higher. You don’t see homes with that much character out in the suburbs.
There is more to walk to every year:
- The Grant Park Farmers Market.
- The Beacon in Peoplestown.
- A retail district in Summerhill, off Georgia Ave.
- Oakland Cemetery, which sounds morbid, but it’s a beautiful setting for a picnic or a walk.
- Restaurants like Talat Market, plus plenty of options for a fancy date night.
The location is very central. You’re about 10 minutes to Inman Park, 10 to 15 minutes to Midtown, 15 to 20 minutes to Buckhead and about 15 minutes to the airport.
The downside: it’s a more expensive area, especially closer to the park, and there aren’t many attached options. When I filmed this, a single-family home, even a two-bedroom historic bungalow, started in the high $400,000s. If you’re right on Cherokee facing the park, you’re looking at $800,000-plus homes and million-dollar homes. But if budget isn’t your biggest concern and you want an in-town location with a community feel, plenty to do and a home with character, Grant Park has to be on your list.
3. West End
Not many YouTubers highlight the West End, and not many websites do. If you do a simple Google search, some people will tell you it’s a very dangerous area. But I think the West End has a bright future, and I think it’s one of the most intelligent places you could own real estate right now.
The big thing it has going for it is its proximity to the Beltline. It’s a former 27-mile railway corridor that has been paved over into a system of walking and biking trails, and you can scooter down it too. I think it’s probably the best and most popular amenity added to Atlanta in the last 30 years, and it has connected the city in ways it never was before. We’re a sprawled-out city, and now you can get from Inman Park south and around to the west side on the Beltline.
The east side is very built up, with million-dollar homes in Inman Park. On the West End, the amenities are just starting to pop up. One example is the Lee + White development, right off the Beltline. You can be jogging down the Beltline, hop off, and find block after block of old warehouses converted into restaurants, breweries, distilleries and retail shops. You can really see the vision for the future. The West End Mall will at some point be completely redeveloped too.
You’re also close to Georgia Tech, Atlantic Station and downtown, so this is very much an in-town location.
My forecast, and it’s an opinion, not a guarantee: if you’re thinking purely about appreciation, it’s hard to think of anywhere in the Atlanta area that will appreciate more sharply. If you’ve seen Inman Park on the east side of the Beltline, you can imagine the West End, Mozley Park, Ashview Heights and even Oakland City in 10, 15 or 20 years. I think all of them will go through the roof.
The downside: development has to be done responsibly. I hope developers are required to set aside a percentage for affordable housing, because otherwise a lot of people will be displaced and put out of their homes. Mayor Dickens, as of 2023, I’m looking at you.
When I filmed this, you could still find single-family detached homes in the 300s here, which usually isn’t the case in Beltline areas. The 100-plus-year-old homes have a ton of character if they’ve been maintained well or renovated tastefully, much like Grant Park. This is a great spot for a younger person, couple or family on a slightly lower budget who wants to be in town and in the mix, and understands what city living means. To me, buying real estate in the West End could be one of the best financial investments you make.
2. Morningside-Lenox Park
I talked about this neighborhood in my video on family-friendly neighborhoods. It’s probably the most expensive neighborhood on this list, for good reason. It’s a tight-knit community, and the location is unbeatable.
In some parts it borders Piedmont Park, the most popular park in the city, and the Beltline runs through Piedmont Park, so this is a Beltline neighborhood. You’ve also got the Atlanta Botanical Garden right there and the Morningside Nature Preserve. The schools are probably the best of any neighborhood on this list, and it’s an extremely safe neighborhood. You won’t run out of things to do, with Midtown and Buckhead close by. I also often see beautiful Tudor-style homes here.
The cost, when I filmed this in 2023: you’ll need a budget of probably $500,000 to $600,000-plus just for the most basic, small, move-in ready home, and prices go well into the multiple millions from there. That’s why it’s not my first recommendation for a younger person or couple on a more limited budget. It’s for someone at a point in life where they can spend $600,000, $700,000, $800,000 or $900,000 on a home. It’s ideal for families, especially with small kids and a bigger budget. It would be a fantastic place for a young kid to grow up and a great place to raise a family.
1. Doraville
Number one on my list is Doraville. Yes, I know Doraville isn’t technically in the city of Atlanta. It sits to the northeast, right on the border of the perimeter, so to me it’s very much in town. You rarely see it on lists like this, but I put it first for a few reasons.
Value. If you’re okay with an attached option like a townhome, or with living in an HOA (homeowners association) community, you can get into Doraville in the mid to high $200,000s, as I described it in 2023. That makes it accessible to a lot of different people.
Food. This is the biggest reason it’s number one. In my opinion, the Doraville and Chamblee area and Duluth are the best food areas in the Atlanta area overall. I’m biased, because I really love Asian food. Buford Highway runs through Doraville, and some of the best restaurants are along it, and not just high-end restaurants but the best cheap eats. You won’t run out of foreign food here: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Peruvian, Costa Rican, Salvadoran, and many other cultures from Latin America and Asia. If you’re a foodie, you’ll be in heaven. For a deeper look, see my post on the best Atlanta neighborhoods for food.
Location and schools. If you’re on the north side of town, the schools here are typically pretty good, and all the adjacent neighborhoods are really high-end and more expensive than Doraville itself. You’re on the edge of the perimeter, so the commute to Midtown or downtown is easy. Buckhead is about 10 minutes away, you’re adjacent to Brookhaven, which is a very popular area, and you’re about 15 to 20 minutes from Midtown. The airport is farther: about 35 to 45 minutes to Hartsfield-Jackson, compared with about 20 minutes from Avondale Estates.
Development. There’s a ton going on. A film studio was announced here, and I believe it’s called Assembly Studios, so it should become a big hub for people in the film industry. New buildings and new condominium buildings are going up. I think home values here will keep going up.
Between the value, the food, the diversity of the people and the proximity to so many other great neighborhoods, Doraville earns the top spot for me.
This List Is an Excuse to Talk About Neighborhoods
There are many more great neighborhoods in and around Atlanta. If I didn’t mention one you’re interested in, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to live. My vlog tour playlist on YouTube takes you through some of these neighborhoods with real footage. For a broader orientation, start with Atlanta neighborhoods explained.
If you’re ready to buy or sell in one of these areas, or anywhere else in metro Atlanta, reach out and we’ll talk it through. You can also read how the buying and selling process works in Atlanta before you do.