Buckhead is one of the most desirable places to live in the Atlanta area, and you have probably heard of it before you ever looked at a map. So what is living in Buckhead actually like? This post covers where it is, what there is to do, what homes cost, and the pros and cons, as I saw it when I filmed this tour in 2023.
It is part of my neighborhood tour series for people who do not know the Atlanta area yet. You look at a big map, you see Atlanta, and you have no idea what any of it means. If you are working out which neighborhood fits you, start with my guide to Atlanta neighborhoods and my relocation guide. Then come back here for Buckhead.
What Buckhead Is Like
Buckhead is the glitz, the glamor and the money. It has high-end shops, big high-rise office buildings, and high-rise apartment and condo buildings. It has some of the swankiest, most popular restaurants in the city, and it is known for some of the best nightlife. This is an area where people go to see and be seen.
It draws a range of people. Some are high net worth individuals who want a mansion in a safe place close to the heart of Atlanta. Others are young entrepreneurs who want to be right in the action, in one of Buckhead’s many condo high-rises.
Where Buckhead Is
On a map of Atlanta, you can see the Perimeter, the loop created by I-285 that we talk about all the time. Buckhead sits in the north part of the city, inside that loop.
It is a large area. Buckhead contains 43 neighborhoods. Many of them are residential areas with million-dollar homes. Closer to Piedmont and Peachtree you get the commercial district with all the high-rise buildings.
Here is what surrounds it:
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Vinings to the west, another very popular area.
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Atlantic Station to the south.
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Brookhaven to the east.
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Sandy Springs to the north.
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The 400 Corridor (the GA-400 highway) runs through here, and it is a traffic hot spot.
Buckhead is the heart of the city, close to downtown, close to a lot of other great neighborhoods, and it has Beltline connectivity. The Beltline is Atlanta’s network of trails and green space.
What There Is to Do
You are not going to run out of things to do in Buckhead. It is a very popular shopping district. Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza are here, with very high-end stores like Louis Vuitton and all the designer names you would hope to visit. Most of the highest-end retail around Atlanta is in Buckhead, and many of the most lauded restaurants are too.
The nightlife is a big part of it. There is probably one of the highest concentrations of great clubs in the city here. If you like fine dining and the finer things in life, Buckhead is a place to consider.
The heart of Buckhead, around the intersections of Lenox, Peachtree and Piedmont, is the shopping district, with the largest concentration of boutiques you will see anywhere in the city. West and North Buckhead is where you find the single-family homes: secluded neighborhoods, gated properties, mansions and multi-million-dollar homes in a beautiful forest setting, like much of Atlanta. Along Peachtree Road you get all the high-rise construction.
What It Costs to Live in Buckhead
I wanted to give you a real sense of what your money buys, so I opened the MLS and looked at active listings. The MLS is the multiple listing service, the database where agents list homes for sale. I drew a polygon around most of the Buckhead area and looked at attached homes (condos) first, then detached single-family homes. Everything below is what I saw when I filmed this in 2023. Prices change, so treat these as examples, not today’s market.
An HOA is a homeowners association, the monthly fee you pay for a building’s or community’s shared costs. In the condo listings it matters a lot, so I point it out each time.
Condos
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Top end: a $6.5 million condo, with three bedrooms, three baths and two half baths, about 5,000 square feet, built in 2008. Luxurious, with high-end finishes, and clearly for a select few.
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Entry point: options in the mid $100,000s, which are one-bedroom or studio places. One I looked at was a one-bedroom, one-bath unit of about 700 square feet for $172,000. It is definitely more New York-style city living, although I think it is still much better. The HOA was $445 a month, which I would call pretty average. They usually run around $500.
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Low $400,000s: a two-bedroom, two-bath unit of about 1,800 square feet for $419,000, with an HOA of $826 a month. Another was almost 1,200 square feet, two bedrooms and two baths, for $422,000, with an HOA of $565 a month. The buildings often have nice lobbies and amenities, and the listings highlight those rather than the unit itself. Look closely at the finishes, because they are not always high end. You can still get a great view and a little balcony.
The point is that you can get into Buckhead fairly affordably, in a great area, as long as you are okay with the HOA. In the mid $100,000s you can be in one of the most desirable areas in Atlanta. Many of these are high-rises, and there are smaller, older buildings with more character.
Single-Family Homes
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Top end: a home in Tuxedo Park, one of the most famous, desirable subdivisions in Buckhead, listed at about $10.9 million. Six bedrooms, seven baths and three half baths. A palatial estate, and you do not need to worry about the HOA.
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Also top end: a home for about $9.98 million on West Paces Ferry Road, a very popular, famous road. It sits on two acres in Buckhead.
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Entry point: $600,000, and I found nothing cheaper. It was 1,447 square feet, three bedrooms and two baths, built in the 1970s, with no HOA. It had been on the market quite a while. I said it was a little better than I expected. Another cute home was listed at $650,000, a little dark, and people spending $650,000 would usually expect more. Location, location, location.
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Under $2 million: more common than you think. I looked at a design for potential new construction with a lot of land, a traditional style, five bedrooms plus, and about 3,800 square feet at $1.875 million with no HOA.
If you want a detached single-family home in Buckhead, you start in the $600,000s and get a smaller home without high-end finishes. Everywhere between that and the $10 million estates is available, so whatever your budget, you can find something here. If you want help sorting out what fits your numbers, see my page on buying and selling a home in Atlanta.
The Vibe
Because there is so much money and so much to do, Buckhead is a glitzy area. It is a place to go and see people and be seen by people. Lots of celebrities spend time here, from actors and musicians to entrepreneurs. It is lively and popular, with a lot going on.
Some might say it is on the bougie side. No judgment from me, and a lot of people like that. This is where Atlanta gets fancy. If fancy is your style, Buckhead is a place you should look at.
Pros and Cons of Living in Buckhead
Con: the traffic is crazy. Traffic is bad in Atlanta in general, but especially in Buckhead. There are so many shops and restaurants, and so many office buildings, that it is a very popular place to commute to. If you are doing a lot of driving here, be prepared for congestion. It is one of the trafficky areas around Atlanta.
Pro: there are endless things to do. Shopping, boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs, and they are typically very high-end and desirable.
Con: it is expensive. You saw that in the MLS, especially if you are determined to have a single-family detached home. It is also expensive just to spend time here, going to the restaurants and the high-end shops. Spending any amount of time in Buckhead can get really expensive.
Pro: the nightlife. If you are a younger person who likes the clubs and going out at night, this is a great place for you. Nightlife is a huge pro.
Con: it can be a little bougie. That goes along with any high-end area, and sometimes the personalities might rub you the wrong way. Maybe people will feel a little entitled. That is not always the case, and there are good and not-so-good people in every area across the country. But to be honest, Buckhead does have that reputation.
Pro: it is a great spot for entrepreneurs. There are so many businesses and so many wealthy individuals here. If you want to be around that lifestyle, make a connection, work with someone or be seen by someone, Buckhead is a great place to spend time. If you have big dreams and need to be connected with people who have connections, I see this as a place where opportunity could arise for you.
The Beltline
There is one more thing to do here. The north section of the Beltline is gorgeous. It runs by a beautiful golf course, it is very active, and it is one of the nicer stretches of the Beltline. If you enjoy nightlife and shopping but also like being in nature and walking on trails, the Beltline is here. It is a huge amenity to be close to, both for things to do and for property values. Even in the heart of the city, you are not far from green space and ways to get away.
Who Buckhead Is For, and Who Should Look Elsewhere
Buckhead fits you if you want shopping, fine dining, nightlife and a lot of action, whether that means a one or two bedroom high-rise or a secluded gated home in West or North Buckhead.
It is probably not for you if you do not like being in the heart of the action, with lots of traffic and dense areas with people walking around and going out to restaurants and shops. If you are looking for peace and quiet, I would recommend you look elsewhere.
Buckhead is only one of many options. For how it compares with other areas, read my guide to Atlanta neighborhoods and my top neighborhoods for 2023.
Talk It Through With Me
I hope this gives you some confidence and clarity on whether to pursue Buckhead or avoid it completely. I make these videos to provide value for free, but I am hoping people who need to buy or sell a home in the Atlanta area will reach out. I have a lot of experience helping people relocate here from out of state, and even people who have never set foot in Atlanta have purchased homes with me and been very happy. Whether you are in another state or already in the Atlanta area, we can work together. Book a call with me on the contact page.