Midtown, Atlanta

The Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta Georgia is a great place to visit and live. It is located off of Interstate highways 75 and 85 off the tenth avenue exit. This area has modern city beautification with the lovely homes priced in the $300k range making the cost of living slightly high. The area offers is fabulous restaurants for dining and a safe public transportation system.

The friendly environment allows families with children of all ages feel comfortable when visiting local parks and playgrounds. Area schools consist of Georgia Institute of Technology, John Marshall Law School, and Savanna College of Art and Design. This variety of education brings promise to the area for divers cultural ethnicity.

Located here is this district is the high rise economic building that bring in a huge revenue to the city. These economic building are the Bank of America Plaza, AT&T Midtown center, and the Atlantic Center just to name a few. Many visitor are fascinated by these tall buildings but frequently visit the High Museum of Art, the Museum of Design Atlanta, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for experiences in art. With all of these features to any community or neighborhood, it can be a thriving asset to any city.

Midtown is like a tiny slice of New York. There is always some type of event going on, sirens blaring and people hustling and bustling about. Having actually lived in Midtown before, I know the pros and cons of this unique neighborhood.

Let’s start with the pros. Midtown is the perfect place location-wise. It is right smack dab in the center of everything. It’s only about 4 miles from downtown Atlanta, as well as Buckhead. It is completely accessible if you are using public transportation; just get off at the Midtown MARTA (train) station. There are plenty of things to do if you are in this area. A few cool places you can check out are the: Fox Theatre, High Museum, Center for Puppetry Arts and the Breman Jewish Museum. Not to mention, there are a plethora of restaurants to explore. The Melting Pot, Vortex, Mu Lan Chinese Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill, are just a few dining options. There is also a really nifty salad bar (Dressed Salads), where you can go to build your own salad any way that you want.

Midtown is home to several popular festivals including: Music Midtown, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and Pride. This brings much diversity to the area. Many of the residents are young trendy professionals. Cost of living can get a little on the pricey side, but it’s worth it -especially if you are lucky enough to get a skyline view (believe me I’ve experienced it). The only con to living in this area is that the constant traffic can become annoying after a while. I lived close to the Fox Theatre, and every night that there was a show, parking became increasingly difficult to find. On many occasions I had to use paid parking options (which is just awful if you are a resident). Midtown, is great for visitors, but can become a little hectic if you live in the area.

Midtown has, arguably, replaced Buckhead as the arts, shopping, financial, and entertainment center of Atlanta. Though Buckhead is still a popular tourists’ destination for its high-end retailers and fine dining, the community lacks something that makes it accessible and approachable to most of Atlanta’s live-in residents (see: the rest of my Buckhead reviews.)

Midtown, then, has quickly taken its place as a favorite answer to the question, “What is there to do?” Midtown responds with numerous trendy tapas restaurants, shopping options, and – for those looking to appreciate the arts – the High Museum, the Center for Puppetry Arts, and the Fox Theater, to name a few.

The area also has a thriving nightlife scene, as it hosts some of Atlanta’s most popular clubs, including the majority of the city’s gay bars. In fact, Midtown is often considered one of the most gay-friendly areas in the Southeast, and it’s not just because of the large live-in gay population, or the high volume of gay bars, or the frequency of unique little shopping experiences like the Outwrite Bookstore. No – every year in early October something magical happens in Midtown’s Piedmont Park. From the park’s lush, rolling green-space springs a congregation of the city’s gayest – rainbows, restaurants, pierced party-goers, organizations with a gay-rights aim, and even some churches whose message of welcome make it very clear: gay is okay. Capping off the festivities is an epic PRIDE parade. You need to see it to believe it.

Midtown’s diversity may be what keeps it from going the way of Buckhead – a gleaming, hulking, skyscraping, money-sucking relic recalling its glory days only with the popularity of Lenox Mall and some decent fine dining places. Midtown dominates the Atlanta social scene because of its flexibility, approachability, and cultural relevance. It may not be as hip as some of Atlanta’s smaller neighborhoods, but it has a staying power that has managed to transcend the limits of social circles.

Cheers!

Between the urban jungle of Downtown and the high-brow neighborhoods of Buckhead is where) you will find Midtown Atlanta. Centered near 14th and Peachtree Streets, Midtown has a dual identity. It is the center of Atlanta’s business district, and yet is the place many Atlantans call ‘home’. Unlike other U.S. cities you will find a wide mix of residences in Midtown – from high-rise condominiums to traditional antebellum homes just west of Peachtree Street. If you cannot find the home you like here, it may only be that the traffic and noise from the I-75/85 connector does not suit your lifestyle well.

However, if you can overlook these turn-offs, you can be rewarded in so many other ways. The social scene is great – there are wonderful cafes and restaurants and outdoor cafes on or around Peachtree. If you like the outdoors, Piedmont Park provides an in town getaway for joggers and their dogs, picnickers and the occasional Frisbee throwers. My favorite Fall event there is the Atlanta Arts Festival - where hundreds of artisans and merchants showcase their works on the lawns there. And of course all year, one can visit The High Museum, the Atlanta Symphony and the Alliance Theater.

Georgia Tech’s campus also reaches into the Midtown neighborhood giving it the feel of a cosmo, college town. Midtown is a safe place to visit or to live, but my friends tell me that the taxes and costs of utilities can be high.

But otherwise, I recommend Midtown wholeheartedly.

Midtown, Atlanta is a great place to live with lots of great restaurants and shops, minimal crime, and nature. There is a lot to do in the Midtown and surrounding area. The streets are always busy with the hustle and bustle of people. You never feel alone or out of touch in this area. Midtown is a fun place for young professionals and is comprised of a very diverse demographic. There is something for everyone including great parks for families on the weekend or runners in the evening, movie theaters for nights out, and clubs and bars. The diversity of food choices is also vast. There is a restaurant for every specialty within a five minute walk of the center of Midtown. Great shopping is close by at Atlantic Station or Lenox in Buckhead. Overall, Midtown offers something for everyone, young or old!