Daniela

I work downtown for a police department so my view might be different than from others. What I know, see and hear from tourists is that it is dangerous, dirty, scary to at at night and very unsafe. If you are not there for business and maybe for visiting the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke or see a game at the Georgia Dome or Philipps Arena, then stay away and go more north of Atlanta Downtown. A view positive things are it has a great transit system (MARTA) and you can leave your car at home, which I would recommend anyway, due to high car break-ins. Peachtree Street going up towards Buckhead is beautiful and has many shops and fine dining restaurants. Some come to Atlanta to see the Underground Atlanta, but it is overrated and not what it used to be. High crime and dirty is what is left, according to Marta police. Areas to stay away from is right behind the Georgia Dome, Vine City which is full of gang members. Other areas are the Greyhound Bus station, up the area Marietta Street/Peachtree Street which is full of homeless people due to the homeless shelter on the next corner. My first visit to Downtown ended with a homeless person trying to rob me and I had to take actions. My recommendation is to only go Downtown in the daytime for a quick business or errand and leave asap. It is a shame how run down it is, because if you look at some of the architecture of buildings you can see it used to be a nice city...

It is great for gay night out. Bars, restaurants, wherever you look at you see gay couples. My gay friend and I love Piedmont park to relaxe at or the bars and clubs around it. Nobody stares at you in a funny way or makes stupid remarks. If you love the green space, pet friendly area and don't mind the hefty price tag that comes with it, then Midtown is great to live at. You can find many old historic houses and you are in the heart of Atlanta. Many students and families with children live there and a view minutes out you can find the more wealthy residents. The main issue I have with this area is parking. Is almost non-exsisting or comes with a tow or parking boot.

Whether you want to live a minute away from shopping, dining, theater, art and music, you get it all there. Beside Buckhead, Atlantic Station is the only place I go to for my shopping and dining. I feel save there, since they have their own Public Safety Department and officers are always walking around. Short term parking is available infront of a store, but hard to get. I like the underground parking deck, which gives you a more smog free air. Fine dining, live music and other activities are right their with a wide range to chose from. And if you decide to just watch a movie and then to the bar, that's available too. It is more upscale and you will not see much panhandlers or homeless people.