Rukiya Eaddy bought a home in East Atlanta but quickly realized a single-family house was a lot of work for a single woman. Eaddy, a professor of managerial communications who is actively engaged in the community, started looking around for other options. She was attracted to the artistic community of the lofts at Studioplex on Auburn Avenue, a turn-of-the-century cotton warehouse converted into live/work space.

It's flexible: Eaddy bought about 1,100 square feet and set it up as a one-bedroom, one-bath loft with foyer, office area, den area, dining and living spaces and a kitchen. She sets each area off with its furniture, rugs and choice of paint. "It's all one large open space so you can decide how to make it work for you," she says.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Rukiya Eaddy enjoys a low-maintenance lifestyle in her loft at Studioplex on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. She set off the different living areas in the open space using different furniture, rugs and paint.

Why this unit? Eaddy says, "Because the bathroom is huge! It's like a bathroom/dressing room and there's a huge walk-in closet. I love being on the ground floor off the courtyard, too, because I can just open my front door and breathe in the fresh air from outside."

What do people notice most? "Everyone comments that the space really reflects me," she laughs. "I didn't want to hire someone to attempt to capture my style in decor, so I designed it myself and talked it over with a few close friends who are in the business. ... Everyone comments on my iron and glass bistro table, the iron wall framed with paint and the custom-built bookcases that create an archway into the bedroom."

What's the neighborhood like? "When I first arrived, I noticed that everyone was attentive to who was moving into the vacant unit," she remembers. "You might think they're just being nosy, but you realize that everyone wants to know who's in the community. We all watch over each other."

It's a prime location: "I appreciate the fact that we're on the route of the proposed BeltLine, and I love that we're close to downtown but not in downtown."

AT A GLANCE

Studioplex on Auburn

Address: 659 Auburn Ave., Atlanta

County: Fulton

Telephone: 404-733-6000

Web site: www.studioplexlofts.com

Price range: From the $150,000's

Standard features: Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, wooden cabinets, large balconies, up to 18-foot-tall ceilings.

Amenities: Zoned for live/work, controlled access parking, fitness center, pet-friendly, club room

Number of units: 130

Square footage: 790 to 2,120

Association fee and what it covers: 17 cents per square foot, which includes garbage, pest control, liability insurance, external maintenance, gate maintenance, fire systems maintenance, elevator contract and wireless Internet.

Broker: The Marketing Directors Inc.

Getting there

Take I-75/85 to Freedom Pkwy. Turn right on Boulevard, then left on Irwin Street. A right on Auburn Avenue. and the community is on the left.