A single parent, Larry Roberson, 46, was commuting every workday from his home in Athens to his Atlanta job with the Technical College System of Georgia. When his son graduated from high school, he was ready to move closer to work. Roberson looked at four properties between Emory and Peachtree Industrial and chose Westchester at Clairmont.

Making the choice: "Primarily it was the staff that sold me," Roberson says. "They were very open and made sure they provided all the information I asked for. The apartments are new, and that's also great. My unit is pretty quiet, which is important because I'm working on my Ph.D. and I have a lot of reading and research to do."

Christopher Oquendo / Special (ENLARGE)

Lots of amenities and the fact that downtown and Midtown are a quick 10 minutes away drew Larry Roberson to Westchester at Clairmont.

Getting there Take I-85 to Exit 92 (Clairmont Road). Cross Clairmont to continue north on access road. Get in left lane and at Shallowford, turn left over the interstate and continue south on the access road. Apartments are on the right. Leasing office is second entrance.

His apartment: Roberson says it's a bedroom-and-a-half, with a full bedroom and then a little nook that could hold a twin bed but that he uses as an office. The living/dining/kitchen combination and huge bathroom work perfectly for him. The apartments come with all major appliances.

The services: "We have a trash valet service, and I use the fitness center almost daily. There's also a very nice pool. The community is gated."

Other pluses: "The apartments are pretty energy-efficient and my monthly utility bills are under $100. It's well-lit and safe and really convenient to a lot of shopping. You can be downtown or in Midtown in 10 minutes, and it's easy to catch public transit. I went to the Clean Air Campaign's Web site and figured out what I'm saving by not driving back and forth to Athens daily. Annually, I have saved 1,418 gallons of gas, which at current prices would be close to $6,500, and I'm not adding 31,000 pounds of pollution to the air. Most importantly, I've saved 48 days a year of not sitting on the highway."

Westchester at Clairmont

Address: 2500 N.E. Expressway, Atlanta

Information: 404-982-7900, Westchester at Clairmont

Year built: 2007

Rent (subject to change): one-bedroom, $950; one-bedroom with den, $1,150; two-bedroom, $1,150; three-bedroom, $1,500

Fees: Application: $60; administrative: $250/$100 refundable; security: varies depending on credit screening and background check results; pet: $250 per pet 35 pounds and under, $500 per pet over 35 pounds

Number of units: 408

Amenities: Resort-style pool, fitness center, club suite with large-screen TV and group seating, business center, car care center, additional storage, covered parking

Units for disabled: Yes

Public transit: MARTA bus to Lindbergh train station

Public schools: Montclair Elementary; Sequoyah Middle; Cross Keys High

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