DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/28/08
Metro Atlanta is a hot destination for people looking to make a move from another part of the country, and their arrival is changing the feel of neighborhoods across the region, a new report shows.
More than a third of the new faces in the 20-county area moved here from another state, according to a study by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the region's planning agency. Most newcomers landed in the five core counties, although the wealthy congregated in Forsyth County.
 Hyosub Shin/AJC | ||
| James and Patricia Golden moved from Los Angeles to be near a daughter and granddaughter. | ||
 Phil Skinner/AJC | ||
| Betsi and Eric Logan, with son Talbot, chose their Johns Creek neighborhood for its schools, property values. | ||
 Andy Sharp/AJC Staff | ||
| From her Vinings balcony, Chicago transplant Beverly Duke likes being 'close to a great city with a vista of the magnificent skyline of Atlanta.' | ||
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The ARC looked at tax statistics from the Internal Revenue Service from 2000 to 2005 to get a snapshot of migration patterns in metro Atlanta. Almost 2.3 million people changed addresses during that time, and almost 830,000 came from other states.
Newcomers are drawn by the region's jobs, cultural amenities, reputation for personal safety and universities, previous studies have shown.
Beverly Duke, for example, considered buying a second home near her adult children in either New York or Atlanta. Duke, a widow, preferred the lifestyle of metro Atlanta and bought a condo in Vinings.
"I'd love to go back and live in New York, but it's just too much hassle to live there," Duke said. "I chose Atlanta and have the best of both worlds — the charm of a thriving city and the convenience of having my children close by and relatively easy to visit."
THE LOGANS
JOHNS CREEK
Betsi and Eric, and year-old son Talbot
WHAT THEY DO: Eric's a lawyer and Betsi's at home with year-old Talbot
WHAT THEY BOUGHT: A house in the Hillbrooke neighborhood with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths on a half-acre with a fenced backyard.
WHY THEY'RE IN METRO ATLANTA: Eric was practicing law in Los Angeles when he decided he missed Atlanta and wanted to return. Eric and Betsi married in 2005 and decided the Alpharetta area was the best place to start a family.
WHY THEY CHOOSE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD: "We started with the general area of Alpharetta partly because we think the best schools in Georgia are in north Fulton and because of the good property values. ... We liked the area for being relatively young and affluent, and there seemed to be a lot of culture in Alpharetta for being a suburb. ... It seemed to be very social, and we liked that because we were moving to a place where we didn't know anybody."
THE GOLDENS
LITHONIA
Patricia and James
WHAT THEY DO: James and Patricia are retired from Northrop Grumman Corp.
WHAT THEY BOUGHT: A townhouse in Fairington Township with three bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.
WHY THEY'RE IN METRO ATLANTA: The couple were living in Los Angeles and wanted to be close to James' daughter and granddaughter, who live in DeKalb County. They looked for a home only in DeKalb.
WHY THEY CHOSE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD: "We didn't look anywhere but in DeKalb because my daughter was here. She didn't feel safe where she was living. We found her another place and, in the process, we found a place, too. We're just around the corner from each other. ... The area we moved to seems to be conveniently located for the things I really needed to do. The schools are close for my granddaughter, and the shopping center is conveniently located. The space we have is about the same as the house. The difference is that we're in a townhouse in a brand-new subdivision, instead of an individual home."
BEVERLY DUKE
VININGS
WHAT SHE DOES: Beverly's an independent financial adviser.
WHAT SHE BOUGHT: A two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath condo in One Vinings Mountain.
WHY SHE'S IN METRO ATLANTA: Beverly, a widow for 2 1/2 years, can work anywhere she can use her computer. She wanted to maintain her house near Chicago and buy a second home near her children. After considering New York, where a daughter lives, she bought a home in Vinings to be near two children in Atlanta.
WHY SHE CHOSE HER NEIGHBORHOOD: "I looked in north Fulton, Dunwoody and Dacula, but they were too far outside the Perimeter. I casually walked into this place with a friend and said, 'Wow.' I ran a spreadsheet on the numbers, and they compared well, especially the property tax advantages. ... I like the ambiance of the building; that it's not a huge building, only 156 units; and being this close to a great city with a vista of the magnificent skyline of Atlanta."
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