Demetries Neely rattles off three things that living in The Atlantic provides her: luxury, convenience and tranquility. They were all worth the wait between the time Neely put money down in 2006 and the four years before her corner unit in the Atlantic Station high-rise was completed. Neely, 53, who retired five years ago from the insurance industry and decided to move from Ohio back to Atlanta to live near her daughter, discussed her life-changing decision.
Q: How did you look for a place?
A: My daughter [a professor at Spelman College] helped me look. We looked at several housing developments in Atlanta and Buckhead. When I saw this concept, there was a sales center and they had a model of what it would look like, but no property to look at. With all the amenities and the convenience that it offered, I said, "This is what I want."
Q: What type of amenities appealed to you at this stage in life?
A: The fact that it's a live-walk-shop-play community, which has allowed me to reduce my carbon footprint. It has 24-hour concierge service. It's resortlike living, with the pool, the clubroom, the exercise room, the theater room.
Q: What is one way The Atlantic offered convenience?
A: You can walk underground from my building, if it's inclement weather, to the movie theater, to the grocery store, to any shopping in Atlantic Station without ever getting wet or snowed on.
Q: But as the housing market collapsed, did you consider backing out?
A: A lot of people said to me, "Oh, you should get your money back." I was kept abreast of what was going on and kept assured that [the development] was going to happen. I had the luxury of time, so I rode the market out, and now the market seems to be coming back. And new people are moving in here every day.
Q: How difficult was it for you to downsize?
A: I don't think it was tough because I had mentally prepared myself. Literally, I've had four years to start getting rid of stuff. You only have what you need. You don't have all this extra stuff that we accumulate as consumers. It allowed me to declutter, which is so good for my life, especially at this age.
Q: What are some features in your condo that you haven’t had in other homes?
A: When you open the cabinets and drawers, they slide back on their own. One of the things that I selected is the home automation system. You are able to program your heating, your air, your lights, things like that, from a remote location. It also gives you the ability to have music piped in all of your rooms. You can have The Who in one room, Billie Holiday in another room and Jay-Z in another.
Q: How much of a lifestyle change is this move?
A: It's changed my lifestyle dramatically. I'm coming from the Midwest, and I'm coming from a home where I had to shovel snow and cut grass. I had to have a car. I've traded in the suburban lifestyle for a convenient lifestyle in a condominium complex. I'm excited about this because it allows me to reinvent myself, and that's interesting and new and exciting.
At a glance
Demetries Neely’s condo in The Atlantic, with units priced from the $180,000s to more than $1 million, has two bedrooms, 21/2 baths and about 1,400 square feet. She moved in during November.
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