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Renting an Apartment in Atlanta
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of Georgia, in the United
States. It is the county seat of Fulton County, although a portion of the city
(the 1909 annex) is located in DeKalb County. According to the latest census
estimates (as of December, 2004), the city has a population of approximately
419,122 and the Atlanta metropolitan area totaled 4,708,297. Atlanta has long
been considered the economic powerhouse of the Southern United States and is
arguably a poster-child for cities worldwide experiencing rapid urban sprawl,
population growth, and commercial development. As a result, Atlanta is a common
case study for college students who study Urban Geography around the globe.
Atlanta is circled by Interstate 285, called the "Perimeter" by locals, which
has come to delineate the interior of the city from the surrounding suburbs.
This has given rise to the terms ITP (inside the Perimeter) and OTP (outside the
Perimeter) to describe area neighborhoods, residents, and businesses. In this
respect, the Perimeter plays a social and geographical role similar to that of
the Capital Beltway around Washington, DC.
Atlanta has such a great economic impact on the state and the surrounding region
that cities and towns up to 45 miles away are considered 'exurbs', defined by
the fact that people depend on their livelihoods by commuting to work in the
city, rapidly growing what is called Metro Atlanta. Atlanta is one of the most
prosperous cities in the United States and is often referred to as the
unofficial "capital of the South." Today Atlanta is one of the most economically
important Southeastern cities along with Birmingham, Charlotte, Miami, and New
Orleans.
The city is also an especially important cultural and economic center for
African-Americans; Atlanta has not had a non-black mayor since 1974, and in
recent decades nearly all Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, and other government
officials have been African American. Atlanta is also very important in making
famous Hip-Hop/Rappers who call Atlanta A-Town.
Public Transportation
Atlanta is served by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL,
ICAO: KATL), the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic and by aircraft
traffic, providing air service to and from many national and international
destinations. It is situated 10 miles south of downtown, adjacent to the
intersection of I-85 and I-285. The MARTA rail system has a station within the
airport terminal, and provides direct service to the business areas in downtown
Atlanta, Buckhead and Sandy Springs. The major general aviation airports near
the city proper are DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (IATA: PDK, ICAO: KPDK) and Brown
Field (IATA: FTY, ICAO: KFTY). See List of airports in the Atlanta area for a
more complete listing.
Three major interstate highways intersect the city; I-20 runs east-west, while
I-75 runs NW to SE and I-85 runs NE to SW, and join together as the Downtown
Connector through the center of the city. The Downtown Connector carries more
than 340,000 vehicles a day and is considered one of the 10 most congested
stretches of interstate in the U.S. I-285 (also known as "the Perimeter")
encircles the city and some of its inner suburbs. I-75 just north of the Windy
Hill Road interchange in Cobb County is one of the widest freeways (seventeen
lanes) in the entire world. The intersection of I-85 and I-285 in Doraville,
locally referred to as Spaghetti Junction, is one of the tallest in the eastern
United States. Metropolitan Atlanta is crisscrossed by thirteen freeways (in
addition to the aforementioned interstates, I-575, Georgia 400, Georgia 141,
I-675, Georgia 316, I-985, Stone Mountain Freeway (US 78), and Langford Parkway
(SR 166)). The Georgia Department of Transportation operates Georgia Navigator
to disseminate current traffic (travel times, camera images, accidents) and road
(construction, flooding, ice, debris) conditions throughout the state.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is Atlanta's
public-transit system, operating the rail and bus system within Fulton and
Dekalb Counties. Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties each operate separate,
autonomous transit authorities, using buses but no trains. However, many
commuters in Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs use private automobiles as
their primary transportation. (This may be partly because Georgia has had one of
the lowest excise taxes on gasoline in the United States. Such taxes in Georgia
have risen, however, in recent years: for example, in July 2002, Alaska was the
only state with a tax lower than Georgia's 30.6 cents per gallon, but, by August
2005, Georgia's tax had risen by 34.6%, to 41.2 cents per gallon, and 21 states
and the District of Columbia had taxes lower than Georgia's.) This
results in heavy traffic during rush hour and contributes to Atlanta's air
pollution. In recent years, the Atlanta metro area has ranked at or near the top
of the longest average commute times in the U.S. In 2001 a group of transit
riders joined to form Citizens for Progressive Transit, an organization
dedicated to increasing the reach and improving the quality of public
transportation in metro Atlanta.
Atlanta grew up as a railroad town and is still today a major rail junction,
with several busy freight lines belonging to Norfolk Southern and CSX
intersecting below street level in the downtown area. Long-distance passenger
service is provided by Amtrak's Crescent train, which connects Atlanta with
Baltimore, Maryland; Birmingham, Alabama ; Charlotte, North Carolina; New
Orleans, Louisiana; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
Washington, D.C. The Amtrak station is at 1688 Peachtree Street Northwest,
several miles north of downtown and not well placed for onward public
transportation. An ambitious, long-standing proposal would create a Multi-Modal
Passenger Terminal downtown, adjacent to Philips Arena and the Five-Points MARTA
station, which would link, in a single facility, MARTA bus and rail, intercity
bus service, proposed commuter rail service to other Georgia cities, and Amtrak.
Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service between Atlanta and many
locations throughout the United States and Canada. The Greyhound terminal is
situated at 232 Forsyth Street, on the southern edge of the downtown area and
directly beneath MARTA's Garnett rail station.
The proposed Beltline would create a greenway and public transit system in a
circle around the city from a series of mostly abandoned rail lines. This rail
right-of-way would also accommodate multi-use trails connecting a string of
existing and new parks. In addition, there is a proposed streetcar project that
would create a streetcar line along Peachtree from downtown to Buckhead as well
as possibly another East-West line.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
343.0 km (132.4 mi). 341.2 km (131.8 mi) of it is land and 1.8 km (0.7 mi)
of it is water. The total area is 0.51% water.
At about 1000 feet or 300 meters above mean sea level, Atlanta sits atop a ridge
south of the Chattahoochee River. Amongst the 25 largest MSAs, Atlanta is the
fourth-highest in elevation, slightly lower than Pittsburgh (the city itself is
higher than Pittsburgh, however) and Phoenix, but significantly lower than
Denver (1 mile or 1,600 m).
According to folklore, its central avenue, Peachtree Street, runs through the
center of the city on the Eastern Continental Divide. In actuality, the divide
line enters Atlanta from the southwest, proceeding to downtown. From downtown,
the divide line runs eastward along DeKalb Avenue and the CSX rail lines through
Decatur. Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into
the Atlantic Ocean while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide runs
into the Gulf of Mexico.
The latter is via the Chattahoochee River, part of the ACF River Basin, and from
which Atlanta and many of its neighbors draw most of their water. Being at the
far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is still
preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
Downstream however, excessive water use during droughts and pollution during
floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states
Alabama and Florida.
Climate
Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Koppen
classification, with generally hot, humid summers and mild winters by the
standards of most of the U.S.
Compared to most large cities around the world at approximately the same
latitude (3339'), such as Beirut, Lebanon; Casablanca, Morocco; Dallas, Texas;
Los Angeles, California; and Phoenix, Arizona, Atlanta has lower average winter
temperatures. The primary reason for this is that the North American continent
extends into high latitudes that allows systems to form and move eastward and
southward without obstruction by major mountain ranges. Other factors include
Atlanta's distance from large bodies of water; its higher elevation, which can
lead to rapid weather changes; prevailing wind patterns; and extensive tree
cover, which reduces the urban heat island effect (an advantage during summer).
In the winter, weather systems sweeping south from Canada, through the Midwest,
bring temperatures that can reach below 25 Fahrenheit (-3.9 Celsius) a few
times a year. The lowest temperature recorded in the city is -9F (-22C),
reached on 13 February 1899. It also reached –8F (–22C) in Atlanta in 1985 and
–5F (–21C) in 1982. An average year sees frost on 48 days; snowfall,
which occurs most years, averages 2 inches (5 centimeters) annually. The
greatest single accumulation of snow was 10 inches (25 centimeters), on January
23, 1940. A more prominent issue in winter are the frequent ice storms that can
cause more problems than snow; the most severe such storm may have occurred on
January 7, 1973. Also during winter, warm air sometimes flows from the Gulf
of Mexico, raising temperatures as high as 75F (24C).
Though summers are humid, actual temperatures are lower than they may feel, with
afternoon highs peaking at about 90F (32C) in late July. Temperatures rarely
reach 100F (38C), which, during the last 30 years, was recorded in 1980, 1983,
1986, 1993, 1995, and 2000. The highest temperature recorded in the city is
105F (40.6C), reached on 13 July and 17 July 1980. Despite the oft-heard
nickname "Hotlanta", average summer highs are only slightly higher than
those of more northerly cities, such as Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York;
and Washington, D.C.. Atlanta's summers are somewhat cooler than those of other
Southern cities, such as Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; and New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Like the rest of the Southeastern U.S., Atlanta experiences abundant rainfall,
which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual
rainfall is 50.5 inches (127 centimeters); the only other major U.S. cities with
greater rainfall are Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Colleges and Universities
Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, among which Emory University, the Georgia Institute of Technology (popularly known as Georgia Tech), Georgia State University, Mercer University, and Oglethorpe University are prominent. Atlanta University Center, a consortium of historically black colleges and universities, is also located in the city; members of the consortium include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College. The Reformed Theological Seminary is another Atlanta school. The Savannah College of Art and Design opened a Midtown, Atlanta, campus in 2005 and acquired the Atlanta College of Art shortly thereafter. John Marshall Law School is the city's only freestanding law school and produces many local lawyers.Institutions in the metropolitan area include Agnes Scott College, in Decatur; Clayton State University, in Morrow; DeVry University, in Decatur; Georgia Perimeter College, with campuses in Alpharetta, Clarkston, Conyers, Covington (scheduled to open in January 2007), Decatur, Dunwoody, and Lawrenceville; Gwinnett University Center (soon to be known as Georgia Gwinnett College, in Lawrenceville); Kennesaw State University, in Kennesaw; Southern Polytechnic State University, in Marietta; and the University of West Georgia, in Carrollton.
Apartment Considerations
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to think through
what are the most important things to you in an apartment and plan your search
based on those priorities. Here are some things to consider when planning your
move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in unit
laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth countries) is a
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments
may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which the
residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or
in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the
public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but
large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment
connotes a residential unit or section in a building. Apartment building owners,
lessors, or managers often use the more general word units to refer to
apartments. Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment, the
lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each vacancy represents
a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the time the apartment is vacant
(i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are often to minimize the vacancy rate
for their units. The owner of the apartment typically transfers possession to
the occupant by giving him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any
other keys need to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other
common areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency, bed-sit, or
bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents
in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually consist mainly of a large room
which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen
facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is its own smaller
separate room. Moving up from the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where
one bedroom is a separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have only
one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits, perhaps a
door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the
entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside,
such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent
furnished with furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in
with his/her own furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an
apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all the
tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built and the design
of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electric may be common
for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed
separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal
to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the
premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed
separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are
extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may
not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number
of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the
apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location
accessible to the public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit
typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large
apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for
each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or
three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of in trash
containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, garbage is
often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing
noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in
an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to refer to a
new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the
word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An
industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly
called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family
member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though
these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters
rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the
basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly becoming
popular with travelers.