What is the difference between Decatur and North Decatur? The City of Decatur, Georgia and North Decatur, Georgia are two very popular places to live near Emory University in Atlanta. Decatur and North Decatur have a lot of similarities and attract people who want to live intown near all of the great things you can do in Atlanta. Watch this video to find out how these popular intown Atlanta neighborhoods are similar and what is different about them.
Are you thinking about moving to Decatur, Ga?
Here are 5 things you may hate about Decatur, Georgia. Decatur is definitely not Atlanta. Decatur has a unique flavor unlike any other part of Metro Atlanta. Watch this video to find out about Decatur GA.
Hey, this is Parker, your favorite Atlanta Realtor. We’ve done several videos on the City of Decatur, which is just east of downtown Atlanta. The City of Decatur is a very popular spot for people, especially if they’re going to be working at Emory or the CDC. So I wanted to give you 5 interesting facts about the City of Decatur. Let’s get going.
Number one: there are five different zip codes that give you a Decatur mailing address, but only one of those zip codes is actually the City of Decatur. Do you know which one is actually the City of Decatur? We’ll insert the jeopardy theme music here for you, but it’s actually 300300. This is really useful information to know if you’re searching for a home in the City of Decatur. If you pull up listings on Realtor.com for instance, and you see that the zip code is 30030, you know you’re looking at a house within the city limits of Decatur. Any other zip codes with a Decatur mailing address, and what you’re looking at is a home an unincorporated Dekalb County. If you don’t know what unincorporated means, it means it’s part of a county but not part of a city. This is important information because the City of Decatur has its own police department, fire department, and school system. But also has much higher property values and higher property taxes as well. You know the school system and the police department may be a plus or a minus for you depending on your specific needs, and your budget, so having this information will definitely help you with your home search. So again the City of Decatur is zip code 30030, and every other home with the Decatur mailing address is part of Dekalb County.
Number two: the City Schools of Decatur are one of the biggest drivers of demand for housing inside the city limits. City Schools of Decatur are some of the best in the entire state, and many parents are willing to pay that higher premium in the property taxes in order to be in that school system. City Schools of Decatur has five elementary schools, two upper elementary schools, which are fourth and fifth grade only only, one middle school, and one high school, which is conveniently located right next to downtown Decatur square. Almost all of the elementary schools are walk to school with a great community feel. One other unique thing about the City Schools of Decatur is the College Heights early childhood learning center, which goes from six weeks all the way up to pre-k, so it’s sort of like a public preschool. There are several other churches in Decatur which offer preschool programs as well.
Number three: the City of Decatur has a very young and very highly educated population. There’s about 26,000 people in the City of Decatur, The median age is 37 which means half the people are below 37 and half are older than 37 and 75 percent of those people have a bachelor’s degree or higher. So as you might guess, the City of Decatur has a very high median household income. It’s actually just above $106,000 a year.
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Number four: the City of Decatur has a great public park system. There’s almost 60 acres of public parks in the City of Decatur, which is actually quite a lot considering that the total area of the city is only four and a half square miles. Many of the neighborhoods in nearby North Decatur and Druid Hills have their own swim and tennis clubs, which are very popular and sometimes there’s a long waiting list, so they can be difficult to get into. City of Decatur has their own public pools: they have three pools. They have three separate tennis complexes and they have three dog parks.
And finally, number five: if you’re moving to Atlanta and planning on using public transportation, City of Decatur is a great place to be located. There’s the East Lake MARTA station, the Avondale MARTA station, and the downtown Decatur MARTA station, which is conveniently located on Decatur Square. The good news is all of these MARTA stations are surrounded by the neighborhoods – they’re an easy walk. So if you’re planning on using public transportation in Atlanta, Decatur is a fine place to be.
So I hope you found that helpful. Again we have several other videos about Decatur, the most popular and comprehensive of which is our pros and cons of living in Decatur, which I’ll link right there. And if you’re planning a move to Atlanta, please feel free to reach out my information is in the box below: give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an emai,l I’d love to talk to you thanks!
Decatur is a small town with a classic town square layout – all of the shops and restaurants surround an open plaza that hosts artists and musicians, dogs and families all year long in Atlanta’s mild climate. The DeKalb County courthouse and municipal buildings are close to the square as well. Dekalb county employees bring a bustling lunch business to the downtown Decatur restaurants.
The neighborhoods around the square are mostly single family homes, with some townhomes and a limited number of apartment rentals.
I love Decatur and have lived within the city of Decatur for almost 25 years now. I think the area is great and that Decatur is one of the most charming areas of Atlanta. I’ve created this video to give you a local’s view of the 5 pros and 5 cons of living in the City of Decatur.
I’m here to give you information that you may not not find out until you live in Decatur. Like I said, I love Decatur, but I’m here to give it to you straight, so let’s start with the CONS.
Con #1
Decatur has a cool downtown, and all of the charm of the downtown comes at a price – It’s Expensive to live in Decatur! You will have a very difficult time finding an updated house for less than $700k.
Decatur is a pretty small geographic area within the Metro Atlanta area, and it is in very high demand, which causes the price of homes within the city limits to be much higher than the Atlanta average.
In July 2020, the median home sale price in Decatur was over $600K. That means that half of the homes sell for more than $600k and half are below $600k. When people start looking at moving to Decatur, most people are shocked at how little $600K will buy. These aren’t Manhattan prices, of course, but they are pretty steep compared to the nearby neighborhoods outside of the city. For example, just outside the city limits of Decatur going towards Emory university, you can find an updated 3/2 ranch with a basement for $400k.
Con #2 is property taxes. Not only are the homes more expensive per square foot, the millage rate is higher than the unincorporated Dekalb County areas around Decatur. City of Decatur property taxes are sometimes double what you would pay on a similar house outside the city limits. To be fair, that is part of the price you pay to have a great public school system. City of Decatur Schools are some of the best in the Atlanta metro area. An average private school in Atlanta costs $700 per month at the low end. So, you really could look at the increased taxes as the value of a great school system. One of my next videos will be comparing home prices and property taxes inside and outside the Decatur city limits. If you are considering moving to the Decatur area and would like this information, click the subscribe button so that you will be notified when that video drops! Also, you can call me if you have any questions about Decatur or if you need help finding a home.
So let’s get to Con #3 – Decatur is somewhat isolated from rest of ATL – when you are getting around Atlanta, you are almost guaranteed to add 20 minutes to your drive if you live in Decatur. Most of Atlanta’s shopping and restaurants are in the midtown, Buckhead and Westside areas. Decatur does have many superior restaurants and lots of cute shops, but if you want fine dining or higher end shopping, you will have a drive.
Also, Decatur is not close to any major highways. Many people do still work in Downtown Atlanta and Decatur is convenient to that, but in Atlanta, large companies are shifting north to midtown/buckhead/and further north like Alpharetta – If you work at Emory, the CDC or CHOA, though, Decatur is very convenient. The Emory campus is exactly 2.5 miles from the Decatur Square via Clairmont Road.
This brings us to Con #4 of living in Decatur – Traffic!
Atlanta traffic in general is some of the worst in the country, and Decatur is no different. Part of the increased drive time to get to and from Decatur is due to the fact that there are few roads into Decatur. The main road that brings you into Decatur, Clairmont Road, can get very congested. It can take about 10 minutes for the 2 1/2 mile drive from downtown Decatur to Emory, and much much more during heavy commute times.
And the Final Con #5 about the City of Decatur – The Parking. If you move to Decatur and buy a single family home or townhome, you won’t have any trouble parking at your home. The main thing that Decatur residents complain about is the limited parking in the downtown commercial area. some businesses have left due to limited parking and problems they say it has caused their business. There limited on street parking – it can be hard to find a convenient spot, and you have to pay. Residents have complained that the minimum parking fee is $3, whether you are staying an hour or stopping for 10 minutes to pick up takeout. There is a large parking deck near the municipal buildings, though, and the charges there are pretty in line with what you would pay throughout Atlanta.
So, I’ve given you a local’s view of 5 Cons of the City of Decatur, so stick around and we will get into the 5 Cons of the City of Decatur.
Pro #1 of the City of the Decatur is that it has some of the most charming houses and neighborhoods anywhere in Atlanta. If you love a Craftsman bungalow or Farmhouse style home, Decatur is the place for you. The local historic preservation committee also ensures that new construction conforms to the surrounding neighborhoods. Just a side note, the permit office can be both a positive and a negative, since Renovations/remodels/builds can be difficult – permitting office is tougher than unincorporated Dekalb.
Pro #2 of the City of Decatur is the Community.
What people love most about Decatur is the community feel. As I mentioned before, if you’ve ever been to Asheville NC or Austin TX, Decatur has that same kind of creative vibe. Decatur is full of excellent farm to table restaurants, music and art festivals and community events sponsored by the city.
Decatur hosts the Decatur Arts Festival in the Spring. It is one of Atlanta’s largest arts festivals, and draws people from all over the city. It’s held on the square and several of the surrounding streets are closed off for 3 days. There are tons of arts and crafts vendors, food tents and trucks, live music on the square and family and kids activities.
In the fall, Decatur hosts the Decatur Book Festival. It’s a large multi-day festival on the square – there are tons of activities for families, and authors from all around the country come to give talks and sign books.
Pro #3 of the City of Decatur is the great selection of independent stores and restaurants.
Like I said earlier, there are tons of great restaurants in Decatur. The Brick Store Pub is a beer lover’s delight, possibly the best selection of beers anywhere in Atlanta. They really set Decatur off in 1997 when they opened. There was literally nothing in Downtown Decatur and then all of the sudden this great community pub opened and everything blossomed form there. It was really quite incredible to witness the rebirth of this city. I lived in nearby Avondale Estates in 1997, and it’s hard to believe now when you see how much Decatur has to offer, but back then there wasn’t much to do on a Friday night before the Brick Store came in!!!
Now, in downtown Decatur, you can eat some of Atlanta’s best tacos at Taqueria del Sol. My wife’s favorite tacos are the fried fish tacos that have spicy creamy sauce and pickled jalapeños – I love the carnitas. In Decatur, you can sample Indian street food at a restaurant called Chai Patti..
Decatur also has a rich music scene. Eddies Attic is one of Atlanta’s oldest live music venues, right on Decatur square since 1991, they have hosted thousands of great artists like the Indigo Girls, The Black Crowes, Sugarland and John Mayer.
Pro #4 is that the City of Decatur is very walkable. Most of the neighborhoods in Decatur were built in the late 1800’s to the early 20th century, when people walked everywhere. Most neighborhoods have sidewalks and many are walking distance to neighborhood shops and restaurants. The downtown Decatur area is very walkable – once you park you car, you will not need it again for a day of shopping and dining.
One other quick thing to note is that Decatur square sits right on top of the MARTA station. MARTA is Atlanta’s subway system. It’s nice that it’s in Decatur, particularly if you need to get to the airport.
This takes us to the final Pro – #5 – The Schools! The City of Decatur is it’s own independent school system, and it is the best overall in the intown Atlanta area. It is small – there is just one high school, one middle school and 7 elementary schools. The elementary schools have heavily involved parents, high community involvement and excellent test scores. The excellent city schools is an enormous part of why the City of Decatur is such a desirable place to live. There are also several great private schools such as St. Thomas More, The Friends School, a Waldorf School and a Montessori School.
So there you have it – the straight talk about the pros and cons of living in the City of Decatur.
If you’d like more information and insider info about moving to and living in the areas around Emory University, please subscribe and watch my other videos.
Hey this is Parker Smith with Palmer House Properties in Atlanta. If you’re moving to Atlanta and you’ve been checking out the area around Emory University stick around because we’re going to talk about North Decatur.
So what’s so great about the North Decatur area?
Well number one we talked about the proximity to some of Atlanta’s largest employers: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is currently moving all of their buildings along the I-85 corridor between North Druid Hills and Clairmont Road and the Centers for Disease Control has a campus at Emory University, and also one over off Burford Highway, both of which are very close to the area.
So where is the North Decatur area? North Decatur is comprised of three zip codes: it’s 30329 3033 and 30345. It’s roughly the area that you see on the map – it is north of Emory University, slightly east of the Toco Hills shopping center, to the east of I-85 and south of i-285. Atlanta has three major highways: you have 75 and 85,which make an x through the city, and then you have I-285, which is called the perimeter which makes a ring around the city. In Atlanta, people refer to locations as either being ITP, which is inside the perimeter, or OTP, which is outside the perimeter. North Decatur is all – ITP inside the perimeter and it’s located in the northeast part of town – that’s a very desirable location for the reasons we’ve always already talked about: it’s close to employers and it’s very easy to get around to all the great spots in Atlanta.
So let’s take a little tour of the zip codes in North Decatur which again are 30329, 30033 and 30345. We’ll start at Toco Hills shopping center, which is located on the westernmost edge of North Decatur. Toco Hills was recently renovated and has attracted boutique shopping and high-end chain restaurants. There are also two large grocery stores: Publix and Kroger, which are at the shopping center and Toco Hills is just north of Emory University. Toco Hills is in the 30329 zip code and just east of there is Sagamore Hills. Sagamore Hills is full of larger ranches on large lots. There are two swim tennis clubs: Briarcliff Beach Club and the Sagamore Hills pool.
The neighborhood swim tennis clubs are a big part of the social life in North Decatur. All the clubs have very active swim teams, year-round tennis teams and most clubs have a lot of very fun social events during the year. Okay our next stop is going to be the Oak Grove area located at Oak Grove road and LaVista Road. The Oak Grove plaza is kind of the crossroads of the North Decatur community – it’s where all the locally owned shops and restaurants are, and it’s the place everyone knows about – even the people who don’t live here. If someone asks you where you live you can say you know where the Oak Grove Market is, and they say oh yeah that’s a great neighborhood. Even people who live a mile down the road in briar lake say they live in Oak Grove. It’s a convenient landmark that represents the whole community and the Oak Grove Market is really the center of the the area it originally started as a meat market has evolved into a great little 1950s style diner. The Oak Grove Market is a great place to grab lunch – they grill chicken and burgers every day, you can also pick up pre-made dinners there which is very popular. Just down from there is a fine dining and cocktails restaurant called Kitchen Six and a great Mexican food restaurant called Taqueria el Vesino and out front is a terrific sports bar known as The Grove – all these restaurants stay very very busy.
Continuing east down LaVista Road takes you to Briarlake Elementary – it is a wonderful school. It has a hearing impaired inclusion program, so many of the teachers there use sign language. Right next to Briarlake Elementary is a true local treasure which is David’s Produce. David’s has been in business since 1933 – they have fresh boiled peanuts, fresh produce, all sorts of hot sauces and relishes and the best variety of gourmet sodas in the area. We love to get our peaches from David’s during peach season. They’re very picky about what they sell and the peaches are always fantastic. The North Decatur area is full of fun things to do, whether it’s eating out or just getting outside. Like i said before tennis is huge – if you don’t belong to a swim tennis club don’t worry right in the area is the Dekalb tennis center. The Dekalb tennis center is part of the Mason Mill complex which has the Avis G Williams library, a senior center, a large playground as well as the boardwalk trail called The Path that goes directly to Emory University and Medlock Park. I think what makes the North Decatur area so special is that it just has a great small town feel. It has a really incredible diverse and vibrant community of people that all really care. It’s just a really special place to live it really does feel like living in a small town in a big city. If you need more information about the area feel free to call me text me send me an email i’m here to help!