Photo courtesy of the Georgia
Department of Industry, Trade &
Tourism
An urban mass of skyscrapers rising from rolling hills and a canopy of old-growth trees, Greater Atlanta sprawls across a broad, 20-county, 110-municipality expanse, encompassing a busy downtown hub, thriving suburbs and rural allure.
The financial and economic center of the South and Georgia' capital city, Atlanta is an excellent example of a quality education- and research and development-driven economy that turns out a first-rate work force of bright minds, feeding a varied blend of employers from Coca-Cola to United Parcel.
Atlanta is a main-stay on many "Top" and "Best" lists because of its high profile as an entrepreneurial magnet, transportation hub, domestic and foreign corporate headquarter mecca, export leader, professional sports town, travel and convention destination, and home-based business promoter.
The cradle of the U.S. Civil Rights movement and birthplace of the nation's foremost civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta is a city of transplants and tradition with something for everyone.
The median single-family detached home price was $170,200 at the beginning of 2006 in the Greater Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA area and condos stood at $151,500, but home prices vary considerably throughout the extensive region.
For example, select executive mansions in Buckhead easily crack the seven-figure barrier but starter-home condos and bungalows begin in the low $100,000's.
Similar ranges exist for larger three- and four-bedroom homes in new subdivisions more than an hour from Atlanta proper.
Rentals vary as well from $650 or $700 for a modest, two-bedroom, one-bath home to more than $2,000 for a similar home with an extra bath in the right neighborhood with a view.
From this urban kaleidoscope, we chose four neighborhoods that show what the New South offers.
Our selections include close-knit Decatur Gwinnett county's historic Duluth the city's cultural hub, Midtown, and one of the older yet newly-revived neighborhoods, East Atlanta Village.
