Easy East Point~ Atlanta’s best kept secret?

I’m always learning new tidbits about Atlanta communities.
While on an appointment in East Point last week, I got to chatting (as you know I do!) with a seller about the community.
I asked, “What do you love most about living in East Point?”? He replied with, “There are so many reasons, let me just write them all down”.
Here is his open letter to you, potential East Point resident.

“Thanks for letting me be a spokesperson for East Point.  Let me start off by saying that my wife and I have both lived in Atlanta for the last 12 years (most of which we didn’t know each other).  Between the two of us we have lived in Buckhead, Emory, Decatur, Grant Park, Vinings, Smyrna, North Lake, Alpharetta, East Lake, and Midtown. 

Here are some great reasons to live in East Point:

1. Ft McPherson.  This is actually the reason we moved here in the first place.  The closing of Ft. McPherson will result in a massive redevelopment of 480 acres of land between downtown and the airport.  That’s 5 times the size of Atlantic Station.  I have attached two links that show the final draft of the plans for the reuse.  The first one is a very large pdf that has lots of detail.  The second is a smaller file that shows that our house will be within 1/4 mile of mixed use and high density retail area with restaurants and shopping as well as 1/4 mile from park space.  In the pictures you can see our house is right between the fort and Langford Parkway.  In a few years, this land will be easily one of the best places to live.  If we weren’t moving to Indiana to be closer to my wife’s family, we would live here for a very long time.  It actually makes me a little mad to be moving.
http://www.mcphersonredevelopment.com/documents/FINALDRAFTReusePlan.pdf
http://www.mcphersonredevelopment.com/documents/FtMc-newsletter-Oct2007-v6.pdf

2. Small town life.  The city of East Point is just plain cute.  Once you et off Langford Parkway you feel like you are miles and miles away from the city.  They have a very small town feel – you should come and see their fireworks display on the 4th of July.  It’s not as big a Lenox, but it is infinitely more intimate and family orientated.  They also have little fairs and markets right downtown throughout the year.  City Hall, the fire department, police station and the library are all within 100 feet of each other (and trust me, going to East Point city hall is so much nicer and easier than City of Atlanta’s).  There is also a park and a great recycling center.  You will often see lots of people riding their bikes along Main Street in the summer because it’s so flat too!

3. Locally owned and operated.  East Point doesn’t have many chains, other than the gas stations and a Taco Bell.  Every store and restaurant is locally owned and operated.  Taco Pete is fantastic – it looks like a little hut, but their food is great and the people are so nice (they actually remember you).  Thumbs up Diner, Q’s, El Roccio, Chick a Loes are all great places to eat.  If you drive down a little further into College Park you can also go to the Brake Pad – a favorite of local cops which is always a good sign for a great place to eat.  East Point also just opened some art store or gallery.  I haven’t been in yet, but I will.

4. Marta.  I work up in Sandy Springs in the king and queen building.  So I am able to take Marta to work every day.  It’s only a 5 minute walk which isn’t bad even when it’s cold or raining.  We were even able to sell one of our cars and live with just one very easily, which was so nice.  $53 per month vs. a car payment, gas and insurance?  I did enroll in the flex car program, so if I NEEDED a car, I would have easy access to one.

5. East Point Corner Tavern.  I was going to add this to the list of locally owned and operated places, but I feel it deserves it’s own number.  This place epitomizes why I REALLY love East Point.  Every where I have lived in Atlanta, there has seemed to be unspoken friction between groups.  That doesn’t happen in East Point.  I promise.  Go up to East Point Corner Tavern on a Saturday night to see Karaoke, or Friday for ‘Adult Trivia’.  You will see men, women, old, young, black, white, straight, gay, rich, poor, hip and square… everyone all getting along and hanging out together.  And that’s true just about everyone in East Point.  Everyone coexists in harmony.  It sounds corny, I know.  But to actually see it in action is a wonderful thing.  This is something that I never experienced in any other part of Atlanta.   I can’t tell you how much I will miss this place when I move.  On a side note, the staff is so friendly, relaxed, and attentive.  Oh, and their food is out of this world – upscale bar food, so they offer salmon burgers but no wings.

6. Utility bill.  City of East Point has you electric, water, sewer and trash on one bill.  Even in the summertime, I have never paid more that $160 in a month.  And I like air conditioning a lot.  Also, you can just put your yard waste along the road and a truck will come by and suck it up and turn it into mulch for the parks.  Obviously it’s nice to not have to bag leaves.

7. Location.  Minutes from the airport (or you can take marta).  You can take back roads to downtown and get to CNN in 10 minutes (my wife worked there, so that’s not an exaggeration).  Langford parkway can either take you to the Connector or to 285. 

If I can think of any more reasons, I’ll let you know.  I really think that East Point has something special going on that people should want to be part of. ”

Now, if THAT isn’t a testimonial for East Point, Atlanta, I don’t know what is!

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