Amal Heights, Atlanta, GA

Some brave urban pioneers have ventured into Amal Heights and staked out a claim. However, urban poverty and all the trappings keep development at a snail's pace. 

You want to head to Midtown or Metropolitan Avenue for bars and restaurants, unless you just want something quick and cheap. Harold's BBQ on McDonough St. is pretty good. Otherwise there aren't too many places to in which to choose. 

You can rent an apartment cheaply, roughly $700.00 a month can get you 2 bedrooms. However, it might not be worth it given what you'll spend replacing your valuables from the steady flow of robberies, both in homes and vehicles. , 

Marta buses run through the neighborhood. The buses are clean and usually on time. If you want to hop on the Marta Rail, you'll have to take a bus to the Lakewood station because it's a little far to walk. As far as parking, there are plenty of spaces, but leaving your car anywhere in Amal Heights is an invitation for theft.

Don't rent in this neighborhood unless you crave adventure in terms of being on alert 24 hours a day. There are plenty of places in Atlanta where you can get a good deal and not have to carry a concealed weapon. 

You certainly need a dog in your home to protect you from home invasions. The problem is walking the dog given the amount of street crime along with the trashy landscape littered with broken glass and torn up sidewalks that haven't been repaired in at least a decade. Who wants to look at that? 

The nearby Lakewood Amphitheater is one of the largest concert venues in the city. The only time you'll see lots of Atlantans flocking to Amal Heights and surrounding streets is when a big name is town to perform. Southbend Park is a neighborhood park, but given the local economics, it's not aesthetically pleasing. 

You'll find most businesses on Metropolitan Avenue, from grocery stores, to banks, to car repair shops. As far as a gym, you'll have to drive up to Midtown or over to the Camp Creek shopping area to exercise. Of course you can get plenty of exercise by chasing the thieves running on the streets with your belongings. 

You have to go to Metropolitan Avenue for everything. Amal Heights is the ghetto, so anything you need requires a drive at least a mile away. 

Amal Heights is in the Atlanta Public School District. They have a new division of high schools called the New Schools of Carver. It has a Fine Arts division, health and science, technology, and Carver early college. Slater elementary and Price Middle School are also the schools for this zone. However, if parents want their child to attend another public school, Georgia Law allows parents to choose any school in their district provided there's room.