Buckhead, Atlanta, GA

Buckhead is well known for its fine living, abundant shopping, and fine dining.

Average houeshold income in Buckhead is $104,000.00. Median household income in the Buckhead Triangle area is $86,732.  Over 30,000 people now live in North Buckhead alone.  The median age is 33-34 and per capita income is right at $45,000.  About 83% of the people in North Buckhead hold white collar jobs, which is way above average, even for this type of city neighborhood.

The main roads in this area are Piedmont Road and Peachtree Road NW. Daytime population is 349,834 individuals. Traffic count on Piedmont Road is 45,350 vehicles a day.

There are empty nesters, young professionals and young families in the area living in condos, townhomes, single family homes and apartments in the area.  Ethnically, the neighborhood is comprised of the following:

59% White/Caucasian

18% Hispanic

10% African American

3% Asian

10% other

There is a wide selection of dine-in restaurants in Buckhead, and hundreds of others close enough to get to in 15 minutes or less.  If you’re new to the area and single, the Singles Dinner Club is a cool way to meet new people and check out restaurants around the city.  A lot of the club members are in Buckhead, as are many great restaurants.  They put two and two together.  Some notable restaurants include:

10 Degrees South is very elegant, yet fairly causal restaurant located in a Buckhead bungalow on Roswell Road.  It costs about $30 per person.

Fogo de Chao is a popular award winning restaurant on Piedmont.  Make sure to get reservations, and expect to spent a pretty penny.  On the other hand, the featured, skewed meat selection is out of this world.  Their wine selection is also fantastic.

Buckhead (well, Lenox really) is the home of Emiril’s restaurant.  It might not be as great as all the hype, but it’s worth checking out just once for nostalgia’s sake.

If you’re looking for cheap, good eats check out Golden Buddha, Frontera or Willy’s (Tex-Mex) on Roswell Road.

For good, cheap food, beer and a place to and hang out with friends, Fellini’s and La Fonda are two are Atlanta’s best chains and both have locations on Roswell Road in North Buckhead.

Other Restaurants - Bone's Steakhouse, Bertucci's, Buckhead Bread Co., Corner Cafe, Chima Steakhouse, Copeland's, Dressed Salads with Style, AquaKnox Restaurant and Lounge, Sushi Bar Yu-Ka, Buckhead Diner, Landmark Diner, Ru-San's Sushi and Seafood,  Bricktops Restaurant, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant, Ray's in the City Restaurant, LOLA Bellini Bar and Restaurant, Yougurtberry, Flying Biscuit, Jason's Deli, Piu Bello Pizzeria Restaturant, Taco Stand, Locos Bar & Grill,  Mosaic Restaurant, Shane's Rib Shack, Rio Grande Restaurant, IHOP, Nancy's Chicago Style Pizza, Subway, Quizno's, Wendy's, Chipotle, Krystal, Chik Fil A.

Bars and Clubs

Bars - Divan bar, Beluga bar, Tin Lizzy Cantina, Peachtree Tavern, Moondogs Live Bar, Hole in theWall Bar. 

Fado is a great Irish bar in a brand new, much larger location.  Draws a great crowd.  Located at 273 Buckhead Ave.

An unsuspecting place, the bar on the street side of the Buckhead Westin is a nice place to hang out solo or with friends.

Up Roswell Road, literally just past I-285, is American Pie, a restaurant/bar that gets completely packed at nights, hosting karaoke, trivia and related events throughout the week.

Clubs - Sambuca Jazz Lounge, Mood Lounge

Coffee - Starbucks, Caribou Coffee

Buckhead Traingle will be one of the most expensive places to live in Atlanta because of the location and the pricey real estate, luxury amenities, lodging and shopping and commercial land values.  The neighborhood is filled with apartments, townhomes and condos with some single family homes.  Though the area is very expensive, most of the rentals come with hardwood floors, granite, nice baths and exceptional brand appliances. An average 2 bedroom, 2 bath will cost you $1400 a month. An average 1 bedroom, 1 bath will cost you $950.  If you are on a tight budget, start somewhere cheap and upgrade to the Buckhead Triangle area. It can be pricey but the convenience of living in a good centralized location like Buckhead Triangle within the hustle and bustle than can be Atlanta, is worth it.  Other parts of Buckhead, like North Buckhead, may have some more reasonable rental rates.

The North Buckhead Civic Association site offers some great features.  Their crime map section will give you specific details about what crimes have been committed in what parts of the community for the past couple of years.  Auto theft is the most prominent.  Unusual for Atlanta neighborhoods of this social-economic status, personal crime risk is higher than property crime risk.

For a neighborhood, North Buckhead isn’t very community oriented.  It’s a strange mix of lower middle class folks who need to be in the area because of their jobs and upper middle class couples who prefer to own expensive homes there because of the social prestige.

For whatever reasons, and I’m sure there are several, the residential turnover rate for the community is 25%.  It might be beneficial to consult other people who live in the area to get personal perspectives.

MARTA has three stations in Buckhead, the southernmost being Lindbergh Center. Just north of there, the original northeast (orange) and later north (red) lines split, with Lenox at the southwest corner of the Lenox Square parking lot, and (since late 1996) Buckhead on the west side of the malls at Peachtree and 400.  Foot travelers can utilize Atlanta’s MARTA buses and trains to pretty much get anywhere in the city.

The Buc , the new free Buckhead shuttle bus service, connects MARTA's Lenox and Buckhead stations to hotels, office buildings, shops, restaurants, Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square. The name is an acronym for Buckhead's Uptown Connection. The shuttle runs every 8-15 minutes between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on a five-mile loop

For automotive commuters, the perk of living in North Buckhead is that they’re on the south, city side of GA 400.  The downside of that, of course, is that it’s 400, one of the most congested routes in the Atlanta metro area.  Additionally, it’s been reported that 82% of the North Buckhead community either drives or carpools to work.

It’s the great aspects of Buckhead that make it unbearable when it comes to traffic.  People flock to the area for great shopping and dining and, in the process, clog all the streets and highways.  It’s very congested for morning and evening rush hours, and at peak lunch time.   Weekends vary depending on what is going on in the city.

You can rent a three bedroom apartment in the district off Roswell Road for $1200 to $1700 a month. Two bedroom condos can be as cheap as $250,000.00 but would probably be fixer uppers.

Piedmont Road apartments rent from $899 for a one bedroom to $2185 for a three bedroom apartment a month. A 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom townhouse can be rented starting at $3050 a month.  

The split between homes owned and homes rented in the area is about 50/50, making it highly possible to find something on short notice.  Also, take it for what it’s worth, Keller Williams reports that there are about 3,000 homes vacant at any given time period in North Buckhead.

The average home sells for $425,000 in North Buckhead, and this really is an average, as some go for much lower and some soar way above.  This makes the area affordable for more people, and leaves great high rise locations to be desired for those who have the funds to rent them out.

You can find condos listed on Atlanta Condo in North Buckhead for $1,000-2,000.  

While places like Craigslist are still viable, many prefer to list on commercial real estate and rental sites.  That’s typical of Buckhead, so don’t let it scare you away.  Also note that negotiation isn’t really an option for this area, unless you’re dealing with the owner of a less valuable home or one in a less desirable area.

Buckhead is a friendly pet community. Lots of residents own dogs and walk them throughout the neighborhood. Small local parks in the area are good walking places for pets.

One of the most useful things I've seen in a while, the North Buckhead Civic Association has a Lost & Found section for neighborhood pets on their website.

Because Buckhead is such a densely populated area, you'll certainly have no problem finding a vet and groomer to meet your pets' needs. AtlantaVeterinarian.com is a great resource for finding all kinds of pet related businesses.

Buckhead is the shopping mecca of the Southeast, with more than 1,400 retail units and in excess of $1 billion a year in sales. Forty percent of Buckhead's shoppers come from more than 100 miles away.

Lenox Mall - Lenox Square is the Southeast's premier shopping destination.  Lenox Square is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus and Macy's, and features nearly 250 specialty stores - shops like Anthropologie, BCBG, Bobby Jones, Burberry, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Cartier, David Yurman, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Kiehl's Since 1851, Hermes, Polo Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shabby Chic, St. John, and Zara.  Experience fine dining at Prime or Clubhouse.

Phipps Plaza - named a "Southern Best" in Southern Living magazine's Readers' Choice Awards - is anchored by Nordstrom, Belk, and Saks Fifth Avenue. As the Southeast's premier upscale shopping center, Phipps Plaza is home to more than 100 specialty stores including Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Jimmy Choo, and Juicy Couture.  At Phipps Plaza you'll also find four full service restaurants, a food court, and a 14-screen AMC theatre. Shops are elegantly presented in an environment sculpted in marble, brass and fine woodwork, and bathed in sunlight.

AMC Fork & Screen - Plush seating and a more comfortable and inviting in-theatre experience. Casual, tabletop dining with  Seat-Side Service in all auditoriums. Menu choices that are fresh, delicious and fun. Featuring MacGuffin's, a full bar and lounge.

Borders, Barnes and Nobles, numerous boutique shops.

Coca Cola Roxy Theatre

The Streets of Buckhead community project is currently being construced. It will be a luxury retail and mixed-use community in the heart of heart of Atlanta's cosmopolitan Buckhead neighborhood. The Streets of Buckhead will transform a total of 9 acres - bordered by Pharr Road on the south, Peachtree Road on the west, East Paces Ferry Road on the north and North Fulton Avenue on the east, into a charming and walkable city streetscape offering upscale boutiques, extraordinary restaurants and sidewalk cafes.  Upon completion, The Streets of Buckhead will proudly feature nearly 600,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, dedicated to iconic, internationally celebrated luxury and lifestyle brands like Oscar de la Renta, Hermes, Etro, Bottega Veneta, Domenico Vacca, Loro Piana, and Vilebrequin; stylish restaurants, including Bottega del Vino, Japonais and La Goulue Bistro; a world-class hotel, The Baccarat Hotel and Residences, created by the founder of the W Hotel chain; and up to 1,000 luxury residential units. The grand opening of retail shops and restaurants set for November 2009.The community is in the process of building Little Nancy Creek Park, for which they've purchased a land plot on Peachtree-Dunwoody Road and begun zoning. As of now, don't bet on this one.

Capital City Country Club lies less than half a mile east of North Buckhead. It's a 125 year old social club, and offers swimming, tennis and golf, among other social activities, to its members. The club also gives members access to a couple of other locations in the metro area.

If you're looking for something different to get involved with on the weekends, Atlanta Boxing Club is just down the street on Roswell Road.

A location right off Roswell Road is probably the most convenient. In general, the west side of the neighborhood contains more ‘normal' residencies while east side, closer to Peachtree-Dunwoody, includes more rich folk.

If you want to be closer to Lenox Square, there are plenty of apartment and condo options off the Buckhead Loop and Piedmont Road on the south side of the neighborhood.

Basic streets to look for include Wieuca, Old Ivy, Pinecrest and Rickenbacker, and you might find multiple side streets off of those.

Piedmont Peachtree Crossings has many of the essentials- a 152,239 square foot shopping center located on Piedmont Road. Major tenants are Kroger, Washington Mutual and Starbucks Coffee.

Because the neighborhood is so large, there's really no reason to leave for anything. Within it, you'll find all your essentials.

Grocery stores -One Kroger in the immediate area(currently undergoing a major reface and renovation), Publix, Whole Foods, and a newly opened Trader Joes.

Drug Stores -There are CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, all on Roswell Road, and Concord Drugs on Peachtree-Dunwoody.

Cost Plus World Market is great for a wide variety of things for your new apartment, from dishes to decor.

Banks -Sun Trust, Regions, Wachovia, Washington Mutual(WaMu), BB&T, Best Bank, and a Bank of America, many on Roswell Road.

Gyms - LA Fitness, Crunch Fitness

Numerous dry cleaners, day and fitness spas

Body Awareness Studio and Forever Fit are two great local health clubs. Gold's Gym is just north of the neighborhood, on Roswell Road up in Sandy Springs.

Buckhead is in the Atlanta Public School system. Public schools local to the neighborhood include several elementary schools, including E. Rivers, Garden Hills, Morris Brandon, Sarah Rawson Smith and Warren T. Jackson. The encompassing school zone includes Sutton Middle School and North Atlanta High.

E. Rivers Elementary - is another one of Atlanta's best-kept secrets. It has small population, a strong close-knit community, excellent parental involvment/support, a strong PTA, and top-notch academics.

Garden Hills Elementary is located in the Southern part of Buckhead

Morris Brandon Elementary - is also a top notch school and has also intstituted the elementary version of the IB program.
Sarah Rawson Smith Elementary - is the best elementary school in the city of Atlanta based on test scores. It serves the North Buckhead community.

Warren T. Jackson Elementary - has an IB program at the elementary level.

Sutton Middle School - has an IB program and the kids are separated according to grade level there. There is a sixth grade academy housed in the new wing of the school, intended to make transition into middle school years a smooth one without the crackling of the older students. The seventh and eighth grade wings tend to be on the 2nd and third levels. Lunches times are slotted according to grade level too.

North Atlanta High School - home to Atlanta's International Bacalaurate Program(IB). The IB Program is the most challenging, rigerous curriculum a student can go through in the country and its offered at thousands of schools as magnet programs accorss the country. There is a VERY competitive admissions process to get into the program."Atlanta's longest worshipping congregation," Sardis Methodist Church is believed to have been the third church established in Georgia. It's just outside the perimeter of the North Buckhead community on the southeast side.

Private schools in the neighborhood or close enough to attend include the following:

· Atlanta International School

· Atlanta Speech School

· Christ the King School

· Atlanta Girls School

· The Galloway School

· The Heiskell School

· Holy Spirit Preparatory School

· The Lovett School

· Pace Academy

· Westminster

The Buckhead branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is located on Buckhead Avenue.

"Atlanta's longest worshipping congregation," Sardis Methodist Church is believed to have been the third church established in Georgia. It's just outside the perimeter of the North Buckhead community on the southeast side.