Collier Hills

Overall this is an incredibly mixed area. Going down Collier Rd you will find expensive homes, of which, wealthy and affluent families are the occupants, and you will find several apartment complexes which are usually occupied by the Georgia State and Georgia Tech college students. Most people dont stay in the area too much when they go out and about, however there are a few nice spots, as the area has just been re-done and continues to go through some new changes.

Social scene is not as good as it is in other parts of the city, but there are still lots of great bars and restaurants.

Fox and Hound on Collier Road is a great place to grab a drink outside on a Friday night. The porch has large tables which are great for a big group of people. You can grab dinner there as the food is fabulous. They have $1 fish tacos and $1 drafts (usually Sweetwater) on Sundays.

Felini's on Howell Mill is also great for sitting outside. The pizza here is famous. This is one of several Felini's locations around town. The parking can be extremely difficult. Watch where you park because YOU WILL GET TOWED. Stooges Bar in the Publix Shopping center on the corner of Howell Mill and Collier is a great little pool hall and bar, as is Mr. C's bar and grill (a hole in the wall joint). 

Heading down Collier towards Peachtree and Buckhead you will find several other good spots, all about a mile or two away on Peachtree. There you will find Rio Grande, a great mexican restaurant with some montly events, Cafe Intermezzo which is a fantastic date place and place and only one of two locations in the Atlanta area, Justin's, which is P Diddy's restaurant, Black Bear Tavern and Central City Tavern. A little further up on Peachtree you will find Ibiza restaurant and lounge, which is a great Tapas bar but moderately over-priced.

Most of the clubs are found in Midtown now with the exception of a few hidden treasures not really within the Collier Hills area, but close by. Places like Johnny's Hideaway, Peachtree Tavern, Hole in the Wal, and Moondogs, can be found in Buckhead, heading up Peachtree where it crosses with Piedmont.

This area really is pretty good for the college student. They can get a one bedroom hole for about 750 maybe 800 a month. For more comfortable digs, you may have to bump up in price to around 950 for 900 or so square feet. Anything bigger with two bedrooms and such will, more than likely, be over 1100 - 1200. 

There are several MARTA bus routes that run through the area.  There is not a MARTA station that is very close, but the Midtown stop would be the best one.  GA Tech may have a shuttle that runs through but I am not sure.

Parking is usually not a problem, but for some restaurants it is a pain.  It is at Felini's and Fox and Hound at times, but you can usually find a spot if you are patient.  There are no valets in the area, and everything is pretty much self-parking.

There are several apartment complexes around this area with very good prices. Because this area is close to Georgia Tech and Georgia State, a lot of the renters are college students. Most of the other renters are people looking for a good location with a reasonable price. The houses in this area are all older but are very historical and have been around a long time. They are larger homes with more wealthy tenants. Overall, this is a great area for renters who are looking for a decent location to the downtown, but who are not able to afford the cost of living.

As with most places, simply check to see if they allow pets. Not too many parks to speak of in this area, unfortunately. Atlanta Memorial Park, Underwood Hills park are the two closest ones, followed by Peachtree Hills park. And if you feel like it, Piedmont park is only a few miles south, down Peachtree into the heart of Midtown.

If you live here, you will probably find yourself going out to Midtown or the Highlands or the small strip of places still left in Buckhead.

However, there are a few interesting spots you might choose to go to such as Northside Tavern about two miles south on Howell Mill. This little hole in the wall bar has some of the best blues and blues-grass sounds you will ever hear, almost nightly.

Movie theatres can be found at Atlantic Station and in midtown at the Landmark Art theater which plays some of the more non-mainstream movies. Always a treat. Most of your immediate recreational area will be found in Atlantic Station, down Howell Mill and a left onto Bishop St which turns into 17th. (That happens a lot in Atlanta, streets magically turning into other streets). Be mindful.

One of the best things to go see/do is an improv show. The most respected and well known place technically resides in Midtown on Spring St. However, all you have to do is swing down Peachtree and make a right on Spring and you are there in 5-10 minutes depending on traffic. The WHOLE WORLD THEATRE has some of the greatest improv shows in Atlanta, reminiscent of the show Whose Line is It Anyway? Shows run usually 4-5 times a week, and their comedy club is open on Sunday nights with a minimal cost of 5-10 dollars for a show. Grab a beer, relax, and become part of the show by shouting out ideas to the director when he asks!

Howell Mill and 75-New Shopping center with great restaurants and shopping, Wal Mart, TJ MAX, Ross, Chin Chin restaurant, La Parilla, Artuzzi's Pizza and a host of others are great to explore and discover in this recently built plaza directly off the exit on Howell Mill Rd.

Collier Road-A few fun restaurants and several fun bars.

There is a Publix off of Collier near the intersection of Howell Mill.  If you are looking for a cheaper option, there is Super Wal-Mart off of Howell Mill and 75 and there is also a Kroger in the same shopping center.

Off of Moores Mill road and 75 there is a great YMCA.  The membership is kind of expensive, but they have free child care and wonderful facilities including a pool.

As this is not really a family place to live, the schools in Collier Hills are non-existant. However, the district feeds either a little north or a little south.

Some of the closest schools are:

North Atlanta High School

Garden Hills Elementary

Brandon Elementary

Rivers Elementary

Thinking of doing private schools? Most if not all are located a bit to the north in Buckhead. Westminster, Pace, Galloway, Heiskell Schools.