I’m going to be working at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital for a couple weeks. Both the local guys retired short notice and the replacements aren’t trained yet so I’m going to install a new system. Start next week. I’ve been told to avoid the East Point/college park area and that seems way south of where I’d need to go.

I’ve noticed that so far all of the hotels my company recommends don’t have any self parking and it’s $40 or so to valet park. Not clear on if that’s a day or not. And that was a place up in Buckhead and another in Midtown. Is the crime/break-ins that much of a problem? I’m driving down with a car full of tools so secure parking is pretty important.

Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.

Buckhead used to be a truly pleasant, upscale place, but it's crime-ridden now. There have been random drive-by shootings of white people in broad daylight.

I hesitate to add more to this, since you will get the impression that it's all unsafe. The suburbs are fine for the most part, I guess. Atlanta has all grown together- you can't really tell where the city ends and the suburbs begin, at least not if you took away the street signs.

I'll leave it to other residents to fill you in more. It's a shame what's happened to this city. I'm just glad I got to experience it before it was allowed to be taken over by criminals.

Hell, you have to go through metal detectors at Lenox Square. I never thought I'd see the day.

I wish I could be more positive for you.

Tagging this for later, we're planning a GA trip in July, but about an hour NE of Atlanta.

Is there any chance that the hospital can provide a secure area to store your tools?

Not sure. This has been a short notice cluster.

Buddy, I’m relatively local. If there’s anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, just ask.

Piedmont Hospital is in a very upscale part of town. It is my primary hospital, doctor group, etc. My kids were born there. Crime in the area has ramped up in the last few years, definitely. It's still nothing like ghetto areas of Atlanta or other major cities. Valet parking charges is nothing new in major cities and doesn't really have anything to do with crime, imo. They just have limited parking and see a way to make a buck.

Piedmont is halfway between Midtown and Buckhead so you could stay in either place. If it were me, I'd probably stay in the Residence Inn at Peachtree and 17th. That area of north midtown is pretty good and the Buckhead hotels would probably be a good bit more expensive. Midtown is nice, Buckhead is the "luxury" area of town. Neither, imo, area areas that need to be avoided. I go to both all of the time and I work downtown.

Constitutional carry is the law here in GA, if that helps.
In fact all the states between your own and here are pretty friendly in that regard.

Worked in Atlanta for seven years.

From my unapologetically not-from-around-there opinion, here goes:

Sandy Springs: It was okay, I got to shake hands with a serial killer during the investigation. Didn't wind up in the 'Hooch.

Dunwoody: New money yankees everywhere. I was their problem. Everybody there was each other's problem.

Powers Ferry: The strip mall that Atlanta forgot. Full of Cobb Snobs and the Cobb Braves* (formerly the Atlanta Braves ).

Toco Hills: Stop by Athens Pizza if it is still open. Don't stop by anything else.

Buckhead: Kinda spendy. Breakfast at the White House? Yes! Lunch at Houstons? Sounds good. Sneaking on over to Fort Peachtree? Well...

Woodland Hills: Seems okay, even if you are by yourself in the daytime. Kill time by watching the trains!

Druid Hills: Like Woodland Hills, but without the trains.

Anything South of I-20? Well, if you really have to...

Your individual results may vary.

Good luck.

I've lived in Atlanta for 37 years and I've been over just about every inch of this place. In Buckhead, I spent nights walking with friends from bar to bar, unarmed and without a worry or care and never had a single problem, and I am telling you that I will not go down there these days, not in broad daylight, and armed.

Lenox Square- my wife and I spent many weekends around there and in 2020, the property ownership installed metal detectors after the shooting death of an armed security guard. Metal detectors- for a shopping mall. Never again. I'll never again set foot in the place. It has been taken over by savages. Think I'm kidding?

Dante's Down the Hatch was across the street from Lenox and again, it used to be that I felt safe to go down there at night, unarmed, but now, you wouldn't catch me there any time of day or night, and not with the police standing on the corner.

I'll say it again- there have been random, drive-by murders of white people who were simply walking during the day. Armed robberies, rapes, car jackings, car break-ins. It's not safe. You have been warned.

All advice about crime is spot on, remember Atlanta in the 80's before I left was not that bad then, have family here so I keep coming back here for that reason and that reason alone. What I will say is after driving on 3 continents 20+ countries, and all 48 of the lower states is you will see more stupidity on the roads here than anywhere. Only place I can think of that is worse is Dallas. The police are so busy they have forgotten traffic enforcement and it shows. Do not think you are safe walking on the sidewalk or sitting in a store which faces the street either.

You might go to those areas and be fine. From moment to moment, people aren't machinegunning each other in the street, but having spent the greater part of my life in this city, I see the changes, which are most certainly real and most certainly for the worse.

Reiterating what the Boss said. Going to a hotel by Centennial park was the closest I ever came to drawing on a guy in public.

It's a bit of a drive (but what isn't?) to consider the Emory University Conference Center Hotel. 23 minute commute, but if you're going to be there a short time, affordable, quiet, and very nice garage parking.

I stay there when going to Blade show.

Born in Piedmont Hospital in 1970, lived in Atlanta for 31 years (less college at Auburn; cause there was no way Georgia Tech was option even though I could have gone for free) and have seen the metro area grow from just over a million to 5.5 million or so it is now.

I agree with Para on about 90% of his statements and fischtown is correct. Buckhead was once a great place to spend time with friends, dining and wining. It was a treat to shop at Lenox even if just for the people watching. Just an aside...I once saw Jon Stewart of MTV fame fall drunk out of a rental car at the Swissotel valet. LOL.

Dunwoody back in the 80s and early 90s was a pretty chill place but once Marta expanded to the North Springs station there goes the neighbhorhood. Crime there has picked up significantly and it seem to begin with a shooting in the food court at Perimeter Mall.

I moved out for good in 2004 (to sweet home Alabama) and the only reason I go back is to visit family that live in east Cobb County or catch a cheaper flight going somewhere a BHM flight is more expensive or doesnt serve.

North of the perimeter (285) is generally pretty safe but staying strapped is still a good idea. People used to call it "Hotlanta" but now I believe that "hot" is referring to post discharge barrel cooling.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I've lived in Atlanta for 37 years and I've been over just about every inch of this place. In Buckhead, I spent nights walking with friends from bar to bar, unarmed and without a worry or care and never had a single problem, and I am telling you that I will not go down there these days, not in broad daylight, and armed.

Lenox Square- my wife and I spent many weekends around there and in 2020, the property ownership installed metal detectors after the shooting death of an armed security guard. Metal detectors- for a shopping mall. Never again. I'll never again set foot in the place. It has been taken over by savages. Think I'm kidding?

Dante's Down the Hatch was across the street from Lenox and again, it used to be that I felt safe to go down there at night, unarmed, but now, you wouldn't catch me there any time of day or night, and not with the police standing on the corner.

I'll say it again- there have been random, drive-by murders of white people who were simply walking during the day. Armed robberies, rapes, car jackings, car break-ins. It's not safe. You have been warned.

Took a girlfriend to Dante's way back when you could walk the streets in peace any time of day or night, seems like a 100 years ago.

Yikes! It’s been nearly 10 years since I have visited Atlanta. Sounds like quite a different place.

Can’t help with the crime stuff but you must eat at a place called Canoe! It is/was fantastic!

Someone here suggested it about 10 years ago and my wife and I loved it.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:


Can’t help with the crime stuff but you must eat at a place called Canoe! It is/was fantastic!

Someone here suggested it about 10 years ago and my wife and I loved it.

Canoe is fantastic. I always try to hit it when in Atlanta.

I do my best to avoid anything inside the Atlanta perimeter, but occasionally I will take the wife to a concert or one of her favorite eateries.

We used to exclusively take MARTA to the airport when going on trips, it has gone down hill quick, the last time we used it I was verbally accosted and had to sit there and take it. I'm just glad it wasn't directed at the wife

I know this isn't helpful. If you must go, follow YellowJackets advice and stay armed if you can



Here is a link to crime maps, might help with areas to avoid

https://www.atlantapd.org/comm...tatistics/crime-maps



https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ga/atlanta/crime

Thanks for some of the pointers. I live just south of Baltimore and work in both Baltimore and D.C. a lot, so I tend to be cautious going out. Some of my hospitals aren’t in the best areas, if there are good ones in Baltimore. Still deciding on carry, have Md & FL permits that should cover me all the way there. But there’s “policy” that makes it an NPE, even in the car I have to pay for the privilege of driving.

Other than the weekend, I’m not sure how much time I’ll have free so I’m not making much in the way of plans. I tend to wear Dickies and an untucked polo shirt for work, I may not even take anything else with me for this trip. Maybe a nicer shirt, supposedly they want to take me out to dinner as a thanks. I told the boss down there we should wait until I get it working first, it’s a gamma camera with a CT on it that has been sitting in a warehouse for almost 3 years, they don’t typically do well with sitting.

That policy seems to also possibly be in effect during personal use that we pay for as the wording instead of saying “as allowed by state or local law” says “unless explicitly required by state or local law, no authorized driver may carry or transport a firearm or any item prohibited by the workplace violence prevention policy”. That’s the main reason I still have my beater grand Cherokee is range and dump trips. As far as while in the company car on my time when I’m paying for the “perk” of using it, I consider that a non-permissive environment, and the first rule of fight club is…