Adventures in Moving

I have been priced out of my current neighborhood, and turned in my notice at the beginning of the month. I will be moving at the end of October. I hate looking for a new place. But I do know the places to avoid, which I will share with you later. Today I started to look for a new place to live. I decided to look around Buford Hwy, if you're unfamiliar with Atlanta, Buford Hwy is majority Spanish speaking with pockets of Asian. The whole day was a bust. The first leasing office I stopped at or should I say a two bedroom apartment turned into a leasing office I was welcomed by one of those hot dog looking dogs. Someone finally came out after the dog wouldn't stop barking, and I was informed that there were no vacancy. What a shame. I walk over to the next complex, I took a few steps in and decided to leave. It reminded me too much of my first apartment complex which was close to a jail. I couldn't see the jail out of my window but it was in walking distance. Actually living near a jail wasn't that bad, only when I heard of a prison break on the news did I freak out. The reporters would always leave you hanging. "There has been a prison break, stay tuned to find out where and how many" WTF, I need more then that lady. My old roommate still swears they caught someone in our complex, we still disagree on this but I do remember the helicopters. So you can see why I wasn't to keen on moving to somewhere that reminded me of that place. Once I left the second place I walked towards an apartment complex that look pretty decent on the bus. And up close it was still very nice, I was thinking okay this may be an option but then I saw condominium residencies on the sign. I start hoping maybe that's a fancy way of saying apartments, so I keep walking in and from the cars and carports I know I can't afford this place. I am thinking to myself WTF are you kidding me I am on fu*king Buford HWY, there's a freakin pawn shop at the next light. All the nice apartments near Marta are really expensive and house people who don't need to live that close to the train and now they are taking the apartments on the busline. I am not looking for luxury hell I can't afford it. All I want is something affordable, safe, nice and drug free. I just can't go back to the hood. I can do the swagger when I need to, but I really don't want to hear hey dread every time I leave my apartment. I don't want to see camera crews roll in and know something else has happened. After the condominium residencies I am pretty much done for the day. I get to the bus stop right before the bus arrives (had good bus timing today) My plan was to go straight to the station, but I saw a place that looked okay. So I got off, I should have stayed on. Another leasing office that was a two bedroom apartment. So I leave there and start to walk off my frustration, I end up passing a place called Orient Mart- One store said it had music videos and books. So I thought to myself let me go in and check it out. The books would probably all be in another language, but whatever I am a sucker for bookstore, and who knows maybe they have a kids section. So I find the store, and if posters of women on the window were any indication they did not have a children section. I took a serious pass on going in. I have no reason to go into a store that looks like its windows have been decorated by a 15 yr old boy who has a thing for Asian chicks. After that I am officially done for the day.
Places to avoid when Apartment hunting in Atlanta

Too Scary
Anything with Villa in the name
Anything French sounding like de or chateau
If there is a sign posted in front of the complex that says drug free community

Too expensive
Luxury Apartment living
Apartment Homes
Condominium Residencies
Indulgent Amenities

The hunt continues,