28 Aug Living in Decatur

Decatur is a small city and suburb to the east of Atlanta. Decatur was first founded in 1822 and named for the naval hero Stephen Decatur. During the Civil War, the city was a strategic site for Sherman’s campaign against Atlanta. In the Battle of Atlanta, the Confederate cavalry attacked the supply wagons here and forced the Union troops to leave. A marker still designates this spot to this day on the Decatur courthouse. In the twentieth century, Atlanta’s metropolitan area expanded into the Decatur area and eventually incorporated the town. Recently, the city has achieved economic vigor from remarkable downtown development plans. The result was the creation of the trendy, yet small district that 19,360 residents call home today.

Local Attractions

Downtown Decatur is filled with historic structures that are on the National Register of Historic Places. For example, South Candler Street boasts the Agnes Scott College Historic district with the historic campus and surrounding residences. The Old DeKalb County Courthouse sits right in Decatur Square, and contains a small history museum within that contains well-preserved artifacts. On North Candler Street lies the High House. That antebellum building is believed to be the oldest two-story structure in the city and is quite a sight to see.

There are also plenty of great places to get a bite to eat. Recently renovated, the old Decatur Railway Depot was originally transformed into the restaurant Farmstead 303. Similarly, the historic Old Scottish Rite Hospital in Oakhurst houses restaurants as well as an art gallery. Other restaurants that all visitors and residents alike must try include Iberian Pig, The Brick Store Pub, Cakes & Ale, and No. 246.

Education

The Decatur City School District serves grades pre-school all the way to grade twelve. The fantastic schools include: Winnona Park Elementary, Oakhurst Elementary, Clairemont Elementary, Glenwood Elementary, The 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue, Carl G. Renfroe Middle School, and Decatur High School. The district employs 224 full-time teachers, along with over 2,519 students.

Decatur is also the location of Agnes Scott College, Columbia Theological Seminary, and Georgia Perimeter College. Emory University is also located nearby, to the northwest of Decatur in an unincorporated area of DeKalb County.

Real Estate

The demand for homes located in Decatur is becoming stronger than ever thanks to its amazing location, active neighborhoods, and top notch schools. From its stunning Tudor Revival houses to Craftsman bungalows and luxury estates, the city has everything a family could dream of. The average house and condo value in Decatur is $329,929, while the average rent price is around $753. The average household income is $67,247 though, which is a spectacular improvement from the previous $47,396 in 2000. It looks as though this average income amount could continue to rise as well.

Over the last twenty years, Decatur has gained tremendous national reputation for being a progressive city with high citizen involvement. It retains its small town feel, while still being in close proximity to Atlanta. It provides an environment that is the ideal spot to raise a family and put down some roots. After all, Decatur’s official city motto is “A city of homes, schools and places of worship.”