Let's pretend you've grown tired of inflating rents around Atlanta to the point you want to (gasp!) buy a condo. You want the pride, potential equity, design freedom and inherent risk of homeownership. You're flexible on condo size, location, style — but your budget is about $295,000, firm. These two properties — one in industrial Edgewood, the other in Midtown's core — illustrate how far those dollars will stretch in two starkly different parts of town. Let's give these cool condos some boxing gloves and see which one survives. It's time for Real Estate Deathmatch!
LIVING LARGE IN EDGEWOOD:
^ This two-story rooftop pad is tucked off DeKalb Avenue as part of the industrial-chic Arizona Lofts complex, built just before the market imploded. It includes a soaring living-room ceiling, killer kitchen, separate dining room and boatloads of newly refinished concrete. When it comes to natural light, roominess and a hip location that's off the beaten path, this one shines. Arizona Lofts, Edgewood
130 Arizona Ave. Unit 402
Square Footage: 1,508
Price: $299,000
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Year Built: 2007
Pros: These lofts have a sturdy feel, and the finishes are exquisite at this price point (see: the range hood, the bathrooms). This unit overlooks the spacious main pool, and there's a lap pool to boot. Ration & Dram is basically the front porch, and dining/drinking options in Kirkwood and Candler Park are easy strolls away.
Cons: The majority the surroundings here are nice, but next door is the infamous Edgewood Court Apartments, where things routinely go pop in the night. The HOA doesn't seem to be listed anywhere; beware! Could be too tucked away for some buyers.
COMPACT STYLE IN MIDTOWN SKY:
^ In this corner, the cosmopolitan challenger might be smaller on space, but it's loaded with high style. Located a stone's throw from Piedmont Park, it's a one–bedroom sky pad at Luxe Condominiums, which the listing agent crowns "the most sought after building in Midtown" because "nothing compares to the Luxe." It's got concierge convenience and walkability for miles. Luxe Condominiums, Midtown
222 12th St. Unit 1401
Square Footage: 989
Price: $295,000 (plus $326 HOA fee)
Year Built: 2008
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1
Pros: The location is inarguably sweet, just like the Midtown and Buckhead views from the oversized terrace. Ten-foot ceilings are a nice touch, and the construction seems to be of high quality with creative use of compact spaces. Waking up to that serene bedroom view of treetops would not be terrible. It's also a little cheaper.
Cons: The single bedroom and bathroom would obviously pose challenges for guests, and HOA fees north of $300 could be a bitter pill for one person. That exposed dirt and construction fencing down below could spell the end of this unit's views, sooner or later.
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