DeKalb County: Offering the Best of City and Suburb Living
By Susan Flowers
When you’re relocating to Atlanta, choosing which part of the
metropolitan area to call home can be a challenge. Do you go for the hustle and bustle of a city environment, or do you choose a more relaxed but sometimes less exciting life in the suburbs? DeKalb County offers the best of both worlds, hosting approximately 10 percent of the city of Atlanta as well as several appealing suburban communities.Community Living
DeKalb is home to more than 757,000 residents, making it the fourth largest county in the state and boasting a larger population than Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. DeKalb County residents enjoy a median household income of $69,423 and a median home value of $349,000, both similar to the city of Atlanta.
Relocating residents will find a wide array of housing options. Whether you want a condo in artsy, close-in Decatur or Candler Park or a single-family home in more suburban Tucker or Lithonia, DeKalb’s small cities and unincorporated communities offer something to fit every budget. According to Rocket Homes and the DeKalb Chamber, home prices can range from a low of $105,000 to around $12 million, if you’re shopping in the area around Emory University.
Decatur, the county seat, is a charming, historic city known for its pedestrian-friendly streets, great shops and restaurants and its Courthouse Square, which hosts numerous festivals and events year-round. Dunwoody, a popular suburb for families and young professionals, boasts such attractions as the 22-acre Dunwoody Nature Center and Perimeter Mall, the second-largest shopping mall in the state. DeKalb’s other cities are Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Doraville, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stonecrest, Stone Mountain and Tucker.
Visitors to these varied neighborhoods will find that DeKalb offers the best of big-city diversity. The DeKalb Chamber boasts that the county is the most ethnically diverse in the Southeast, with residents from more than 100 countries speaking at least 100 languages.
Thanks to its location just east of Fulton County and its excellent transportation options, getting to and around DeKalb is easy and convenient. Interstates 20, 85, 285 and 675, as well as U.S. Highway 78, traverse the county, as does MARTA. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is only 6 miles from the county’s southern border, and the DeKalb Peachtree Airport, said to be the state’s second busiest, is located in Chamblee.
Business and Education
DeKalb’s central location allows residents to seek employment options in the city of Atlanta or in many of the area’s bustling suburbs. But there are plenty of great opportunities within the county’s borders, as well. More than half of the Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta have operations in DeKalb, according to the Chamber. Among DeKalb’s top employers are its government and public school system, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AT&T, Kroger, Emory Healthcare and Emory University.
Nationally renowned Emory is just one of several excellent post-secondary schools located in Decatur, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in subjects encompassing everything from liberal arts to mathematics and science, as well as schools of law, medicine, nursing, business, public health and theology. The city is also home to Agnes Scott, a private liberal arts college for women, and the Columbia Theological Seminary. Outside Decatur, the county also boasts Mercer University’s Atlanta campus and Oglethorpe University, a private liberal arts school in Brookhaven featuring a gorgeous campus with gothic architecture in a big-city setting. And Georgia State University, formerly Georgia Perimeter College, has campuses in Clarkston, Decatur and Dunwoody.
The DeKalb County public school system is the third largest in the state, serving the about 92,000 students not located within the Atlanta portion of the county. In addition, City Schools of Decatur, an independent public school system, serves the children of Decatur with 10 schools.
Shopping, Dining and Entertainment
When it’s time for leisure, DeKalb residents don’t have to venture past the county line to find all kinds of options for entertainment and dining. Stone Mountain Park, the No.1 attraction not just in the county but the state, is a 3,200-acre state park that includes Stone Mountain itself, as well as a theme park, a cable car, a train that circles the mountain, golf courses, hiking trails, fishing, a laser show and much more.
Twelve miles south of Stone Mountain is its little sister, Arabia Mountain, and the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. It includes the 2,550-acre Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve that boasts some of the most unique and beautiful natural scenery in the state.
The Fernbank Museum of Natural History lets visitors gaze in awe at the world’s largest dinosaur replicas and take in a movie at the museum’s IMAX theater. Those looking to get back to nature for an hour or two can stroll through Fernbank’s 65-acre hardwood forest.
Some of the county’s most sought-after communities are also great places for shopping, dining and entertainment. The Decatur Square offers proximity to more than 200 businesses, including shops, restaurants and live music venues such as Eddie’s Attic. Candler Park, just five minutes from downtown Atlanta, features great options for weekend fun, with one-of-a-kind retail shops, art galleries, bars and restaurants. Antique lovers won’t want to miss Chamblee’s Antique Row, a cluster of shops known as the antique capital of the South, offering everything from vintage books to classic hardware.
Music lovers will love the fact that many of DeKalb’s cities and communities cater to their residents with outdoor events, including concerts such as the Avondale Estates Weekend Wind Down Concert Series, the Chamblee Summer Concert Series, Decatur’s Concerts on the Square and Blue Sky Concerts series and Dunwoody’s Groovin on the Green series.
Of course, good restaurants are easy to find in DeKalb. The county’s dining options are as diverse as its population, with eateries ranging from Decatur’s Buena Gente to the Southern-style fare at such venues as the Flying Biscuit, Community Q BBQ and Matthews Cafeteria. Buford Highway, which begins near Midtown Atlanta and runs through DeKalb, offers a wide variety of international cuisines.
And those looking to prepare their own delicious meals head to the DeKalb Farmers Market. Covering 140,000 square feet and serving as many as 120,000 shoppers each week, it offers produce, seafood and other items from all over the world and is known as the world’s largest indoor farmers market.
From affordable housing to a wealth of businesses and education, dining and recreation options, DeKalb County offers all of the convenience of Atlanta, along with many comforts, attractions and unique communities all its own.
Essential Information
DeKalb County Government
co.dekalb.ga.us
DeKalb Chamber
dekalbchamber.org
City of Chamblee
chambleega.com
City of Decatur
decaturga.com
City of Dunwoody
dunwoodyga.gov
Atlanta Public Schools
atlanta.k12.ga.us
DeKalb County Schools
dekalb.k12.ga.us
City Schools of Decatur
csdecatur.net
Agnes Scott College
agnesscott.edu
Emory University
emory.edu
Georgia State University
gsu.edu
Mercer University
mercer.edu/atlanta
Oglethorpe University
oglethorpe.edu
Stone Mountain Park
stonemountainpark.com
Arabia Mountain National
Heritage Area
arabiaalliance.org
DeKalb Farmers Market
dekalbfarmersmarket.com
