30033 is very much a living area. Tourists won’t come through town and write postcards about North Decatur. Foodies won’t take to their blogs in praise of the hot new restaurant that opened in this part of town (though it should be noted that there are some dynamite Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants, if you know where to look).
People live here. The homes are humble mid-century ranches that are utterly comfortable. There’s a proximity to I-285 that’s appealing, and access to the Ponce corridor is a cinch. It’s drivable to downtown Decatur, so it’s not too uncommon to find a resident of this ZIP hanging out at some mainstay on a Saturday night.
Students like it here: Emory University is right next door, and Agnes Scott is just down the road. Young families dig it too: it’s a place where a perfectly decent home can be had for a good price—starter territory.
And for all of this, there’s a palpable sense of community in North Decatur. Relatively sparse population density means that a community garden is never too far away; The North DeKalb Mall provides an easy place to grab the essentials without venturing too far into the city; Your DeKalb Farmers Market, an international foods market the size of a hangar at the airport, is a legendary shopping locale located in the southern tip of 30033. Not to beat a dead horse, but this is a part of town where people just live. If a move to Atlanta includes a budget and a little room to grow, this part of town is a perfectly fine place to start the search.