Perimeter Center - Atlanta, GA Area Guide

Perimeter Center grew up around Perimeter Mall after its construction in 1971. Since then, Perimeter Center has developed into a modern neighborhood that puts business first. Exploring the neighborhood for any time will imbue you with the sense of urgency that characterizes this area.

Many businesspeople, including thousands of business travelers, pass through Perimeter Center every day to work in the many corporations headquartered here. As more housing options become available, though, Perimeter Center has taken on a more residential vibe in some parts.

With its many restaurants, Perimeter Center offers just about every type of cuisine. Like most malls, Perimeter Mall hosts fast food and sit down restaurants. While there are quick options for lunch away from the office, there are also fine dining options to enjoy after a long day at work.

In particular, the Park Place shopping center is known for its excellent restaurants. The Viennese-style Cafe Intermezzo offers European meals and countless coffee drinks, including coffee-based cocktails. If you're feeling hungrier, McKendrick's Steak House serves some of the best steaks in Atlanta. Park Place even is the place to go for nightlife. Whether you want to salsa at Eclipse di Luna or lounge at Sage Woodfire Tavern, you'll find great live music in either spot most nights.

As Perimeter Center is business center, happy hours abound. Many people who work in the area like to blow off some steam at one of the bars or restaurants before heading home. While you will be hard-pressed to find a club atmosphere in Perimeter Center, the many bars and lounges still offer plenty of options for a night out.

Thanks to the central location of Perimeter Center, it is easy to reach from most anywhere in Atlanta. Located at the crossroads of I-285 and GA-400, Perimeter Center makes commuting into the city less of a hassle, although the traffic gets pretty congested during rush hour.

Most people in who work in Perimeter Center drive to work, so free parking is available at most buildings. The mall itself has ample parking, although it fills up quickly on the weekends.

For those who prefer alternate transportation, public transportation is readily found. Three MARTA stops serve the Perimeter Center area. Medical Center Station provides easy and direct access to the hospitals and surrounding medical offices, and the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs stops provide access the mall and business high rises. While the Atlanta buses notoriously run in inconvenient locations, Perimeter Center is served by a surprisingly large number of bus lines. Some residents do bike to work, as well, as constant efforts to improve pedestrian and bike access in the neighborhood have made these options safer.

It can be difficult to access alternate transportation after work hours. Few cabs serve the area, and those that you can call to a bar charge high rates. Uber access to the area is similarly limited.

Need to relax away from the hubbub of Perimeter Center? Head to Hammond Park, and you can relax under the trees or run off some steam on the cement paths - and so long as you clean up after him, your dog can join you on your run. The park offers a few public tennis courts, two basketball courts and a full gym for public use.

If you have kids, they will love to play on the two playgrounds at Hammond Park. One playground is targeted solely to children under the age of five, so little ones aren't intimidated by bigger children.

While Hammond Park does not offer any large organized activities throughout the year, the cozy park still provides a much needed escape from the chaos of its surroundings.

When you live in Perimeter Center, you pay for the convenience. The cost of living in Perimeter Center comes to almost 20% higher rate than that of other metro Atlanta areas. Luckily, you can have a meal out for about the same price as you could find downtown, and a beer will only cost you four or five dollars.

Renting an apartment in this neighborhood is comparable to a Midtown or Downtown residence and costs several hundred dollars more than an apartment in surrounding neighborhoods. A one bedroom apartment will run you at least $1000, and averages about $1200 to $1500 per month.

Gas prices in the area will set you back the same amount they would in the rest of Atlanta, which is usually just slightly lower than the national average.

If you like to shop, you won't be disappointed by Perimeter Center. As you might imagine, this mall-centric community offers pretty much every major chain store found in Georgia. Perimeter Mall and its surrounding strip malls contain hundreds of stores. With the construction of Perimeter Place and other "town center" styled strips, you can live, work, and go out in a relatively small space. Whether you are looking for cheap groceries, high-end jewelry, trendy clothes or anything in between, nearly anything can be found on just about any block in the neighborhood. Shops concentrate tightest in and around Perimeter Mall itself.

If you are looking for small boutiques instead of chains, Perimeter Center will disappoint. National chains compete hard with the stand-alone stores, and few stay open for long. Nevertheless, some shops find a small niche to fill. In Perimeter Mall, for example, Pia specializes in creating custom, yet affordable silver jewelry, and It's About Time sells only high-end watches. Overall, expect lots of options, but if you are looking for that one-of-a-kind item, you may need to search elsewhere.

Perimeter Center and the areas around it offer a number of grocery store options, including Publix, Costco and Super Target.