Where to live?
When you want to find a place to live, make sure that (1) it is not too hard to get to school, (2) it is not too hard to get food, (3) it is safe to live there, and (4) you can afford it. Follow the biggest developers in Atlanta to see their vacancies. These include: Braden Fellman Group | Colbalt | MAA | Cortland | Camden | AMLI. These websites are useful to search for rental units: apartments.com | trulia. Beware of craiglist! In some neighborhoods (Virginia Highland, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park), you can walk around the neighborhood and find quite a few yard sign ads in front of the apartment complex. These ads are usually from independent landlords who do not want to pay for digital ads.
Here is the list of places we have been living:
Lindbergh: ibex at Uptown, 771 Lindbergh, Sorelle Apt
Buckhead:
Virginia Highland: Thomas Preston
Midtown:
Decatur:
Starting your life
Getting a Social Security Number (SSN): Follow instructions from the PhD Program Office. Remember to have everything printed out before going to the SSA.
Getting a Driver’s License: Refer to the Georgia DDS website. If you do not want a Driver’s License, you might want a state ID. You can use this ID instead of bringing your passport all the time to the airport, to get alcoholic drinks/grocery. You also need to print everything out before going to the DDS.
Getting a Credit Card: Getting a credit card and build it up is very essential in the long run as you can build your credit score. Credit scores are necessary for taking loans (credit card loans, automobile loans, even mortgages). Buddy up with your favorite PhD student as they can refer you to certain credit cards, which will give you and them $$ benefits.
Deals for Students: Amazon Prime for Student, Github Copilot, Discounts for GSU Students
Living car-free in Atlanta
The idea seems outrageous but many of us can do it, so can you! Here is the list of things you need to have to live car-free within the parameter:
Instacart Subscription: This app will connect you with shoppers who can go and shop grocery for you. Sometimes, you cannot carry all of what you want to buy from one bus/train station to another bus/train station and so much walking in-between. Instacart is for such occations. You can share with your friends so that it helps with the cost. Ask for a referral from a fellow student so both of you get $$.
Amazon Subscription: Amazon can deliver groceries and non-groceries items (such as furniture, pots and pans, etc. all of which are heavy). The first 6 months are free for students. The first four years are not as expensive as for non-students. Once you exhausted the 4.5 years, you need to pay the normal amount, which is not cheap. You can share with people with the same address to lessen the burden.
Weeee (I don’t remember how many “eeee” but you get the idea). This app will deliver Asian and Hispanic grocery to your doorstep. I heard many good things about this app. Try it if you need to and if you can. Ask for a referral from a fellow student so both of you get $$.
Door Dash/Uber Eats: These will help you to get cooked food from restaurants. First time user will have a lot of discounts; however, after that, the costs are high. Just eat instant ramen instead. Ask for a referral from a fellow student so both of you get $$.
Lyft/Uber: To get around. Ask for a referral from a fellow student so both of you get $$.
Using MARTA is important to your car-free life. Here is some tips to use MARTA smartly:
Register for a budget GSU MARTA card. This can only be ordered from GSU. The MARTA card you buy at MARTA station cannot be reloaded at a discounted rate for GSU students.
Use the MARTA App on your phone to track the live location of the buses and trains.
Use MARTA train and bus schedules to learn about their itineraries and delays. Or follow their Twitter to check for delays.
Where to shop?
and some tips…
Major US Grocery Chain: Walmart ($), Kroger ($), Publix ($$), Trader Joe’s ($), Whole Foods ($$$), Target ($$). Trader’s Joe is fun but cannot cover all of your needs. For Kroger, always remember to use member’s ID to get the best price. Registering for members in Kroger are free. Publix’s grocery is a steal with the buy-one-get-one deal (aka BOGO deals). Also get their membership for occasional discounts.
Niche Markets: H Mart at Doraville, Vietnamese-Hispanic Market, Buford Hwy Farmers Market
Wholesale: Costco, Sam’s Club. These stores require annual membership so that you will get a good price on a huge quantity. Membership sharing is a good idea for these stores. If you don’t want to pay for membership, you can use instacart to shop from these stores.
Furniture: Amazon ($$), Walmart ($), Costco ($$, depends), IKEA ($), Target ($$), Wayfair ($$, depends). Remember, you get what you pay for.
Medications: If you need medications, your provider (nurses, physicians) will ask you where you want it to deliver. Know the pharmacies around your areas. They could be CVS, Walgreens, Publix Pharmacy (it is inside of the grocery store), Kroger Pharmacy (inside of the grocery store). Once they place the order, your job is going to the pharmacy and pick the prescription up.
Sometimes you won’t need a prescription for the conditions you have. These medications are usually not covered by your insurance (e.g., seasonal allergy meds). For this case, ask your provider to search where to get it the cheapest. Usually, the pharmacies will have the discount code, or you can use GoodRx to get good prices.
You will hear people talk about generic versus brand-name medication. They all have the same formulation. Generic meds are cheaper. All you need to do is look for the formulation and buy an off-brand (generic) med from a trusted retailer (CVS, Wallgreens, amazon, Target).
Places to hang out
Arabia Mountain
Atlanta United Games
Atlanta Braves Games
Ponce City Market
Piedmont Park
The Belt Line
Chattahoochee River Trail
Stone Mountain
Festival
April
Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park (free)
Persian Culture Festival at Piedmont Park (free)
Inman Park Festival in Inman Park neighborhood (free)
420fest at Pullman Yards (paid)
May
Decatur Art Festival in Downtown Decatur (free)
Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park (free)
Porch Fest in Virginia Highland neighborhood (free)
Shaky Knees Music Festival at Central Park (paid)
Eating out
Check the price on Google Maps before you come there so that it won’t surprise you when you pay the bill (taxes and tips are not included)
Chinese Food
Vietnamese Food (rec’ded by a Viet)
Nam Phuong Restaurant | Pho Bac | Dua
Persian Food (rec’ded by a Persian)
Rumi in Midtown | Rumi in Sandy Springs | Rumi in Alpharetta | Delbar | Yalda in Midtown | Yalda in Sandy Springs
Korean Food
Indian Food (rec’ded by an Indian)
Bars
Classic Atlanta (American + Southern)
Manuel’s Tavern | The Varsity | Majestic Dinner
Food Courts & Others
Food Terminal on Bufford Hway | Food Terminal in Midtown | Krog Street Market | Mamak | Sweet Hut Bakery in Midtown
Micheline Guide for some fancy celebrations. Some are not really expensive.
Mental Health
Your mental health is important, too! The PhD journey can be demanding and lonely. Seeking help is a must. The university has some good resources on student’s mental health.
Advanced life hacks
Credit Cards: Maximize credit card’s rewards. If you travel a lot, use Delta Amex Gold Card. If you have lots of incoming debt that you can’t pay off monthly, take advantage of 0% introductory interest on some cards (Capital One, Wells Fargo). If you want to maximize cash back on Amazon, get Amazon credit cards.
What else?
Don’t hesitate to ask your fellow students.
If you want to ask strangers, google your question with the term “reddit”. Reddit people have a knack for so many random things.
Compiled by An Nguyen. Updated May 2, 2024.