



It's no secret that a dizzying number of apartments are rising from the red-clay foundation of Atlanta. A year ago, we noted that thousands of units were planned for Midtown alone, and the pace of new proposals has only quickened. From downtown Decatur, to the heart of Inman Park, to nearly 7,000 apartments planned at 21 different projects in Buckhead — the sheer amount of building is staggering. Developers seem confident they'll reap the rewards of rising rents for a while, but does the city at large stand to gain from the apartment-dwelling hordes? From a vibrancy standpoint, is all the building paying off already?

The question hinges on whether this represents a sea change in the lifestyle of Atlanta dwellers, and particularly younger professionals who are the spendthrifts that restaurateurs and retailers rely on for support. Or are the apartments a stopgap measure used by developers until they can obtain financing again for condos — and flip the current apartment crop to for-sale homes? Whatever the case, trying to tabulate the apartment tsunami is a daunting task, but Atlanta INtown has listed many of the key developments in a recap this week.

Many of the projects are sure to breathe human activity into sections of town that were moribund not so long ago. And call us crazy, but is the city starting to feel more populated? More alive? Piedmont Park on a recent Tuesday night (yes, Tuesday) literally squirmed with bicyclists, joggers, fro-yo gulping families and hula-hoop enthusiasts. Sure, the weather was pristine, and this observation is anecdotal, but it felt like an example of how times in Atlanta could be changing. Have you had a similar realization lately?

· Apartment Boom: Multi-family, mixed-use is the rage Intown [Atlanta INtown]

· Another Apartment Tower Announced In Midtown [Curbed Atlanta]