<p>I was wondering, because outside of the classroom, each student probably has a life. So, what do kids do on the weekends, or during their time off? is it easy to go into ATL? how would u guys rate the marta? is it ghetto? what is there to do in druid hills?</p>
<p>"each student probably has a life"</p>
<p>no...</p>
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is it easy to go into ATL?
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<p>Relatively no. First, students have to take a bus in order to get to the trains which go to downtown. Waiting for the bus normally takes 10-20 minutes, but it can take much longer if you're unlucky or traveling at unpopular times. On weekends, for example, it can take up to 30 or 40 minutes waiting because the buses run on less frequent intervals those days.
Without traffic it takes the buses about 15 minutes to get to a MARTA train station, but with bad enough traffic it can take twice or more as long. Once at the station, waiting for the train usually doesn't last more than 10 minutes, but it can take longer on the weekends or at other unpopular times. The train ride to downtown takes about 15-20 minutes. In total, it usually takes 45 minutes or so to get downtown using MARTA.</p>
<p>Emory is about a 20 minute drive to downtown when there is no traffic, but traffic is awful in Atlanta and can make the trip much longer. Plus, there are no direct routes from Emory to downtown, and most of the roads in Atlanta are really convoluted.</p>
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is it ghetto?
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<p>Often it is.</p>
<p>A lot of the hoodlums in Atlanta use MARTA. Some stations are in lower income neighborhoods. It is probably dangerous to wait at some of the stations even when you're with a group in the day. I would put the stations north of the airport into that category. At such stations, Emory students stick out like sore thumbs, and everyone (which means every hoodlum) will take notice. The two stations by Emory are not nearly as dangerous, especially the one by Buckhead. That one is safe because it's in a rich neighborhood and is well guarded by security. Personally, I would not feel worried there at any time. The other one, however, is less safe and would unnerve me at certain times. Edgewood/Candler is a pretty desolate station and is in a neighboorhood which serves as sort of a fringe to the ghetto. Alone in the day, it is mostly safe but a little unnerving to sit there. At night, it is mildy questionable to wait there when you're with a group, and downright stupid to wait there alone. </p>
<p>When you're on the actual MARTA trains, you'll run into hoodlums, hookers, bums, and other depressing people, but it's usually not dangerous and there are many educated people who will be on the trains. But at night it can be somewhat dangerous, particularly if you're alone and a girl. The crowd on MARTA at night is much rougher than it is in the day.</p>
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what is there to do in druid hills?
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<p>Druid Hills itself offers nothing special. Students usually go to Buckhead, Midtown, or Virginia Highlands when they go out for fun.</p>
<p>The area in which Emory is located is relatively unfriendly to those without a car.</p>
<p>Like any city there is traffic and atlanta is no exception, however, I would never never not come to Emory for this fact. Marta is not the greatest because in order to use it from Emory you must ride a bus to get to the rail which can be a major pain. However, most students by sophmore year have a car which makes getting around a lot easier. Atlanta is a city that is spread out however there are lots of great places to go out like the highlands and midtown. Taxis are easily shared by students and if you have 4 or 5 ppl in them your total cost for a ride wont be over 6 dollars. Atlanta is not "ghetto" there are bad parts but it is very easy to stay away from those places. Where emory is located is fantastic and i feel very safe. Druid Hills is a small neighborhood where emory is located it is very beautiful and is close to places like Decatur (full of restaurants and bars)</p>
<p>I have been to many places around the United States and I have to admit Atlanta is one of my favorites! On weekends off I usually chill with friends, catch up on work, go to the pool, and go out to parties or bars at night. Downtown Atlanta is not frequented by people unless they work there many large businesses are downtown; Suntrust, Ernst Young....so forth, but you wont find the bars, clubs, and restaurants down there. Emory is a 15-20 minute drive from midtown, buckhead, and VA highlands. 5 minute drive from toco hills (place with a couple of bars filled with emory kids on the weekends) There are plenty of things to do on campus during offtime as well, so going to Midtown and buckhead is fairly infrequent for me (maybe 2-3 times a month) and I usually go to the Va Highlands weekly on Tuesday.</p>
<p>you probably have plenty of friends who will have their car</p>
<p>On the weekends Frat Row is probably the single most popular attraction. </p>
<p>Getting into the city can be tough, but the bus system isn't that bad if you know the schedule. Also, Atlanta has a loophole in their fare system that lets you use your bus-to-rail cards (the card they give you when you exit a bus at a train station) all day long to get onto and off of Marta. This essentially means that an all day MARTA pass costs you $1.75. Compared to where I live (Washington), Marta's coverage is terrible, but compared to the average city it's pretty damn good. As long as you aren't on it too far South of town or too late at night, it won't be too "ghetto." </p>
<p>There's not that much to do in Druid Hills, but there is a lot to do in Toco Hills, Virginia Highlands, Decatur and Little 5 Points. Buckhead and Midtown are other popular evening destinations.</p>