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I don't think a car is necessary for living in the Emory area. There are buses and shuttles that serve the Emory area and bring you to shops and restaurants so all your basic needs are accessible by public transit and/or walking (there are some hills though!).
 
Having a car makes life easier but lots of people get by without one.

Typically they are administrated by the owner. Both of my agreements have been somewhat informal. Of course I signed a lease agreement indicating the amount of rent, due date, and other major points but if smaller details needed to be worked out that was done verbally.
 
I never had to do a credit check or have co-signers. One landlord had me give a security deposit equal to one month's rent, one had me give first and last month's rent but no additional deposit. One owner had me give proof of enrollment, the other just took my word for it. It all depends on the landlord, in my experience.

MARTA = Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
 
MARTA is the agency that oversees all the buses and trains in Metro Atlanta (meaning it covers several of the counties that make up Atlanta).
 
There is a light rail train system that has the "plus sign" routes described above but there are also buses.
 
MARTA buses are not great but they are okay. Like most public transit, they are sometimes late, sometimes crowded, and don't run as frequently as you'd like them to. On the other hand I found them serviceable for getting around the Emory area. Also, there are some buses that run from the Emory area to the rail stations, which can then give you access to the rest of the city.
 
Regarding safety, I don't know what level of risk you find acceptable so I'm not sure I can give a solid answer. I didn't find the buses and trains in Atlanta to be any worse than they are in San Francisco or in New York City. There are always the hustlers, the intoxicated, the rowdy and the pick-up artists looking for true love. Sometimes that can be annoying or even feel threatening but for the most part I was able to ignore it. Obviously you always need to be aware of your surroundings and protect your valuables though.

Typically they are administrated by the owner. Both of my agreements have been somewhat informal. Of course I signed a lease agreement indicating the amount of rent, due date, and other major points but if smaller details needed to be worked out that was done verbally.
 
I never had to do a credit check or have co-signers. One landlord had me give a security deposit equal to one month's rent, one had me give first and last month's rent but no additional deposit. One owner had me give proof of enrollment, the other just took my word for it. It all depends on the landlord, in my experience.

MARTA = Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
 
MARTA is the agency that oversees all the buses and trains in Metro Atlanta (meaning it covers several of the counties that make up Atlanta).
 
There is a light rail train system that has the "plus sign" routes described above but there are also buses.
 
MARTA buses are not great but they are okay. Like most public transit, they are sometimes late, sometimes crowded, and don't run as frequently as you'd like them to. On the other hand I found them serviceable for getting around the Emory area. Also, there are some buses that run from the Emory area to the rail stations, which can then give you access to the rest of the city.
 
Regarding safety, I don't know what level of risk you find acceptable so I'm not sure I can give a solid answer. I didn't find the buses and trains in Atlanta to be any worse than they are in San Francisco or in New York City. There are always the hustlers, the intoxicated, the rowdy and the pick-up artists looking for true love. Sometimes that can be annoying or even feel threatening but for the most part I was able to ignore it. Obviously you always need to be aware of your surroundings and protect your valuables though.

Finally heard back from everywhere that I applied so now I can make my decision. I'm gonna be a Duck (University of Oregon)!

Finally heard back from everywhere that I applied so now I can make my decision. I'm gonna be a Duck (University of Oregon)!

Finally heard back from everywhere that I applied so now I can make my decision. I'm gonna be a Duck (University of Oregon)!

Just accepted off the wait list at University of Oregon! Yay, I'm going to grad school after all!

Just accepted off the wait list at University of Oregon! Yay, I'm going to grad school after all!

Just accepted off the wait list at University of Oregon! Yay, I'm going to grad school after all!

Fair enough. All I can do is wait. Thanks for sharing your info