Atlanta House Hacking Near the State Penitentiary

[Prachel C.]

My husband and I are thinking about getting a duplex, or a single family home with basement near the State Penitentiary, in 30315 / 30316. 

We've looked at Pittsburgh, South Atlanta, Lakewood and Lakewood Heights. From driving around, there are a lot of boarded up homes, but in actuality, there only seems to be a handful of listings on the MLS. Our agent told us that for every house, there's about 5 potential buyers because of the market.

Ideally, we'd like to renovate - just enough to live there and get a tenant in the other unit (or the basement apartment). We want to be a part of the community, so South Atlanta is attractive because there is a local meeting spot, a coffee shop. 

The question is - in Atlanta, people don't seem to mind living next to cemeteries, but just for investment purposes, what about living next to a prison?

Our agent has advised that we stay away from the penn, but, I don't know. I'm just looking for sound advice on whether or not we should be avoiding the areas right next to the penn.