College Park's housing stock is anchored by the Historic College Park district, where early twentieth-century homes — bungalows, Craftsman-style houses, and period revivals — line shaded streets near the city center. Around the historic core, mid-century subdivisions and brick ranches are common, while the airport perimeter and southern edge of the city include a mix of older single-family homes and newer construction. The city's position near a major employment hub and its MARTA access make it a center of both long-established neighborhoods and redevelopment, with housing eras spanning more than a century.

College Park's neighborhoods include the Historic College Park district, known for its collection of early twentieth-century homes and its walkable proximity to downtown and Woodward Academy. Residential areas near the airport perimeter, the Georgia International Convention Center, and the city's southern edge in Clayton County offer a broader mix of housing and more direct airport access. Public parks such as Brannon Memorial Park, Richard D. Zupp Jr. Park, and Barrett Park serve the community, and the city's downtown commercial corridor provides a local center distinct from the airport-oriented districts nearby.

College Park blends small-city civic life with direct access to the Atlanta region. Downtown College Park offers a walkable concentration of restaurants, shops, and municipal buildings, while the Gateway Center Arena brings professional basketball and entertainment events to the city's doorstep. The presence of the airport and convention center gives the city an international, business-traveler dimension, and the ATL SkyTrain and MARTA link residents to the airport and to downtown Atlanta within minutes. Community recreation programs and neighborhood associations maintain a strong local identity within the larger metropolitan fabric.

Public schools in College Park are part of Fulton County Schools, which operates College Park Elementary School and other campuses serving the city, while portions of the city in Clayton County fall under Clayton County Public Schools. Woodward Academy, a large independent college-preparatory school with a campus adjacent to the city, is one of the area's most prominent educational institutions. The city's schools benefit from proximity to Atlanta-area higher education and to the employment and cultural resources of the region's core.

College Park is one of the Atlanta region's best-connected cities. MARTA's College Park station serves the Red and Gold rail lines, providing direct trains to downtown and Midtown Atlanta and to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport one stop to the south. The ATL SkyTrain links the airport terminal to Gateway Center Arena and the Georgia International Convention Center. Interstates 85 and 285 provide highway access across the metro area, and the city's location beside the airport places regional, national, and international travel within minutes of its neighborhoods.

College Park's parks system includes Brannon Memorial Park, Richard D. Zupp Jr. Park, Barrett Park, and other neighborhood green spaces offering playgrounds, pavilions, and tennis courts. The city's Recreation and Cultural Arts department runs programs and events for residents of all ages. Gateway Center Arena hosts professional and community sporting events, and the city's proximity to Atlanta brings the region's larger parks, trails, and cultural institutions within easy reach by car or rail. The Historic College Park district itself offers shaded streets for walking near the city center.