Got a job in Paulding County -- where to move? (Atlanta: apartment complex, lease)

[sho77]

Hi! I'm moving from out of state for a job in Paulding County's school district. (Dallas area). I've never been to the area (this part of GA that is), and I'm not really sure where I want to live. I'm planning on renting an apartment/townhome/anything with 1 or 2 bedrooms, trying to keep it under 800/month.

My bf is also moving, he won't be living with me and he'll be looking for a non-career type job (he's planning on going to grad school), and he's wanting to live closer to Marietta or Atlanta -- somewhere with more job opportunities (he'll be using public transit at first and needs to be close to where he'll work.) I'm not crazy about the crime rates in Marietta and it doesn't seem like it's worth living in with the commute (I know there are good neighborhoods, but I only have about a week to find a place and I don't have a feel for the area, also I'll be living alone.)

My questions:

Kennesaw:
Would commuting from Kennesaw (low crime, lots of developments) to Paulding be a total pain or would it be against traffic?
Is there stuff to do in Kennesaw? Is it a convenient place to live shopping/groceries-wise?

Dallas:
What's the community like in Dallas?
Is there stuff to do in Kennesaw? Is it a convenient place to live shopping/groceries-wise?


Any advice or suggestions would be great!

[lem1985]

you have powder springs which is right at the cobb/Paulding county line. Kennesaw I guess it depends on which route you take to Paulding county. Kennesaw has barrett pkwy where town center mall and a bunch of restaurants and retail for any and everything. Cobb pkwy runs straight through Kennesaw which can lead you to other shopping and bars. I don't know much about dallas or Paulding County other than its next too Cobb County and growing and has low crime...depends on your age and what you looking for overall in an area and how long you plan to stay in the particular area

[sho77]

Thanks so much! I'm in my late 20's. I mostly want to live in a safe area with a short commute. I feel like I can drive out a bit to do stuff but I don't want to be in a place with absolutely nothing going on. I'm not sure how long I'll stay. 10 months at this point

[GAGirl83]

It depends on what area of Paulding Co you're working in. I work at PCSD and drive from Kennesaw/Woodstock every day. It's about a 35 minute drive.

If you live in the Barrett Parkway/Cobb Parkway area, it's a 20 minute drive to the District Office. If you live along Barrett Parkway/Dallas Highway intersection, it's a little closer.

Given your age, I wouldn't live in Dallas. It feels a little far out from downtown Atlanta. Kennesaw is a nice area and close enough to downtown that you don't feel like you're having to drive very far into town or to work.

Good luck with the move, and welcome to the District!!

[sho77]

Ok cool! I won't actually be at one school -- I have a caseload of students I'll be visiting, don't know which schools yet, so it's hard to say. I might try to find something in Kennesaw then. Doesn't sound like that bad of a commute.

[netdragon]

There's a couple pretty nice apartment complexes along the Silver Comet Trail between Dallas and Hiram such as Harris Bridge Overlook, Evergreen at Magnolia Commons and The Columns. I'd go with something like those. Make sure whatever you go with is RIGHT ON the Silver Comet Trail, within a quarter mile or less but preferably with trail access right from the complex. Check the crime maps for each. If you don't know what the Silver Comet Trail is, and you like to walk/jog/or ride a bicycle, then just trust me on it.

I'd honestly just stick with that and keep it simple. They are boring towns but the Silver Comet Trail is fun, it's right near where you work, and you can get to Cumberland, Town Center, Atlanta, Marietta or Smyrna pretty easily from there off-peak to get some entertainment. Otherwise, I'd go no further than Powder Springs center. Powder Springs is on the Silver Comet Trail as well and closer to all the action.

[sho77]

Hey! I didn't know about Silver Comet, but it sounds awesome! Harris Bridge had some pretty crazy reviews, so I wasn't interested, but I'm going to check out Magnolia Commons and The Columns (both in Hiram?). I wasn't interested in living in Hiram because gave the city an F for crime (and had some alarming statistics) -- I'm sure not the whole city is unsafe, but since I haven't visited yet it's hard to get a feel. (And I'll be living alone, etc.)

I won't be doing much during the week, so a trail is fine for entertainment near me -- I can always venture out on the weekends

[netdragon]

Hiram never seems unsafe to me, and what I see is lower than average violent crime but a high amount of property crime. The Trulia crime map looks clean: Hiram, GA crimes - Trulia.com

However, I'd start with Powder Springs first, if your budget allows for it. It meets more of your objectives since it's closer to entertainment and it is more upscale and lower crime than Hiram. However, if you need to trim your budget, there is nothing wrong with Hiram from my perspective.

Since you are female, then I recommend taking a buddy on the Silver Comet. This would be anywhere on the trail, but every half dozen years a woman is assaulted on the trail in Paulding County probably due to it being less busy. There is a sheriff that patrols the trail in Paulding, but it's a very long expanse to cover.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by netdragon

There's a couple pretty nice apartment complexes along the Silver Comet Trail between Dallas and Hiram such as Harris Bridge Overlook, Evergreen at Magnolia Commons and The Columns. I'd go with something like those. Make sure whatever you go with is RIGHT ON the Silver Comet Trail, within a quarter mile or less but preferably with trail access right from the complex.

I would stick to this advice at first. Rent in that immediate area per the apartments they listed above with a shorter lease to get a feel for the area. You will settle down and start to learn your surroundings and at that point know more about whether you want to stay where you're at, stick to the Hiram area or to branch further out.

Side note: The Silver Comet Trail is a very popular and very nice system to use, but there have been a couple of high profile attacks on women on the trail (one very recently) in that general area. So when you get there, DO NOT walk/bike on the trail alone. There are plenty of people who use it regularly so if you use a group site like meetup.com or even just post in the apartment complex or socialize I'm sure it won't take long to find a walking partner (or two) to go on your walks with. That's not to make you paranoid - just observant to being safe in the area.

[netdragon]

Or Bike Cobb as another group you can travel with on the trail if you get into bicycling and there are Paulding County members of the group. Of course, the best person to go on the trail with would probably be your boyfriend.

I recommend really exploring the trail with your boyfriend or groups. It will take you pretty close to Atlanta if you head towards Atlanta or out into some beautiful hilly countryside if you go the other way.