Why won't anyone help?! (Atlanta, Alpharetta: transplants, rentals, condo)

[adoremi]

I need help !!! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed because my partner and I have decided to move to Georgia next year. We have six year old daughter and are interested in moving somewhere with a creditable school system and low crime rate. PLEASE HELP!

1. Budget-My Budget to RENT a home is no more than $1500 per month
2. House/Condo/Townhome? I would like a house.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)-I will be commuting to work.
4. Children(public school vs. private)-I'm looking for an area that has a good PUBLIC school system
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two-I would prefer a suburban lifestyle or a mix of urban and suburban.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Access to public transit is important but not a necessity. I'd be willing to sacrifice the public transit for a safe neighborhood and good schools.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood-I've currently been looking into Cobb County.

[TakeAhike]

Many of the better schools are located in Cobb County.

Suwanee is another area with good schools and family oriented lifestyle amenities. It is located in the NE metro area. You would have at least an hour's commute to downtown --if that is where you plan to work.
http://www.suwanee.com/whatsnew.php

Suwanee is ranked on national lists as one of the better places to live.

It is really asking a lot of posters to select a place for you to live in the state of Georgia-anywhere in the state of Georgia.

Another option-- homes to rent in your price range, good schools, urban/suburban

http://www.decaturga.com/

If you decide to purchase a home--they seem to range from low $300, 000's upward.

[flyonpa]

Because you keep asking the same question, without the details needed to give a good reply...

[FromGA]

$1500 should get you a home for rent in most parts of the metro.

Here are some locations in the northern suburbs:
Gwinnett county. Probably the most overall diverse area. I like the town of Suwanee.
North Fulton county: Johns Creek, Alpharetta -- lot of northern transplants, and Asian population. Almost all schools here are good.
Cobb County: I am not familiar with it very much

Something to consider: Discover Mills (mall) has GRTA bus service that can bring you in-town.

[edetore]

1. Budget-My Budget to RENT a home is no more than $1500 per month
You should have no problem finding a home to your liking in that budget...there are a TON of competitive rentals out there in most of the areas surrounding the city.

2. House/Condo/Townhome? I would like a house.
See above...

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)-I will be commuting to work.
Traffic sucks. Where is your place of employment? I would try to look relatively close unless you are a fan of wall to wall traffic morning and night.

4. Children(public school vs. private)-I'm looking for an area that has a good PUBLIC school system
Steer clear of Clayton and Dekalb...run! Gwinnett has some good schools as does some areas of Forsyth (John's Creek) but you really need to investigate each cluster closely as there can be a wide difference between neighboring clusters in terms of demographics and budgets.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two-I would prefer a suburban lifestyle or a mix of urban and suburban.
Atlanta defines the term urban sprawl...you can get a good blend of both in most areas and be close to anything you may want or need.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Access to public transit is important but not a necessity. I'd be willing to sacrifice the public transit for a safe neighborhood and good schools.
You won't find public transportation in most of the outlying counties aside from some local bus lines. While I am not familiar with the west side of town on the east you can hop onto MARTA (the el) at Dunwoody and plenty of people drive there then hop onto it to head into the city.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood-I've currently been looking into Cobb County.
I am not very familiar with Cobb so I can't really be of any use to you there...but should you chose to look into Gwinnett send me a message and I will help you all I can.

Also, there is a local website, momsofga.com , where you could get some good advice on schools and the local communities from other moms.

[Zimbochick]

It really does depend on where you work. The traffic here can be horrendous. Let us know where work is, and we can offer more specific advice.