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1. Eastvalley Elementary or Sedalia Park Elementary in the Wheeler High Cluster.
-or-
2. Addison Elementary, Kincaid Elementary, Nicholson Elementary, or Mountain View Elementary in the Sprayberry High Cluster.
The aforementioned areas offer the following:
-The type of diversity you desire.
-Middle class/upper middle-class neighborhoods without the hyper-competitiveness of other areas.
-Great/good schools.
-Very strong elementary schools.
-Well-rounded high schools--high performing as well.
-Swim/Tennis Communities
-East Cobb convenience and style.
-A great commute.
Here are some neighborhood suggestions (based on your criteria)
Addison
Chestnut Grove
Oak Creek Estates
Kincaid
Milstead
Woodstream/Blackjack Hills
Piedmont Bend
Piedmont Chase
Saint Charles Square
Nicholson
Heritage Farms
Mountain View
Post Oak Village
Holly Springs
Sedalia Park
Weatherstone
Woodmont
Hanover Woods
Eastvalley
Indian Hills
Gant Quarters
Millbrook Farm
Princeton Mill
*The Fox Hills community in the Sope Creek Elementary district in the Wheeler High Cluster could also meet your criteria. However, Sope Creek Elementary can be kind of intense.
*I can also eventually recommend some areas in the Kell High Cluster, if interested. The Kell High area can offer the same things you are looking for--but the Kell Cluster is further north+up in East Cobb/North Cobb.
I hope this helps some. Feel free to ask more questions. Good Luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by stvincent
Your price range would go much further in Smyrna, southwest of East Cobb. Since your children are elementary aged, you would have some great school choices in Smyrna. Teasley and Nickajack are both very good elementary schools. Smyrna is not as stuffy as East Cobb and is super diverse with white/black/hispanic/and other international students. Also Smyrna is already built up like East Cobb, a more urban feel in Smyrna though, as it is closer in to Atlanta proper. You would be much more likely to find subdivions and neighborhoods that can give your children the type of childhood you have in mind.
Campbell High School, which I would not suggest unless your kids did AP rotation or IB, is the most diverse school in Cobb County. While not statistically as good as Walton or Lassiter, the highest numbers of students who graduate from Campbell attend the same colleges as students at Walton: UGA, Ga. Tech, Vanderbilt, Emory, UNC Chapel Hill, etc. If the majority of kids from Walton were attending Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, etc. I could see more of a distinction between the two schools. Test scores alone don't always paint the full picture. High school is far off for your kids though and after the recession Smyrna will continue to be on the rise as a close in desirable city to live in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aries4118
I like what stvincent says.
Smyrna/Vinings/Mableton could also be an option for you.
Look into what I call the "golden five" group of elementary school in this area--if you are potentially interested:
Teasley King Springs Nickajack Brown Mableton
Considering the posts above, here is a very helpful link:
First, I just wanted to thank everyone, especially aries, for the detailed suggestions - I could not be more grateful and I will start making my list soon based on these recommendations.
As I am aware that the essence of my question borders on the "slightly controversial", at least a little bit, I just wanted to insert a disclaimer, just in case.
I am the kind of person who could not give the thinnest darn about someone's ethnic background, skin color or region of the world they were born into, as long as I am able to connect with them at a deeper, fundamental human level, where such superficial traits literally cease to be important. In my experience though, the only situations in which I was able to do so with a person of a different ethnic background, was when the person in question was very well educated and well-read (not necessarily degree-ed but the two often overlap), naturally curious about the world, and with a non-provincial, non-parochial orientation.
The first very good friend I made when I arrived in the US was an African American lady who, unfortunately, moved away after about two years and whom I miss badly to this day.
By no means do I imply that people who are NOT all that "well-read, naturally curious about the world and provincial/parochial" are bad people. They are perfectly decent and fine people but I also know that such people tend to get along best with those from a background very similar to their own. I expect that and I find it normal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BringBackCobain
You say you dont care what type of immigrants they are, but I think that matters. If your from Eastern Europe, you come from a (relatively) Western culture. Im not sure you or your son would have anything in common with the immigrants in Atlanta that correlate with good schools - mostly Indians, Koreans, and some Chinese. It appears they do not let their children mix with other groups.
I worked at a pool in Alpharetta and a Chinese family had a pool party. They were 1st generation immigrants, but their daughter was born here and went to the local school. Even so, every kid that came was Chinese. There were some Indians living there to, but again any time their kid had a friend it was another Indian.
I completely know what you are talking about.
As someone born and raised at the very intersection of the West with the East, I never really understood whether I have more Eastern or more Western cultural essence in me. At times, I think I lean slightly more towards the East but like you said, by the time I get to the "Far East", things seem to change to the point of relative alienation.
Based on consistent past experience, and going outside of my immediate region (let's call it Eastern Europe+Russia) I seem to connect best with people of South-Central/Latin European, Mediterranean background, Middle-Easterns, Hispanics or Latin Americans.
Regarding the separation/segregation tendencies of the Asian groups you mentioned and which I myself noticed out there, I will have to say that I have come to understand why it happens, and I can actually sympathize. This has nothing to do with "good people/bad people" but simply with culture and communication style. If I learned one thing by coming to America is that you can end up feeling absolutely miserable when you want to connect with those around you and you fail, simply because they were raised with different values and ways of relating and communicating with others.
We live in times that celebrate "diversity" because diversity is the buzz word "du siecle". However, few understand how powerful and how alienating cultural differences can be until forced to connect with someone from a significantly different culture (and who, like the vast majority of people, is not necessarily so erudite and well traveled, to understand the gist of your own culture at the drop of a hat).
The result is that when people are placed in "diverse" circles, they give up attempting to really connect with one another, so they simply stay at the superficial level, as this is the safest thing to do. Can they be civil with one another, share pleasantries and different foods/cuisines?
Heck, yeah. Can they truly bond? Much, much less likely.
After all, this is the story of America - in a nut shell.
The trouble is not everyone can stay happy by living social lives at the superficial level. People in certain cultures, usually the more collective kind, love to connect with one other. They tend to make really close friends, spend a lot of time together, hang out, tell stories, make personal confessions, talk about controversial topics, disclose personal information that would constitute serious breeches of privacy by certain western standards, etc.
By contrast, Americans from more individualistic backgrounds - anywhere from whites of English, Scott-Irish descent to Scandinavian descent, various European mixtures etc - tend to like their space, avoid lively, argument-oriented conversation, and communicate at much more superficial levels with those around them, INCLUDING people from their OWN backgrounds.
The "Big Fat Greek Wedding" was a parody - but not without many grains of truth in it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BringBackCobain
My advice would be to try to locate some areas of Atlanta with European immigrants. Theyre probably harder to find, but im sure they exist. Try locating an Orthodox Church and go from there. I think there may be one in Roswell.
European immigrants (generally few) are scattered all over.
Eastern Europeans tend towards the NE Atlanta but again, hit or miss.
Going back to the "Asians who won't let their kids play with kids of a different ethnic background", here's a real story - just to give an example of how cultural differences can end up playing serious tricks on people, to the point where nobody knows who's the "bad guy" and who's the "good guy" anymore.
My best friend (co-national, born and raised in the same country) lives in a very large townhouse sub-division in Atlanta. The subdivision is a gated community with over 100 units, a club house, swimm-tennis, the whole nine yards. In the afternoon, around 5-6 pm, she takes her children to the Club House area where there is a little common yard where children can play. She tells me that in the 5 years she's been doing this, not ONE TIME did she find one born-and-raised American child there, even though scores of them live in the sub-division. Her children consistently meet 5 other children in the subdivision and ALL OF THEM are children of 1st gen immigrants: one is an Eastern European from another country than the one we're from, two are Indians, one is Chinese and another one is Belgian.
She is a very outgoing, energetic and happy-go-lucky type of person and she has tried numerous times to invite other neighbors (Americans born and raised) to join her there, but not one time anyone responded. They seem to always keep their children either busy in the house, or on the go, with some agenda, somewhere away from home.
The same thing happens in my current neighborhood in Massachusetts, except that we are not as lucky as she is to live in a very large subdivision, where the chances of finding some like-minded families would go up. Our neighborhood is perfectly white, prim, reserved and silent (and yes, it does have kids but never to be seen).
We discovered one racial exception this evening, during Trick or Treat: an Indian family with a shy little one. The father told us that they too have only been here for a year or so, that they don't know anybody - and he suggested we meet for a play date. Interestingly enough.
So I am not sure to what extent Asians purposefully limit their children's playdates only to kids of their own background (as in blatant discrimination)... or if, like myself, they don't manage to connect with those of more individualistic upbringing, and as a result they flock to their kind.
While I completely agree that anyone has the right to raise their children exactly how they see fit without having to justify themselves, I also understood that neighbors' choices will indirectly affect our family.
We believe children should have daily free play outside (physical activity inclided) with friends they meet on a regular basis; at the same time we're too busy to haul kids to playdates on a daily basis (not to mention the time wasted on the road), so where else could such friends be made if not in the neighborhood?
As for playing by themselves in the yard, if anyone will manage to convince my kids to find something to do outside, on their own, that will last more than 5 minutes - I will pay that person a fat commission.
Which takes me to..
Quote:
Originally Posted by lastminutemom
The Johns Creeks schools are primarily Asian immigrants and relaxed about their children's time they are not.
Yes. I have heard and have seen.
And that may be a problem with Johns Creek or other heavily Asian/great school districts.
Now, don't get me wrong, we very much value education - both for keeping one's behind out of financial hardship throughout life, as well as for its own sake! We very much plan on guiding our kids towards the "Harvard Medical School path" as much as your next Asian .
HOWEVER: on the way, we also want to make sure our children remain human, learn how to establish a solid relationship and have a childhood too while they're at it. Having a few good and stable friends in the neighborhood to meet with when not doing something academics-related and doing spectacularly well in school are not two mutually exclusive realities. It often doesn't take more than one or two good friends.
Academics aside, we are not big believers in an avalanche of extra-curriculars. I recently met a mom who said her second-grade daughter was enrolled in swimming lessons, rock-climbing, ballet, Girl Scouts and Hebrew School -and that her home life was a huge and hectic mess.
Five activities for five days a week. I am sure others do even more.
I wanted to ask her why she insisted on doing this if she was so overwhelmed with her hectic life - but I didn't.
I just know that the way to Harvard is more likely to happen via voraciously reading for pleasure and/or meeting a good friend to practice the art of good conversation during some unstructured time - than via rock climbing piled on top of ballet +...+...+, resulting in unnecessary exhuastion for the entire family and possibly, in a negative effect on academics.
But this is just us; and we simply hope to find a few families in a diverse enough neighborhood, who would share our parenting values.
Once again, millions of thanks for all the valuable suggestions.
I would not have known where to start and I could not appreciate it more!
First, I just wanted to thank everyone, especially aries, for the detailed suggestions - I could not be more grateful and I will start making my list soon based on these recommendations.
As I am aware that the essence of my question borders on the "slightly controversial", at least a little bit, I just wanted to insert a disclaimer, just in case.
I am the kind of person who could not give the thinnest darn about someone's ethnic background, skin color or region of the world they were born into, as long as I am able to connect with them at a deeper, fundamental human level, where such superficial traits literally cease to be important. In my experience though, the only situations in which I was able to do so with a person of a different ethnic background, was when the person in question was very well educated and well-read (not necessarily degree-ed but the two often overlap), naturally curious about the world, and with a non-provincial, non-parochial orientation.
The first very good friend I made when I arrived in the US was an African American lady who, unfortunately, moved away after about two years and whom I miss badly to this day.
By no means do I imply that people who are NOT all that "well-read, naturally curious about the world and provincial/parochial" are bad people. They are perfectly decent and fine people but I also know that such people tend to get along best with those from a background very similar to their own. I expect that and I find it normal.
I completely know what you are talking about.
As someone born and raised at the very intersection of the West with the East, I never really understood whether I have more Eastern or more Western cultural essence in me. At times, I think I lean slightly more towards the East but like you said, by the time I get to the "Far East", things seem to change to the point of relative alienation.
Based on consistent past experience, and going outside of my immediate region (let's call it Eastern Europe+Russia) I seem to connect best with people of South-Central/Latin European, Mediterranean background, Middle-Easterns, Hispanics or Latin Americans.
Regarding the separation/segregation tendencies of the Asian groups you mentioned and which I myself noticed out there, I will have to say that I have come to understand why it happens, and I can actually sympathize. This has nothing to do with "good people/bad people" but simply with culture and communication style. If I learned one thing by coming to America is that you can end up feeling absolutely miserable when you want to connect with those around you and you fail, simply because they were raised with different values and ways of relating and communicating with others.
We live in times that celebrate "diversity" because diversity is the buzz word "du siecle". However, few understand how powerful and how alienating cultural differences can be until forced to connect with someone from a significantly different culture (and who, like the vast majority of people, is not necessarily so erudite and well traveled, to understand the gist of your own culture at the drop of a hat).
The result is that when people are placed in "diverse" circles, they give up attempting to really connect with one another, so they simply stay at the superficial level, as this is the safest thing to do. Can they be civil with one another, share pleasantries and different foods/cuisines?
Heck, yeah. Can they truly bond? Much, much less likely.
After all, this is the story of America - in a nut shell.
The trouble is not everyone can stay happy by living social lives at the superficial level. People in certain cultures, usually the more collective kind, love to connect with one other. They tend to make really close friends, spend a lot of time together, hang out, tell stories, make personal confessions, talk about controversial topics, disclose personal information that would constitute serious breeches of privacy by certain western standards, etc.
By contrast, Americans from more individualistic backgrounds - anywhere from whites of English, Scott-Irish descent to Scandinavian descent, various European mixtures etc - tend to like their space, avoid lively, argument-oriented conversation, and communicate at much more superficial levels with those around them, INCLUDING people from their OWN backgrounds.
The "Big Fat Greek Wedding" was a parody - but not without many grains of truth in it.
European immigrants (generally few) are scattered all over.
Eastern Europeans tend towards the NE Atlanta but again, hit or miss.
Going back to the "Asians who won't let their kids play with kids of a different ethnic background", here's a real story - just to give an example of how cultural differences can end up playing serious tricks on people, to the point where nobody knows who's the "bad guy" and who's the "good guy" anymore.
My best friend (co-national, born and raised in the same country) lives in a very large townhouse sub-division in Atlanta. The subdivision is a gated community with over 100 units, a club house, swimm-tennis, the whole nine yards. In the afternoon, around 5-6 pm, she takes her children to the Club House area where there is a little common yard where children can play. She tells me that in the 5 years she's been doing this, not ONE TIME did she find one born-and-raised American child there, even though scores of them live in the sub-division. Her children consistently meet 5 other children in the subdivision and ALL OF THEM are children of 1st gen immigrants: one is an Eastern European from another country than the one we're from, two are Indians, one is Chinese and another one is Belgian.
She is a very outgoing, energetic and happy-go-lucky type of person and she has tried numerous times to invite other neighbors (Americans born and raised) to join her there, but not one time anyone responded. They seem to always keep their children either busy in the house, or on the go, with some agenda, somewhere away from home.
The same thing happens in my current neighborhood in Massachusetts, except that we are not as lucky as she is to live in a very large subdivision, where the chances of finding some like-minded families would go up. Our neighborhood is perfectly white, prim, reserved and silent (and yes, it does have kids but never to be seen).
We discovered one racial exception this evening, during Trick or Treat: an Indian family with a shy little one. The father told us that they too have only been here for a year or so, that they don't know anybody - and he suggested we meet for a play date. Interestingly enough.
So I am not sure to what extent Asians purposefully limit their children's playdates only to kids of their own background (as in blatant discrimination)... or if, like myself, they don't manage to connect with those of more individualistic upbringing, and as a result they flock to their kind.
While I completely agree that anyone has the right to raise their children exactly how they see fit without having to justify themselves, I also understood that neighbors' choices will indirectly affect our family.
We believe children should have daily free play outside (physical activity inclided) with friends they meet on a regular basis; at the same time we're too busy to haul kids to playdates on a daily basis (not to mention the time wasted on the road), so where else could such friends be made if not in the neighborhood?
As for playing by themselves in the yard, if anyone will manage to convince my kids to find something to do outside, on their own, that will last more than 5 minutes - I will pay that person a fat commission.
Which takes me to..
Yes. I have heard and have seen.
And that may be a problem with Johns Creek or other heavily Asian/great school districts.
Now, don't get me wrong, we very much value education - both for keeping one's behind out of financial hardship throughout life, as well as for its own sake! We very much plan on guiding our kids towards the "Harvard Medical School path" as much as your next Asian .
HOWEVER: on the way, we also want to make sure our children remain human, learn how to establish a solid relationship and have a childhood too while they're at it. Having a few good and stable friends in the neighborhood to meet with when not doing something academics-related and doing spectacularly well in school are not two mutually exclusive realities. It often doesn't take more than one or two good friends.
Academics aside, we are not big believers in an avalanche of extra-curriculars. I recently met a mom who said her second-grade daughter was enrolled in swimming lessons, rock-climbing, ballet, Girl Scouts and Hebrew School -and that her home life was a huge and hectic mess.
Five activities for five days a week. I am sure others do even more.
I wanted to ask her why she insisted on doing this if she was so overwhelmed with her hectic life - but I didn't.
I just know that the way to Harvard is more likely to happen via voraciously reading for pleasure and/or meeting a good friend to practice the art of good conversation during some unstructured time - than via rock climbing piled on top of ballet +...+...+, resulting in unnecessary exhuastion for the entire family and possibly, in a negative effect on academics.
But this is just us; and we simply hope to find a few families in a diverse enough neighborhood, who would share our parenting values.
Once again, millions of thanks for all the valuable suggestions.
I would not have known where to start and I could not appreciate it more!
Youre just being a good parent.I have already began helping my sister's 3 year old son find a similar area in which you are looking for and I am African American.I want him to learn everything about the world.The world is getting smaller and I want him to experience it wherever and whenever he can.
I've noticed that, although there is some diversity at my children's school (approx. 18% minority: mostly Indian and Asian-Americans), the great equalizer has actually been at their Karate studio of all places. Talk about people from all walks of life. There have been days where I have surveyed the room and there is a pretty even mix of white kids, black kids, Latino/Hispanic kids, and Indian/Asian kids. Some of these families appear very much "working class" and must save every penny to let their kids come to karate class. It's been a great experience for my kids, even in relatively "white-bread" Dunwoody! So, don't feel that the only exposure they'll get to diverse populations has to be in the neighborhood or at school; you can seek it out elsewhere as well.
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