Family with two kids-wondering about Peachtree City (Atlanta, Savannah: cul-de-sac, renting)

[lilac28]

Thanks Mr. Ted! I was wondering about Newnan myself. Ugh, I'm kind of down in the dumps a little lately about all of this. Want to move elsewhere than Richmond, esp. for my kid's sake (esp. after reading today about a Confederate rally this weekend here where they were chanting about "killing Yankees". Wow. It was a re-enactment but still-get over the Civil War people.) but don't feel like Peachtree City or Atlanta would be a perfect fit for us either. I'm sure PTC area/Atlanta is very nice but again, I just really wish I/we could live in the midwest again.
Anyway, if we DO get transferred to PTC I'm going to look into Newnan area too, thank you for the tip!
Anyone else have anything to add about Peachtree City area? Thank you!

[scandmi]

Hi, I just had to reply to you. I was reading your post and responses because my family is in the middle of debating a move to the Atlanta area in the next year or so due to a pending promotion. I have to say, I am a midwesterner, from Michigan (Detroit suburbs) who moved with a newborn and toddler to Greenville SC for three years and just last year moved back to Detroit suburbs. I grew to love Greenville and the south in those three years, however I always thought, midwest would be great to move back to...I was dead wrong. What was wonderful about the midwest before kids was glaringly wrong with kids after having lived someplace truely family friendly.

So long story short, living back in the "midwest" is not necessarily the fix to your problem. Here, where we live, "in the midwest" it is exactly what you describe Richmond to be and I despise it. The people are also "lifers" who see no problems trying to raise their children to be also be lifers expecting the exact same outcome of their own life...and along with it they are very competitive and focus is on belonging in their cliques, not on happy family time. Overly materialistic as well.

I "know" of a couple with children in their early elementary years who moved to PTC a couple years ago, from watching their FB posts, they seem happier than ever. Reminds me of what we had in SC, which was very active, lots of biking, trails, outdoor movies, bustling playgrounds, swimming. While I don't think you'll get all you want out of PTC, it seems like you said, weekend ventures Atlanta and the mountain and etc will be easy enough to feel like you are always exploring and not bored.

We are on the same page, we want the same life for our families, I just wanted you to know that I have "moved back" and it's not what I remembered fondly and places like Richmond are not just in the south. Sounds like even if PTC is not for you, Richmond is definately not for you, so time to pull the plug and go for it somewhere else.

(For the record, with no knowledge of Richmond, I find it funny they consider themselves so southern, I've always thought, East Coast not Southern!)

[lilac28]

Thanks Scandmi for your thoughtful reply! It's funny, whenever I complain to my mom that I just want to move "home" to the midwest she tells me much of what you've just said-it's not so wonderful there as I make it out to be in my mind, I would have a different set of problems... I don't want to admit she's right but I know it in my heart and you have reinforced that. I do LOVE the Midwest and it will always be home in my heart...but I see many downsides too that I can only see from a distance; in the way I grew up, the way people are there..esp. probably in the bigger cities (like Chicago where I'm from and Detroit for you) there does seem to be a lot of cliques, competitiveness, materialism...

We are in limbo waiting to find out if they will ask us to move to PTC. Change makes me nervous, I like my security and even if I don't love it here, I am *comfortable*...but, I want different and better things for my kids so I am hoping we do get asked to move. It would be an exciting adventure. And scandmi, you just gave me another good picture of PTC with your story, so thank you. Hopefully you will get transferred to Atlanta as well, it sounds like you guys would love it back in the south!

Oh, and I do think Richmond is a hybrid of south/mid-Atlantic/East coast but the southern thing is most prominent. They are VERY proud of their southern heritage and Civil War history here!

[bnmorris89]

Hey Lilac. I have two kids in high school and may be moving to ptc this summer. PTC sounds nice and I'm going there for a visit this weekend(from florida). Good luck to you.

[lilac28]

Cool, thanks BN! I hope you like it in PTC! Update if you get a chance!

[RosserKD]

We are moving there this summer and have two small children. I have researched and heard so many great things about raising a family there. From what I have heard, Atlanta area has lots of outdoors things within a reasonable driving distance, mountains, lakes, etc and is not extremely far from the beaches. Not to mention all of the shopping, childrens activities, restaurants you could imagine. I think there are many transplants in PTC, especially due to the airline industry nearby and its proximity to the airport. I love that I wont have to drive into Atlanta unless I just need to for something. It seems Peachtree City, and neighboring suburbs have all of the shopping, amenities you will need and then whatever else you want, you can make the longer drive into the city on the weekends. As a runner I must say I am thrilled about all the cart paths!

I imagine with PTC being a more affluent suburb, there will be an amount of snobbery that can be found in many places. I am a little disappointed with the lack of diversity though. It seems neighbhoring Newnan or maybe Fayetteville has more racial/economic diversity, which I would prefer, however I heard the schools are not as good. My husband will also be working in PTC and Newnan so we will definitely live in one of those areas. We may rent for awhile to get a feel of where we want to buy. If you end up moving there send me a message (although I'm not on here very much) we are moving June or July and I would love to make a friend! Good luck in your decisions!

[lilac28]

Thanks Rosser, I will definitely PM you if we move! It would indeed be nice to have a friend there to start out. I am completely with you on the diversity thing. Where we live now is so great. It is mostly an upper-middle class area but the schools are very diverse. My son has lots of black friends at school and I love that he and his sister don't really notice differences in people yet. Also at his school there is a special education population that has really exposed him to the different challenges children can face...all of these are such plusses. The thing that bothered me in reading about PTC was, like you, I'm worried that it is too much of a homogenous, affluent place. That does concern me. I'm sure we'll look at Newnan, etc... too but I'm pretty sure my husband will want to live IN PTC-it's where he will work and where his co-workers all live.

Other than the diversity, most things about PTC do really appeal to me. Best of luck with your move!!! And again, I will PM if we end up there also. Thanks for replying!

[helluvaengineer]

I was raised in PTC and I'm currently a college student living in ATL. I will say that I was ready to get out of PTC when transitioning to college, but after traveling around the country and living in a big city, I became very grateful that I grew up where I did. I don't know of any other place where kids can play outside in the streets after 10pm without having to worry about crime, unless you're in the middle of the mountains in Colorado. Also, kids get a little bit more freedom, since they're able to drive golfcarts starting at the age of 15, so that's a huge plus.

A lot of people that move to PTC usually have a goal of raising a family there and retiring elsewhere once the kids are grown up, so everyone is on the same mindset that they want the best schools for their kids and whatnot. Soccer is a huge deal in PTC, and in the next few weeks Starr's Mill High School (also another good school located nearby) and McIntosh High School are hosting their annual rivalry soccer game in order to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project. Even though it's ~50K people (if I remember correctly), it definitely still has that Small Town USA feel, which is something I miss.

[lilac28]

Hey Helluva, thanks for replying!
It's great to read a description from someone who grew up in PTC. A question I have: are there many sidewalk communities/neighborhoods there? I like the idea of kids being able to ride their bikes/walk on the sidewalks (apart from the cart paths). That is how I grew up. I really miss the sense of community I had growing up and as you mentioned, kids playing outside until 10 p.m. Where I live in Richmond, our neighborhood is no-man's land. Sure there are plenty of kids in here but you rarely see a soul outside, just sad. There is no sense of community here at all. So it sounds like there might be lots of activity and socializing for kids in PTC-a huge plus. Soccer is a big plus too!
Tell me-are kids dying to get out of PTC at graduation because in a way PTC is "too" small-town feeling? Like everyone knows everyone and you can't get out of your little bubble and branch out? That concerns me a bit.
That said, I am excited about Peachtree City. Another thing today in Richmond made me realize how much this place isn't right for me and my kids.
Thanks again for replying!

[helluvaengineer]

Hmmm, there are a couple of sidewalk neighborhoods (Millpond Manor, Highgrove), but they are just outside of PTC, in the Starr's Mill district. I'm not too familiar with the McIntosh district, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of neighborhoods with sidewalks. Most people use the cartpaths though, and I often see more joggers and bikers on there than golfcarts.

Most kids are dying to get out of PTC at graduation because of the idea of partying at college and the freedom, which is typical of any kid from any city/town. The police here are strict, hence why the crime is so low, so kids aren't able to get away with doing silly stuff. I don't think the "small-town" feeling is pushing the kids out, because I live in Atlanta right now, which is completely the opposite of PTC, and I'm "dying" to get out of here haha.

As far as the small-town feeling goes, word does get around fast here. Everyone does look out for each other though, in the best interest of the community. We do refer to PTC as "The Bubble" as a joke, because sometimes the kids can be oblivious to the outside world, but it's completely up to the parents as to how sheltered they want their kids to be. There are ways to branch out, one way by joining recreational sports teams, which usually include kids from different districts in PTC.