Mableton. Is it gonna be HOT or not? Crime? (Atlanta: estate, travel)

[nichijuu]

I thought Mableton has the worst schools...in any case my kid will probably go to private schools. Mableton is cute but to me, I think it is too far from things that I am used to going in Smyrna.

how about Tornadoes?? DO they happen in Mableton?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by nichijuu

I thought Mableton has the worst schools...in any case my kid will probably go to private schools. Mableton is cute but to me, I think it is too far from things that I am used to going in Smyrna.

how about Tornadoes?? DO they happen in Mableton?

You might find The Tornado History Project web site useful. It looks to me like tornadoes have been fairly well spaced throughout Cobb County over time, though the only two wall clouds I've seen over the past two years (Tornado Warnings issued but no touchdowns) have been south of us by a few miles. They really aren't that common here, though.

[JoeP]

Your post is is interesting to me as another Smyrna person in a similar situation. We are likely looking to move out of our townhouse for similar reasons – no child yet, but planning on it in the near future and our home is already crowded. We love our current location, but Mableton seems to be the only affordable direction to go for a simgle family home. There’s no way I will travel down 75 outside of the perimeter everyday (it’s nice to slip in just inside the Perimeter) and even the commute from Mableton doesn’t thrill me. If when we look, if we don’t find something, then it might be time to leave Atlanta. I just don’t want the everyday headaches of the long distant commutes.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Your post is is interesting to me as another Smyrna person in a similar situation. We are likely looking to move out of our townhouse for similar reasons – no child yet, but planning on it in the near future and our home is already crowded. We love our current location, but Mableton seems to be the only affordable direction to go for a simgle family home. There’s no way I will travel down 75 outside of the perimeter everyday (it’s nice to slip in just inside the Perimeter) and even the commute from Mableton doesn’t thrill me. If when we look, if we don’t find something, then it might be time to leave Atlanta. I just don’t want the everyday headaches of the long distant commutes.

Where do you need to commute to? ITP somewhere? Have you looked around in Smyrna itself?

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by tblewis8

Why?

Mableton is the new "Smynings". Convenient to most of the major job centers in Metro Atlanta (Cumberland/Galleria, Midtown, Downtown, Airport, Buckhead, Perimeter). Decent schools (Elementary: Mableton, Nickajack; High Schools: Pebblebrook, South Cobb, Campbell). All the convenience of "Smynings" but cheaper. Since the "secret" about Mableton is out, values will soon skyrocket. Still a small town/country feel throughout the area, but so close to the city. Doesn't have the "hyper-suburban" feel that you find in North Fulton, East Cobb, West Cobb, North Cobb, South Cherokee, Gwinnett, etc. Diversity...economically, socially, politically, and ethnically. It has a mix of old and new.

Thanks for asking...please excuse my overuse of "quotations!"

Doesn't have the "hyper suburban" feel? Who are you kidding? Most of Mableton developed from the 50s to 70s. The far northeast end developed later, which is odd, considering that it is closest to Atlanta. Yet, to act as though West Cobb is "hyper suburban" and Mableton is not is ludicrous.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Doesn't have the "hyper suburban" feel? Who are you kidding? Most of Mableton developed from the 50s to 70s. The far northeast end developed later, which is odd, considering that it is closest to Atlanta. Yet, to act as though West Cobb is "hyper suburban" and Mableton is not is ludicrous.

I think someone needs to create a map showing what precisely is considered to be "Mableton". Since it's unincorporated, formal boundaries don't really exist that I'm aware of. The 30126 ZIP code boundary, perhaps?

In any case, I'm not aware of that much "50s to 70s" housing across the northern tier at all except for a scattering of older brick ramblers here and there.

The NE area of Mableton along Nickajack, Cooper Lake, Buckner, etc., is most certainly a more traditional suburban residential area, although I think at least part of it was zoned as non-residential land for a long time (which may explain why some of the newer developments like Vinings Estates and the more recent Woodbridge Crossing took so long to appear). A lot of the smaller "at Vinings" subdivisions along Cooper Lake Road are filler (those areas were either trees or had perhaps 1-2 houses in a largish area).

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Doesn't have the "hyper suburban" feel? Who are you kidding? Most of Mableton developed from the 50s to 70s. The far northeast end developed later, which is odd, considering that it is closest to Atlanta. Yet, to act as though West Cobb is "hyper suburban" and Mableton is not is ludicrous.

I agree that Mableton is sparse and suburbanish, however West Cobb and East Cobb have contiguous suburban tracks that spread on seemingly forever. Mableton, on the other hand, is smaller in area than West and East Cobb and therefore it doesn't seem as bad. If you take a quick hike from Mableton, you're in the Cumberland area, for instance.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by netdragon

I agree that Mableton is sparse and suburbanish, however West Cobb and East Cobb have contiguous suburban tracks that spread on seemingly forever. Mableton, on the other hand, is smaller in area than West and East Cobb and therefore it doesn't seem as bad. If you take a quick hike from Mableton, you're in the Cumberland area, for instance.

I grew up in Mableton, and in no way is it "sparse". The only parts that were once sparse, say past five years ago, was the area north of Veterans Memorial (Bankhead Highway) and east of Cooper Lake Road. Also, the area along Queens Mill Road was somewhat sparse up until about five years ago. However, today, pretty much all of this area is filled in. There is only one major tract of land that is not developed, along Pebblebrook Road, and this belongs to a girl scout camp which has held the land for over thirty years. On the other side of Pebblebrook Road, directly across from the girl scout camp, Mount Harmony Baptist Church owns a fair number of acres. Other than this area, most of the formed undeveloped areas along Buckner, Pebblebrook, Oakdale, Queens Mill, and Cooper Lake Roads have been developed.

Mableton is a much smaller area, geographically speaking, than all of "East Cobb", as is true of all of "west Cobb". However, "West Cobb", the area in and around Dallas Highway, Macland Road, etc. has much larger lots than have been undeveloped than Mableton has.

To the poster who asked about the age of homes. Most of the homes in the areas mentioned above are NEW, as that was the undeveloped part of Mableton for many years (odd, considering it is closer to Atlanta. This was the result of the hillier terrain as opposed to the western half of Mableton) Most homes in this area are no older than 1990, though there is a considerable area along Cooperlake Road that was developed in the 60s and 70s. The older wooden-home neighborhood near Veterans Memorial was developed in the 50s. Stoneybrook Subdivision's first phases opened in 1988, and the last opened around 1993.

The Nickajack Road area came of age in the 80s. Most of the homes along Nickajack were built in the 80s, with a few built in the early 90s (Glenleigh Park)

Around the historic district of Mableton, most of those homes date anywhere from the 1930s-1960s, with a few dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Most of the homes around Old Alabama Road on Mableton's southwest quadrant were built in the 70s and 80s, with some neighborhoods constructed in the 60s.

Most of the homes built on the west side of Dodgen Road, flanked between Mableton Parkway on the west and Veterans Memorial on the north, were built in the mid to late 1950s.

I know Mableton, as I grew up there and saw the change. Most of you know diddly squat about the area, considering you weren't there to see the many changes. To you, it's just another town, but the advice I give is legit.

Regarding the schools in Mableton, let me be frank, they stink. Floyd Middle was a good school up until the mid 90s. South Cobb was a decent school up until the late 90s. Skyview and Harmony Leland used to be fair schools up until the same time period. Today, I'd say that only Mableton Elementary is a decent school. Clay Elementary is terrible, but maybe not if you can speak Spanish. Riverside and Bryant are practically "representin'" the ghettos of Six Flags Drive and vicinity. Harmony-Leland isn't as bad, but it isn't a good school, at least not according to the test scores. That's not to say that the teachers aren't good. It's that the students aren't performing, but that's to be expected considering the changing demographics of the school. Lindley Middle has been pitiful since the early 90s. It wasn't good going all the way back to around 1987.

If you want any true advice regarding Mableton and surrounding areas, I'll be happy to share information.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I think someone needs to create a map showing what precisely is considered to be "Mableton". Since it's unincorporated, formal boundaries don't really exist that I'm aware of. The 30126 ZIP code boundary, perhaps?

I'm attaching an approximation I have made based on talking with people and looking at real estate listings of where the border of Mableton is. The highlighted area is what I think is Mableton.

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

I grew up in Mableton, and in no way is it "sparse".

It's a difference of definitions, but for me, more than 1/3 acre per house/unit is still sparse (low density). There are some urban developments in Mableton, but a lot of it is still suburban. It's just not as large a continuous chunk of suburban sprawl as West and East Cobb, which is why I like it more. I also think it is on it's way to becoming more city-like.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

To the poster who asked about the age of homes. Most of the homes in the areas mentioned above are NEW, as that was the undeveloped part of Mableton for many years (odd, considering it is closer to Atlanta. This was the result of the hillier terrain as opposed to the western half of Mableton)

The area around us (Stoneybrook and north to the east of Cooper Lake) is wonderfully hilly, reminding me a little of the glacial morain around my parent's house on Williston Road in Minnetonka, MN. Not so good for certain types of cell phones, tho. I still seem to remember the new Woodbridge Crossing being zoned as something else, though. And I can't believe they flattened the hill by the E/W Connector for that subdivision. Though I've heard it was a manmade hill, anyway. Still...

Most homes in this area are no older than 1990, though there is a considerable area along Cooperlake Road that was developed in the 60s and 70s. The older wooden-home neighborhood near Veterans Memorial was developed in the 50s. Stoneybrook Subdivision's first phases opened in 1988, and the last opened around 1993.

Yeah, our house in Stoneybrook was built in 1988, and it's in the Phase I area according to the lot map we have, but I thought some of the newer houses in the southern area of the subdivision were put up even later than 1993? As late as 1996, perhaps, or 1997.

Around the historic district of Mableton, most of those homes date anywhere from the 1930s-1960s, with a few dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

That's mainly centered around Floyd Road, right?

Most of the homes built on the west side of Dodgen Road, flanked between Mableton Parkway on the west and Veterans Memorial on the north, were built in the mid to late 1950s.

That's not an area I know at all. I've not driven south of VMH very often.

I know Mableton, as I grew up there and saw the change. Most of you know diddly squat about the area, considering you weren't there to see the many changes. To you, it's just another town, but the advice I give is legit.

I've only been in the area for three years, but I love it, and I appreciate the detail you've gone into here. Thanks for taking the time!