Roswell Dunwoody or Sandy springs (Atlanta, Marietta: crime, new house, transfer to)

[kaday]

We are looking at a potential transfer to the Atlanta area. We have 2 children 4 and 6. We were wondering if anyone could give us some insight as to which town would have the best schools and what areas to avoid. Our price range would be 4-6. Those towns by the map seem to be closest to my husbands future employer. We are pretty laid back Northerners. Any advice/help woukd be so appreciated!

Thanks.

[kevin44]

the west side of roswell is really nice (by roswell high school) and you can get something between 4 and 6 although maybe not a new house for that price. they are more like 6-8. more suburban feel to it. dunwoody and sandy springs have more things going on as they are closer to atlanta. but since you have children, i would recommend roswell. they are all nice areas.

where exactly is your husband working? roswell may not be as close as you think

[kaday]

Well I don't want to jinx myself but it is near the intersection of 285 and 75 (by the looks of the map.) Would that be a reasonable commute from Roswell?

We don't need new or large for that matter. It seems like everything is so oversized!

Thanks for you info.

[nrgpill]

Sandy Springs or Vinings would be your best bet in terms of commute time and overall convenience. I really cannot fault Dunwoody or Roswell either but there are stretches of the highway that are some of the most congested in the metro area. For Dunwoody, that would be the top-end 285 and for Roswell, GA-400.

[kaday]

Is this an Atlanta neighborhood or separate town? Does anyone have any information about the schools there?

[nrgpill]

Vinings is an unincorporated area of Cobb county bordered by the Chattahoochee river and I-285. I really do not know about the schools in that area. Looking at Campbell HS, the scores don't seem all that great.

[LeftWatcher]

Stay out of Fulton - taxes are high, crime is unnacceptable and schools are not the best in the State. Go 2 miles west to COBB County. Marietta/Roswell. Schools are the highest ranking in the state, property taxes are somewhat reasonable and you can get a lot of home for $450,000.

[nrgpill]

Marietta is in Cobb and Roswell is in Fulton. The reason why I cannot recommend East Cobb is the commute. There are no highways near East Cobb. In fact, East Cobb residents often cut through the entire length of Sandy Springs just to get to the nearby job centers.

Ultimately though, you should do what you feel is right for the children. I would personally live modest, closer-in, and send my kids to a private school. Spending upto 3 hours a day on the road can get tiring rather quickly.

[kaday]

Are there any parts of Atlanta that would be close by and acceptable?

[bbuch]

I think you are scaring them nrgpill. Yes a commute from Sandy Springs and Vinings would be the quickest. 10min. MAX from those areas to the I-285/I-75 junction, during rush hour. If you would like to look in east cobb, I think you could do that commute in about 20 (not 3hrs like stated by nrgpill). The reason people cut through Sandy Springs is because it's usually faster, not due to lack of highway access.

I commute into midtown and could use the highways if I wanted, but don't because they are slow and I eat up way too much gas.

East Cobb does have some of the better schools in Atl; especially the elementary schools that your children would be going to.

B