What is the Stone Mountain area like? (Atlanta, Peachtree City: estate, gated)

[aries4118]

For relatively easy commuting distance to Stockbridge, but also good access to "core Atlanta" attractions, plus your price range, here is what I recommend:

1. City of Decatur and Avondale Estates, plus eastside neighborshoods in the Atlanta city limits like East Lake, Kirkwood, East Atlanta, Ormewood Park, Chosewood Park, Benteen, Grant Park, Edgewood, Inman Park, Lake Claire, Candler Park, and Reynoldstown
(these areas would allow you easy commuting access without interstates by using Moreland Avenue, Candler Road, etc.)

2. Lake Spivey area of Jonesboro

3. Panola/Evans Mill/Klondike/Arabia Mountain area of south DeKalb County

4. Stockbridge/Fairview area of north Henry County


Good Luck!

[maysee]

Thank you that is very helpful. Are any of theses areas nicer than the others?

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by maysee

Thank you that is very helpful. Are any of theses areas nicer than the others?

"Nicer than the others???" They are all nice areas...I based the list on your criteria. But, I guess I would say the areas listed in #1.

Good Luck! Let me know if you have more questions.

Oh, I forgot to mention...if you are still interested in Stone Mountain, don't listen to the people on this thread...it is a nice area. The Stone Mountain address region covers a broad area...many parts will meet your criteria. Here is what I recommend for you in the Stone Mountain area:

a. The Smokerise Community (very nice; many subdivisions and a country club as well; Tucker High School)

b. The Hidden Hills Country Club Area (Redan High School)

c. Water's Edge/Bermuda Area (very nice; Stephenson High School)

d. Southlands Country Club (Stephenson High School, I think.)

e. "Old Redan" Area (along Stone Mountain-Lithonia Hwy; still has a rural/pastoral feel...but still close to everything; where the old town crossroads of Redan was/is located; many mansions, some country estates; excellent views of Stone Mountain; zoned for either Redan, Stephenson, or Lithonia High Schools...depends on which part)

f. The Gwinnett County side of Stone Mountain (Parkview High School and Shiloh High School...the Shiloh High School district is one of Metro Atlanta's best kept suburban secrets...suburban, but with a more rural/pastoral feel...not crowded but just as close as everywhere else)

Which area would get the "gold star" in the Stone Mountain region you may wonder?

The Smokerise Community!

Excellent public schools, great views, heavily forested, beautiful neighborhoods, and convenient/close to everything.

[lastminutemom]

Redan High School was just on a national list of high schools that are drop out factories.

If you have school age children, in my opinion, and I am a DeKalb county parent, you can do better than DeKalb schools.

City of Decatur schools are strong and seemed to be mostly well run. DeKalb not so much. Nearly half of DeKalb's high schools are on that list of drop out factory high schools.

With all DeKalb schools, the smarter your child is the better off he/she will be. Especially in high school, they need to be in top classes all the time.

[maysee]

I am interested in school. I have a baby on the way so I have some time.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Redan High School was just on a national list of high schools that are drop out factories.

If you have school age children, in my opinion, and I am a DeKalb county parent, you can do better than DeKalb schools.

City of Decatur schools are strong and seemed to be mostly well run. DeKalb not so much. Nearly half of DeKalb's high schools are on that list of drop out factory high schools.

With all DeKalb schools, the smarter your child is the better off he/she will be. Especially in high school, they need to be in top classes all the time.

There is a national list for everything. As an educator, I know what really makes a good school.

Redan High is a strong middle/upper-middle class community with strong community support. It also has awesome sports teams and great academics.

Look beyond the numbers in all of these arbitrary lists.

[KevK]

I would not live anywhere near the Village of Stone Mountain. It is full of criminals, gangs and liquor stores. It is one of the worst areas in the metro. All the decent folks fled for Gwinnett long ago. Drive through it in the daytime (even then it is a dare) and see all the decay and grafitti.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by KevK

I would not live anywhere near the Village of Stone Mountain. It is full of criminals, gangs and liquor stores. It is one of the worst areas in the metro. All the decent folks fled for Gwinnett long ago. Drive through it in the daytime (even then it is a dare) and see all the decay and grafitti.

Damn I wish I had known this when I last spoke to my sister on Wednesday. She and her husband have lived there for about 20 years. Raised their 2 kids there. I would have felt compelled to tell her that they are no longer decent people.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by kayrob

Damn I wish I had known this when I last spoke to my sister on Wednesday. She and her husband have lived there for about 20 years. Raised their 2 kids there. I would have felt compelled to tell her that they are no longer decent people.

If they are decent people and they work, who watches their dwelling when they go to work? You sure as hell won't have anything left when you come home if it isn't being watched. I have a relative that lived there and they had 3 burglaries, a car stolen and a killing down the street. They finally fled for Lawrenceville.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by KevK

If they are decent people and they work, who watches their dwelling when they go to work? You sure as hell won't have anything left when you come home if it isn't being watched. I have a relative that lived there and they had 3 burglaries, a car stolen and a killing down the street. They finally fled for Lawrenceville.

My brother-in=law has his own business and my sister is a homemaker now that their kids are grown and gone from the home. They also travel out of state frequently for her husband's work and if their were issues upon their return I'm sure I would be aware of them.

And there's no IF they are decent people in it.