Moving to Atlanta (Marietta, Alpharetta, Kennesaw: apartments, rent, insurance)

[eeberlien]

Hello All,

The name is Erick :-) I'm currently residing in Salt Lake City Utah. I have just been informed by my boss that I will more than likely be transfered to Atlanta in about 7 months. I am very pleased about this, been wanting out of Utah for many years.

I will be coming with a wife and three young children in tow. If you haven't figured it out yet, my question is: What suburbs/neighborhoods do you suggest we settle in? I am looking for someplace safe first and foremost. I would also like someplace affordable, I would rather not spend more than around 1200 per month in rent. what areas in the city of Atlanta should I avoid or stay away from?

Your assistance is appreciated :-)
Thanks
Erick

[jsvh]

First: Welcome!

Second, a few more questions, Per the sticky:
2. House/Condo/Townhome?
3. Employment Status(commuting to where/work from home)
4. Children(public school vs. private)
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?

[flyonpa]

Welcome to The Atlanta Area.
One of the big question will be where is the work location.
Without that this thread is a non/starter..

At the top of the Atlanta Fourm is "Moving to Atlanta ..." Fill out the info into this thread. and you will get alot of suggestions / Help.

A "One Liner" when should i move to get will no replies or suggestions. The Atlanta Area is HUGE, and traffic is bad, so living close to work is allmost a requirment.

[eeberlien]

Hello all,
I have tried to add on to this post several times but it seems my tablet is acting up. So, we'll try the iPhone :-)

I am a train technician working for a company known as Siemens. I am being transferred to Atlanta to work on the new streetcar project getting ready to start up. So, given the nature of my job I'm assuming I will be working right downtown. That would be the best place for a streetcar system.

I have no interest in living right downtown. I would prefer a house in a suburb. I don't want a long commute either. I don't know where that leaves me. All of you know the area better than me so I guess I will let you tell me what you think :-) we would prefer a house, a large house. At least 2000 square feet. My wife and I really like the old style homes. Old Victorian type homes and the like. I'm not saying we have to have that or nothing. Just saying that if we could get in one of those old school homes we would love it. Homes are preferable but we might consider a townhome if it really spoke to us. As far as apartments well....................they're at the bottom of the list. It would have to be an awesome place and a really sweet deal for us to even consider it.

I have three children. Aged 11, 9, and 7. One of the kids is adopted and has learning issues. So, a good quality school is near the top of my list. I am not interested in private schools at this time. That may change in the future but right now I just need a good quality public school.

So that's it. I think I've covered things quite well. I would appreciate some good info on what areas would be good for my family and I to settle in.

Thanks
Erick

[BT Lover]

If I were you, I would steer clear of the downtown area, and you aren't really going to find many options for Victorian homes. This just isn't an area of the country with a lot of those options, unless you are a lawyer, doctor, insurance company. For some reason, all those nice areas with older homes in the suburbs ended up being zoned for that.

No matter what, you are going to have to accept that you will have a commute, and if your schedule warrants it, you may want to go into work earlier or later to accommodate that and avoid the worst of the rush hours we deal with on a daily basis. Atlanta is known for traffic and not one hour, but many hours of it. Fridays would be a perfect day to work from home if you can.

Some areas to consider would be Milton, Alpharetta, Cumming on the Eastern Side of town, and Powder Springs, Marietta (East Cobb, North Cobb), and even Kennesaw or Acworth. Your budget is quite high for most areas these days so that is good news.

[jsvh]

I disagree with that you cannot find older Victorian homes. There are lots in the in-town neighborhoods and some of the original small downs that are now part of the suburbs.

However, with your budget, you are going to have to make some sacrifices in what you are looking for:

Short commute, Good public schools, larger sqft, Older place with character, single family home, good crime stats. Choose two, maybe three with your budget.

Personally, I think you can find some good places in the original suburbs on the south east side of in-town that will give you a decent balance of what you are looking for. But they are distinctly intown and will not offer a suburban lifestyle. Atlanta has grown mostly to the North and the suburbs to the north are more expensive. Since you will be working in downtown, I would look in areas to that are away from that direction. Traffic is terrible so I would recommend trying to incorporate MARTA into your commute. If you plan wrong you can end up with a two hour commute.

If you are really interested in fixing up old homes in up and coming neighborhoods there are some good deals to be had close to downtown. But you should rent first until you get to know Atlanta.

[gerrythesnake]

Stay in the outer suburbs and take the Express bus into downtown

[taurus2000]

Originally Posted by eeberlien

Hello all,
I have tried to add on to this post several times but it seems my tablet is acting up. So, we'll try the iPhone :-)

I am a train technician working for a company known as Siemens. I am being transferred to Atlanta to work on the new streetcar project getting ready to start up. So, given the nature of my job I'm assuming I will be working right downtown. That would be the best place for a streetcar system.

I have no interest in living right downtown. I would prefer a house in a suburb. I don't want a long commute either. I don't know where that leaves me. All of you know the area better than me so I guess I will let you tell me what you think :-) we would prefer a house, a large house. At least 2000 square feet. My wife and I really like the old style homes. Old Victorian type homes and the like. I'm not saying we have to have that or nothing. Just saying that if we could get in one of those old school homes we would love it. Homes are preferable but we might consider a townhome if it really spoke to us. As far as apartments well....................they're at the bottom of the list. It would have to be an awesome place and a really sweet deal for us to even consider it.

I have three children. Aged 11, 9, and 7. One of the kids is adopted and has learning issues. So, a good quality school is near the top of my list. I am not interested in private schools at this time. That may change in the future but right now I just need a good quality public school.

So that's it. I think I've covered things quite well. I would appreciate some good info on what areas would be good for my family and I to settle in.

Thanks
Erick

The manufacturing facility for the Siemens streetcars is located in Alpharetta and most of the Siemens facilities (offices and manufacturing) are located on the north end of the Perimeter and the northern burbs (alpharetta, cumming, milton, etc.) If you do happen to work downtown on occasion as construction starts, you could take MARTA or Xpress in from the north.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by taurus2000

The manufacturing facility for the Siemens streetcars is located in Alpharetta and most of the Siemens facilities (offices and manufacturing) are located on the north end of the Perimeter and the northern burbs (alpharetta, cumming, milton, etc.) If you do happen to work downtown on occasion as construction starts, you could take MARTA or Xpress in from the north.

I think you should really find out where you will be working for most of the time. Downtown vs. Alpharetta is a significant commuting and living difference.

[cqholt]

The Vehicle Maintenance Facility for the downtown streetcar is downtown, but a Siemens plant is in Alpharetta.