Murphey-Candler Park / N Brookhaven area (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: real estate, renting, home)

[dg8trs]

My family is moving to Atlanta from northern CA in July.

I will be working at Coca-Cola downtown and my wife will be working from home / need airport access.
Looking for a commute <40 minutes (otherwise, we'd be in Alpharetta or East Cobb...)

We are looking hard at Dunwoody and the Murphey-Candler Park area.
With rising 3rd and 5th graders, the immediate need is elementary school quality - Montgomery, Dunwoody, Vanderlyn, or Austin seem to be the best options. We'll need to decide on middle school and beyond.

What do you know about that North Brookhaven area specifically?
Driving through it, it seems like an active, family-oriented area.
It seems a little more accessible to I-285 than winding your way through Dunwoody, but maybe I was just going the slowest way (up Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd).

Any thoughts are on the area or Montgomery ES greatly appreciated.

Also, if you know of girls' youth soccer in that vicinity, we are interested in that as well.

Thanks

[lastminutemom]

UHM. If you are going to consider DeKalb schools, have you looked at Oak Grove or Fernbank? Both would give you far better access to downtown and the airport.

DeKalb schools are problematic and so while the test scores look fine at the schools you listed, it is mostly a reflection of the population of students plus the tenacity of the parents in those communities to work to negate the negatives that come from being a part of DCSS. You will be paying the highest property taxes (outside of City of Decatur) for the largest class sizes in the metro area, fewest resources in schools, etc.

Were you in Brookhaven during rush hour, because getting to I285 is a pain down Ashford Dunwoody. Forty minutes is going to be tough during rush hour even from your choices, though barring a wreck or rain, you should possibly be close.

Here is the challenge, your kids have 3 years left in elementary school. If it were me, I would have a plan for middle and high before making this decision. Can you afford private? Are you comfortable with religious private schools? (there is a reason I ask this question....)

[dg8trs]

Great insight.

Admittedly, part of the bias is because these are areas (Dunwoody anyway) that I am more familiar with.

I lived here in the mid to late 90s (just married, no kids, renting, so a totally different experience).
We were in Buckhead, N. Druid Hills, and Dunwoody/Sandy Springs during those years.

We can make it work for private middle/high school, including religious (wife/kids are catholic)...

We've considered Sandy Springs, as well, but the schools seem to be even weaker over that direction.

The Smyrna/Vinings area is interesting, but I know very little about it, and even less about Decatur (other than the high tax burden).

[viningsgt]

Originally Posted by dg8trs

Great insight.


The Smyrna/Vinings area is interesting, but I know very little about it, and even less about Decatur (other than the high tax burden).

Not a better place to live for airport access and a downtown commute in my opinion. Consistently no traffic to either destination in either direction. Family friendly, good to great elementary schools, plentiful private schools, and public middle and high are viable options as well (Cobb County schools).

[ATL Golfer]

If my parents weren't buying my house, I'd have you look at mine. We just moved from there 4wk ago.

We were on the west side of Ashford Dunwoody. The poster above doesn't realize you'd never be on Ashford Dunwoody for your commute. You'd go to GA400 from Peachtree Dunwoody. Taking Old Johnson's Ferry and West Nancy Creek to get in and out of the Murphy Candler area.

I'm in real estate and drive all day. That area is, without doubt, the best place to be for access to the rest of the north side and even to downtown if you don't want to be in City of Atlanta. Two minutes to Buckhead, two minutes to Perimeter area. Great for price protection. The area will always be in demand.

You can be in downtown in 15 minutes without traffic. And traffic isn't all that bad coming home. GA400 is terrible to the Glenridge exit. Your commute each day would be 30 minutes at the max and closer to 20 imo. I do that drive a lot.

I'm in Ashford Park now and already miss the amazing hwy access of Murphy Candler Park area. Montgomery is a great school with tons of parental involvement.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

If my parents weren't buying my house, I'd have you look at mine. We just moved from there 4wk ago.

We were on the west side of Ashford Dunwoody. The poster above doesn't realize you'd never be on Ashford Dunwoody for your commute. You'd go to GA400 from Peachtree Dunwoody. Taking Old Johnson's Ferry and West Nancy Creek to get in and out of the Murphy Candler area.

I'm in real estate and drive all day. That area is, without doubt, the best place to be for access to the rest of the north side and even to downtown if you don't want to be in City of Atlanta. Two minutes to Buckhead, two minutes to Perimeter area. Great for price protection. The area will always be in demand.

You can be in downtown in 15 minutes without traffic. And traffic isn't all that bad coming home. GA400 is terrible to the Glenridge exit. Your commute each day would be 30 minutes at the max and closer to 20 imo. I do that drive a lot.

I'm in Ashford Park now and already miss the amazing hwy access of Murphy Candler Park area. Montgomery is a great school with tons of parental involvement.

Is your child at (or going to) Ashford Park?

Yeah, I didn't think about the 400 option.

I still think Oak Grove and Fernbank are a better option (geographically) if DeKalb schools are in play.

Also, depending on what type of housing you are looking for, you could certainly consider some of the elementary schools in the Grady High feeder pattern.

To me, I would be about making life (re commute) as simple as possible -- especially given your parameters.

DeKalb remains on a downward slope, which APS seems to be headed up and stronger.

[ATL Golfer]

edit - GA400 to Glenridge "isn't" terrible.

Yes, as of now they will attend Ashford Park Elementary, although we may find away to utilize Montgomery.

[dblackga]

It's a great neighborhood, lots of families with young children, with a mix of older couples who have been there forever, and love the convenience. Montgomery is one of those "hidden gems" with a lot of very active parents. You also have all the Perimeter Center shopping and dining options a mile away just across 285.

You have one of the best soccer programs in the state right across Ashford Dunwoody, with Concorde Fire Soccer Club right across the street using the Y-fields next to Marist School.

Concorde Fire Soccer Club

Another top girl's soccer program is TopHat Soccer -- a bit of a drag to get there after school/rush hour, but it's generally considered THE girl's soccer club -- only girls, btw (the land was given to the club with the condition that it was only for girl's soccer -- even tournaments that borrow the fields can only have girls' games there!)

Tophat Soccer Club ~ Atlanta, Georgia

I agree with ATL Golfer -- I'd be skipping over Nancy Creek to Johnson Ferry and 400 before I ever stepped foot on 285 during rush hour. 40 minutes is optimistic, though -- my husband works in the Emory/CDC area, and we live just north of the Perimeter, and at rush hour, it's a solid 45 minutes -- your time to downtown will be at least that.

[Go Blue 99]

We live in this area. We absolutely love it. So convenient to so many different areas. My only concern for the long-term is that the middle school and high school aren't that impressive, if you aren't in the charter school.

[ATL Golfer]

I just confirmed with someone that lives next door...who works at Coke. Commute is btwn 20-25 minutes. 15 no traffic.

I will say, you have to live off of W Nancy Creek on the WEST side of Ashford Dunwoody to make this happen. W Nancy Creek heading east towards MCP gets backed up and will add 5-10 minutes. Crossing over Ashford is hairy...sometimes easy. Sometimes a line from Ashford Dunwoody to Old Johnson's Ferry.

That little pocket btwn the hospitals and Ashford Dunwoody is a traffic free little gem.

I do this drive often and he is right.