thoughts on Brookhaven for a family?

[LoneWolf2]

Check out Chamblee and Brookhaven hoods in the 30341 that are zoned for Montgomery Elem. You will get a very nice townhome, a renovated ranch with nice yard but probably not a brand new SFH 4/3, they are running in the high 7's, low 8's.
Try murphey-candler, harts mill area and sexton woods.
My preference would be the Chamblee side of Sexton Woods due the fact it has 4 or 5 streets to get in and out and doesnt suffer the same traffic issues as Ashford Dunwoody/Chamble Dunwoody sub-divisions.
Its also going be added to PATH/tail and joined up with Keswick Park and Blackburn park and CHamblee Marta. So you will be able to walk to Whole Foods, Pure, Olmsted, ParkView etc.
Chamblee also has better services than Brookhaven (sanitation, police etc).
Good luck!

[AnsleyPark]

Brookhaven is a great place for families. I have many friends who live there and they seem to really like it. I live out in the Johns Creek area, which is also very family friendly and not quite as expensive as Brookhaven. Great schools out this way. I think it really depends on whether you value a more urban environment to a suburban environment. Having a family, I really have found there to be little difference in the lifestyle I led in the city vs. out in the burbs. So for us, the cost savings and great public schools out here outweighed the perceived conveniences of living in the city proper.

Best of luck!

[whodean]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

So for us, the cost savings and great public schools out here outweighed the perceived conveniences of living in the city proper.

Same for us, moved last year from Brookhaven to Vinings/Smyrna area. Much more house for the money, good elementary (Teasley), and the commute to downtown is actually about the same (time wise) as it was when we lived in Brookhaven.

[wasel]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf2

Check out Chamblee and Brookhaven hoods in the 30341 that are zoned for Montgomery Elem. You will get a very nice townhome, a renovated ranch with nice yard but probably not a brand new SFH 4/3, they are running in the high 7's, low 8's.
Try murphey-candler, harts mill area and sexton woods.
My preference would be the Chamblee side of Sexton Woods due the fact it has 4 or 5 streets to get in and out and doesnt suffer the same traffic issues as Ashford Dunwoody/Chamble Dunwoody sub-divisions.
Its also going be added to PATH/tail and joined up with Keswick Park and Blackburn park and CHamblee Marta. So you will be able to walk to Whole Foods, Pure, Olmsted, ParkView etc.
Chamblee also has better services than Brookhaven (sanitation, police etc).
Good luck!

And PATH already connects from Blackburn Park to Murphey Candler Park -- and the latter has a very large Little League baseball/football program (complete with stadium seating! )

[Rainbow2011]

Originally Posted by Becca10

Hello all. We are looking to buy a house this spring/summer. We would like to stay under $600k but willing to stretch to $650k. We have a 3 year old with plans for another child. DH works in Norcross and is pretty stable there long-term, and I work in Alpharetta (but may be job-hunting soon).

We currently rent in Sandy Springs but are focusing on northern Brookhaven, in the Montgomery Elementary district. That would give us good access to both 400 and 85 for our jobs. One thing we like about northern Brookhaven is proximity to large job centers- Perimeter, Buckhead, Norcross, Midtown. Even Alpharetta and Cobb Parkway are within reasonable reverse commute. Since we both have corporate jobs, we never know when we'll be laid off or leave for another job. So it would be beneficial to have flexibility on where to accept a job.

I also really like the new developments going up like the new Whole Foods plaza.

Outside of highway & MARTA access though, what do you think about Brookhaven to raise a family long-term? I always see the soccer fields on Ashford-Dunwoody packed of little kids. I think Murphy-Candler does a lot of youth activities too. So it appears to be as family-friendly as Alpharetta, Suwanee, etc.

I see Chamblee Middle and Chamblee HS are not highly-rated, at least compared to schools in Johns Creek or Alpharetta. But I would think that the public schools would improve as Brookhaven gets wealthier. Is that off-base?

Also, looking at Montgomery ES demographics, I like the mix of ethnicities. We are an Asian family, and this may sound odd, but seeing elementary schools in Johns Creek that are 65% Asian doesn't appeal to us.

Anyway, do you have any insight on Brookhaven for our situation? Or do you think we should just do a nice OTP suburb like Johns Creek or Suwanee? I know the housing is not as expensive there.

Thanks!

I'm laughing at part of your post as I am 50% Asian and the heavy Asian population in JC turned me off too. My good friend resides in Mont/chamblee school cluster. The elementary school is fine. The magnet program in MS is good. I do not know HS as our kids are still too young.
Sara smith/sutton is another option (buckhead) with IB program and good location. Most intown HS are improving but things change and in 10+ years who knows as many choose to stay intown and keep their children in the public MS and HS.

[Shin Dynamo X]

Besides Buckhead, I hear that Brookhaven is very expensive...more than Alpharetta , Johns Creek, or Roswell.

Is this true about Brookhaven? How is the crime rate there also?

[wasel]

Yes, it is expensive. Most new construction SFHs are $600k-$1m....and these aren't mansions. Older ranches that need updating generally start at $400k. You are paying for location.

[wasel]

Forgot that you asked about crime. It's minimal. Check out Crime Mapper (you can get to it from the Brookhaven city website. Our cops spend most of their time nabbing people for nonviolent activities.

[whodean]

Right, most reported crime in the City of Brookhaven happens along Buford Hwy., The residential areas are quite safe in general.

You'll be hard pressed to find a 4br home fit less than $600+ in most of Brookhaven.

[Rainbow2011]

Originally Posted by Shin Dynamo X

Besides Buckhead, I hear that Brookhaven is very expensive...more than Alpharetta , Johns Creek, or Roswell.

Is this true about Brookhaven? How is the crime rate there also?

Yes but many of my young coworkers move to Brookhaven when they can't afford buckhead as its dekalb vs Fulton taxes. And Brookhaven is lovely particularly area north of Phipps plaza and near glenridge. It is always going to be pricey in desirable neighborhoods.