Relocating to ATL - my work is near the Airport and wife potentially at Duluth (Atlanta: rent, daycare)

[pokertrax]

My workplace is near the Airport and my wife might potentially get a job at Duluth. Looking at all the previous threads, I am going to assume that my commute is going to be a nightmare. Any suggestions on neighborhood(s) to look for?

I would like the commute for my wife to be around 20 minutes so she can drop and pick-up the kids. I am also looking for good school districts for my kids (elementary school). My housing budget is around 400-500K.

Due to my relocation benefits, I unfortunately do not have the time to do a rent first option to try some places for the commute times.

FWIW, we are software engineers and Asian-Indian.

[VJP]

This is nearly untenable for both of you + kids if you don't have a nanny or someone to pick up the kids. I'd say live on a MARTA line near me in Dunwoody and take the train - it's 45 minutes to the airport and maybe your employer has a shuttle from there or College Park. However, Duluth from Dunwoody is 45-60 minutes each way. You might try Chamblee and make it a tad better. If you want the absolute best schools etc, then you could sacrifice further and go up to John's Creek and drive down to Marta (30 minutes) and take the train and your wife would be a bit closer to work/daycare.

[fieldm]

Chamblee/Tucker/Northlake area


Going to the airport on 285 will be a reverse commute

[pokertrax]

Originally Posted by VJP

You might try Chamblee and make it a tad better.

Thanks for the suggestion. Chamblee does look like an option. Google map suggests 35 minutes to 1 Hr commute by car if I leave at 7:30, is that correct?

How about the school district? Is this comparable to John Creek or other good school districts?

Originally Posted by VJP

If you want the absolute best schools etc, then you could sacrifice further and go up to John's Creek and drive down to Marta (30 minutes) and take the train

Is parking ever an issue at a Marta station

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by pokertrax

My workplace is near the Airport and my wife might potentially get a job at Duluth. Looking at all the previous threads, I am going to assume that my commute is going to be a nightmare. Any suggestions on neighborhood(s) to look for?

I would like the commute for my wife to be around 20 minutes so she can drop and pick-up the kids. I am also looking for good school districts for my kids (elementary school). My housing budget is around 400-500K.

Due to my relocation benefits, I unfortunately do not have the time to do a rent first option to try some places for the commute times.

FWIW, we are software engineers and Asian-Indian.

Take a look at the areas in the clusters/feeder zones for Parkview and Brookwood high schools in Gwinnett County.

Those areas feature neighborhoods with homes within your price range (of $500k and under) served by some of the best public schools in the entire Southeastern U.S. in the feeder zones for Parkview and Brookwood high schools.

The exceptionally highly-rated Parkview and Brookwood high school clusters also feature very high Asian Indian populations in areas that are probably as close as you will get to being equidistant between the Duluth area and the Atlanta Airport.

Your wife's commute to the Duluth area from this area will be shorter and easier than your commute to the Airport which will be longer but not necessarily as painful as other commutes can be in the Atlanta metropolitan area/region.

The clusters of schools anchored by Parkview and Brookwood high schools in south-central Gwinnett County are also probably your best options for finding really good schools in an area that will be located between your wife's job in Duluth and your job near the Atlanta Airport and that will not stick either one or both of your with the most miserable commutes to and from your jobs.

Your commute from that area (the Parkview/Brookwood areas) to the Airport will have its challenges, but it will not be anywhere nearly as severely challenging as a commute to the Airport from the I-85 Northeast, Georgia 400 North or the I-75 Northwest corridors might would be on many days.

[pokertrax]

Originally Posted by fieldm

Going to the airport on 285 will be a reverse commute

You are not kidding, the commute is way less the opposite direction. Will research into it

[pokertrax]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Take a look at the areas in the clusters/feeder zones for Parkview and Brookwood high schools in Gwinnett County.

Thanks for the suggestion, will look at it as well. Wish there was a train station nearby as a backup.

[stoxdiamond]

Good schools are subjective, but Chamblee schools are not going to be comparable to those in John's Creek.

If you live in the Northern suburbs (e.g. John's Creek/Alpharetta), you'll be looking at 30 mins to get to the North Springs transit station. After that, taking the train all the way to the airport is going to be another 50 minutes or so.

Chamblee might be your best bet in your situation.

Is your workplace accessible from the airport MARTA station? If so, you can more or less live anywhere near a MARTA station and have a reasonable non-driving commute. Dunwoody comes to mind. Also, Peachtree Corners is known to have decent schools, you could drive to Doraville station and take MARTA to the airport.

[pokertrax]

Originally Posted by stoxdiamond

Is your workplace accessible from the airport MARTA station? If so, you can more or less live anywhere near a MARTA station and have a reasonable non-driving commute. Dunwoody comes to mind. Also, Peachtree Corners is known to have decent schools, you could drive to Doraville station and take MARTA to the airport.

I have heard they have a shuttle, need to research on that. Dunwoody was one of the places I had in mind.

[Atlwarrior]

Brookhaven sounds like an area you should look at. However, because of the kids either you or your wife will have to do a trade off for the longer commute for all that you desire. IMO, I would rather be closer To Duluth as your option to the airport area becomes greater once you get closer to the city.