Moving to Lithonia... What can I expect? (Atlanta, Duluth: foreclosure, leasing)

[CaliPeach]

I am curious... I am in the process of moving to Lithonia from Northern California and was told (from a few people who live in the Atlanta area - some natives, some relocators) that Lithonia is a place where a lot of middle to high income African American professionals are moving to. I understand that the schools may not be great right now, but that they are likely to improve. Are these things true? Also, is this an area where my children can make friends and enjoy outdoor activities and small town events? We are a very social family, and would like to be in an area that promotes the same. What can I expect?

[backfist]

I'm also a native of northern California (Richmond and Fairfield) and have relocated to the Atlanta area.

Lithonia is about a half-hour to 45 minute drive from the city. It's about 80% Black and, for the most part middle class. Some older neighborhoods but some are brand new. You can still get a brand new home for under $200,000.

Schools, in my opinion, aren't up to par. And I don't see it getting any better for this generation. Shopping is good though, with a couple of newer strip malls as well as Norcrest Mall.

If you don't have kids in school, all in all it's not too bad of a choice.

[dlh891]

My family lives a little further north of Lithonia in Snellville which is a little higher class and has better schools. There are also a lot of parks and family events. All the reasons you listed are why we moved here.

[CaliPeach]

Thanks, backfist, for your reply. I do have kids in school, 3 boys - 2 elementary school age, and 1 in high school. Are most of the people who live in the area sending their kids to the public schools or are they sending them to private school as an alternative?

[backfist]

There are a few private schools, but I don't think any of them go past 7th or 8th grade. So, it looks like many parents are going the public school route. But if you can swing the tuition, private school is usually the best investment you can make.

[Steven2149]

I have worked in Lithonia as a Police Officer. I live in South Gwinnett, Loganville to be exact. Lithonia is high in crime. Don't let stats fool you if you search by city. The city itself is very small, but the surrounding area has a much higher population. Housing prices are good, there is a nice mall (Stonecrest), the area is growing rapidly. Now, onto everything else... crime is quite bad in Lithonia and the schools are sort of, to very, rough. Demographics aside, the area has a very high rate of rentals and also had one of, if not the highest foreclosure rate in the state. You do run into many areas that do not have much sense of civic responsibility or obligation to be mindful to neighbors. Vehicle thefts, burglaries, robberies, and drugs are all very common. Unfortunately, this happens to innocent victims more often than it does to other bad guys. If you do choose to move to Lithonia, I'll give you some places to stay away from as well as a few to look into.
Stay away from - Phillips Road, Fairington Road, Hillandale, Panola North of I-20, all of Wesley Chapel.... well... lets just say, avoid anything north of 20.
The best areas are south of I-20. Look at Browns Mill Road, Rock Chapel Road, Salem Road (In Parts), Panola South of 20, Evans Mill Road, Klondike Road. Those are definietly the best areas in Lithonia.

Please don't take this as an overly critical post in regards to that area. I do have extensive history working there, though. It's not completely terrible, there are good things as well as bad things.

[CaliPeach]

Thanks, Steven 2149. This is a little concerning... I am looking in an area off of Pleasant Hill Road, definitely not South of the I-20. I am very interested in my family's safety, especially raising 3 boys and with an infant daughter. We have lived in the Oakland, Ca area for a very long time, so we are no strangers to fairly crime-ridden areas, but have had no real problems and have never been victims of crime. Should I be overly concerned about where we are going/moving to in regards to it being in Lithonia? I definitely respect your opinion.

Are there other areas that are predominately African-American with a better overall community profile? On a separate note, I don't want to end up in the equivalent of Pleasanton, Ca either (if you know that part of the Bay Area, No. California). We lived there for a year, and although the schools were great and the neighborhood beautiful, we were one of the only African-American families within the city limits, and my children felt somewhat out of place (both culturally and spritually) at school and at community events. Don't get me wrong, we are accustomed to diversity, but I am very interested in each of my children continuing to develop a stong sense of black pride and community.

Thanks, again, for all of your help!!

[Tdiddy0027]

Cascade, west of Atlanta also has alot of middle to upper class blacks and is growing by leaps and bounds.

[jeweloflight]

Originally Posted by CaliPeach

I am curious... I am in the process of moving to Lithonia from Northern California and was told (from a few people who live in the Atlanta area - some natives, some relocators) that Lithonia is a place where a lot of middle to high income African American professionals are moving to. I understand that the schools may not be great right now, but that they are likely to improve. Are these things true? Also, is this an area where my children can make friends and enjoy outdoor activities and small town events? We are a very social family, and would like to be in an area that promotes the same. What can I expect?

Why are you leaving California? I love that state. I know, it too expensive. Well, please consider another area. There are so many more places to live in Atlanta for a nice black family than Lithonia. I used to live in nearby Conyers, will never move back. The police officer is right, lot of crime. And most blacks there are just middle class. I don't really care about getting a house for $200,000 if I hate the area. Look at Stockbridge, McDonough maybe, which is south of the city. Although I'm not fond of the southern burbs, those areas are good. To the north, check out Duluth, Suwanee, Dacula and Snellville are excellent, diverse, family friendly choices with great schools. You'll feel comfortable there. Whatever you do, make an informed decision. It would be great to rent for a year until you get acclumated to the area, and then buy where you feel most comfortable. Coming here to look around for a few days and leaving is just not enough time to get a true picture of any area.

[CaliPeach]

Well, we are going to be leasing for a year before buying, for just that reason exactly... to make sure the area is right. I do like California, but I just don't think that it is the best place to raise my children. And the expense... I am in the $200K income range as a single parent and am having a hard time! With the opportunity to transfer my salary, I am ready for a better quality of life for myself and my children.

By the way, what is considered "just middle class" in the Atlanta area?