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Hello! I am going to be moving from Austin to the Alpharetta area next June, and I am having a hard time figuring out which suburb fits my family best. I have been looking at Alpharetta, Roswell, John's Creek, Milton, and Marietta.
Here is what I'm looking for:
-Very good schools
-Diversity and equity. I don't want to live somewhere where the white people are doing great but everyone else is poor and suffering.
-Older, more established neighborhoods with big yards and lots of trees.
-No HOA or a lenient HOA that will let us park our camper in the driveway (it's nice and new so I don't see why it would be a problem)
-Lots of liberal, outdoorsy folks who would welcome some Austin hippies with open arms
Our house budget is between $350k-$550k.
Does anyone have any suggestions of which suburb (or any suburb I haven't thought of) would be a good fit? Thank you in advance for any responses!
My husband's office is in Sandy Springs (which we can't afford). He will be remote for most of the week though, so commute isn't much of a factor. I stay home with the kids, so I'm good!
Johns Creek may be an area to focus on. The diversity comes mainly from the area being popular with Asians. There are established neighborhoods there with good schools.
I also love the river parks around the nearby Chattahoochee.
Alpharetta, Roswell, and John's Creek will be the most diverse as there are sizable Asian populations there. There are some Asians in Marietta as well but Milton will be mostly white.
Based on what you're looking for, I would first focus on Roswell and Marietta, and then perhaps Alpharetta.
While Alpharetta actually has a more built-up downtown area, Roswell is more established as a city and has less of a new suburban feel. Roswell probably has more neighborhoods without HOAs simply because it's older; the bulk of Alpharetta's development has taken place pretty recently and is pretty HOA-centric. Both areas are quite nice. Roswell is closer to Sandy Springs, and traffic in the north-south corridor in this area is difficult, to say the least, so while you say that commute doesn't really matter, Roswell would certainly have the edge over Alpharetta there.
Marietta is fantastic and has the most well-established historic downtown, the most urban feel and the most diversity of the places you listed. The historic Marietta Square, while classically southern in design and feel, draws a diverse crowd, including plenty of hippy types, what with its mix of of shops, restaurants, bars, galleries, weekend concerts and festivals and so on. My wife commutes to Sandy Springs and finds it very easy, especially with the benefit of the I-75 toll lanes that opened a few years ago. There are plenty of old, established neighborhoods near the Square that do not have HOAs, though large yards can be a little hard to come by. I would especially look at in the Cherokee Heights neighborhood just east of Cherokee Street and North of North Marietta Parkway, and the areas around Maple and Stewart Avenues. There are some newer neighborhoods even closer to the Square (we live in one and love it) but they're pretty high density, which might make finding a spot for an RV difficult, though there are a few older homes with no HOA and larger lots mixed into our area as well. Schools are good but certainly don't score super high on the traditional school ranking sites, in part due to the fairly high degree of ethnic and economic diversity and a fairly large immigrant population that also tends to be somewhat transient. I have been impressed with what I have seen from the school system, however. It's something of a rarity in that it has a full K-12 IB program (most IB programs only cover high school, and sometimes middle school, years). The superintendent is most impressive and has some pretty progressive ideas; several months ago, 60 Minutes ran a long segment on the way the district worked with the CDC on managing COVID. I was extremely impressed. I believe the segment is available online if you're curious.
The East Cobb area - not part of the city of Marietta but with Marietta (and a few Roswell) street addresses - has very good schools (Cobb County district), but is highly suburban in nature. You're typically no more than a 15 minute drive from either Marietta Square or the restaurants and shops of Canton Street in Roswell, but it's very car-centric and is not walkable, if that's a priority for you. Same goes for any part of Alpharetta, Roswell or Marietta that's not within a mile or so of its respective city center, honestly.
Johns Creek is popular but is extremely suburban. I don't doubt you'd be welcomed, but other than the schools, it doesn't really sound like what you're looking for. Same goes for Milton, which is borderline rural and pretty red.
Note that, as alluded to above, street addresses in the Atlanta metro can be somewhat misleading; the area with a Marietta street address, for instance, extends far beyond the Marietta City limits. So when you see a real estate listing that interests you, don't just go by the street address you see and assume it's in your preferred area; be sure to check the map.
Let us know of further questions and good luck in your search!
Based on what you're looking for, I would first focus on Roswell and Marietta, and then perhaps Alpharetta.
While Alpharetta actually has a more built-up downtown area, Roswell is more established as a city and has less of a new suburban feel. Roswell probably has more neighborhoods without HOAs simply because it's older; the bulk of Alpharetta's development has taken place pretty recently and is pretty HOA-centric. Both areas are quite nice. Roswell is closer to Sandy Springs, and traffic in the north-south corridor in this area is difficult, to say the least, so while you say that commute doesn't really matter, Roswell would certainly have the edge over Alpharetta there.
Marietta is fantastic and has the most well-established historic downtown, the most urban feel and the most diversity of the places you listed. The historic Marietta Square, while classically southern in design and feel, draws a diverse crowd, including plenty of hippy types, what with its mix of of shops, restaurants, bars, galleries, weekend concerts and festivals and so on. My wife commutes to Sandy Springs and finds it very easy, especially with the benefit of the I-75 toll lanes that opened a few years ago. There are plenty of old, established neighborhoods near the Square that do not have HOAs, though large yards can be a little hard to come by. I would especially look at in the Cherokee Heights neighborhood just east of Cherokee Street and North of North Marietta Parkway, and the areas around Maple and Stewart Avenues. There are some newer neighborhoods even closer to the Square (we live in one and love it) but they're pretty high density, which might make finding a spot for an RV difficult, though there are a few older homes with no HOA and larger lots mixed into our area as well. Schools are good but certainly don't score super high on the traditional school ranking sites, in part due to the fairly high degree of ethnic and economic diversity and a fairly large immigrant population that also tends to be somewhat transient. I have been impressed with what I have seen from the school system, however. It's something of a rarity in that it has a full K-12 IB program (most IB programs only cover high school, and sometimes middle school, years). The superintendent is most impressive and has some pretty progressive ideas; several months ago, 60 Minutes ran a long segment on the way the district worked with the CDC on managing COVID. I was extremely impressed. I believe the segment is available online if you're curious.
The East Cobb area - not part of the city of Marietta but with Marietta (and a few Roswell) street addresses - has very good schools (Cobb County district), but is highly suburban in nature. You're typically no more than a 15 minute drive from either Marietta Square or the restaurants and shops of Canton Street in Roswell, but it's very car-centric and is not walkable, if that's a priority for you. Same goes for any part of Alpharetta, Roswell or Marietta that's not within a mile or so of its respective city center, honestly.
Johns Creek is popular but is extremely suburban. I don't doubt you'd be welcomed, but other than the schools, it doesn't really sound like what you're looking for. Same goes for Milton, which is borderline rural and pretty red.
Note that, as alluded to above, street addresses in the Atlanta metro can be somewhat misleading; the area with a Marietta street address, for instance, extends far beyond the Marietta City limits. So when you see a real estate listing that interests you, don't just go by the street address you see and assume it's in your preferred area; be sure to check the map.
Let us know of further questions and good luck in your search!
Wow! Thank you so much for this! This is extremely helpful! I love the houses I've been seeing in Marietta. They are far more up our alley than the stuff I've been seeing in Alpharetta. I was worried that it was a little conservative for my taste. Socioeconomic and cultural diversity are great. I have seen some highly rated schools in Marietta, so that's very encouraging. Thanks again for your input!
This forum tends to direct everybody to North Fulton, whether that's where they'd fit in or not. I don't think that fits what you're asking for frankly. Alpharetta and Johns Creek do not have a lot of old growth trees, those were fields just 50 years ago and grew up in pine afterwards. The immediate downtown area of Alpharetta and Roswell, because of their age, haven't been clear cut in a long time, so there are old growth trees- but beyond that you are looking at scrub pines. A lot of HOAs and new subdivisions there too with a lot of rules. "Good schools" is basically the only thing that North Fulton checks off on your list.
If you like Marietta, Smyrna, Decatur, Avondale Estates, and a few neighborhoods inside ATL like Kirkwood and Grant Park are similar. Douglasville, Fayetteville, McDonough and Covington are further out, but if price is a concern you might look there, too.
This forum tends to direct everybody to North Fulton, whether that's where they'd fit in or not. I don't think that fits what you're asking for frankly. Alpharetta and Johns Creek do not have a lot of old growth trees, those were fields just 50 years ago and grew up in pine afterwards. The immediate downtown area of Alpharetta and Roswell, because of their age, haven't been clear cut in a long time, so there are old growth trees- but beyond that you are looking at scrub pines. A lot of HOAs and new subdivisions there too with a lot of rules. "Good schools" is basically the only thing that North Fulton checks off on your list.
If you like Marietta, Smyrna, Decatur, Avondale Estates, and a few neighborhoods inside ATL like Kirkwood and Grant Park are similar. Douglasville, Fayetteville, McDonough and Covington are further out, but if price is a concern you might look there, too.
Hello! I am going to be moving from Austin to the Alpharetta area next June, and I am having a hard time figuring out which suburb fits my family best. I have been looking at Alpharetta, Roswell, John's Creek, Milton, and Marietta.
Here is what I'm looking for:
-Very good schools
-Diversity and equity. I don't want to live somewhere where the white people are doing great but everyone else is poor and suffering.
-Older, more established neighborhoods with big yards and lots of trees.
-No HOA or a lenient HOA that will let us park our camper in the driveway (it's nice and new so I don't see why it would be a problem)
-Lots of liberal, outdoorsy folks who would welcome some Austin hippies with open arms
Our house budget is between $350k-$550k.
Does anyone have any suggestions of which suburb (or any suburb I haven't thought of) would be a good fit? Thank you in advance for any responses!
evannole has given you some great suggestions above - particularly about the City of Marietta. He/she also said addresses and town/city designations in Metro Atlanta can be confusing - which is very true.
In Metro Atlanta, it is often best to designate areas by high school cluster. A high school cluster often equals want would be a "town" or "suburban town" in other parts of the country.
There are a lot of areas in Metro Atlanta that could work for you. I will make my suggestions/recommendations for areas to live by high school cluster.
Based on the criteria in your post (bolded), I recommend the following areas:
1. The Parkview High Cluster in Gwinnett County (East Lilburn, South Lilburn, North Stone Mountain)
2. The Duluth High Cluster in Gwinnett County (Duluth, City of Berkeley Lake)
3. The Brookwood High Cluster in Gwinnett County (North Snellville, East Lilburn)
4. The Centennial High Cluster in North Fulton County (East Roswell, South Alpharetta, West Johns Creek)
5. The Roswell High Cluster in North Fulton County (Roswell, City of Mountain Park)
6. The Sprayberry High Cluster in East Cobb County (East Cobb, Marietta, Kennesaw)
7. The Kell High Cluster in East/North Cobb County (East Cobb, Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth)
8. The Marietta High Cluster in the City of Marietta (City of Marietta)
9. The Wheeler High Cluster in East Cobb County (East Cobb, Marietta) *Particularly in the following districts: Eastvalley Elementary, Sedalia Park Elementary, and Sope Creek Elementary
10. The North Cobb High Cluster in North Cobb County (Kennesaw, Acworth)
11. The Kennesaw Mountain High Cluster in West Cobb County (Kennesaw, Marietta)
12. The Hillgrove High Cluster in West Cobb County (Powder Springs, Marietta)
13. The Sandy Creek High Cluster in Fayette County (Tyrone, North Fayetteville)
14. The Fayette County High Cluster in Fayette County (Fayetteville)
15. The Campbell High Cluster in South Cobb County (Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton) *Particularly in the following districts: King Springs Elementary, Nickajack Elementary, Teasley Elementary, and Smyrna Elementary
Honorable Mention:
The Union Grove High Cluster in East Henry County (East McDonough)
I hope this helps. Good Luck!
Last edited by aries4118; 08-05-2021 at 03:53 PM..
evannole has given you some great suggestions above - particularly about the City of Marietta. He/she also said addresses and town/city designations in Metro Atlanta can be confusing - which is very true.
In Metro Atlanta, it is often best to designate areas by high school cluster. A high school cluster often equals want would be a "town" or "suburban town" in other parts of the country.
There are a lot of areas in Metro Atlanta that could work for you. I will make my suggestions/recommendations for areas to live by high school cluster.
Based on the criteria in your post (bolded), I recommend the following areas:
1. The Parkview High Cluster in Gwinnett County (East Lilburn, South Lilburn, North Stone Mountain)
2. The Duluth High Cluster in Gwinnett County (Duluth, City of Berkeley Lake)
3. The Brookwood High Cluster in Gwinnett County (North Snellville, East Lilburn)
4. The Centennial High Cluster in North Fulton County (East Roswell, South Alpharetta, West Johns Creek)
5. The Roswell High Cluster in North Fulton County (Roswell, City of Mountain Park)
6. The Sprayberry High Cluster in East Cobb County (East Cobb, Marietta, Kennesaw)
7. The Kell High Cluster in East/North Cobb County (East Cobb, Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth)
8. The Marietta High Cluster in the City of Marietta (City of Marietta)
9. The Wheeler High Cluster in East Cobb County (Marietta) *Particularly in the following districts: Eastvalley Elementary, Sedalia Park Elementary, and Sope Creek Elementary
10. The North Cobb High Cluster in North Cobb County (Kennesaw, Acworth)
11. The Kennesaw Mountain High Cluster in West Cobb County (Kennesaw, Marietta)
12. The Hillgrove High Cluster in West Cobb County (Powder Springs, Marietta)
13. The Sandy Creek High Cluster in Fayette County (Tyrone, North Fayetteville)
14. The Fayette County High Cluster in Fayette County (Fayetteville)
15. The Campbell High Cluster in South Cobb County (Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton) *Particularly in the following districts: King Springs Elementary, Nickajack Elementary, Teasley Elementary, and Smyrna Elementary
Honorable Mention:
The Union Grove High Cluster in East Henry County (East McDonough)
I hope this helps. Good Luck!
Oh my gosh, yes, that is extremely helpful! Thank you so much! I will absolutely check these clusters out. You have given me so much information to go on, I can't thank you enough!
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