Just Curious? Which area do you think will be the next Alpharetta, Johns Creek and South Forsyth? (Atlanta: house, theater)

[jgooner22]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I would avoid Fulton County and Southern Cobb county from this point forward. Gwinnett is a no go too.

You need to go further North, & work from home will facilitate it.

I like Northern Forsyth County w/in 2 miles of 400, but not Western Forsyth County.

I think Hall County near Lake Lanier is a sleeper, & Buford.

I like Big Canoe which is in 2 or 3 counties & was planned by the same master community planner as Hilton Head Island.

Thanks for responding. The schools in those areas won't be as good as you'd find in N Fulton and East Cobb though.

[Smocaine]

I'm not exactly in tune with the whole SFH school-zones scene, but I can see Newnan getting some love soon. It kind of feels like what Cobb County wishes it was.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by jgooner22

Thanks for responding. The schools in those areas won't be as good as you'd find in N Fulton and East Cobb though.

Buford schools are better, and right now isnt the topic, the topic is in the future. Affluent people will build private schools.

[bearsmiths]

No love for rockdale/newton/henry county?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by jgooner22

If we are buying a house today, would it make sense to buy in a city that could be the next Alpharetta, Johns Creek, or Marietta? Or those 3 cities should still be at the top of the list?

If you want to be in areas like Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Forsyth or East Cobb, then you need to be targeting those areas (or neighboring areas very nearby to those areas) first and foremost, especially if you desire to live in an area of the highest rated schools and a significant Asian population.

If you move into another area that with the hopes that it could be ‘the next’ Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Forsyth or East Cobb, those other areas likely may not feature the high level of racial and ethnic diversity you desire and there is no guarantee that the schools in those other areas may ever improve to be on the level of what the schools in areas like Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Forsyth and East Cobb are today.

If you move into an area other than the Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Forsyth and East Cobb that seem to most desire to live in, you either potentially or even likely may have to accept school academic ratings and levels of racial/ethnic diversity that may be less than what you seem to desire.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by bearsmiths

No love for rockdale/newton/henry county?

With the potential exception of the Union Grove and Ola school zones in Henry County, areas like Rockdale and Newton counties and much of Henry County likely are not going to be mentioned on a thread like this because the school ratings and the level of amenities (namely retail and dining amenities) in those areas may not be high enough to appeal to affluent newcomers who may have the budget to get into the most amenity-rich areas (like Alpharetta, North Fulton, South Forsyth, East Cobb, etc.) that most often may be found on the Northside.

Areas like Rockdale County, Newton County and Henry County often may be really good relocation destinations for newcomers who have to commute to jobs that are most convenient to those areas and/or who may not have the housing budgets to get into the most desirable areas with the highest-rated schools and the most amenities.

Greater Southern Crescent-aligned areas like Rockdale, Newton and Henry counties often can and may be really good alternatives for people and families who have less abundant housing budgets and/or whose jobs can be conveniently accessed from those areas.

[bethereds82]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I would avoid Fulton County and Southern Cobb county from this point forward. Gwinnett is a no go too.

You need to go further North, & work from home will facilitate it.

I like Northern Forsyth County w/in 2 miles of 400, but not Western Forsyth County.

I think Hall County near Lake Lanier is a sleeper, & Buford.

I like Big Canoe which is in 2 or 3 counties & was planned by the same master community planner as Hilton Head Island.

I know the OP mentioned suggestions for the future— but I still think JC/Alpharetta etc still have a long runway to provide a high quality of life for years to come. I’m biased of course, but just moving further out may not be the answer for everyone.

Also— as much as WFH is a thing now, if anything companies are starting to tighten the screws and demand people back to the office. I know my company is, along with others. Sure there are jobs that can be 100% remote, but the demand for class A office space is extremely high right now in Atlanta for a reason. Why? Because companies want quality workspaces that make it more desirable for their workers to return to office.
Companies are willing to pay more for a smaller office space tied to amenities in midtown, buckhead, Avalon etc. Think smaller cooler offices, with places to eat/drink outside the building’s front door. I just don’t think WFH will be the future of work anytime soon. A component, yes. But not so concrete that I’m willing to buy a house in Dawsonville banking on never commuting to buckhead again.

My point is, sure new construction is appealing, but there is also value in top public schools, city centers like downtown Alpharetta/Duluth, and diversity in places like JC.

Having said all this, I firmly think any community off the 400 in north Fulton and into Forsyth county (Cumming) will be the next affluent suburb with already demonstrated top quality public schools. Woodstock also gets an honorable mention. Buford/Suwanee as well—but those burbs are already well known.

[vtecluder617]

When we moved down from Massachusetts in 2016, we had our heart set on Alpharetta/Roswell, but were slightly priced out of it for how big of a house we wanted. I remember our realtor saying "don't overlook Woodstock, specifically the Towne Lake area. The schools are good and it has great access to 575 and Lake Allatoona. That area will be just as pricey in a few years"

Sure enough, she was right. Homes sold within the past year in my neighborhood, we would not be able to afford. The equity we made within the past 3 years is astonishing to say the least.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by atlanta28

All your answers are really compelling… was thinking Dawsonville too due to it being straight up the 400 corridor and close to Lake Lanier and the mountains, among other reasons. Does anybody think Gainesville might become a stronger contender? I have a lot of thoughts on this topic that I’ll share later.

I always think of how good is infrastructure or how easy can it be grow to accommodate growth? My problem with Dawsonville or anything due north is all you've got is GA 400. Northwest you have more road access toward Canton with 575, 140 and 20 than what I see for Dawsonville. Even looking at the thru-streets, there seems to be more options to get around. Also, Canton is not as far out as Dawsonville from Atlanta's job centers.

[Go Blue 99]

As many others have said, I would say Woodstock and central/northern Forsyth (near 400).

Forsyth will continue to grow with all the land available, and high-income South Indians will continue to buy there to be closer to community. That will also drive up the school ratings.