Powder Springs Or Stockbridge? (Alpharetta, Mableton: city hall, condo, low crime)

[gerrynyc]

i am currently visiting ATL and really like Stockbridge. We are In NYC. Here is my question which is better in terms of school district, accessibility to downtown, low crime, best place to raise children?

thanks guys

[atlantagreg30127]

It might help if you list a budget, what type of housing you want (house with land, townhome, condo, etc), if there's a particular mix (or not) of people you want in the neighborhood, etc etc.

[gerrynyc]

price range max 300k single family home
diverse area
i looked at springbrooke estates in powder springs and loved the feel of the area...what do you think?

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by gerrynyc

price range max 300k single family home
diverse area
i looked at springbrooke estates in powder springs and loved the feel of the area...what do you think?

"ok" area. Maybe 1/2 to 3/4 miles away is an area that gets a few hits on the police blotter in the local paper each month (burglaries, car break-ins, etc) but I haven't seen the particular streets you're talking about mentioned in those blotter listings.

I live 1.5 miles from there in Powder Springs. In the last 4 years Powder Springs has had quite a bit of transitioning going on. Some of it good, some of it not so good. There is a bit of an issue with teen gangs going on now that wasn't even heard of a few years ago, but the police at least try to be aggressive in dealing with it. A few years back this was simply a very sleepy, slow, rural-suburban area that few had heard of, but with lots of recent growth of course it has growing pains as well as some ammenities it didn't have before. You do tend to get more home for your money here compared to many other metro locations. Realtors I know say that IF the police can keep the crime issues in check and keep them from getting out of control, the West metro area will be the next "boom town" area once the housing market gets back on it's feet, and prices will go up.

I'm not sure how "diverse" it is. You have some old timer white families, newcomer black families, and a small amount of Mexican families in the area. There has been a number of people from Jamaica, Kenya, and Haiti who have moved in, and this has probably caused more tension from the locals than in some other areas, so in that regard I don't know that the "diverseness" has been that well received. You will not (yet) see Asian, European, or South American families in this particular area - they tend to migrate North toward the Kennesaw area and Eastward to Gwinnett County. Let's put it this way - a pickup truck is still more commonly seen around here than a Smart Car or Lexus, and if a mixed-race couple or gay couple were to move in next door chances are quite a few raised eyebrows will be seen in the neighborhood, but at the same time you won't see burning crosses in yards or stuff like that either.

Powder Springs itself has a very small downtown area with just a few antique shops, a flower shop, funeral home, etc. There are a couple of new strip malls with restaurants going in, but that's about it. A Thursday Farmer's Market has just started up (4-8pm near the City Hall), but it's new so may or may make it long term - time will tell. About 5 miles West of here in the town of Hiram you have tons of the cookie-cutter shopping variety along Highway 278 (Sam's Club, Circuit City, all the major chain stores, etc etc).

I've lived in Powder Springs for 15 years now. I'd say it's worse than it was when I moved here, but it's still better than some other areas. If I had to move right now, I'd probably migrate to the Alpharetta area, or North of there to Dawsonville or Dahlonega (that's just me - maybe too rural for some). But Powder Springs is definately a better choice when you compare it to places like Stone Mountain, Mableton, or some other areas. Just my opinion.