Is East Cobb the nicest/safest area to raise a family? (Sandy Springs: section 8, home)

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by blackrabbit

If money really isn't an issue I wouldn't consider East Cobb. Move to Buckhead, Vinnings or Brookhaven and go private. Pretty much everyone I know who is wealthy does this. Private school will run between 14k and 22k.

That was the attitude circa 1970...much has changed since then.

[netdragon]

Consider private schools and expand your horizons. I would consider Smyrna/Vinings if you are looking for a good community that's safe for kids. There are lots of neighborhoods with tons of kids and strong associations and the Southern part of Smyrna (from Concord Rd South) is mostly wealthy. Smyrna also has the only city-owned library in the state and right next to it there's a duck pond with a walking path around it and also next to the city green. There's also the Silver Comet Trail and Market Village. It also has a better commute than East Cobb and is right near Cumberland which is a growing activity center.

[AutumnRose]

If money isn't an issue at all go private and it won't limit where you live and you can be close to wherever your husband works. In my opinion East Cobb is fine, a little run down seeming in some areas and a lot of the exsisting houses we looked at even in the 500-600k range weren't great. Some were fine, nothing blew my socks off.
However everyone I know with kids in the East Cobb area where we are are thrilled with their educational experience. We live near a top rated national high school, and the elementaries are great too. I believe the horrid schools are in the country and the inner city areas.

[martarider]

Dunwoody, zip 30338. Excellent schools, best family neighborhoods, close to real mass transit (train... not buses). Not sure why so many people recommend East Cobb except perhaps that so many people live there. Dunwoody is much more desirable.

[aries4118]

The public schools in Smyrna/Vinings are good as well.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by martarider

Dunwoody, zip 30338. Excellent schools, best family neighborhoods, close to real mass transit (train... not buses). Not sure why so many people recommend East Cobb except perhaps that so many people live there. Dunwoody is much more desirable.

Yes, I would choose Dunwoody over East Cobb anyday.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by aries4118

The public schools in Smyrna/Vinings are good as well.

As someone in Smyrna, I can attest that the schools are good in Smyrna and Vinings based on what they offer students, however demographically in Vinings there are much better students and less poverty and Smyrna has more who do poorly on standardized tests as compared to Teasley in Vinings, which is one of the best in the state. That's probably going to change over the next few years in Smyrna as the next set of students from wealthier families (not all go to private) start to move through the grades and the poor students clear out. There are a few neighborhoods in Smyrna that go to Teasley, but most in the wealthy area Kings Springs, Nickajack, and Russell (talking elementary).

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by martarider

Dunwoody, zip 30338. Excellent schools, best family neighborhoods, close to real mass transit (train... not buses). Not sure why so many people recommend East Cobb except perhaps that so many people live there. Dunwoody is much more desirable.

To each his own, since everyone has different criteria of what makes a good place to live, but I think the reason so many people recommend E Cobb is more than just because so many people live there.

Dunwoody is a great community (I lived there in 1982 for 6 months) but much of Dunwoody has much smaller and older homes, and I'm not sure I would put Dunwoody High School and Peachtree Middle School in the same class as East Cobb schools like Walton HS and Dickerson MS.

To top that, at least until Dunwoody incorporates, you still have to pay DeKalb County property taxes and sales taxes, and deal with DeKalb County government. No comparison on those counts between Cobb and DeKalb, IMHO.

If you need transit, no doubt that Dunwoody would be a good bet, but as we've discussed in other threads, that's not a concern for all people.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by neil0311

To each his own, since everyone has different criteria of what makes a good place to live, but I think the reason so many people recommend E Cobb is more than just because so many people live there.

Dunwoody is a great community (I lived there in 1982 for 6 months) but much of Dunwoody has much smaller and older homes, and I'm not sure I would put Dunwoody High School and Peachtree Middle School in the same class as East Cobb schools like Walton HS and Dickerson MS.

To top that, at least until Dunwoody incorporates, you still have to pay DeKalb County property taxes and sales taxes, and deal with DeKalb County government. No comparison on those counts between Cobb and DeKalb, IMHO.

If you need transit, no doubt that Dunwoody would be a good bet, but as we've discussed in other threads, that's not a concern for all people.

As a former resident of Dunwoody, I concede that these are excellent points.

[blackrabbit]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

That was the attitude circa 1970...much has changed since then.

Yes its even more pronounced towards Buckhead and ITP. My company probably relocates 25-20 people a year making over 250K and 90% move to Buckhead or Vinings.

I am not saying East Cobb isn't good (it is). Just that people such as the orginal poster who said "money is not an issue" overwhelming move/live in the areas mentioned.

Not sure if Dekalb taxes are any higher than Cobb either these days. Once you add in the free trash etc you get in Dekalb.