Moving To Clayton, County Ga/ HELP (Atlanta, Roswell: mortgage, apartment, rental)

[grayv01]

Hi, I am moving to Clayton county in mid june. I already have a job and seeking an 3-4 bedroom house or apartment to rent. I have searched the web and have found several places. I have to be 45 minutes from Atlanta airport because of my job. So far, I have been looking at Morrow Ga which is 15 minutes away from Atlanta & a few places in Jonesboro, Ga. Any ideas. I'm looking to be in a more rural area. I have kids, I want them to be able to go outside and run without being in a high traffic area etc. Any suggestions?

[k. bart]

Of all the counties in Georgia, why would you choose Clayton County to settle? Clayton County is the laughing stock of Metro Atlanta! Why is Clayton County a joke? Let me count the ways! (Forewarned is fore-armed)

The schools are the very worst in the Metro area. The teachers are jumping ship at an alarming rate do to the current school board (which is a joke!) The crime rate is horrendous! Clayton County has the highest rate of home mortgage defaults. The economy is terrible! The crime rate is terrible! The traffic is terrible both north and south I-75.

We've lived in Clayton County since 1968. (Morrow) It used to be a wonderful place to live. We own two houses here and as soon as the time is right, I am out of here. (We may have to practically give the houses away to make our escape) I wish I had jumped ship at least 10 years ago, but I just could not foresee the demise of the area so rapidly. Do some research on the area and decide if this area is an area that you want to raise your children in. I'd suggest you look further south if you are searching for a rural area...maybe McDonough in Henry County.

I am sorry, but I just can't think of one good thing to say about Clayton County!

[RETom]

K Bart is correct. Clayton County has fallen apart in the last 10 years. Look to Henry or Fayette, or believe it or not north in the East Point - College Park area of the city.

But for you and your family's sake, stay out of Clayton County.

[Tdiddy0027]

Lovejoy in Southern Clayton still seems nice. If you still want to live in Clayton, you should try around there

[Thomas]

We've been living in Clayton County for the last 15 years or so.
Jonesboro, but closer to Lovejoy>

It has gone down in every way.

If we could sell our house and move WE WOULD IN A HEART BEAT

Been victim of crime more then three times.
Armed robbery, was shot at, and beaten, purps were never found arrested or anything. That was in Riverdale.
The street my husband has a small business in Jonesboro, had numerous armed robberies in daylight, one ended with a man got shot in head. In the radius of 10 miles where we move, business, shopping etc. there were numerous armed robberies that ended in murder, we stopped counting. It's a daily accurance now.

I carry a gun now. Our neighborhood went from average calm middle class, to crime ridden in the last 5 years. We check our doors at night before going to bed numerous times. Especially since my neighbor chased off 5 guys that happen to come up our drive toward the front door late 1 AM at night. My neighbor happened to come outside for some reason and saw the guys walking the street and then coming up to our door. When he called out to them, they ran off.

We called 911 one night, when we had lots of screaming outside at 1 AM one night (one of many) women creaming at least 20+ people in the street cars coming and going.

We called from our cell phone because we did not want a police car drive up our drive way, to let the criminals on the street know who called the police. We told the operator what was going on and to send a cruiser to check it out, after all it was all going on in the middle of a public street.

She told us we have to give our name or she would not send a cruiser. We ask her to just have someone come and check it out it's been going all for hours and it's going on for weeks.

She said she would not send a cruiser unless we give our name, THEN SHE HUNG UP ......

A week later shots were fired in the street in front of our house, we learned later from other neighbors there was crack dealing going on.

That about wraps up the kind of county Clayton County has turned in to.

Crime that is out of control, concerned citizens that being given the cold shoulder and corruption and an ego manic government.

If you move here you'll' be sorry soon.

Concerned citizens of Clayton County.

[Melissa Cox]

I have to agree with everyone about Clayton county. My grandparents have lived in their house there since 1975- my parents bought a house there in 1989- in the same neighborhood. In the last 5-10 years, the crime rate has become terrifying. A few months ago my grandfather was carjacked in his own driveway, he's 73 years old! Cars are continuosly stolen, spraypainted- broken into. I parked at my parents for SIX hours during a visit- (at night)- and came out to see that my car had been completely ransacked (my doors were left unlocked on purpose-and their were NO valuables). Seeing my parents and especially my granparents be stuck in these homes while gangs are ever increasing and thrashing the neighborhood breaks my heart. Its endless- the neighborhood kids basically own the streets- sometimes they block them- my parents have bricks thrown through their window- we even think our dog's sudden death may have been a result of poisoning... Its a horrible nightmare...
My mother who is disabled is thinking about buying a gun... she begs me to leave my large dog with her for protection!
I've lived/worked in Atlanta for 5 years and Clayton County is far worse- the crime rate is not quite as high but the police force is a joke. Not to mention the school system- lets not even start on that one...

[JMSTiger]

Originally Posted by grayv01

Hi, I am moving to Clayton county in mid june. I already have a job and seeking an 3-4 bedroom house or apartment to rent. I have searched the web and have found several places. I have to be 45 minutes from Atlanta airport because of my job. So far, I have been looking at Morrow Ga which is 15 minutes away from Atlanta & a few places in Jonesboro, Ga. Any ideas. I'm looking to be in a more rural area. I have kids, I want them to be able to go outside and run without being in a high traffic area etc. Any suggestions?

Surely you mean you are moving to the town of Clayton, GA not the county of Clayton, GA.

[1899]

Hey, somebody has to fill all those new houses they are building out there....right?

[ATLienGirl]

I live in Clayton County and have for years. I live in River's Edge, and it's Clayton County, Fayetteville. I live in a very nice neighborhood. There are good parts and bad parts of every county; you can't run from the crime, even the nicest places have crime and horrible schools. I teach in Clayton County, and trust me, I have taught in other counties such as Fulton and Henry, and teacher turnover is high in BOTH.

First of all, we have to define what's a good or bad school? I guess we should say what's a good or bad parent? You might as well. The reason schools are deemed "good" or "bad" is because of what people are seeing from the doe website. That's a crock, Special Education, Learning Disabilities, and absences are not taken into consideration when looking at those scores. They are biased, and I hate them. There are some great schools and great things happening at those schoolS, but, because they scored low on a test they took ONE TIME when they could have had a bad day, morning, or feeling sick, that determines the success of the school? I don't think so.

I don't care what anyone says, parental involvement with the child makes a good school. You have people looking at these schools thinking that the teacher is creating these miracles when it's the parents' relationship with the teacher and student that's making the school. Teacher's don't perform miracles, we are given tools and in conjunction with the parent and student, are successful. So, before we say a "good" or "bad" school, can we please figure out what WE as parents are doing to ensure that? So in conclusion, Clayton County schools are no different. It's not the school you are sending your child to, it's what YOU are doing to ensure the child's success.

Don't listen to what people have to say, if it's crime and bad schools you are wanting to veer from, then that's ANYWHERE you go. I don't care WHAT people say. It's just that Clayton County is always in the negative part of the news. What's not on the news is that students in Jonesboro High are National Mock Trial Champions. Or how principals like mine are becoming 21st Century Technology schools and have Promethean Smart Boards in EVERY classroom. You don't hear about that. I have met members on the board and they are more supportive than ANY board member I've come across in both Henry and Fulton. I taught in Henry County for one year, and believe me, people from this so called "bad Clayton County" can move south, and they have. That would be just like me having a bad experience in Fairburn (Fulton County) and telling people not to live there, when Fulton encompasses Roswell, Alpharetta, John's Creek, etc., the cream of the crop. It's not North Fulton or South Fulton, It's FULTON.

I can go outside in my backyard and walk down the street and not worry about getting shot nor of having my car stolen. My kids and I can walk to the pool and tennis courts in the subdivision, or watch the guys and gals play golf without getting mugged or shot. So, as I said before IT DEPENDS ON THE AREA. ALL OF CLAYTON COUNTY IS NOT BAD.

[ATLienGirl]

Are you going to do elementary, middle, or high?