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Decatur would suit your bill. I've posted about it a ton.. so I won't bore everyone else on the board with my info again (I'm sure there are getting sick of me by now!!!!). Search my earlier posts and it will tell you all you need to know about Decatur. In a nutshell... the key is to stay in the city limits to be in the city school district. Schools include Oakhurst, Clairemont, Glennwood Academy, Winnona Park, Renfroe Middle and Decatur High.
Commute to 30319 would be 30ish minutes depending on where you are in Decatur and where you are in 30319.
Oops, sorry, trying to respond to everyone who has kindly offered advice on good small town feel in N. Atlanta area. One cut-off response may have been already posted. Sorry. New to this site. Anyway, on price-range, we are coming from a very expensive area, so homes in the 700k range would be fine. Does that help determine areas? That doesn't buy much around here, and we don't want a stuffy feel--we are really more interested in super schools, tradtional small town look/feel, and family people who are preferably transplants. May sound biased, but we've moved many times, and found we connect well with other families who are new-ish to the area, ie no family or highschool buddy network in place.
we connect well with other families who are new-ish to the area, ie no family or highschool buddy network in place.
In that case, avoid Dunwoody at all costs.
I think you can do very well in Decatur at ~ 700k as others have suggested. But I would still look at historic Brookhaven, with that price range you can find some nice renovated homes with character and class and right in the zip 30319.
The challenge with Brookhaven is the schools, especially on the DeKalb side.
I would consider Buckhead (though it doesn't have the small town feel), most people are from somewhere else (especially in the public schools) and I think it is very welcoming.
Decatur would work as well I suppose.
Tell me about your school expectations... super isn't a word you hear very often to describe public schools in GA. (For the record I am a public school parent and have been for a long time.)
700K will get you set in Decatur. You can get 4-5 bedrooms/new construction/high end renovation for that in many areas. Re "family/high school ties" - they do exist b/c, afterall... as much as Decatur tries to look like Berkeley, it's still a small southern town. However, we were new to Decatur seven years ago and had no problem making friends right away. I would say that about a fourth of the folks I know here have family ties either in the City of Decatur or nearby. B/c of the universities and the CDC being nearby, and because we are suddenly "on the map" for families with kids, we have more new folks than you would typically see in a small town. The schools are small and walkable (as are the restaurants/stores etc), and there are a lot of city-wide happenings and ways to get involved, so that makes it pretty easy to get to know people.
The other suggestions on this thread are also good. Do you have some time to spend a long weekend here and get a feel for the areas mentioned? Also, maybe you could get a weekday or two off and tour the schools in the neighborhoods you are considering to see what you think. How old are your kids?
And... btw, don't let anyone tell you that you can't get a good public education in GA/Atlanta metro. It's not true - there are many "super" public schools - you just have to know where to look and you have to pay attention while your kids are in school. We could afford private but, after researching the private options and looking at the education our kids are getting at our public schools, we decided that (to us) the money would be better spent on college.
Some more clarification. Affording a home is one thing. It depends on the equity you have from other homes. Choosing public vs. private is another thing. We have always chosen public, because there are many wonderful schools out there, and because it is often an indicator of home appeciation/good neighborhoods/families who want the same thing we want: the best for our kids.
By super schools, I mean classroom size isn't huge, teachers are established and dedicated, curriculum is stimulating, spending on students is higher than average, language selection is offered, extra curriculars are plentiful, parental involvement is evident. Yes, it's a long list! Why not try for the best, though. It could exist!
Spending on education in GA is far less than the Northeast. I hope you come with reasonable expectations. Because of the growth across Metro Atlanta, each year there are alot of new teachers-- not necessarily a reflection of poor school quality but of the growth.
In Metro Atlanta, the highest per student spending is in the City of Atlanta. It is still less than most of the "strong" school systems around the country.
class size is regulated by the state and until 4th grade is reasonable. High school classes can be 32 kids which i think is to big.
You probably should limit your search to Atlanta City and Decatur City schools for commute reasons. Otherwise, East Cobb might fit the bill.
Avoid DeKalb, spending is slipping and what is available one year might not be the next.
I believe it is essential you come here and actually visit the schools before making a housing decision.
Here is spending per pupil for the districts that are near 30319 as of 2006 (that's the latest data I have).
City Schools of Decatur: $13,798
Atlanta City Schools: $12,439
DeKalb County Schools: $9,967
I guess Decatur does spend more-- I know Atlanta pays its teachers more.
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