Atlanta burbs (Marietta, Alpharetta, Mableton: apartments, mortgage, loan)

[Audra81]

I moved to Milwaukee about 7 years ago to be with my husband who grew up here. our house is literally 2 blocks away from the private Catholic elementary school/church that he was baptised at and went to school at.

He has never lived anywhere else but the cities surrounding Milwaukee. currently our house is located inbetween the city of milwaukee and about 14 blocks away from what is considered the subburbs with large yards, and nice sized houses. our house was built in 1936 and is a tiny little 2 bedroom 1 bath; it needs updating: new kitchen, new bathroom, new paint/carpet. the attic needs insulation, the basement needs to be refinished, windows need to be replaced also the detached garage needs to be replaced along with the foundation/slab that it sits on. the house sits on a small lot that is less then 1/4 of an acre. we are on a corner lot so at least we have a nice open view on one side of our house. the other side of our house is about 5 feet away from our neighbor's house. I hate hearing the loud music of the neighbor's teenage boys also I hate walking into my backyard and coming face to face with the rude 40+ year old mom sun bathing in a bikini, our neighbors only approach us when they want us to do something (cut back our tree branches, stop mowing our yard at 9 am on a sunday morning because they were partying til 3 in the morning and inconsiderately keeping us awake... etc.) I would love to move out of our out-dated cramped old house and into a larger newer home. only problem is that the houses in wisconsin are too expensive. 250+ for a 2-3 bedroom 1-1.5 bath 40+ year old home. also we are tired of paying $3,500.00 in property taxes each year for our little plot of land with rude neighbors.


in other words we both want to move out of purgatory otherwise known as Milwaukee, WI. we want to wait to finish paying off our mortgage on this home (3.5 more years to go) and then a couple of more years to finish paying off a personal loan and save money. so we are hoping for a move date in about 5-6 maybe even 7-8 years from now. my husband and I do not have children though we want to start a family in about 4 years. (we have fertility issues and are putting off major fertility treatments for about 4 years, but we are open to the idea of adoption.)

I would love to move back down south near my family, who live in Chattanooga, but my husband and I like to travel and need to be near a major airport. also, we love to go to museums, zoos, aquariums and so we would want to be close to those things as well. also I love my privacy and love to garden and would love a big backyard that i can work in with out a neighbor breathing down my neck, but I love to shop and would want to be near a lot of shopping centers/malls.

so, I was thinking the Douglasville/Mableton area. maybe even near Marietta/Kennesaw, can anyone give me suggestions on surrounding Atlanta Areas? or even suggest some other southern cities near Chattanooga, TN?

Thank you

also, can anyone living in those mentioned areas give me some ideas on the types of shopping centers/malls etc. that are in that area. are things close by or do you have to drive 15 mins to get groceries?

[LovinDecatur]

Be warned that things change very quickly in Atlanta...there have been big changes just in the last 10 years. Point being that with the timeline that you're putting out there, it could be a whole different ballgame in 7-8 years than it is today.
You mentioned Chattanooga...IMO it is a great city and much more affordable than Atlanta in terms of housing. It has plenty to offer (including its' own aquarium)...and as far as accessibility to Atlanta and its' airport, in 7-8 years you may have the option cited below:

www.atl-chatt.org/whatis.htm

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by Audra81

[i][color=purple][b]I would love to move back down south near my family, who live in Chattanooga, but my husband and I like to travel and need to be near a major airport. also, we love to go to museums, zoos, aquariums and so we would want to be close to those things as well. also I love my privacy and love to garden and would love a big backyard that i can work in with out a neighbor breathing down my neck, but I love to shop and would want to be near a lot of shopping centers/malls.

so, I was thinking the Douglasville/Mableton area. maybe even near Marietta/Kennesaw, can anyone give me suggestions on surrounding Atlanta Areas? or even suggest some other southern cities near Chattanooga, TN?

Thank you

also, can anyone living in those mentioned areas give me some ideas on the types of shopping centers/malls etc. that are in that area. are things close by or do you have to drive 15 mins to get groceries?

The Moderator, atlantagreg, is the poster who could best answer your questions. He lives in Acworth and knows this side of town.

If you want FYI on the NE/Emory Corridor, I could tell you about that. With 5,000,000 people and growing the traffic is always insane and most of us stay in our 'Quadrants'.

Yes, plenty of malls, shopping all over the city and more being built daily--find your Walmart and you will find all one could ask for in the surrounding strip malls. Douglasville, Cherokee County, ??Newton County/Conyers--all steadily growing to the Alabama state line.

I would personally not select Greensboro, GA--that may be to the East anyway--they say they hope to have a Walmart in couple of years--beautiful town, the 'Perfect Southern Town'/Mayberry--but, without a Walmart I would not be able to survive. LOL. . I am well on my way to Insanity, FWIW--but there is suffice to say 'Plenty of Shopping' in metro Atlanta--never fear.

You might want to make a new post and title it specifically 'Need FYI on Douglasville, Mableton, Acworth' or wherever you want to live. I scanned this post very quickly and was ready to 'Quit' by the 2nd paragraph when it wasn't immediately clear where you wanted to live. Posters generally go through the threads and respond to those on which they have relevant FYI. Busy lives and many are probably tired from long commutes or too much shopping, or The Heat--Atlanta is hot in August and humid, FYI. The fall begins mid/end of September and it is great---winters are mild--rarely need the heavy coats you probably wear in Milwaukee. No need to bring the snow shovels or chains, either.

TakeAhike

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

The Moderator, atlantagreg, is the poster who could best answer your questions. He lives in Acworth and knows this side of town.

Actually, he lives in West Cobb, South of Acworth.

But it's hard to fit ALL of those requirements, and as Decatur said in their post earlier, a lot can change in a few years. A good area neighborhood today might be fully congested in a short time, or may slide downhill into slumdom in that amount of time.

I like Chattanooga overall as they suggested, but the one glitch might be the lack of a major airport and shopping. Chattanooga has relatively few "varied" shopping options (compared to Atlanta) and the airport is also not a huge major hub. You would be roughly a 2 to 2.5 hour drive to the Atlanta airport from Chattanooga depending on traffic.

Ok, as far as West Cobb goes: You get larger yards and slightly lower home prices than you do in some other parts of the metro area. You will be reasonably close (25-30 minute drives) to three malls (Town Center, Cumberland, and Arbor Place), and near the Avenues of West Cobb (a semi-upscale outdoor shopping complex). You would be roughly depending on the exact area, a 45 minute drive or so to the Atlanta airport or downtown Atlanta in good traffic, but you would not have a public transit option - it's a car area only.

Alpharetta is another option, on the North metro side. You would have access to the Northpoint Mall and shopping areas. About 40 minutes North of Alpharetta on GA400 in Dawsonville are the North Georgia Premium outlet stores as well. South on GA400 near the Perimeter (the beltway that surrounds Atlanta) you would have Perimeter Mall, as well as access to three MARTA rail stations, giving you the option of taking the train into the city for the Aquarium, etc. Note however, that GA400 is one of the most congested roads, so if you would have to commute regularly into downtown Atlanta during rush hours, that would get old.

So - that's what I got. Get back to me in 7 years and that might change. LOL

[Mawoods]

Think about the Huntsville, AL area. Has a good airport and only 1 1/2 hours from Birmingham or Nashville. Only an hour or less from Chattanooga. high level of educated people because of the aerospace industry there. You can get better value for property and property taxes are less. Also has a minor league hockey and baseball teams.No traffic compared to Atlanta.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Actually, he lives in West Cobb, South of Acworth.

But it's hard to fit ALL of those requirements, and as Decatur said in their post earlier, a lot can change in a few years. A good area neighborhood today might be fully congested in a short time, or may slide downhill into slumdom in that amount of time.

So - that's what I got. Get back to me in 7 years and that might change. LOL

LOL--atlantagreg/AtlantaGreg?/now that you are a Moderator. Congrats--I think you will be GREAT---been keeping this forum on its toes, minding the P's and Q's for a while now. Go AtlantaGreg.


Once you cross the River---it is a barren wilderness to me--Northwest Atlanta--who would live there??? j/k

I do visit the outpost from time to time--Marietta has progressed nicely--certain that they are relieved that I am impressed. As for your Barrett Parkway, Kenesaw and the dreaded I75N --all of it--I lived there in the mid 70's and swore 'As God is my Witness, I will never live in NW Atlanta, again'. To paraphrase Scarlett. You would have 'Loved' living on Akers Mill Rd --Swinging Singles Scene in the 70's--Riverbend--the coolest people lived there. Then there were those of us who lived at Treetop apartments--now a family complex--not 'As Cool' but really trying.

Windy Hill Rd--a blight on Cobb County--wild then and wilder now.

Acworth sounds 'civilized' from your reports--I approve of what you have done with the place. Once 'Crazy in Alabama' people inhabited Acworth---oh, the stories I can tell. Come on over to the 'Light' --The NE side of town and LovinDecatur and I will will see that you have a pleasant evening. We might even get George Chong to show us Midtown/Va Highland---that would be a treat. I have a birthday coming up in September and I think this is cause for a serious celebration.

As Moderator, your duties include planning festive outings for the forum members--or didn't MarkaBlue mention that when they initiated you ???


TakeAhike

OP, just do whatever Greg says--he knows what is what.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

Acworth sounds 'civilized' from your reports--I approve of what you have done with the place.

You realize you do need to speak Spanish in the Northern park of Acworth now - right? (Although there are still nice areas up and around there for sure).

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

As Moderator, your duties include planning festive outings for the forum members--or didn't MarkaBlue mention that when they initiated you ???

Just so you'll know, my idea of "festive outings" will include fried Spam balls, those little sausages on toothpicks, and a band that plays tributes to the best of ABBA. Wear your gold metallic pants - it's gonna be a crazy night.

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

OP, just do whatever Greg says--he knows what is what.

Greg says to clean his bathroom. You will only get to know a city best once you've seen the bathrooms there - and cleaned them. Start with mine.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Audra81

so, I was thinking the Douglasville/Mableton area. maybe even near Marietta/Kennesaw, can anyone give me suggestions on surrounding Atlanta Areas? or even suggest some other southern cities near Chattanooga, TN?

also, can anyone living in those mentioned areas give me some ideas on the types of shopping centers/malls etc. that are in that area. are things close by or do you have to drive 15 mins to get groceries?

Some areas of northern Mableton (along Nickajack Road, perhaps, or maybe along Buckner Road) mgiht be worth looking at. I would also suggest Cooper Lake Road where I live, but we're located in between grocery stores and have to travel roughly 3-5 miles either east or west to get to one. Of course, that gives us more choices, but it sounds like you dislike driving.

The closest large mall to us is Cumberland Mall, but we don't frequent it at all except for the restaurants surrounding it. There are areas of concentrated stores roughly five miles west (E/W Connector and Austell Road) and the same distance east (Cumberland Blvd and Cobb Parkway). We aren't really "mall people".

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I like Chattanooga overall as they suggested, but the one glitch might be the lack of a major airport and shopping. Chattanooga has relatively few "varied" shopping options (compared to Atlanta) and the airport is also not a huge major hub. You would be roughly a 2 to 2.5 hour drive to the Atlanta airport from Chattanooga depending on traffic.

Depending on the frequency and nature of your trips, however, that might not be so bad. Because Chattanooga's roughly equidistant between ATL and BNA (Nashville), and because those two airports have very different concentrations of carriers (Delta and AirTran in Atlanta, American and Southwest in Nashville), you might actually have more options available. There are scheduled shuttle services between Chattanooga and both ATL and BNA, so you don't even have to do the driving yourself. Wouldn't work that well for me, since I have to fly out on Monday and back on Thursday or Friday practically every week, but for someone who's only making a trip or two per month or less, it'd be something to consider. And if you really don't want to drive, you can always connect in ATL from an ASA Barbie Jet.

I like Chattanooga a lot, and would have considered moving there long ago except for my travel needs and the relatively small Jewish community there.

[Audra81]

thanx for the replies.

I guess I'm not used to a city changing so much/so fast. I've only been here in Milwaukee for 7 years now, but from what I can gather this place hasn't changed much since my mother-in-law married back in 1960. (plenty of updates, but not a lot of major changes)

like I said I lived in Chattanooga, and loved it but my father, and soon-to-be brother in law have had a hell of a time finding work (searching for about a year so far), also my mother is looking at a major downsizing/lay offs at her place of business in Dalton so the job outlook in the surrounding area of Chatt-town is dull. just thought hubby and I might have better luck in a major city.

As for the airport, we love to travel, and plan on increasing our traveling within a decade. not to mention family/friends from Milwaukee would be visiting us in Atlanta so being close to a "major airport" is a priority for us.
as for driving, I actually love to drive (drove to Juneau, Alaska from Rossville, Georgia when I was 17) but that was when gas was cheaper. so I don't mind a drive, I just don't want to spend so much hard earned cash feeding my car.

anyone know about the Hiram/Dallas area? I lived there for a year back in 1999, has IT changed alot since then? (when I lived there it was boring and spread out)