Considering Lawrenceville (Atlanta, Alpharetta, Snellville: crime rate, schools, place to live)

[elilabren]

I am also considering moving to the Lawrencville area of Ga --moving down from metro ny
school is paramount have a 7 yr old
Also we will rent and want to avoid bad areas Do they exist ---hopefully we can rent a private home or town home so as not to be in an apt.
if any one has any commments good bad ugly positive please share
elizabren

[Yecal]

Originally Posted by mrdkb

Thanks. Comments from "That_Guy" lead one to believe that he's a very angry man!!!. I tell everybody who moves to metro Atlanta that you have to go by the school district. Everyone says Norcross is so bad. Really? Why did the build the Forum there. Why is Greater Atlanta Christian School and Wesleyn there. Because people want to define Norcross by Jimmy Carter Blvd - which is MeadowCreek school discrict. And Norcross HS is not a bad school, academically. Look at their SAT scores and the fact that they have a terrific IB program. "That_Guy" is mad. HA

My mailing address is in the Duluth area and borders on Norcross. Norcross High has improved a bit in the last few years but the area is full of illegals with gang affiliations. If I could move and sell my house tomorrow I would. The area may not be a $hithole but the hole has/is being dug.

[anothermom]

Don't be so quick to put down Central Gwinnett. Central Gwinnett made News Week Magazine's list for best 1000 high schools in the US, for two years in a row.. (Brookwood, North Gwinnett and Duluth High School also made the list.) Last year, Central did better on the list than Brookwood, but not quite as good as North Gwinnett.

Also, Lawrenceville is the county seat for all of Gwinnett County. With this in mind, you would think that the powers-that-be in Gwinnett County would be especially interested in the development of Lawrenceville.

I think that shows, too, in the way the downtown area has been revitalized (and continues to be revitalized.) The revitalization, which includes the Aurora Theater, and free, covered parking, continues to spread outward. Large, old southern homes that were once on the fringes of the downtown area have been restored and rejuvinated, and are now being leased to businesses. On one end of downtown Lawrenceville are the new, upscale condo / storefronts called Cornerstone on the Square, and on the other end the revitalization is continuing to sprawl outward with the addition of the Aurora Theater, new shops, and new cobblestone sidewalks.

We enjoy taking our children to the downtown area in the evenings. We frequently take them to kid's karaoke night at the Singing Bean on Friday nights, or else Rita's Frozen Custard, or Cosmo's real Italian pizza (and I do mean real Italian.) We especially enjoy downtown around the holidays. We have a family tradition of going to the Old Courthosue on Thanksgiving evening to see Santa arrive, and the lighting of the tree. There is Christmas caroling, and street vendors, and horse and buggy rides. We also go there on New Year's Eve from time to time, where they have all kinds of things to do for the kids, like big inflatables, those jumpy harnesses, and fireworks. Also, again, street vendors, and shops open late. I love the unique shops in lawrenceville. There are quite a few antique shops, but also unique, nonchain shops (hand-made jewelry made by different artists; hand made home accents; a Red Hat shop, etc. At one time there was a belly-dancing studio and a shop that sold special itmes for baking and candy making. I don't know if those two places are still there.)

I'm sure I must sound like a brochure for Lawrenceville, but I thought I'd add my two-cents worth and give outsiders a bit of an insider's view.

I live in Lawrenceville in the Central cluster, as do a lot of other parents who are involved with their children's educatioin.

There is also a lot of diversity here in Lawrenceville. We have a growing populous of Europeans, and there are little European bakeries, eateries, etc here and there. My son was on a soccer team at the Y and most of the kids on the team were European, with some sort of Russian accent. I like that sort of thing though, and I frequently buy freshly made bread at the European bakery.

There is also a large mix of Latinos, African-Americans, and Whites (non-European.)

Also, with the Gwinnett Justice Center and Gwinnett Medical Center right here, we have a lot of professionals here in Lawrenceville.

With such a sudden influx of diversity, have come growing pains. But from what I've seen and experienced, Lawrencville has done a pretty good job of enveloping the changes.

[sj73]

Anothermom, I agree with you totally on the revitalization of downtown Lawrenceville and how the central cluster is getting a undeserved bad rap. Downtown Lawrenceville is awesome! All of the events are top-notched and family-oriented. By the way, check out Uptown Cafe (I just recently did)...it's small, but the mediterrean food there is delicious! I'm looking forward to Sperata's coming to the square.

[anothermom]

Originally Posted by sj73

By the way, check out Uptown Cafe (I just recently did)...it's small, but the mediterrean food there is delicious! I'm looking forward to Sperata's coming to the square.

Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure and check it out!

If you have kids, the Singing Bean has kid's karaoke night on Fri nights from 6-8. I often take my daughter and a few of her friends and let them get up on the little stage and sing. Be forewarned though: The area for karoke is small and can become a little cramped. Also, the Singing Bean has a policy that every person spend $3.00. I usually buy myself a cappucino and the kids a soda. I mention all of this because I'm getting to the ugly fact that I avoid trying to feed the kids there. It takes an unbelievably long time for the food to be served, and that can ruin a good time if you've got hungry kids waiting forever for the food.

Despite this, it's a good time. We usually make a night of it and walk to the other side of the square to Rita's Frozen Custard after karoke.

The Singing Bean is located above The Corner Cafe (which has absolutely the best southern food around for lunch.)

I just wish they'd get some more sidewalk cafes again. The Retro Cafe used to set a couple of tables outside in nice weather, as did Cosmo's. Cosmo's might still, when the weather turns, but if it does, it's the only one. Of course, there's always the roof-top dining at McCray's, but sometimes I want to be on the sidewalk.

Since I mentioned Cosmo's, I'll put in a plug for them as well. Cosmo and his wife are a little, old, Italian couple. They serve up some GREAT pizza, and they do with lots of personality. Ms. Cosmo, especially, is a riot sometimes. She's almost frightening when she starts to get irritated. My husband seems to think that Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" has nothing on her.

Okay, I'll shut up about downtown Lawrenceville now.

[anothermom]

Originally Posted by elilabren

I am also considering moving to the Lawrencville area of Ga --moving down from metro ny
school is paramount have a 7 yr old

Elilabren, I'd suggest that you check out schooldigger.com, if you haven't already. There is a lot of great information on there about schools.

If you're sold on Lawrenceville, Schooldigger.com lists Alton C Crews Middle School as one of the top schools in Georgia (6th best.) I'm not sure which elementary schools feed into Crews Middle, but I'm sure they would be great schools since they are in the Brookwood District. (Crews Middle School feeds into Brookwood High School.)

But my suggestion would be that you add schooldigger to your research sources.

Good luck.

[Georgiaboy7]

I have lived in lawrenceville for 4yrs before it used to be nice,now a days not anymore,lawrenceville has become a hole for thugs,drug dealers,census indicates that by 2050 lawrenceville will have a pop of 10% white,80%black meaning we will have another dekalb or decatur in the northeast,i am moving by the end of this year to forsyth county which is a nice place to live,as for norcross goes the pop in there is mostly blacks and hispanics not a good place schools are terrible,in meadowcreek you have drug dealers and i spoke from own experience here i was there for a year,so if you want advice i would say pick alpharetta,cumming,around lake lanier,not many blacks and mostly white and hispanics which are quiet and nice

[ericsonga]

Where did you get this data? Not to be skeptical, it just seems a bit far fetched.

[mrdkb]

Originally Posted by ericsonga

Where did you get this data? Not to be skeptical, it just seems a bit far fetched.

Who? What Data? WHat are you referencing?

[mrdkb]

Originally Posted by Georgiaboy7

I have lived in lawrenceville for 4yrs before it used to be nice,now a days not anymore,lawrenceville has become a hole for thugs,drug dealers,census indicates that by 2050 lawrenceville will have a pop of 10% white,80%black meaning we will have another dekalb or decatur in the northeast,i am moving by the end of this year to forsyth county which is a nice place to live,as for norcross goes the pop in there is mostly blacks and hispanics not a good place schools are terrible,in meadowcreek you have drug dealers and i spoke from own experience here i was there for a year,so if you want advice i would say pick alpharetta,cumming,around lake lanier,not many blacks and mostly white and hispanics which are quiet and nice

Some valid points. BUT - Why are Norcross's SAT's high? Thugs and criminals?