chastain vs. murphy chandler areas (Atlanta, Dunwoody: cul-de-sac, apartment, foreclosed)

[darekk]

hi all

this monday i've moved into atlanta from europe (warsaw, poland). i am transferring to atlanta office of the company i work for back in poland. i'll be staying roughly one year in the states, though prolongation is not out of question

as i am moving with wife and 2 kids (aged 3 and 5) i prefer to avoid apartment housing - i made some visits to those and they seem sterile and not very family nor kids oriented. that's why i am looking for a house. my priorities? safety, comfort, families around - american way of life at its finest.

today i saw several properties, but two caught my attention.

one is a rather small bungalow (i'd say under 2000 feet), rather old and feeling so, but beautifully located north of chastain park (close to dudley ln nw). new "palaces" all around with benzes and jags parked in driveways.

the other is a shockingly beautiful modern two-story house with palace like interiors with amazing detailing. it has however much smaller yard (i'd say a quarter of the size). it is also located in a different area - i'd say it's a mile south of perimeter mall and 285, half a mile west of mark chandler park (close to becket dr, chaucer ln, parkcrest dr ne).

what do you think about these areas? are they safe, family friendly, convenient?

2nd home will go for ca. 300 usd extra (monthly lease) but it's double size i'd say and much better quality

i'm afraid it will also have a double cost of utilities. btw - how much could it be? i'm not aware of us costs here.

my best regards,

darek

[pinetreelover]

Those are both great areas - lots of families out and about around the parks. Chastain Park is probably the better area for a young family. The playground would be walking distance, you can go look at the horses at the stables and in the summer, the pool has very affordable family memberships.

Dudley and the streets right off of it may be in the City of Atlanta elementary school district (Sarah Smith elementary) or Fulton County (Heards Ferry). The dividing line goes right in the middle of that area so you would need to check that out. Both are very good schools.

[darekk]

now - forgot one thing - it seems the 1st house is located within fulton county the other one already in dekalb

does it mean anything good or bad?

[darekk]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

Those are both great areas - lots of families out and about around the parks. Chastain Park is probably the better area for a young family. The playground would be walking distance, you can go look at the horses at the stables and in the summer, the pool has very affordable family memberships.

Dudley and the streets right off of it may be in the City of Atlanta elementary school district (Sarah Smith elementary) or Fulton County (Heards Ferry). The dividing line goes right in the middle of that area so you would need to check that out. Both are very good schools.

good to know

this particular house is located west of dudley 3 minutes north of chastain

what about the other location?

i'd say the house in chastain area is not nearly as good as the other one. half the size, one third of the quality. but i don't know what to think of the area.
it looks good.
both are close-end roads.

[pinetreelover]

Will your child be attending public school? That will make a pretty big difference and really lean toward the Chastain Park area. You can go to the Fulton County Schools website and enter the address to determine if that house is in the Warren Jackson district (not Sarah Smith like I said earlier) or in the county Heards Ferry district.

I think I know exactly which street you are talking about as I live very close to there, I'm just not sure which school district that is.

[darekk]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

Will your child be attending public school? That will make a pretty big difference and really lean toward the Chastain Park area. You can go to the Fulton County Schools website and enter the address to determine if that house is in the Warren Jackson district (not Sarah Smith like I said earlier) or in the county Heards Ferry district.

I think I know exactly which street you are talking about as I live very close to there, I'm just not sure which school district that is.

neither of my 2 kids speaks yet english. i want to use this transfer opportunity to make them learn it. when i say school, i mean some pre-school that they can pick up some language from new friends. are those public? i thought not.

[pinetreelover]

You are correct, most preschools are private. You can find plenty of free options for getting young children together though. As I said, Chastain park playground is wonderful and there are always plenty of youngsters and their parents hanging about. The Fulton County library has story time several mornings a week as do many of the large bookstores. If the YMCA is in your budget, the Ashford-Dunwoody YMCA would be another good option with activities for the children as well as for you.

[lastminutemom]

Chastain has more young families.

Yes, your utility bill will be higher in the larger house, but probably not double.

[LovinDecatur]

It sounds like you can't go wrong with these choices. Both are excellent neighborhoods.

[darekk]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

It sounds like you can't go wrong with these choices. Both are excellent neighborhoods.

today we've decided to go for a 3rd option: a beautiful house in cul-de-sac street in dunwoody

we immediately fall in love with the area
we plan to close the deal tomorrow


one thing that scared me though is this - someone told me, that sometimes new tenant moves in and suddenly sheriff appears who says mortgage is foreclosed and we need to move out. gosh - that would be scary! as i have no credit rating at all (i am foreigner on a temporary assignment) i've agreed to make a deposit of two months worth of rent.

this is unheard of back where i live...

darek