From UK to NW Atlanta (Roswell, Marietta: apartment, rent, houses)

[BritInAtl]

Hi All,

My wife, daughter (almost 3) and I will be moving from the UK to Atlanta in the near future and would really like some help in settling in.

I've read quite a lot around this great forum, so that's already been a great help.

I will work just south of the Dobbins Airbase, so I know because of traffic I want to live near by.

I'm looking for a good safe neighborhood (kids can play out in the yard), some where there's good sports facilities like tennis, soccer. A park where we can go for a run or a walk and lastly but bottom of the list is good access to shops (these we can always drive to!).

Am I right in thinking schools aren't so important for a few years as that won't start until my daughter is 5?

We will rent initially, so I'm looking for websites to find properties. The current ones I have are:
craigslist - The best so far
rent.com - not really impressed
realtor.com
AJC - good search facility

Are there any others I need to be aware of?

In terms of areas, i'm looking at
Smyrna 30080,30082 (What are the nicer parts of smyrna?)
E.Cobb 30067, 30068
vinings 30339

I've discounted Marietta as the drive south sounds horrendous.

Is Roswell and Alpharetta too far to be able to commute?

Anything else I should consider?

I'm aiming to pay $1200 for a 3-bed apartment or house.

In terms of rent, if I see a property offered at $1600, what do yo think they will take as an offer?

Many thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

Dave

[cityrover]

add 30066 to your list. but these are mostly SFH neighborhoods so you might have to look at houses

[atlantagreg30127]

Also add promove.com to your list of help sites. Many people on here have recommended them in the past.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by BritInAtl

I've discounted Marietta as the drive south sounds horrendous.

Is Roswell and Alpharetta too far to be able to commute?

Huh? Am I misunderstanding you? Dobbins ARB is in Marietta. Why on earth would you think "the drive is horrendous" but consider Roswell or Alpharetta? That just makes no sense to me.

West Cobb, East Cobb, the City of Marietta, and Smyrna would all be very close and the drive would be a breeze.

[BritInAtl]

Thank you for the replies.

Both Marietta and Smyrna cover a large area. Is it easy to identify between the good and the bad places?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by BritInAtl

Thank you for the replies.

Both Marietta and Smyrna cover a large area. Is it easy to identify between the good and the bad places?

I think the southern and eastern parts of Smyrna are better than the northern and western parts. FWIW.

Of course, I know the southern part a lot better, so it's possible my drive-by experience with the northern part of the city isn't fair.