"Georgia on our minds" Relocating from NJ (Atlanta: house, transfer)

[Natcam]

Hello,
My husband and I need some input about our move to Georgia this July2007. I will most likely transfer within my company, since they have a office in Smyrna. My husband has potential job offers in Lithonia and Atlanta. We also have 2 1/2 year old twins. We love Lawrenceville, Gwinette County and want to buy a home there,but the commute for me to work is killer, so I am told. We are looking for somewhere in between, with reasonable housing, good schools and the commute would not be too bad for both of us. Any suggestions??????

I have researched school info stating that our children would not start school until they are 4years old. That is correct? Then I guess I would be looking into good childcare for them. I do not want a long commute to work and I need to be close to the kids. Someone also reccommended having someone come to our home and take care of them. How do I go about researching this information for the Georgia area.

[Robert Turner]

Hi Natcam, and let me be one of the first to welcome you to Atlanta. The Gwinnett area is a great area for bringing up children, our schools offer some of the best education in the state. Although, you are correct about the commute. I have lived in Gwinnett for the last 12 years and love it here but the traffic is very congested. Although, anywhere you go now in Atlanta the traffic is bad. You mention that your husband may be working in Atlanta or Lithonia. Lithoina is out I-20 towards Conyers. Conyers is a growing community, it has a new mall and lots of shops. It also has many new communities under development.

[lastminutemom]

I would encourage your husband to actively persue the job that is in Atlanta rather than Lithonia. If you are working in Smyrna and he in Lithonia... then either one of you is going to have a terrible commute or both of you are. They are pretty far from each other with lots of traffic in between.

Both Smyna and Mableton get new, large, K-8 charter schools next year. In addition to offering a good opportunity for students, it is hoped that the competition will force the area schools to improve.

You might want to consider Smyrna or if your budget allows, Buckhead. But if your husband is working in Lithonia, I don't have much advice for you.

[Homedoc181]

If you husband has a choice, I would suggest he take the job in Atlanta, especially IF you are working in Smyrna. You could buy a house in the Smyrna area, Cobb County, which has pretty good schools, and the traffic wouldn't be too bad for either one of you.