Safe place to live in Forest Park? (Atlanta, Stockbridge: apartment complexes, rental)

[aharvey9]

Hi, my husband, 2-yr-old son, and I are relocating from Athens, GA to Clayton Co. this summer. My husband has to work in Jonesboro, and I have to go to school at Clayton State, so Forest Park seems perfectly convenient--only the google reviews of many of the apartment complexes are horrible! They said some pretty crazy stuff, and I was wondering if maybe it was just some disgruntled residents--but it seems too ubiquitous to be an anomaly. We can't afford to spend very much on rent, so I'm wondering which of the complexes are more quiet, school or family oriented? Should we just live by Clayton State or by Jonesboro? We only have to live there a year or two--should we just stick it out in Forest Park? We are going to take a trip and visit, but do any locals have some advice?

[thedudewiththeplan]

I would be very careful with Forest Park. Make sure if you do move to Clayton County you don't stay too long because the school system recently lost accreditation and this could have a big negative effect for your children when they get to school age. The crime rate in Clayton County is pretty high and Forest Park is one of the rougher areas (County had 52 murders last year for a rate of about 20 per 100,000 which is higher than most big cities). Home values in the Forest Park area are less than half of what they were a year ago as well. You may want to consider neighboring counties.

[That_guy]

No. Forrest Park is very well known for being a straight out ghetto. I would especially consider living somewhere else with a small child.

[Southlander]

Stay away from Clayton County entirely, if you possibly can.

[hurricanes]

Ditto to the other quotes. Clayton county sucks in all ways.

[Scott Summers]

I live in Clayton County and it's not Compton like some would have you believe but if you can do better if you have any children. Forest Park does have a lot of "Thug Life" actors running around but they're looking for attention. I'm not a thug and I don't try to be but I have never feared for my safety in this county (yes I'm surprised at the crime stats). There are nice areas to Forest Park but I would suggest the small-town of Lake City or Morrow (you should be able to find some nice neighborhoods in both).

[mmenomen]

Try Stockbridge, it is close to those areas and most of the apartments there are newer. The only area in Clayton that is not as bad as some others are Rex or parts of Morrow - Lake City (very near Clayton State). When you drive around in the area, you will see for yourself. Most of the apartment complexes in Forest Park are old and run down (maybe 35+ years old), so it's best to avoid all of that.

[aharvey9]

Thanks for the help. What do you think about Jonesboro? Also do you think it would be safer to rent a house with a roommate than to rent at an apartment complex? We are still both students, so it must be affordable.

[ItsANewDay09]

I live in south Clayton County and it is not nearly as bad as everyone says. All of Clayton County is not created equal. Do you know where in Jonesboro your husband's job is located?

You would probably be able to find a fairly decent price for a rental house since the houses are not selling and I would look into that option because it will be a better environment than an apartment complex.

Once I know where your husband is working, I can give you some recommendations on better areas. There are some parts of Jonesboro that are good areas and some are not. Please do not let everyone's negative idea of Clayton scare you away!

[bigrobert]

Is Fairburn a safe place to live.Me and my wife are thinking about relocating to Atlanta