Anybody here made the move from Boston suburbs to Atlanta suburbs, Please chime in :-) (Alpharetta: transplants, real estate)

[sunseaker]

Hi everybody,
We are a family of 5; kids ages 7, 12 and 14. We have been wanting to get out of the cold Boston weather for over a decade now but waited to be financially able to do so. After tons of research and 3 visits we narrowed it down to Alpharetta area. We are both self employed working from home with main income from real estate.
Though I personally love the warm weather I wonder how kids born and raised in Boston find the Atlanta weather. Any families who have made the move, please give me your feedback on weather as well as life in general. My idea is that the milder weather will allow us to be outside more and do activities we love with more ease and more often than in the New England weather.
From our experience visiting the area and from scouting the Atlanta forums for a while now I gather that the people in the area are friendly and my kids won't have trouble making new friends and adjusting to new schools and neighborhood. Any pointers/advice greatly appreciated. Also, looking for a good R E agent that knows the area well, to assist us with finding a good rental or purchase a home.
Thanks

[DJDeadParrot]

Originally Posted by sunseaker

Though I personally love the warm weather I wonder how kids born and raised in Boston find the Atlanta weather. Any families who have made the move, please give me your feedback on weather as well as life in general. My idea is that the milder weather will allow us to be outside more and do activities we love with more ease and more often than in the New England weather.

I moved down here not long after finishing college in New Hampshire.

The change in climate from New England will absolutely be conducive to outdoor activities, and for a much broader part of the year. Think of what the weather is like around mid to late October in eastern Mass [highs in the low 50s, frost most mornings, most precip is rain with an occasional wintry mix]: that's pretty much what winter is like down here. The height of summer won't get much hotter than it does up there [frequently 90 degrees, but rarely above 95] thanks to our elevation.

[flamadiddle]

I guarantee your kids will miss the snow. We sometimes go for years without any snow and when it does snow, it's usually gone within a day or so. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?

Also, do your due diligence on the demographics of Alpharetta and surrounding areas. It may or may not be for you.

Rent if you can, then at least you have an easy escape route...

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

I guarantee your kids will miss the snow. We sometimes go for years without any snow and when it does snow, it's usually gone within a day or so. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?

Also, do your due diligence on the demographics of Alpharetta and surrounding areas. It may or may not be for you.

Rent if you can, then at least you have an easy escape route...

Sounds like the OP has already done their "due diligence" ...

"After tons of research and 3 visits we narrowed it down to Alpharetta area"

[Go Blue 99]

I grew up in the Boston suburbs and have been down in Atlanta for over a decade. I live ITP but work in Alpharetta- there are a ton of northern transplants in Alpharetta so you won’t feel out of place.

In terms of weather- in Boston as you know everyone plans outdoor activities around the summer months. Here, I spend as little time outside during the summer as possible (except for pool time). But you make up for it with beautiful spring and fall weather here. I do miss the snow at times and feel sorry that my kid won’t be able to enjoy playing in the snow. But overall I’m happy with the climate here.

[vtecluder617]

My wife, toddler, and I recently moved down here from Hanover. (I grew up in Cambridge, and the wife in Falmouth). So far we have been very pleased with our decision. The weather, general attitude of the people, and lower cost of living were the main factors for moving. Although we were also considering Alpharetta after tons of research and a visit, we decided on nearby Woodstock instead in the Towne Lake community.

As far as the weather goes, we came here to visit late July/early August last summer. It was HOT, no doubt about that, but we thought it was manageable. And we both prefer it over the ugly winters we are so used to up north. One thing we love is the much longer days (sunset at almost 9pm!)

In general, people have been very warm and welcoming. 2 days after we moved in our neighbor came by to introduce herself and brought a gift for our little daughter. And all the other surrounding neighbors came over to introduce themselves when they caught us in our driveway either coming home or leaving. A breath of fresh air compared to the stand-offish, insular mentalities we left behind in MA.

I think you and your family will like it down here. It has its cons, but the pros definitely outweighed them, for us at least. If you're interested, I can send you our realtors information. She was amazing to work with

[sunseaker]

Thanks to all for your comments!


DJDeadParrot I appreciate your comment about the weather giving us an idea of what to expect in the winter. We visited the Atlanta area in July and August and though some days it was really hot and humid I would take them any day over the endless freezing gloomy short days of the winter ( some of the fall and Spring too) here.


Go Blue 99 Thank you for your comment. Though my kids enjoy playing in the snow they don't get to do it much as it usually gets sooo cold out that the snow hardens very quickly or they have a cold and I don't let them go out. Also, it gets dark so early ..by 4pm in the smack of winter and they don't have a chance to get out and enjoy it. I have a 6 y o who has asthma and a little cold triggers an asthma attack so I limit outings in really cold weather. So for our family the snow factor is a negative rather than a positive.


vtecluder617 I was truly delighted to read your comment about how happy you are with your move. It's a hard decision to make and though we will have some adjustment period with 3 kids at school and settling in a new place I feel that it is the best decision; I can't wait! We felt the same warmth of the people we came in contact during our visits in the Northern suburbs and even downtown Atlanta. My niece who visited Atlanta from overseas was really impressed by the warmth of the people she met in Atlanta. Yes, if you could send me your realtor's info it would be nice. Thanks.

[Alicia64]

I just wanted to add my .02: we moved from Richmond, VA that gets snow every winter (not like Boston, but snow). We've been here 18 mo. I miss Richmond dearly. We moved when my kids were 11.

But here's what I love:

the dog parks are beyond anything in Richmond.
Atlanta itself has fun neighborhoods, great dining.
love the Botanical Gardens
love Centennial Park's fountains: kids really enjoy playing in them.
Stone Mountain
Buckhead (cool comic store that your kids would probably love)

Really miss:

Richmond's weather
Richmond's lack of traffic -- do not underestimate the traffic (and I grew up in the Bay Area in CA.)
Richmond's awesome library system (although Alpharetta's is very good.)
Richmond's history: it's everywhere there and not so much in Atlanta. (Boston has a ton of history too. If you're into that -- which I am -- you'll miss it here.)
Richmond is just two hours from the beach and Atlanta is 4 to 5 hours.

Husband needed to move for a job and he and the kids are happy.

PM me if you'd like more info.

Alley

[sunseaker]

Thanks Alley for your comment. I am new to this site and didn't figure out how to pm yet...so I will just ask here: I gather you live in Alpharetta? My 14 y o dd is starting 9th grade this fall and has been researching high schools in the Alpharetta area. She seems to favor Chattahoochee HS. Do you have any info on it in regards to academics, culture etc? She has been attending a Charter school here and she is in high honors...my 12 and 7 y o sons also attend the same school. They are also very good students and I can't help but wonder whether they will find their grade level lower in GA and not be challenged enough. What are your thoughts on this? And do the schools in Alpharetta place students in classes according to their levels? For example our HS here places the upcoming 9th graders in classes based on their grades graduating 8th grade. They have college ready, honors and high honors classes. Anybody else that has input or advice please chime in, Thanks

[Alicia64]

Originally Posted by sunseaker

Thanks Alley for your comment. I am new to this site and didn't figure out how to pm yet...so I will just ask here: I gather you live in Alpharetta? My 14 y o dd is starting 9th grade this fall and has been researching high schools in the Alpharetta area. She seems to favor Chattahoochee HS. Do you have any info on it in regards to academics, culture etc? She has been attending a Charter school here and she is in high honors...my 12 and 7 y o sons also attend the same school. They are also very good students and I can't help but wonder whether they will find their grade level lower in GA and not be challenged enough. What are your thoughts on this? And do the schools in Alpharetta place students in classes according to their levels? For example our HS here places the upcoming 9th graders in classes based on their grades graduating 8th grade. They have college ready, honors and high honors classes. Anybody else that has input or advice please chime in, Thanks

Actually a friend lives in Alpharetta and raves about the school system. I think you'll be really happy w/ the schools -- Alpharetta is a high end area and I doubt that the parents would put up with poor performing schools.

We moved to Suwanee -- that also has good schools -- but the Atlanta library system (Alpharetta's) is better than Gwinnett's (Suwanee's).

Alpharetta is about 35 mins. from Suwanee.

Alley