relocating: work in buckhead- need good schools- should i be afraid of a commute? (Atlanta: apartment)

[misssweetesttea]

my husband will soon be accepting a job in atlanta, god willing.
his office will be right near lenox in buckhead.
we are moving from new jersey and used to a 1hour commute to nyc from jersey ( some of our friends have longer commutes so a commute doesn't really scare us...)

that being said...where should we look to live?
we are in our late 20's with one child (1.5) and public schools will be important to us as we are currently not in a place to pay for private school tuition.

where would you recommend us looking for homes....

*elementary school recommendations....
*community recommendations...
*places to 'stay away' from in regards to commute and schooling

(price range: 300k-415K)

[Mishap]

I'd say you're a standard candidate for North Fulton/Alpharetta areas with a straight shot down GA400 to work (or Marta if he's willing). Pretty much it's for people who work in Buckhead/Midtown but need good public schools and a somewhat reasonable commute. 300-415k is a decent budget in those areas. Wouldn't buy a lot of house (compared to some areas in metro ATL) but should be decent enough.

[CMMom]

The low end of your price range will be tough in some of the Northern suburbs with good schools (e.g., North Fulton County). You can get a nice townhouse at that price, but a house will be tough going in the best school districts. If you can buy at the top of your range, you'll have better luck, but most of the single family homes in North Fulton (Roswell, Alpharetta) are going to be 450 and up.

[misssweetesttea]

thank you!

any reason to consider the 'brookhaven' area...

what will the alpharetta commute be like at 7am?

can anyone recommend certain elementary schools to search for?

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by CMMom

The low end of your price range will be tough in some of the Northern suburbs with good schools (e.g., North Fulton County). You can get a nice townhouse at that price, but a house will be tough going in the best school districts. If you can buy at the top of your range, you'll have better luck, but most of the single family homes in North Fulton (Roswell, Alpharetta) are going to be 450 and up.

Living as I do in a 20 year-old three bedroom family home in a top East Cobb school district, worth under $200K (and admittedly, could use some kitchen and bathroom updating) I'm always perplexed by the very frequent claims here like the above. Perhaps CMMom means new construction only.

Anyway, I just checked the Georgia MLS website for single-family homes in Fulton (Roswell) zip codes. In the $300,000 to $400,000 price range there are currently 80 homes available in 30075 and 50 in 30076. Those homes look nice in their photos and they're in excellent school districts.

[angeliclove01]

I don't know how to post a new thread or if I need to. My Husband, Daughter, and I are considering ATL for relocation. My Daughter will be in 1st grade once we move. I have been doing tons of research but I am at a dead end. From what I have seen Buckhead is one of the best to live, well certain parts. Sarah Smith the best elementary school. I can't seem to find an apartment with a good reveiw and we like a 2 bedroom 1500 or under. Here is my list so far: Uptown Buckhead, The Brookhaven, Westchester at Peachtree Valley, The Battery at Chamblee, 10 Perimeter Park, Walton Ashwood, and the 1016 lofts.Suggestions...

[lastminutemom]

The Battery at Chamblee is certainly not Sarah Smith -- it is in DeKalb County, an entirely different school system

[waronxmas]

With your price range you can find a really nice townhouse in North Buckhead. Don't pay attention to what people say about the Atlanta Public Schools System. The public schools in this area are very nice and your children will have a good education.

The commute time should be under 10 minutes in the morning depending on where in Buckhead your hubby will work. In the afternoon there is a lot of traffic on Peachtree Street during the evening rush/people coming in to the city to shop/dine/have fun so it could take longer.

Other than that this is one of the nicest areas of the city. Cheaper than central Buckhead property wise. There are also lot's of young professionals with children so you'll be able to make friends quick. Property crime is almost non-existent, though there has been a rash of smash and grabs at the higher end stores around here. Occasionally you'll see a vagrant, but not anything I'm sure you are already used to.