Martin's Landing in Roswell (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: apartment complexes, condos, houses)

[apples2peaches]

My husband and I drove through Martin's Landing in Roswell this past friday and were really impressed with it's close proximity to the river and all of the amenities nearby. We also liked that it is an older neighborhood. I have searched the forums/school threads trying to find reviews on this neighborhood and it's elementary school, Esther Jackson. I have checked greatschools.com and schoolmatters and am aware of the low scores, but I also know this does not necessarily tell the whole story. We plan on visiting the school, but in the meantime I was hoping to get some recent feedback from residents of Martin's Landing and/or parents of EJES students. I did read some reviews of Holcomb Bridge Middle School and Centennial High that mentioned gang activity. Any truth to this? The area appeared to be very family oriented. We saw a lot of families and many people walking/jogging alone, so I'm hoping the schools are safe.

[johnnyboy2008]

I lived there many years ago and it is a very nice place. Sorry, i can't answer about the gang problems but i think almost every school has some misfits with tattoos etc.

Be sure to visit the river park at roswell road/azeala drive, it is very beautiful.

[johnnyboy2008]

Also, about 15 years ago there was a house built on a steep cliff that "rolled" down the hill, so keep that in mind.

[pellur]

When we were house searching last year, we visited many houses in the Martins Landing neighborhood. It is a pretty big with more than 1000 houses if I remember.

Most of the houses are old houses. Many of these houses backyards have a deep valley. You need to be careful if you have pets or young children. I also heard negatives about public schools in that area.

Good luck with your search.

[rackensack]

Martin's Landing is a huge development with a range of home sizes and types, ranging from apartments, condos, and town homes, through small-to-medium-sized (by today's standards) single family homes. Because there are a significant number of apartments in Martin's Landing itself, and because the Esther Jackson Elementary district also includes some apartment complexes outside Martin's Landing proper, the test scores reflect the lower socioeconomic status and transient nature of that portion of the population.

We live quite close to Martin's Landing, though in the River Eves Elementary district. Our kids are on a swim team that regularly has meets with the Martin's Landing team. With activities at East Roswell Park and the fact that both EJES and REES feed into Holcomb Bridge Middle School, my wife and I both know a large number of Esther Jackson kids and parents. I honestly can't see much difference in the quality of education or the level of satisfaction of the parents among the three elementary districts along Holcomb Bridge (Esther Jackson, River Eves, and Hillside). Whatever difference in test scores there may be evaporates when you control for family income, transient population, and percent of ESL students.

As for gang activity at HBMS and CHS, I can't say that the notion is laughable, but it's close to it. There are black and Hispanic students at both, which seems to make some people automatically assume that there are gangs as well, and there no doubt are a few troublemakers at both, but having moved to this area from Gwinnett County's Meadowcreek cluster, the difference is night and day. My son's at HBMS now and most of our neighbors high-school-aged kids are at CHS, and I can honestly say I haven't ever heard anyone mention gang activity at either in the four years we've been here. Any of the schools in the Centennial cluster are going to be safe and provide an excellent education for most students, though any given student may or may be a good match with any given school -- only you can decide that with regard to your own kids.

As for the neighborhood itself, the houses are, as you've seen, mostly 25-35 years old. Many, though of course far from all, have had kitchen/bathroom upgrades over the years. The contemporary-style homes, which mostly tend to be on the smaller side in the "starter home" sub-neighborhoods, don't seem to have fared very well in terms of maintaining their curb appeal and value. The more traditional designs, many of which are somewhat larger, have done better. The challenge for houses in Martin's Landing (and my neighborhood as well, which is 15 years newer) is that they date from the period just before home sizes really started to swell in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so they seem small by comparison with the newer McMansion subdivisions in the area (2500 to 3500 sq. ft. would be typical in this area). Also, the fetish for amenities like trey ceilings, garden tubs, yada yada, hadn't taken hold yet, so they may be perceived as lacking in that regard.

On the other hand, the sheer scope of the development means that the developers were able to include common-area amenities that exceed those of most other neighborhoods in this area (Horseshoe Bend excepted) -- two pools, the lake, large playing fields, playgrounds, and of course the River Club across Riverside Drive. The proximity to East Roswell Park, the Big Creek Park and Greenway, the chain of Roswell parks along the river, and the Vickery Creek branch of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area mean that you're within a walk or short bike ride of incredible recreation opportunities.

Feel free to hit me with more questions about the area.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by rackensack

Martin's Landing is a huge development with a range of home sizes and types, ranging from apartments, condos, and town homes, through small-to-medium-sized (by today's standards) single family homes. Because there are a significant number of apartments in Martin's Landing itself, and because the Esther Jackson Elementary district also includes some apartment complexes outside Martin's Landing proper, the test scores reflect the lower socioeconomic status and transient nature of that portion of the population.

We live quite close to Martin's Landing, though in the River Eves Elementary district. Our kids are on a swim team that regularly has meets with the Martin's Landing team. With activities at East Roswell Park and the fact that both EJES and REES feed into Holcomb Bridge Middle School, my wife and I both know a large number of Esther Jackson kids and parents. I honestly can't see much difference in the quality of education or the level of satisfaction of the parents among the three elementary districts along Holcomb Bridge (Esther Jackson, River Eves, and Hillside). Whatever difference in test scores there may be evaporates when you control for family income, transient population, and percent of ESL students.

As for gang activity at HBMS and CHS, I can't say that the notion is laughable, but it's close to it. There are black and Hispanic students at both, which seems to make some people automatically assume that there are gangs as well, and there no doubt are a few troublemakers at both, but having moved to this area from Gwinnett County's Meadowcreek cluster, the difference is night and day. My son's at HBMS now and most of our neighbors high-school-aged kids are at CHS, and I can honestly say I haven't ever heard anyone mention gang activity at either in the four years we've been here. Any of the schools in the Centennial cluster are going to be safe and provide an excellent education for most students, though any given student may or may be a good match with any given school -- only you can decide that with regard to your own kids.

As for the neighborhood itself, the houses are, as you've seen, mostly 25-35 years old. Many, though of course far from all, have had kitchen/bathroom upgrades over the years. The contemporary-style homes, which mostly tend to be on the smaller side in the "starter home" sub-neighborhoods, don't seem to have fared very well in terms of maintaining their curb appeal and value. The more traditional designs, many of which are somewhat larger, have done better. The challenge for houses in Martin's Landing (and my neighborhood as well, which is 15 years newer) is that they date from the period just before home sizes really started to swell in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so they seem small by comparison with the newer McMansion subdivisions in the area (2500 to 3500 sq. ft. would be typical in this area). Also, the fetish for amenities like trey ceilings, garden tubs, yada yada, hadn't taken hold yet, so they may be perceived as lacking in that regard.

On the other hand, the sheer scope of the development means that the developers were able to include common-area amenities that exceed those of most other neighborhoods in this area (Horseshoe Bend excepted) -- two pools, the lake, large playing fields, playgrounds, and of course the River Club across Riverside Drive. The proximity to East Roswell Park, the Big Creek Park and Greenway, the chain of Roswell parks along the river, and the Vickery Creek branch of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area mean that you're within a walk or short bike ride of incredible recreation opportunities.

Feel free to hit me with more questions about the area.

Another great post from rackensack...

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by rackensack

As for the neighborhood itself, the houses are, as you've seen, mostly 25-35 years old. Many, though of course far from all, have had kitchen/bathroom upgrades over the years. The contemporary-style homes, which mostly tend to be on the smaller side in the "starter home" sub-neighborhoods, don't seem to have fared very well in terms of maintaining their curb appeal and value. The more traditional designs, many of which are somewhat larger, have done better. The challenge for houses in Martin's Landing (and my neighborhood as well, which is 15 years newer) is that they date from the period just before home sizes really started to swell in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so they seem small by comparison with the newer McMansion subdivisions in the area (2500 to 3500 sq. ft. would be typical in this area). Also, the fetish for amenities like trey ceilings, garden tubs, yada yada, hadn't taken hold yet, so they may be perceived as lacking in that regard.

Great description. We looked at Martin's Landing when we were planning our move to metro Atlanta. We ended up in very similar housing in north-east Cobb county.

In my opinion, this kind of housing is comfortable, affordable, family-friendly and in the northern suburbs is often to be found in very good school districts. What's not to like? If people have the budget to buy a much larger, newer, more luxurious home, that's good for them, of course. However I so often read here on C-D that single family homes under $500K or so are simply not to be found in Roswell, East Cobb, etc. I think what the writers mean is that new McMansions under $500K or so are simply not to be found. A family with a much more modest housing budget can find a fine home with excellent schools, if they're willing to live in around 2,000 square feet of 25 year-old construction.

[johnnyboy2008]

my fault, the house that rolled down the hill was in huntcliff. I confuse the two cause they are almost identical subdivisions built by the same developer.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by johnnyboy2008

my fault, the house that rolled down the hill was in huntcliff. I confuse the two cause they are almost identical subdivisions built by the same developer.

Are you talking about Huntcliff in Sandy Springs? A river neighborhood like Martin's Landing, but not identical at all.