Moving to Clayton or DeKalb -- Need help finding safe, established neighborhoods (College Park: high crime, credit)

[neverbored]

Originally Posted by Sweet Atlanta Peach

Okay here is the thing...honestly, I wouldn't touch Clayton or DeKalb with a ten foot pole just because u have children and the schools suck in both counties. But, if I had to choose, I'd live in Tucker. But, nice areas in Tucker aren't cheap either.
It's really hard to say because you haven't secured a job yet. Your job may or may not be Marta accessible but you may still be able to get a nice house close to your job.
Is diversity something you want where you buy your home?

I prefer neighborhoods where the racial make up is representative of America -- majority white with adequate minority representation. However, as a Black man I would also be comfortable living in a neighborhood that was majority Black or close to evenly split. Race is less important to me than the character and social class of the people. I can even tolerate SOME "ghetto" mentality if that's the compromise I have to temporarily make to buy a spacious, affordable home. Just don't bother me, my family, or my home in terms of crime.

[neverbored]

Originally Posted by thedudewiththeplan

I say go with Tucker or parts of South Fulton. Clayton has really had some issues in the past few years.

I found nice homes in areas of South Fulton (see below) that are within my budget. If you were in my position, would you go w/my choices in Clayton, Dekalb, or South Fulton?



Fairburn (30213)
Union City (30291)
College Park 30349

It seems to me that the prevailing views are:


1) Stay out of Clayton unless I can live near Lake Spivey and send the kids to private school.
2)Move to Tucker if I'm going to send my kids to public school and live in DeKalb.


All I need now is get caught up to speed on South Fulton, and I'll be more knowledgeable than I was when I started this thread. Thanks, all!

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by neverbored

I found nice homes in areas of South Fulton (see below) that are within my budget. If you were in my position, would you go w/my choices in Clayton, Dekalb, or South Fulton?



Fairburn (30213)
Union City (30291)
College Park 30349

It seems to me that the prevailing views are:


1) Stay out of Clayton unless I can live near Lake Spivey and send the kids to private school.
2)Move to Tucker if I'm going to send my kids to public school and live in DeKalb.


All I need now is get caught up to speed on South Fulton, and I'll be more knowledgeable than I was when I started this thread. Thanks, all!

Lake Spivey,Rex are nice areas.The schools are for the most part decent depending on exactly the age of your kids and where in each place you decide to live.I moved with my parents to Rex when I was in my late teens in the late 80's.The area over Rex Mill Bridge has a wide variety of nice ,safe affordable neighborhoods.My parents still own our old house there.They only live there when they visit Atlanta from South Georgia where I am originally from.The area around Stagecoach Rd,Orchid Rd and Rex Rd have a really good amount of homes there.Lake Spivey has a lot of well to do homes.Clayton as a whole is not bad but it does have some bad parts.Its like living in the City except you have more space.There are bad parts and good parts.I know people who still live there because they like it.Yet it does have a bad reputation that is worse than it really is.

South Fulton will be a little more ,but still reasonable.It can also be closer to the city depending on where.Fairburn and Union city are further out.The Camp Creek area (College Park)is probably the best bet,but im unsure of the schools in most of these places.

Her is the pic of the Mill near Stagecoach of Rex Rd.:

[lastminutemom]

Fulton is a healthier school system than DeKalb. I saw what you are looking for in a neighborhood, realize that in most parts of DeKalb, S. Fulton and Clayton the schools will be nearly all African American students. The demographics in these areas won't look like Metro Atlanta at large.

Finally, get a job first. If Metro Atlanta, some commutes are nearly impossible. Living in Tucker for example and working in Marietta would make for a long commute even without traffic. Or living in S. Fulton and working in Duluth, same thing.

[grneyedmustang]

South Fulton is nice, but if you're working on the north side of town (where a good number of jobs are), the commute is horrendous.

Clayton, well....I'd stay away from Clayton if possible. This is spoken by someone who currently lives there.

[Missingatlanta]

I live in Ellenwood, Dekalb and I really like it. Its very quiet and not far from the Atlanta. It takes me about 20 minutes to get to my job downtown. As far as south Fulton, I grew up down there. I would choose College Park and Fairburn over Union City. Union City has a lot of crime.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by afonega1

Lake Spivey,Rex are nice areas.The schools are for the most part decent depending on exactly the age of your kids and where in each place you decide to live.I moved with my parents to Rex when I was in my late teens in the late 80's.The area over Rex Mill Bridge has a wide variety of nice ,safe affordable neighborhoods.My parents still own our old house there.They only live there when they visit Atlanta from South Georgia where I am originally from.The area around Stagecoach Rd,Orchid Rd and Rex Rd have a really good amount of homes there.Lake Spivey has a lot of well to do homes.Clayton as a whole is not bad but it does have some bad parts.Its like living in the City except you have more space.There are bad parts and good parts.I know people who still live there because they like it.Yet it does have a bad reputation that is worse than it really is.

South Fulton will be a little more ,but still reasonable.It can also be closer to the city depending on where.Fairburn and Union city are further out.The Camp Creek area (College Park)is probably the best bet,but im unsure of the schools in most of these places.

Her is the pic of the Mill near Stagecoach of Rex Rd.:

I made a mistake in the earlier post:That was a pic of Morehouse College's New Ray Charles of Performing Arts Center

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by grneyedmustang

South Fulton is nice, but if you're working on the north side of town (where a good number of jobs are), the commute is horrendous.

Clayton, well....I'd stay away from Clayton if possible. This is spoken by someone who currently lives there.

If I may ask where do you live in Clayton?I just personally don't see the WHOLE county as bad.I agree there are some better places,but to lead somebody on like ALL of it is bad is not accurate.

[Sweet Atlanta Peach]

Hey! Fairburn! That's what I'm talking about . Those are my stumping grounds. What particular areas in Fairburn were you looking at? Fairburn is GREAT. I, nor do any of my colleagues, have ANY complaints. There is even a little diversity out here. Plus, you are 20 minutes from downtown, 15-20 minutes from Douglasville, 15-20 minutes from Fayetteville, 15-20 minutes from Camp Creek Marketplace, and 20-25 minutes from Newnan. Shopping vicinity at its best.

What part of Fairburn? The Fairburn end towards Douglasville (South Fulton Parkway or Highway 92) or the Fayette end? (Highway 74 and Senoia Road close to I-85)

I wouldn't do Union City. Although it is close to Fairburn, it is worlds a part. That crime doesn't filter here for some reason.

With College Park (30349), be careful. There is an upscale part of College Park (near Stonewall Tell and the 30331 Atlanta area code), and then there's the Old National run-for-your-life part that is close to Clayton County.

I can give you insight to Fairburn schools as well...I teach in one now.

[thedudewiththeplan]

Fairburn may be a good bet. I would avoid 30349 (Riverdale Road area) if at all possible. That is probably the roughest part of Clayton County right now. North Clayton High School is one of the lower performing schools and crime has really increased over the last few years. Union City can be hit or miss. I would stick to the part on the opposite side of I-85 from the mall (near the car dealerships).