Need nice suburban area with activities, great schools.

[netdragon]

If you are looking for something progressive, Smyrna is your best bet. If you are looking for a progressive area: as a transplant I can say to be careful about where you live. Many people will mention areas that are not diverse and progressive. For instance, East Cobb, Roswell and Alpharetta are like one giant cluster of housing developments with no sense of place, primarily WASPs, and not the kind of place you want your children to grow up if you want to expose them to progressive cosmopolitan values like arts and culture. Otherwise, if commute doesn't matter then just move as far out you can and you're fine - maybe Cartersville.

What size house are you looking for? With 3 car garage, I'll assume a home like a 5br/4ba. $500k is not going to get you much in many inner suburban areas with good schools with that much land and a house like that. As a transplant - many of the outer suburban areas with affordable housing are definitely not progressive. The inner metro is where you can live and expose your children to some culture and diversity - however it's tough at your price range. Smyrna is your best bet for a great progressive area and still something you can afford at $500k. Buckhead is out. Brookhaven is out. Vinings is out. Sandy Springs is out. North Druid Hills and Virginia Highlands are also great but out of your price range. In my opinion, East Cobb is out (unless you are looking for under 3,000 sq foot or find a foreclosure) and as mentioned are not diverse and progressive.

There are some neighborhoods in Smyrna that meet your requirements with many active communities with children and barely in your price range for a 5br home with 1/2 acre and a 3 car garage. Especially check out Concord Rd, Kings Springs, Cooper Lake Rd and areas off of Atlanta Rd between Spring Rd and the Cumberland Parkway. I would probably start your search on Cooper Lake Rd between East West Connector and Atlanta Rd and branch out from there - King Springs Rd, etc. Smyrna is also a good mixture of races -- asian, white, black -- for the most part all wealthy, so your children will grow up with some culture and not exposed to only one race and way of thinking as would be the case in pretty much all of the outer metro on the North side. Smyrna just happens to be almost inside the perimeter, so it is far more progressive than many of the suburban areas. It is also closer to the wealthiest part of Atlanta than East Cobb (Buckhead and Vinings).

[kaday]

If you are looking for something progressive, Smyrna is your best bet. If you are looking for a progressive area: as a transplant I can say to be careful about where you live. Many people will mention areas that are not diverse and progressive. For instance, East Cobb, Roswell and Alpharetta are like one giant cluster of housing developments with no sense of place, primarily WASPs, and not the kind of place you want your children to grow up if you want to expose them to progressive cosmopolitan values like arts and culture. Otherwise, if commute doesn't matter then just move as far out you can and you're fine - maybe Cartersville

Well the majority of people in my East Cobb neighborhood are either Jewish or Catholic and most are transplants from the Northeast or otherwise. As for the people who are from here they are some of the nicest most helpful people I have ever encountered. Our schools across the board are among the best in the state of Georgia. I know for a fact you can purchase an updated home for 500K or less as 3 sold in my neighborhood which is less than 10 years old (Pope school district) in the past 6 months. As for culture there is plenty within driving distance and everything else you need is nearby.

[jln69]

In the northern 400 corridor, Crooked Creek in Alpharetta/Milton has golf and a lake. The schools there are good too and in your price range. There is plenty of everyday shopping at Hwy 9 and Windward. NorthPoint mall is not too far. The Avenue Forsyth is not too far either.

Windermere in Cumming and Laurel Springs in Suwanee near Johns Creek has golf but I don't know if they have lakes. They quite possibly could since they are large enough developments and lakes seem to be pretty common in neighborhoods around here.