So what's bad about Mableton? (Atlanta, Smyrna: apartments, condo, homes)

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

I've lived in Mableton off of Bankhead Highway (the real name) and Pebblebrook Road. Nice area with new and older homes, that being said. If I had kids and they attended public school. There's no way in Hell, we would live in Smyrna or Mableton.

I agree. I suspect we'd end up homeschooling our kids anyway. If we had any. Or sending them to a charter school or private school.

I was tempted to slam Atlanta public schools in general here, since we moved here from a metro area with very strong suburban public schools across the board, but I don't think that would be fair to either the schools down here which are decent or the schools down here which are trying to be decent but having a hard time due to disinterested parents and other factors. I'll just say that I agree that there's some room for improvement in our area of Cobb County and walk away quietly...

(I don't think the issue is really the teachers or the kids, though -- ya gotta have a supportive social infrastructure as well. Nuff said).

Maybe there's a correlation between states with good schools and high school hockey programs?

[TheFuzz]

There's a new private school off of Mabelton Parkway...I'm not sure what its called.

Actually I think there's a correlation between good schools and lacrosse teams....it seems most of the good schools in the area have a lacrosse team.

[NorthmeetsSouth]

There is a small S/D in Powder springs (300-350K) Called Woodberry, on Warren Farm Rd near 278. Several of the people who just bought in there moved from Mableton. You might want to go by there on a weekend when people are home and talk to them and ask them why they moved. There is nothing like talking to someone who has no agenda. they have no reason not to tell you the truth.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by NorthmeetsSouth

There is a small S/D in Powder springs (300-350K) Called Woodberry, on Warren Farm Rd near 278. Several of the people who just bought in there moved from Mableton. You might want to go by there on a weekend when people are home and talk to them and ask them why they moved. There is nothing like talking to someone who has no agenda. they have no reason not to tell you the truth.

I'd be curious what part of Mableton they moved from, also. I've seen some real crapholes in the southern part of Mableton as well as some rather charming older homes, but I'm not sure I'd want to live in (or near) any of them...

There's a reason we were looking along the Smyrna/Mableton border.

[BRIMYLON]

Is Pebblebrook High a good school?

[soldiermom]

We moved here from Chicago over 30 years ago. We have lived in Mableton since 1985. What we like about Mableton is that it has a genuine, community feel. The people are friendly and kind.

There are a lot of old areas of Mableton, but that is changing rapidly.
Mableton has a wonderful, new amphitheater with top-of-the-line entertainment, in addition to the Mable House which has excellent educational programs in the arts for children and adults.

We have the South Cobb Arts Alliance, the Mableton Improvement Coalition, Adopt-a-Mile programs, the Silver Comet Trail, Heritage Park, a community garden, sidewalks to everywhere, a nice variety of shopping, CCT transportation, close access to two very good hospitals, a charter school, several private schools, a performing arts program at Pebblebrook High School and a wide variety of new and used homes. We are close to Cumberland and the Galleria, the airport, the East-West Connector and Vinings.

The people who have moved into our 22-year old subdivision over the years, have demonstrated much interest in upgrading their homes and participating in neighborhood projects.

We have experienced less vandalism and mischief in our area than most of our friends who live in other areas of Cobb.

If parents are concerned about the schools, the secret to good schools is parental involvement and setting high expectations at home. The schools will only be as good as we demand them to be.

Am I a cheerleader for Mableton and its future? You bet!

[netdragon]

Mableton is fine. Almost as good a commute as Smyrna. Just don't go too close to Six Flags (Stay North of Gordon or East of Mableton Pkwy -- at least a mile away).The Six Flags area is being slowly improved, but I consider it still kind of iffy and it probably will be until some higher value commercial development starts happening around Thornton Rd.

[lookinround]

To the OP: Vinings Place is a subdivision of just over 100 homes, pricing $325K-$375K. Several homes currently on the market. Construction was 2001 - 2003, so these homes are newer than your 20 - 25 year range. Largely a manicured subdivision. Not gated. Pool, tennis courts. About 1 mile down the road (Buckner Road) from Whitefield Academy, a K-12 Christian private school that I gather is well-regarded.

Subdivision is on a twisty road that intersects with Veterans Memorial Hwy (aka Bankhead Highway, depending on where you are on the road), but Bankhead Courts are a bit of a ways away (i.e., *driving* distance, not walking distance). Also, it is about 10 mins away from the Cobb Drive exit (15) on I-285. It is in unincorporated Cobb County with a Mableton USPS address.

If you have other questions on the subdivision proper, feel free to PM me.

One other poster mentioned realtors taking folks to the Cobb Drive exit instead of Bankhead Hwy (Exit 12). When coming from the south I actually do the same because I can't stand what hangs out at Exit 12 sometimes, much less some of the things near Bankhead Courts. And while I have no personal knowledge of the crime stats on the industrial areas south of Bankhead Hwy and near Exit 12, Six Flags, etc., I have driven through the space and prefer to keep *moving*. I have lived near areas with the same "vibe" in the past and know a bad thing when I see it.

If I recall Bankhead Courts are being torn down... this year?

[JasonPaul]

Originally Posted by lookinround

To the OP: Vinings Place is a subdivision of just over 100 homes, pricing $325K-$375K. Several homes currently on the market. Construction was 2001 - 2003, so these homes are newer than your 20 - 25 year range. Largely a manicured subdivision. Not gated. Pool, tennis courts. About 1 mile down the road (Buckner Road) from Whitefield Academy, a K-12 Christian private school that I gather is well-regarded.

Subdivision is on a twisty road that intersects with Veterans Memorial Hwy (aka Bankhead Highway, depending on where you are on the road), but Bankhead Courts are a bit of a ways away (i.e., *driving* distance, not walking distance). Also, it is about 10 mins away from the Cobb Drive exit (15) on I-285. It is in unincorporated Cobb County with a Mableton USPS address.

If you have other questions on the subdivision proper, feel free to PM me.

ahh damn I got sucked into a year old post

One other poster mentioned realtors taking folks to the Cobb Drive exit instead of Bankhead Hwy (Exit 12). When coming from the south I actually do the same because I can't stand what hangs out at Exit 12 sometimes, much less some of the things near Bankhead Courts. And while I have no personal knowledge of the crime stats on the industrial areas south of Bankhead Hwy and near Exit 12, Six Flags, etc., I have driven through the space and prefer to keep *moving*. I have lived near areas with the same "vibe" in the past and know a bad thing when I see it.

If I recall Bankhead Courts are being torn down... this year?

I've heard that also that they are getting torn down, but it seems that I hear that every year.

[spacelord75]

Originally Posted by JasonPaul

I've heard that also that they are getting torn down, but it seems that I hear that every year.

I think it said 2009 when the original announcement came out about 2 years ago. That said, I would be shocked if they actually started razing it then, although it seems like a ghost town every time I have driven by it.