Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Of the three, you'll likely get the most bang for your buck in Atlanta. As far as the city goes, I concur that Atlanta city schools would come in last on this list (excepting elementary schools in the Buckhead neighborhood ie Warren Jackson and Sarah Smith). If private school is an option, Buckhead has plenty of excellent schools: Westminister, Lovett, Pace Academy and Woodward Academy. If you are set on public schools, your budget would easily get you into the better neighborhoods of the Walton High School cluster (the best public school situation in the Atlanta metro - eastern Cobb County).
The Buckhead neighborhood has a very similar feel to Gold Coast communities such as Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan.
I agree completely.
I used to teach at Lovett and actually had several Australian students whose families were living in Atlanta. One of them got transferred to Chicago while I was there and absolutely hated to leave Atlanta.
Being home to the world's busiest airport, the world's most iconic corporation (Coca Cola) and being the capital of the entire Southeastern US has brought a whole bunch of international residents to Atlanta. It's not some backwater hick town that some people in this forum claim it to be.
In addition, Georgia's state taxes are MUCH lower than either Connecticut's or California's. Those savings alone would go a long way towards paying for private school tuition if the OP opts to go that way.
Doing a search on realtor.com I found 7 listings in Buckhead (30327) for homes between $1.4 - 1.75 million with at least 1 acre of land.
Like most people I'm no expert on all three cities. Really you can get what you want from either of those cities. I think you'll be further away from the big city in Connecticutt than Atlanta or Sacromento.
Being from Georgia I know more about Atlanta. In the city there are plenty of upscale neighborhoods but it sounds like y'all are a more suburban family so you have plenty of options in Alpharetta or East cobb County. YOu're going to get more bang for your buck in Atlanta. Also you could send your kids to private school and still afford a huge house if you really want to live in the city. But again if safety is the big issue then suburban living might be a better option.
Atlanta like DC has people from all over so you have plenty of diversity and culture but I doubt if you're going to find any of your three cities more diverse than DC though. I would say that Atlanta and Sacromento are the more diverse.
Weatherwise in Atlanta you'll still get 4 seasons like we have in DC but no snow and not as extreme as CT and a little warmer than DC. But the summers are hot and long about a month longer than DC sometimes lasting til October and starting in May but not that much warmer than DC despite being further south just longer and more humid.
To be honest it sounds like you would actually be happier where you are. Plenty of people in DC travel but perhaps being Australian you might be used to people traveling more. Americans in general don't travel as much as other developed countries. I live in the DC area too and it's hard to imagine a more diverse and international city except for New York.
Of the three, you'll likely get the most bang for your buck in Atlanta. As far as the city goes, I concur that Atlanta city schools would come in last on this list (excepting elementary schools in the Buckhead neighborhood ie Warren Jackson and Sarah Smith). If private school is an option, Buckhead has plenty of excellent schools: Westminister, Lovett, Pace Academy and Woodward Academy. If you are set on public schools, your budget would easily get you into the better neighborhoods of the Walton High School cluster (the best public school situation in the Atlanta metro - eastern Cobb County).
The Buckhead neighborhood has a very similar feel to Gold Coast communities such as Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan.
And also honestly when I think Buckhead. I think urban and I don't think house with a big lot. I think lots of expensive nightclubs, shopping and upscale high rises. I don't think house, dog and kids.
Huge house on a lot of land to me equals Alpharetta or Duluth. Not arguing just stating my take on things.
Like most people I'm no expert on all three cities. Really you can get what you want from either of those cities. I think you'll be further away from the big city in Connecticutt than Atlanta or Sacromento.
Being from Georgia I know more about Atlanta. In the city there are plenty of upscale neighborhoods but it sounds like y'all are a more suburban family so you have plenty of options in Alpharetta or East cobb County. YOu're going to get more bang for your buck in Atlanta. Also you could send your kids to private school and still afford a huge house if you really want to live in the city. But again if safety is the big issue then suburban living might be a better option.
Atlanta like DC has people from all over so you have plenty of diversity and culture but I doubt if you're going to find any of your three cities more diverse than DC though. I would say that Atlanta and Sacromento are the more diverse.
Weatherwise in Atlanta you'll still get 4 seasons like we have in DC but no snow and not as extreme as CT and a little warmer than DC. But the summers are hot and long about a month longer than DC sometimes lasting til October and starting in May but not that much warmer than DC despite being further south just longer and more humid.
The area in CT that the poster is considering is 40 minutes to midtown Manhattan by train, 25 minutes by car.
Atlanta gets 4 seasons? That's news to me, and I lived there for years!
I used to teach at Lovett and actually had several Australian students whose families were living in Atlanta. One of them got transferred to Chicago while I was there and absolutely hated to leave Atlanta.
Being home to the world's busiest airport, the world's most iconic corporation (Coca Cola) and being the capital of the entire Southeastern US has brought a whole bunch of international residents to Atlanta. It's not some backwater hick town that some people in this forum claim it to be.
In addition, Georgia's state taxes are MUCH lower than either Connecticut's or California's. Those savings alone would go a long way towards paying for private school tuition if the OP opts to go that way.
Doing a search on realtor.com I found 7 listings in Buckhead (30327) for homes between $1.4 - 1.75 million with at least 1 acre of land.
this is all well and good, but bang for the buck is not one of the OP's criteria. she wants excellent schools, WORLD culture, access to a cosmopolitan city. it simply screams Greenwich.
The best thing about Sacramento is it's proximity to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, that should tell you something about the city.
If you live in a wealthy or upper middle class area in Ca the schools will be good but overall CT has much better schools than CA.
Sacramento is NOT cosmopolitan nor are the people worldly. It can be somewhat working class redneck, as are most parts of the Central Valley in Ca. It is only 90 minutes away from San Francisco though so you can get your fix for culture.
Even though I grew up in Northern Ca I would rather live in CT than Sacramento. I think it fits your criteria better than either Sac or Atl.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
