CARTERSVILLE, GA and African American (Atlanta, Smyrna: job, homes, crime)

[staylor21]

Hello, all.

I am a single parent African American male moving to Atlanta this fall. Cartersville, GA is the town I want to move to but I have a few concerns.

1. Are the school districts there good? I am coming from a very diverse neighborhood in surburban Chicago and would like to have my son in a good school that is not overcrowded. Is it true that trailers are used for classrooms?

2. How is race relations there? Would I feel safe jogging the neighborhoods? Is it too far from Atlanta that I would be dealing with very conservative views or lifestyles? ie.. you must go to church to be accepted, black and homosexual people are shunned. Also, I don't want my son to feel uncomfortable with his classmates. I can't protect him from racism but I don't want him to face it everyday.

3. What is growth projected to be for Cartersville? Is it a good investment to buy there or should I stick with towns closer to Atlanta?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

[GAisGreat]

Originally Posted by staylor21

Hello, all.

I am a single parent African American male moving to Atlanta this fall. Cartersville, GA is the town I want to move to but I have a few concerns.

1. Are the school districts there good? I am coming from a very diverse neighborhood in surburban Chicago and would like to have my son in a good school that is not overcrowded. Is it true that trailers are used for classrooms?

2. How is race relations there? Would I feel safe jogging the neighborhoods? Is it too far from Atlanta that I would be dealing with very conservative views or lifestyles? ie.. you must go to church to be accepted, black and homosexual people are shunned. Also, I don't want my son to feel uncomfortable with his classmates. I can't protect him from racism but I don't want him to face it everyday.

3. What is growth projected to be for Cartersville? Is it a good investment to buy there or should I stick with towns closer to Atlanta?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

If diversity, overcrowding, having to be a church-nazi, 'different' people not being accepted, etc. is a big concern for you then Cartersville is definately the wrong city, hell GA is the wrong state...as a matter of fact you're looking in the wrong part of the country!

[Janet D. Patrick]

Hi Taylor!

I have to say from personal experience (I've lived here for 37 years) that Georgia may indeed have some backward-ass areas (I can't speak of Cartersville or Bartow county first-hand) but that for the most part - in the areas I've lived, people are down to earth, open, caring, and live & let live. I've lived in DeKalb and Fulton, and currently live in Gwinnett... probably three of the most diverse counties in the entire state.

I've always had a very diverse group of friends (races, cultures, sexual orientation, inner-racial relationships, etc...) and I've NEVER known any of my friends to be the victim of a hate crime due to one of those factors. But again - the areas I've lived in *are* heavily populated and very diverse... Plus - I don't remember the last time I stepped foot in a church and I've still got plenty of cool friends and family who love me just the same!

But to answer some of your questions:

Like I said - I can't speak first-hand knowledge concerning Cartersville, but in Gwinnet - I've seen both government schools AND private school use trailers as extra classroom space.

If you're concerned about how conservative people might be in the Cartersville area, just look up (through this website or google) how people vote or the public records of political contributions made. That should give you a high-level picture on things - though I know you're looking to hear from people who actually LIVE there...

Not sure of the race relations in Cartersville, but there are demographic charts you can pull (I believe on THIS website) that can help you determine the racial mix in the schools you're looking at to help you get an idea on how balanced the school is. In fact - most schools these days have their own websites with test-score data too.

The City of Cartersville has a demographics page as well:
http://www.cityofcartersville.org/index.asp?NID=28

Sorry I don't have first-hand knowledge of the area - hope this helps you out a bit. Good luck, and keep us posted!

[backfist]

City-data's stats on Cartersville show that the demographic breakdown is pretty close to the national average. However, that doesn't mean that there's a harmonious mix of folks in that town. Moreover, the crime rate is higher than the national average. Now, I know that a couple of folks will attribute that to the usual suspects, but it could be that the area is a bit more podunk than other areas.

I'm also African American and wouldn't want to subject my kids to any more negatives (and negative perceptions) than they're going to get already. But as Janet suggested, there seem to be many other areas where you'll fit right in, and be able to afford.

[staylor21]

Janet & Backfist

Thanks for your reply. With all the talk on the forums about how nice the Mountain areas are I thought I'd ask about them. I think Cartersville is in a mountainous area and is still close to Atlanta. Plus I liked the homes there. I saw the breakdown of the demographics on City-Data but as you all know there's nothing like hearing it from town residents. I'm still hopeful for some first-hand feedback. Thanks again.

[backfist]

Ya know; it's ironic. We live in the mountains in Colorado. We're pretty much the only AA population that there is. But I wouldn't trade our neighbors for anything. Folks who live in the mountains are often friendly and neighborly, but not always intellectual. So I can't blame you for responding to the call of the mountains.

Now, the mountains are great while our kids are very young, but now that they're start getting older, our urban needs increase.

You know what? Give it a try. If you don't like it, you can move.

[mmpow]

Originally Posted by staylor21

Hello, all.

I am a single parent African American male moving to Atlanta this fall. Cartersville, GA is the town I want to move to but I have a few concerns.

1. Are the school districts there good? I am coming from a very diverse neighborhood in surburban Chicago and would like to have my son in a good school that is not overcrowded. Is it true that trailers are used for classrooms?

2. How is race relations there? Would I feel safe jogging the neighborhoods? Is it too far from Atlanta that I would be dealing with very conservative views or lifestyles? ie.. you must go to church to be accepted, black and homosexual people are shunned. Also, I don't want my son to feel uncomfortable with his classmates. I can't protect him from racism but I don't want him to face it everyday.

3. What is growth projected to be for Cartersville? Is it a good investment to buy there or should I stick with towns closer to Atlanta?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

Hi STaylor,
I just read your message, and have the same questions. I recently have a potential job there but like you am a single African-American parent that want the best for my child. My question to you is, have you made the transition? If so what do you think? Is is a place where my child will be safer from racism? Please write back.. Thanks

[larryb]

I hear people talk about "racism" like that is the lowest of all "crimes". What about all the drugs, prostitution, gangbangers that are well known and prevalent in Dekalb, Gwinnett and God forbid you move to Fulton Co. Watch the news and you'll see how much crime is in these counties. Oh and I experienced racism galore in Dekalb. Hey, Cartersville is a nice place to rear your kids. They are going to be picked on and harrassed no matter where you are. You dont think that if they were in an urban school close to Atl that their wouldnt be problems? I grew up in Gary, Indiana amd I will tell you the whites in the mountain areas of north Ga are polite, nice and like their neighborhoods clean and quiet. Do that, and your golden. Be obnoxious, loud, disrupting and yes you will feel uncomfortable. Its not about color, it is culture. I miss eating a Chicago style pizza and a Portillo's hot dog. What suburb are you from?

Oh by the way, AA from Chicago are different from AA in Atlanta.

[mmpow]

I agree with your point of view, however I think it is a good idea to talk with local town people who generally give a true picture of the city. I checked the demographics, on paper all seems good, but "what glitters may not be gold". I'm from a suburb in NJ with a pretty diverse culture, I would like to maintain that same feel in Cartersville.

[jeweloflight]

Please forget about Cartersville. Coming from Chicago, you'll have enough of an adjustment to Atlanta the city. Cartersville is 50 minutes to and hour from the city and it's the meth capital of Georgia. I am a nursing student and do clinical rotations up in Cartersville, and I'm also African American. Don't waste your time, you won't be happy there. Look into more diverse, safer areas like Gwinnett County above Pleasant Hill Rd off 85, Decatur, Smyrna, or Stockbridge. Gwinnett is the most diverse though, and has good schools; very family oriented.