Best areas to live in Georgia (Atlanta, Columbus: transplants, low crime, to buy)

[kaytieb374]

Hello,

My husband and I are interested in moving to Georgia from Connecticut. We are in our mid 20s, looking to buy our first home. We have been researching nice areas of Georgia to move to, but finding a lot of conflicting advice. Here's what we are looking for:

Affordable housing
Registered Nurse jobs available within 45 minute commute
Friendly people
Low crime rate
Outdoor activities (such as hiking or fishing)

We aren't really bar/party kind of people so living close to nightlife is not at all important to us. We would also prefer to be in the suburbs or smaller, and avoid large, busy cities. Thanks for all your input!

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by kaytieb374

Hello,

My husband and I are interested in moving to Georgia from Connecticut. We are in our mid 20s, looking to buy our first home. We have been researching nice areas of Georgia to move to, but finding a lot of conflicting advice. Here's what we are looking for:

Affordable housing
Registered Nurse jobs available within 45 minute commute
Friendly people
Low crime rate
Outdoor activities (such as hiking or fishing)

We aren't really bar/party kind of people so living close to nightlife is not at all important to us. We would also prefer to be in the suburbs or smaller, and avoid large, busy cities. Thanks for all your input!

Look at Harris County, especially Pine Mountain. Great outdoor activities in and around Callaway Gardens. Tons of hiking and fishing opportunities. Also close to Columbus (pop. 200,000). Good schools, low taxes, hardly any crime, and very friendly.

[campkrazy]

Ditto on Harris Co.
I have lived in HC for 40 yrs. Great place.
The Pine Mt area is Beautiful.We have Callaway Gardens | Georgia Vacations: Georgia Resort Spa & Golf - Family Vacation
Great bike and hiking trails was just there yetserday high 69 degress.
FDR state park.Great camping and hiking the Pine Mt trails.
Warm Springs is about 25 min drive to The Little White House.

Great schools when you get to that point in your life.
You have LaGrange to the north or Columbus to the south for work.

About an hour and half south is Lumking Ga a great day trip The Little grand canyon.{Providence Canyon} great hiking down in the canyons.

You can be in Panama City Beach FL in about 4 hrs.
I could go on and on....


Karen

[Georgiafrog]

I feel like a Rome booster lately, but it may be worth a look to you. The city's economy is based on medicine and education. 3 major hospitals, and 4 colleges.

Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau | Home

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by kaytieb374

My husband and I are interested in moving to Georgia from Connecticut. We are in our mid 20s, looking to buy our first home. We have been researching nice areas of Georgia to move to, but finding a lot of conflicting advice.

We also moved here from New England 3 years ago. One thing to get your head around is that unlike Connecticut, Georgia is a HUGE state. It's the largest state east of the Mississippi River.

Unlike CT where many areas are quite similar, Georgia has very different areas. You have the more urban and suburban areas around Atlanta and the other cities. You have the mountains and rural areas in the north of the state. You have the coastal plains and agricultural areas of South Georgia. You have the coastal areas near Savannah.

The rural areas are much more southern, religious, and socially conservative. Most folks in more rural areas are natives and are less likely to be welcoming to strangers, especially from the northeast. In the Atlanta metro and other urban areas, there are more transplants and fewer natives, and folks are less likely to give you an attitude for being a "yankee." You also have a huge differences in economics and in school systems.

I would recommend that you narrow down what type of area you are looking for, as folks on this board will give you suggestions for areas close to them, but those suggestions may not meet your needs.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by neil0311

We also moved here from New England 3 years ago. One thing to get your head around is that unlike Connecticut, Georgia is a HUGE state. It's the largest state east of the Mississippi River.

Your post was excellent in general, but I just wanted to point out that, while Georgia might be large compared to east coast states, it's only the 24th largest in the US. Kind of in the middle.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Your post was excellent in general, but I just wanted to point out that, while Georgia might be large compared to east coast states, it's only the 24th largest in the US. Kind of in the middle.

Oh yeah...compared to Alaska, Texas, California, and the grid states...no doubt. Hence the qualifier. I was surprised back in the 1980s to learn that GA was actually larger than NY, PA, OH, and all the other states east of the Mississippi (by area).

[keeshonder]

You might want to try the Oconee County area. Next door to Athens where there are the hospital and medical facilities, within 1/2 hour other locations where you could work as an RN. Plenty to do in the area and small town atmosphere in Watkinsville but close to shopping and dining if you desire. A couple hours to the beach, little over an hour to Atlanta airport (except during rush hour), a short trip to the mountains. Close to fishing, hiking, etc.

[mollyhope]

I would suggest looking at everywhere 1-2 hrs away from Atlanta. At the moment, I live in a very small town 1 1/2 hrs from Atl. We have the small town atmosphere, but it's not a long trip if we want to have a special day in the city.