Relocating to Zebulon, GA (Atlanta, Macon: sale, real estate, rentals)

[Cold in the midwest]

Can someone give me some information about Zebulon, GA?

[deja-zebbie]

Congratulations on your upcoming move. If you like REAL small town and rural life style, I think you'll like Zebulon.

There is a GREAT bookstore (some new, mainly used) on the square in Zebulon, "A Novel Experience"...run by three women who I think you'll find helpful in other ways. They are extremely friendly. In fact, if you visit Zebulon, I'd make that my first stop.

There is a Saturday morning farmers market (though may have finished for the season, can't remember because it ends a Noon and on Saturdays I'm still piddling around at noon, but go there occasionally). That market, while small, is one of the better ones in our neck of the woods. There are generally a couple of quilters there as well. There are special events on (I believe) Wednesday nights on the square in Zebulon.

There is an organic farm that relocated to Zebulon. You can ask around if you like organic produce. They mainly sell in Atlanta, may also sell at their farm as well.

You'll be close to Griffin where you can do some of your regular shopping. That's where there is a Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. Try Antiques Griffin in the downtown area...a very casual antique store with WONDERFUL owners and great people who rent booths and work at the front desk who will help you with information (I don't mean just about antiques). J. Henry's restaurant is right close to Antiques Griffin. It's not fancy, but I consider it the best restaurant in the area.

In Zebulon, you'll be about 12 miles from Barnesville where there is a state college, "Gordon College". If you keep an eye out for events there, you'll find lectures, concerts (by fairly known peope as well as by students) plays and musicals by the college and community.

I suggest you check on-line to see if the local newspapers from the various towns I've mentioned (as well as others you might find on a map) are on-line. I think you could get a LOT of information that way.

If you're a gardener, you'll be relocating to IMHO gardening paradise. If you're moving during the late fall and winter, you might not be too impressed, but this area is GREAT in spring and summer. BTW, blueberries grow in this area and require next to nothing in work. Pecans grow in this area as well.

If you like peaches, ask around for peach orchards, I think there may be some in Zebulon. Otherwise, you can go down to Dickies (should be on-line) and get fresh peaches all summer long. Even though you buy them on the hard side, they acutally RIPEN and are wonderful! A lovely drive. This is all part of the Peach Blossom Trail.
There is a free publication that's great. I think the actual name is, "Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin" that shows a lot of farms around in your general area that seel fresh fruit and produce. I think you'll find it on-line. It's published by the State of Georgia Dept of Agriculture. They also list land/farm rentals and every couple of months do a farmland sale (some with houses). No real estate agents are involved.

After you get settled, you might want to plan a trip to Madison. That's a fun town to visit and has GREAT restaurants (Town 220, The Ice House) also antique sweets (where nice candy is made). Lots of antique stores and an independent books store and FABULOUS houses. We like to take little 3 days trips to Madison and then explore the areas around it. If you decide to make a trip, people on the Georgia list can mention small towns around Madison.

Madison is about 30 miles from Athens (a university town) and worth a trip to explore as well.

Sorry, can't help you with the housing ideas. Maybe other people on this list can.

If you are able to rent for a year, though I think it would be a good idea. That way you can explore what's available before you make a decision. Friends have told me that the minimum lot size for Zebulon is 1 acre...but I'm not sure about that. People around in this area raise horses, cattle and lots and lots of goats. If you drive around to the various towns near you, you'll also see llamas, alpacas, and buffalo.

Check a map and see how close you'll be to McDonough. That's a good place to do MAJOR shopping...it's very busy and sprawly, but has a lot of stores. The NORTH side of Macon is good for shopping as well.

About five years ago we moved near the general area where you'll be living to about 5 years ago and we LOVE it. We take drives every weekend and explore, explore, explore.

All the best --
zebbie

PS There is a drought in Georgia. Check to see how houses in the Zebulon town limits are affected as compared to in the county. I'm not familar with the Zebulon water situation. You may hear about the drought on CNN. Some of the small towns have PLENTIFUL water supplies, even though the whole state is under drought.

[Cold in the midwest]

Thank you for all of the wonderful information! I do have a couple of concerns first, many people say that the "Civil War" has not ended in the south have you found that to be true? Second can you tell me any information on the school system in Zebulon? Thank you again!

[deja-zebbie]

Cold,

My best friend's sister lives in the county not too far from Zebulon. I think she teaches in that system. I'll ask early this next week about the school system and see if I can find out anything.

I imagine that there are people on this Georgia list who have kids in that system.

Please keep in mind that some of these counties have ONE elementary, one middle school and one high school. What I mean is that whatever ratings there for a school are sometimes based on ALL the kids in a county. I'm not sure whether zebulon is like that or not.

There is a website that shows school ratings. I've seen it mentioned on other threads. Maybe someone can post it?

As for the Civil War not having "ended"....since there are historical markers relating to the Civil War in towns around Zebulon (and probably in Zebulon itself), I think that makes that history a little more "alive" here. Also, in some of these rural areas a lot of families have lived in the same general locale for many generations so I think there are more ties to local and regional history in these areas because of that.

Have our local friends shared family memorabilia from the Civil War with us with pride? You bet. Have we learned a lot about the Civil War since living here? Yes. When we came here we knew very little about that period. When we drive past historical markers it sort of picques our curiosity and we've done some reading.
.
Do our local friends talk about the Civil War a lot to us? Nope. Do they sometimes kid us about being "Yankees". (Yankees from the West?) Yes. It's a joking kind of thing. For example, days with no sun in the winter where we live are called, "Yankee weather".

BTW, Georgia also has FDR's "Little White House" (IMHO really worth a visit), Plains ( a VERY tiny town) is the home of Jimmy Carter. If you like Jimmy, you can attend Sunday School when he's teaching and meet and photograph him (attendance at Sunday school is his "price" for this).

The main thing for us is that living in a rural area we have a chance to meet all kinds of people (since we all live here together) that we never would have had a chance to meet living in our housing development in a large city. Since we REALLY love it here, we've been accepted and made friends. We LOVE the community feeling of these small towns.

I'll see if I can find anything out about the school system in Zebulon.

All the best,
zebbie

[irvm]

Originally Posted by Cold in the midwest

Thank you for all of the wonderful information! I do have a couple of concerns first, many people say that the "Civil War" has not ended in the south have you found that to be true?

I have to ask: what does that mean?
I'd really like someone to explain that.

[irishvanguard]

Zebulon has a great small town life if that is what you are looking for. It's not suburbia, but it borders near there, with downtown Atlanta being within 45 minutes.

[deja-zebbie]

irvm,

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I took that bit about the "Civil War hasn't ended in the South" to mean that "Cold" is being told by people where she lives, that some people in the South MIGHT be a bit more aware of the Civil War in the South (and maybe discuss it more) -->GOOD<-- idea of yours to ask "Cold" if she has a clue what people who are telling her this, mean by that statement. Wish I'd thought of that.
I sure hope I'm not offending you, but I wanted to share that "Cold's" comment kind of reminds me a bit of a conversation I had once with a Dutch friend. I made some comment to her about something CURRENT that was related to WWII and her reply was essentially that "oh, we don't think too much about that, it was so-o-o long ago." I was a little stunned, then realized that since my husband and I are very interested in WWII (the social-cultural aspects, not battles) that it's very much "alive" to us. And, actually (as I imagine you are very well aware) the ramifications of WWII in Europe (or in Asia for that matter) didn't end with the surrender of Germany and Japan. I think some people just have more of an historical memory (or interest) than other people. And, personally I think it's kind of reassuring for people to be knowledgeable about the local and regional aspects and effects of U.S. history -- after all it's OUR history. Again, I'm just sharing this because it seems, in a way, to relate to that original comment.

"Cold" --BTW, in Sunday's AJC (Atlantic Journal Constitution for those not in Georgia) I saw that Pike IS included in the listed areas of severe drought. I think it might be relevant for you to check on what level of drought restrictions are in the Town (or City) of Zebulon vs. the county (Pike). That is, you might want to call the City and ask about the City's water source and what level is the level of drought restrictions -->in the city<-- In some places 'round about the area where you're planning on moving, particular cities or towns have specific source/s for their water while the county they are located in have different sources. So, it's possible to live in the City and have an o.k. water situation, but say...be about a block or two away in the county area and be under Level 4 drought restrictions. While the drought is VERY serious in some areas, sometimes it's hard to "see" because the area where you'll be moving is GREEN and probably had 25+ inches of water this last year. It's raining today in the general area -->around<-- Zebulon (and possibly IN Zebulon, but I don't know about that) and also rained this past week.

All the best,
zebbie

PS I'm going to try and find that website for you where schools in georgia are rated

[deja-zebbie]

Cold,

If you will look at the thread on the Georgia forum, "Chatlooga (?) County Elementary Schools..." the moderator, jxu66 includes a database rating schools in Georgia.

There could be other databases like this, I seem to remember one from some other thread a while back.

Again, I find it good good to remember that some counties have ONE school for each group (elementary, middle, etc.) and so that school ratings include EVERYONE in public school in the COUNTY. It kind of looks like this might be the case in Pike.

Personally, while I've never been involved in public schools (but have been involved in education in a public agency as a career) I like to keep that thought (about the one school per type of school in some of these more rural areas) in the forefront in my mind when people are talking about school ratings. In larger places when there are a lot of schools in a district, the schools seem to vary a lot by area, possibly because of the tax base for the school, educational level of the parents in an area and/or the economic status of a majority of the kids.

Seems like most everyone on the list is always looking for great schools. I figure that one can always augment any deficits in schooling in the home, or with tutors, etc. A safe, security COMMUNITY is hard to beat, though.

I did check into the teacher I thought was teaching in Pike. She isn't. She's teaching a long way from Pike.

All the best,
Zebbie

[Colten Todd Neath]

The "Civil War" is pretty alive here in Zebulon. Basically if you are anything other than conservative Republican, very conservative, expect a lot of heat. Especially if you try to go to church around here. Consider this, the Confederate flag is as common here as the American flag. A mud bogging business here was the most lucrative here, and it was soon shut down due to complaints from a neighboring double wide. The closest Wal-Mart is thirty minutes. I've been here 18 years, and will be glad to get out August. Not everyone here is ignorant or redneck, it's just a majority. The school systems are okay, but not great. My opinion is a bit clouded because I'm a very outspoken liberal and an agnostic, which is opposite of most here.