Mpving to Lithonia need advice on whats going on there (Atlanta: environment, relocating)

[simetime]

My wife and I are considering moving to Lithonia, we have a 16yr old son and a 18 yr old that will be in college. Any advice on the area?

[waitaminute]

How has Lithonia captured your attention? Like any city, there is positive and negative and you will need to consider an area that is going to be conducive to good growth and development for your kids. You will also want to consider present and future property values and where you feel comfortable.
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[Jazz Piano]

One word. GHETTO! Panola Road is a functional project. Do not believe or buy into the hype.

[lastminutemom]

South DeKalb schools are generally not the best in metro Atlanta -- you can do better for your child.

[waitaminute]

Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed Based upon US statistics, Lithonia's Violent Crime rate is more than double the national average. When I compared Lithonia to where I live which is North of Atlanta the violent crime rate in Lithonia is 6 times as high as my neighborhood. When I compared my area to Lithonia on property theft, the rate in Lithonia was almost double by comparison.

The best thing to do is go an see the area for yourself, Panola Road etc. and you will quickly change your mind and go to an area that is going to be more conducive to a good environment for your kids. In my personal experience in living in Lithonia is that it is crowded, schools are horrible, crime is out of hand and property values do not hold.

The example I have is that I bought a new construction home there in 1999 and later relocated to Colorado in 2001. When I relocated back to GA last year, my wife and I took a look at Lithonia again just to see how the area had changed. I could have bought the same 3,200 SF house at the price I sold it for in 2001 when I left Lithonia almost 6 years ago. I know there is a difference in the areas of the country but my home value in Colorado netted me $103,000 in increased value vs. nothing in Lithonia in the same period.

[bsweet2me]

Hi to everyone! This is my first post in this forum. I'm looking at a home in the Parks of Stonecrest community (Lithonia) off Turner Hill Road. My husband and I are retired and looking forward to relocating. We're from NYC. I have been trying to find crime statistics for Lithonia but I must be looking in the wrong places because Lithonia doesn't come up. I was able to find statistics for Douglasville, Powder Springs, Lawrenceville and quite a few others but not Lithonia, can anyone tell me why? Thanks in advance.

[Ollie1946]

Take a hint. The mayor of Lithonia has been locked out of her office for over a month by the town council. I would not want to live there nor in Conyers nor in Gwinnett County. You might try Barrow County or if you can afford it, Oconee County.

If crime is the driving force for you, then look at NE Georgia counties.

Good luck.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by waitaminute

How has Lithonia captured your attention? Like any city, there is positive and negative and you will need to consider an area that is going to be conducive to good growth and development for your kids. You will also want to consider present and future property values and where you feel comfortable.
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This IMO is the most reasonable statement written on this thread. I drove Lithonia the other day and I saw some really beautiful areas there. A lot of bad press has been generated by the dysfunctional gov't there, but much of what is labeled 'Lithonia' is outside the city limits. Keep an open mind and see it for yourself.