Kennesaw or Suwanee? (Atlanta, Marietta, Acworth: relocating, house hunting, zoned)

[mistyseaocean]

Hi all, thanks for your help. We are relocating due to husband's job transfer to Kennesaw and I am researching the perimeter carefully. My main concern is that I find the best schools possible for my 2 boys (ages 12 and 7). I have not read too much about Kennesaw, but Suwanee has a great website boasting awards, etc. I'd like to get some kind of comparison between the two towns, or other suggestions. We know nothing about Georgia, so your responses are valued. Thank you very much!!!

[OhioNative]

If your husband's job is in Kennesaw, you need to live in that area. Suwanee and Kennesaw may look close on the map, but the commute would take him around 1.5 to 2 hours each way, and that's on a good day. If there is an accident, rain, etc. he might as well pitch a tent and spend the night at work!!

[momof2kids]

Suwanee is a good long drive from Kennesaw. I live in Kennesaw and have 2 children and we love it here. The schools are great in this area. We are in North Cobb County.

[veragemini]

I would recommend Kennesaw. Suwannee is way way farther out.
That is also where one of the Atlanta teams practices off seasonright? For some reason that sounds familiar. I think the schools in East Cobb are better, but you could check their scores & see how they compare. My in-laws are both Cobb County teachers. Within the county though there are some that are better & some that are worse. I have lived in this area for 11 years. The past 8 I have been in Kennesaw. Before that Vinings for a few years and downtown for the first few I was here. Best of luck!

[veragemini]

Oh yes...lots of awesome mommy groups in Ksaw too. :-) I belong to several. You can check those out on the Meetup site if you are interested. We have a lot of parks as well & always some fun activities going on in the Square. Marietta & Kennesaw are so close that there is a lot of overlap there so you might want to check out Marietta's site too. I live in Marietta by zip, but its truly in Kennesaw near the Town Center Mall...HTH. With regard to the schools. There are good & bad. It just depends on what area of the County you are in. Most of Kennesaw is Cobb County I think. We are zoned for Sprayberry. I am trying to relo back to my hometown in TN though to be closer to my family. Now just trying to figure out all the logistics...so much to consider. I would be happy to answer anything I can about Kennesaw/Marietta. I am very familiar with East Cobb...not so much West Cobb though. HTH

[mistyseaocean]

Thanks to all who responded. I am definitely crossing Suwanee off my list, as a 1-2 hour commute is not quite what we want to sign up for! So Kennesaw it will be. Are there any subdivisions/communities we should avoid when house hunting? We would like to know in advance if there are any neighborhoods that people are trying to get out of. The house prices are truly astounding. We live in Delaware and the houses are double and even triple the price here than they are there. I am soooo looking forward to a better house payment.

[momof2kids]

In the area I am in there are a lot of nice neighborhoods. All with great amenities. The pool and tennis courts in our neighborhood sold me before I even looked at any houses. I don't know of any neighborhoods to avoid off the top of my head.

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by veragemini

I would recommend Kennesaw. Suwannee is way way farther out.
That is also where one of the Atlanta teams practices off seasonright? For some reason that sounds familiar. I think the schools in East Cobb are better, but you could check their scores & see how they compare. My in-laws are both Cobb County teachers. Within the county though there are some that are better & some that are worse. I have lived in this area for 11 years. The past 8 I have been in Kennesaw. Before that Vinings for a few years and downtown for the first few I was here. Best of luck!

Suwanee and Kennesaw are about the same distance from the perimeter, just on opposite sides of town.

[mistyseaocean]

How wonderful to hear that I don't really need to worry about neighborhoods. Where we are we have to be VERY careful about certain neighborhoods and areas. Now I just can't wait to get there. Thanks all for your help

[Sharon R.]

Glad you've chosen Kennesaw. It's not only that the commute would be horrific for you, but we just really don't need any more cars on the interstates!

Where is your husband's job going to be located? Even though your commute won't be far, Kennesaw and the surrounding area (Acworth, Marietta) is growing rapidly and you can still sit in traffic for quite some time. In particular, the western part of the county has new subdivisions going up all over, but many of the roads are still two lanes, and they back up mightily. Keep in mind that Marietta is south of Kennesaw, so the bulk of the commuting traffic would be going in the opposite direction.

I personally really like the old part of Kennesaw. They've just opened a new park on Old 41 (Main Street) called Swift-Cantrell Park. It's quite large, they've got a good sized play area for the kids, and a walking path with inner and outer loops. Lots of dog walkers, rollerbladers, leisurely strollers, and rest rooms. Nice place.

One other thing that might throw you for a loop, but really nothing to worry about. There is a law on the books that if you reside within the city limits of Kennesaw, you must own a gun. The law is NOT enforced, nobody will ask or check. But since it's pretty well known, there is very little crime in Kennesaw, and I don't recall hearing of any accidental shootings. No, Kennesaw is not crawling with rednecks, though we have our share, just like any Southern town.

I am not aware of any truly bad neighborhoods, but there might be some isolated streets or subdivisions that are maybe a little more run-down -- it all depends on what you're looking for, price range, etc. If you need help with a specific location, ask and hopefully somebody can answer. Good luck!