Countryside living near ATL? (Atlanta, Monroe: condominiums, mortgage, townhomes)

[andyhas]

Hello all,

At the moment, I'm negotiating a job offer that would mean relocating to the Atlanta area from rural England. My work would be in Midtown ATL.
We live in and love the countryside, so we're seeking the same in GA. If we can't find it- we won't go!
Proximity to ATL isn't important, as I'm a shift worker, so travel would nearly always be out of rush hours, and only 4 days per week.
At present I live 90 miles from work (London). The journey takes me 90 mins.
Hopefully I can find what I'm looking for within 50 miles (max 90mins travel time) of the ATL connector.

I have a wife and 2 teenage daughters who need college/schooling.

We already have some American friends, and have an insight into the American way of life, which is how we want to be- not 'whingeing Brits' abroad.

Small town living would be ideal. How about the Monroe/Rutledge areas?
Would we get a cool reception as outsiders, bearing in mind we're not city folk?

Having been in and East of ATL for a few days, I was taken aback by the warm welcome from everyone I met, so hopefully that's an accurate picture.

Any comments pos/neg will be very much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[atlantagreg30127]

Andy,

If you like city living, Atlanta is a city for you (somewhat)... but if you like country living, Atlanta is the poster child for "urban sprawl".

Atlanta has been and still is, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. literally since the late 1970s. The 1996 Olympics only spurred it more. The problem is, you have to drive quite a distance away from the city to get a "country" feel, and if you do find it, there's no guarantee that one year later there won't be a dozen shopping centers surrounding you.

Example: I moved to a smaller town 25 miles west of the city about ten years ago. I was in a small neighborhood where each home has about 1-1.5 acres of land, and there was only one very small shopping center a few blocks away from the house. So here we are ten years later, and I'll briefly list what they've built within EIGHT city blocks of my house...

1) 50 acres of forest were razed and a grocery/retail shopping center was built, along with a couple of banks, 2 drug stores, restaurants, etc.

2) A two mile stretch of trees and homes were razed and a four lane bypass road was built that connects two larger roads.

3) Another 50 acre lot of forest was razed and condominiums were built. Across the street from those, they have recently razed about 30 acres of trees and have started building townhomes.

4) Across from shopping center #1, they chopped another 25 acres of forest a few months ago, and next week a new Home Depot is about to open.

5) In the other direction, there have been two drug stores, some more town homes, and at least five housing subdivisions built along a two lane road. This road which was once a "country road" now has traffic that forms a solid flowing line each morning and it can take people living on side streets up to 10 minutes to merge into that road, where only a couple of years ago you could actually see horses along it.

Again, this is within eight blocks of my house. Just 5 miles up the road in Hiram, Georgia (once a very rural area), several hundred acres of land have been razed in the last 3-4 years and there are now over 45 stores, shops and restaurants lining a four lane road. Several housing subdivisions are under construction, as are at least five shopping centers, all within a 1.5 mile stretch of this road. This was again, mostly only forest four years ago.

The point - no one predicted this growth in my area at ALL only a few years ago, and here it is now what it is. This is but one area of many in the metro area that this is happening in right now, and of course, more will follow that are currently "rural" areas at this moment.

There certainly ARE still some rural feeling areas in the region, but as you can see from above, there is no way at all to predict just how long they'll stay rural. It could last two decades, or two months, once you buy the land. Wish the news was better, but as far as living near a city and still having "country living" that will STAY country, this isn't one of those cities.

[andyhas]

Greg,

Thanks for the honest (and comprehensive) reply.
What you've told me is quite literally, incredible. That rate of rural destruction must rival the Amazonian rain forest.
My only fear about this move has now been confirmed. I couldn't face what you've been through, I'd hang myself.

I'll stick with my half acre, oil tank, cess pool and a mountain of chicken s**t just upwind. Much more civilised.

Best wishes,

Andy.

[Tdiddy0027]

It's unfortunate, but that's what happens in an area that's hit with a wave of population. I was just reading somewhere that Fannin County in North Georgia is only 35% developable so you could definitely find something there. Meriwether County in midwest Georgia is about a 50-60 mile drive from Atlanta and is totally rural, and from what I see there is no plans for growth in the near future. Try Butts county and Pike county south of the city. Atlantagreg is right, but if you don't mind traveling 50+ miles to the city, then you can find a nice rural place that isn't going to be developed anytime soon.

[atlantagreg30127]

A couple of years ago, they said on the local news that in the metro Atlanta region, an area of forest close to the size of the state of Rhode Island is cut down EVERY YEAR, for development. While there are a couple of developers here and there that try to keep as many trees around as possible, most of them have that, "clear it all out first, then worry about where the buildings will go later", mentality.

Now, if you travel up the GA400 road area, allllll the way up to the town of "Dahlonega" (Duh-lawn-eh-gah), it's a nice area. Very rural, the town itself has a town square filled with arts and crafts galleries, lots of streams and creeks, woods, etc. It should (stress "should") take a good number of years before Atlanta development gets THAT far up there. The problem is, you're talking about a commute of around 70 miles EACH WAY to and from Buckhead/Midtown for work, along one of the most congested roads in the metro area. Even if you're going against traffic due to your work shift, GA400 stays pretty heavy all the time.

Sorry the rose isn't more red - it just has a dead petal or two. lol

[andyhas]

A glimmer of hope!
Thanks for your valuable input. I'm due for a proper reccy sometime soon, so that gives me firm info on go/no go areas.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the chance of a lifetime for my family , as with gas @ $7+/gal, and the cheapest accomodation @ approx. $200k here in the UK, my kids will have a bleak future if I stay put.

Also, we're desperate to escape the crap UK weather. I've had 40 or so years of it. I can't take any more.

Best Regards to all of you.
Andy.

[replantedinsc]

I appreciate the info I obtain on this site so much, thanks everyone!!!
Best wishes to you and your family Andyhas.
And about the accent, people told me I sounded "funny" which was comical in and of itself cause here I was trying to translate what they were saying into Northerners' English and they were telling me I sounded funny. Hilarious!
I write public relations copy and I sound funny, whaaaat!?!?!?!
(My significant other speaks my same dialect, thank God! Where would I be without him? I shudder to think.)
One day, not so long ago, a little old lady jokingly called me a d**n Yankee. I thought it was a scream of a joke.
She was joking wasn't she? I think that if I don't make comments about the flag missing the stars then no one should call me a d**n Yankee. Ha!
What makes me feel at home in Aiken County is simply the friendliest people that you ever wanted to meet live here with a few exceptions...

Dear Exceptions,
Get over it! I, too, have invested in this area of the country. I pay property taxes, a mortgage and have adopted two dogs since I've been here. I may be a d**n Yankee but I support your town. Oh, by the way, andyhas, I hope you like football (soccer) cause these folks - why, they're downright 'fanatical'