Gray, North Macon, Centerville?? (Warner Robins, Monroe: crime, buying a house, buying)

[mlcain]

Sorry if this is redundant. I have been reading threads and have found useful information. My husband is looking at a job in Macon. We live just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I realize this is definately going to be a change of pace for us. I have a 7 year old so good schools are a must. Also important to me is shopping, nice restaurants, a nice community atmosphere. We are looking in the 200k-300k price range for a home. We do have two dogs so we need maybe 1/2 to 1 acre? I want to be able to get to a mall pretty easily. We have been searching online and think Gry, north Macon (by the bass pro shops), and maybe centerville. Any thoughts on which is the better of the three? Thanks

[Poppet]

Gray has the lowest crime rate. Macon is awful. Thugs will break into your car all the time and you can't really go anywhere after dark.

[qatcat]

May want to look in Houston county(Warner Robins, Bonaire, Kathleen) it's within 30 minutes of Macon. The school district is probably better than the other areas you mention

[MaconWard1]

Since you say you live outside Cleveland and want nice restaurants (I would read this as not just chain places) and shopping, North Macon is where you want to be. Gray and Centerville are nice areas, but if you are used a city, then stay closer to Macon. Gray is very "small town" to rural. Centerville is suburbia with a lot of turnover due to the Base. I'm not knocking these two areas, they just may not be what you are used to living outside a large city.

There are some of local restaurants along Tom Hill Sr., Forsyth Rd., Vineville, and downtown. The "new" mall is adding some new stores to Macon not found in Middle Georgia.

Crime is not as bad as people on this forum make it out to be. Of course there are some bad areas as with any real city. Your not going to get carjacked when running to the store for some milk.

For Macon schools, if public, elementary is OK (Springdale and some others). Middle and High you may want to think about private unless things change.

[rdinga]

We've lived in Macon for 10 years. I am originally from Northern Iowa, my wife Southern Missouri. Gray is nice but a little on the country side....you may experience culture shock. Centerville is Warner Robins and has "thick" traffic along GA247(Watson Blvd). North Macon is more cosmopolitan, good shopping and restaurants....a new mall opening this month called RiverCrossing which will draw a little more sophisticated shopper. You should have no problem finding a home in North Macon (with land) for the price you are looking for.

[BuckeyeGal]

Being from Ohio and having moved to Georgia almost 13 years ago, be prepared for an initial culture shock. Soon, though as I have, you will love it here and will not want to move back up to the rust belt. Having said that; if you want to put your child in private school then move to Bibb County. If you want great schools, small town atmosphere, (Houston Co does have traffic issues) in the proximity of shopping and restraunts (Macon), then Houston County is for you. If your job is in North Macon, look into Monroe County (Forsyth). Have fun house shopping. There are plenty of homes and I know from experience you will get more bang for your buck when it comes to buying a house in Georgia as apposed to Ohio.