Macon....to Move In Or Not? (Atlanta, Warner Robins: real estate, high crime, hotels)

[afcase]

My Family, (Me + my wife and 2 children under 3) are considering a move across the country to Macon GA from NE Louisiana. I am in the medical field and have very good job offer at the medical center. I have made two short trips to the city one with the family.
I have read many if not all the post on this site.
My observations are as follows:
The City of Macon...
The city of Macon downtown and south are in very rough shape except for the area around the medical center and a few blocks around mulburry street.
If you go past the few museums west it's like the land time forgot with buildings boarded up and deserted.
High crime and poverty seem to be the norm
The central city park is okay
Seem to have a very good medical center with new additions and money being invested.
The highways leading in and out appear poorly kept, overgrown and in need of upkeep.
The area around Mercer Univ is very nice but if you take the exit for mercer off 75 and go west to the mall...again appears very rough.
Mall seems suprsingly nice...the concern is what happens when the two new lifestyle centers open up in north macon...will this become another empty building?

North Macon....
This seems like a different world
New stores and retail
Many housing subdivisions with houses from $300k + all over the area.
Lots of private schools due to the reported very poor quality of the public schools.
It seems that most people with a choice move out of the city and to the NorthMacon area or on the way to North Macon.
New "upscale" outdoor malls being built off I75 with hundreds of thousands of sq ft of new retail space.
New Bass Pro
Very few parks, and minimal green space

Again these are just my observations from short visit.....


Here is my question.
Is this town a good place to bring my young family and try to start our "new" life with other job offers for alternative cities. My wife is from a small town in North GA and would love to eventually get back to GA. I am from a large city in the midwest. I feel the job opportunity is a great situation but I'm not sure about the city/area of Macon. I imgaine I would work in macon and live in North Macon . North Macon seems pretty nice but the city itself is in such rough shape.
Is it a safe / great place to raise a family?
Is it the area getting better or worse?
How is the community to live in.
I need to be less than 20min from the medical center so I think Warner Robins would be out.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Again the above comments are simply my observations from a few short trips. Please don't take offense.
Thanks

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Most of what you said is true, but the mall its not expected to become empty, the cityhas to much money invested into the program, and believe it or not, the area and west of where the mall is growing as well, and to travel out to North Bibb Co. would be really hard when u have some of the stores that u can find in the North Bibb Co. Mall, right up the street. However, the Macon Mall will not offer all the stores the Nort Bibb Co. Mall will have, and visa versa.

Anywayz, to speak on the issue of poverty, many new high paying jobs are being built in Macon, and surrounding areas, including within the largely expanding commercial field.

Mercer University is a relitive nice street all the way from the east to the west, however the east part is home to Mercer University's Main Campus, and to one of Macon's most harsh projects, however Mercer University has bought this project, and plans to build new homes, with better upkeep, and way less crime, Mercer did this previously with the Olgethorpe Projects, Macon's former higest crime project.

North Macon, or North Bibb Co. I doubt will become crime feilth, and to speak on crime, in the last two months, relatively after the 10 New Dodge Chargers were purchased, crime in the city of Macon has dropped drastically due to the Chargers presence, and extra patrol within the city.

So moving to North Bibb Co. I would definately say yes, and there are many other people here who can tell you that much.

[pinkmartini]

Between myself, my mom, and my sister-in-law, we probably have 45+ years of combined experience at the Medical Center. My mom (as I was growing up) and myself (when I lived in the area 12 years ago) both commuted from Warner Robins to the hospital. My SIL commuted from Crawford County.

I would never put Macon as a top place to live with a family, but if I had to go back, I'd look in the Zebulon Rd. area. Lots of new growth in that area.

If you're going to look outside of Bibb county, but with the shortest commute to the hospital, I'd say look at Jones County. My grandparents lived in Gray (Jones County) and it was VERY rural back then. However, I hear that it is growing like crazy as a sleeper community for Macon. I also hear good things about the Jones County schools.....couldn't say that 15 or 20 years ago.

The Byron area has a lot of potential for safe, family friendly neighborhoods, but not so good schools.

Still Warner Robins has them all beat for the best schools.........

[midgeorgiaman]

You are pretty much on target with your observations. The historic district and downtown are rapidly redeveloping and improving, but most of the folks behind this are young professionals and empty nesters at the present time. For families, North Macon is the way to go unless you want private school anyway then your options open up. True, many of Macon's parents choose private school, but the schools you would be zoned for in North Macon are good schools and rank right there with neighboring counties. The reason that so many private schools exist in Macon is because many opened up right after court ordered integration (around 1970) when white parents refused to send their children to school with black children. Some of that mentality, sadly remains in place today (just not as blatant).

Look for the area zoned for the current Howard Middle School (new HS opening next year). Also, the other poster that recommended Jones County brings up a good point if you want a more rural lifestyle with good schools. Jones is rapidly suburbanizing and would allow you to reach the Med Center in under 20 mins as well.

I have travelled extensively through North Louisiana and I must say Macon has many of the same poverty problems that most other southern states have, but there are very nice and safe parts of town that are great for a family as well. Folks that can afford 300K+ houses here choose north Macon and they can afford to live where they want here so that should make you feel better.

Good luck with your decision and rest assured that many families are very happy living here.

[JLA]

afcase if you are living in the Monroe/West Monroe area of LA, then you guys will do well in Macon. The demographics are about the same. My family and I frequent the Monroe area a lot (my wife is from the area).

[ulsterscot]

I also think you have made great observations. North Macon would be the way to go if you don't want to live in Warner Robins. However, you can commute to the Medical Center in 20 from Warner Robins on Hwy 247.

On a side note - I'm glad to hear that Mercer is buying up the housing projects that surround it. I used to be a Police Officer in that area. I have been on campus watching students playing frisbee, then literally driven across the street into the projects where someone had been gunned down in a gang related shooting. It was surreal, but not uncommon.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Soon parents will be able to send there children to and Bibb Co. public education facility, and recieve adequate, sufficent, and high ranked education you can find in Houston Co. Its awhile off, but the last two months has been full of news of the Bibb Co. public education breaking test score highs, great teachers ( one being nationally recognized by the President ) and improving overall education. Last year there were 2000 students over 3 grade levels that failed the CRCT ( a state required test to move onto the next grade ), this year that number is only 1730. That is a huge drop, and it is getting huge state recognition. The Bibb County Board of Education will have great schools as far as education, but the BOE must work on crime in the schools. But congratulations to all of the students who passed the, Georgia High School Graduation Test, and the Criterion Reference Compency Test.

[pgfkap]

Originally posted in April, thought it might make sense to pass it along again...Good luck. By the way, I know quite a few of the prominent doctors from the Medical Center that are my neighbors here INTOWN...

I am still somewhat new to Macon having only lived here just over 3 years. My wife and I moved our entire family (and my real estate appraisal company) here to Macon from Atlanta after an extensive search of all towns within 3 hours of Atlanta. Born and raised near downtown Atlanta and the place just got too BIG. Macon has exactly what we were looking for and then some. We live in the Intown Historic District which is what brought us here in the first place, our love of old houses. We are only the third family ever to occupy this 1890 Victorian house and have had the privilege of bringing it back to life. There seems to be a lot of folks from the area who love to bad mouth Macon as being dangerous and a "dump". These folks don't know any better because they do not live in Macon and they have heard all of their neighbors/relatives bad mouth Macon over the years, yet they work here, shop here and watch the news from here. Doesn't make much sense to me. To move my whole family here (including my in-laws, mother, sister and her kids as well as old family friends), I obviously believe in the present and future of Macon. Diversity here is great, in our area alone you have old, young, black, white and other international folks. That is what I was used to growing up in Atlanta (which I still love and visit often) and have been pleasantly surprised to find here.

As far as housing goes, whatever you are looking for is here (as I mentioned I am an appraiser who also renovates old houses). The housing stock is unprecedented. Sherman did not burn Macon after torching Atlanta, so even the old Southern mansions are alive and well. If you want a brand new home, its here. Arts and Crafts bungalow, lots to choose from. 5000 + SF historic home, its here. Back in 2002, Macon was pronounced the 3rd most undervalued city in America behind Salt Lake City and Memphis. Some may say that is because the city has struggled, I see it as a unique opportunity (right place at the right time).

Schools? Good and bad like everywhere else. Two nationally recognized magnet schools right near where I live that happen to be public. Private schools are abundant and affordable if that is the way you want to go. Bad schools in bad neighborhoods where you wouldn't consider living anyway. Lake Wildwood is fair to middlin by the way, I would not live there just because of its location so far from town. Macon has a little problem with sprawl going on like its big brother Atlanta. Warner Robins is redefining the term. Outgoing counties are rural. Not sure who your realtor is, I can recommend several good ones. Depending on your price range, some neighborhoods I might suggest include (of course) Intown, Vineville, Ingleside, Idlehour, Wesleyan Woods, Shirley Hills, etc...

Send me an e-mail off the record, be happy to talk to you some more. We love it here. Find the right spot for you and your family and you will never leave. Friendly folks, Southern hospitality, job growth, great weather, small town charm and great place to raise kids. If that is what you are looking for, you just found it. Good luck. Here are some websites for you to peruse...

InTown Macon Neighborhood Association - Home Page
2007 Macon Cherry Blossom Festival | Homepage
Macon.com | Homepage
Removed
Cox Capitol Theatre - Macon, Georgia - Venue for Film Movies, Music and Events
www.newtown.com

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Here are some more sites, that will be of great use for you.

The Official City of Macon Web Site - Home Page

Bibb County Public Schools

Macon Georgia CVB: Macon Hotels, Vacations, Attractions and Tourism

Bibb County Home Page

[Hyun-Soo]

Yes, Definately move to Macon! It gets some getting used to, but almost everyone I know loves it in the end. First, If you do not enjoy the shopping [which is quite crazy considering Macon has tons and tons of new shopping centers and new ones popping up everywhere] there is Atlanta nearby. The metro is very close but not close enough to feel the traffic and congestion on roadways. Macon is a jewel in the heart of the South. Great food seems to be everywhere. Downtown is being rejuvenated and the Macon Magic baseball team which started it's first game in March is doing amazingly well with 5,000+ attendance at every game so far. Only 3,500 and less showed up at Macon's other sport's teams games that have now left...
People are for the most part sweet and friendly [talkative too] but there are pockets of haughty racists. Not just Whites, but Hispanics and Blacks too.

North Macon is a nice, nice area of Macon, even closer to Atlanta with nice schools and gigantic homes. They seem very comfy nestled in that area. The are also seems more fresh. I say that because parts of South Macon on I-75 near Smiley's Flea Market leading up to the connector to downtown are smoggy and polluted. So I suggest you not live in that part of South Macon, it is very industrialized. Eisenhower Parkway is a wonderful shopping road with clean, nice shopping centers.