Black family moving to ATL? (Atlanta, Marietta: condo, townhome, employment)

[softwareengineer1101]

I'm a black professional looking for a place to relocate to. My wife and I are fed up with being, literally, the only black people in our environment. I visited friends in Marietta, back in the early nineties, and I thought it was pretty nice, but what does anyone think would be a good place to settle, in the Atlanta Metro area, where my family won't be the ONLY black people, surrounded by ONLY whites? I'm aware that some may perceive this post as prejudiced, but that is not at all what I intended. I grew up in Detroit where my family and friends were mostly upper-middle class and wealthy black people. For more than twenty years that is what I was accustomed to. After college (in Georgia), I moved to a small mostly white city in the southwest, because that’s where the jobs were. Now my family and I are in a position to move, and I want to live somewhere like what I was accustomed to growing up. My kids are school age, and we're looking to settle in an area with homes in the 700k to 1M+ range. I may look for work, but it is not a requirement. If I do work, it will be as a consultant in the software development field. Thanks in advance for your responses.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by softwareengineer1101

I'm a black professional looking for a place to relocate to. My wife and I are fed up with being, literally, the only black people in our environment. I visited friends in Marietta, back in the early nineties, and I thought it was pretty nice, but what does anyone think would be a good place to settle, in the Atlanta Metro area, where my family won't be the ONLY black people, surrounded by ONLY whites? I'm aware that some may perceive this post as prejudiced, but that is not at all what I intended. I grew up in Detroit where my family and friends were mostly upper-middle class and wealthy black people. For more than twenty years that is what I was accustomed to. After college (in Georgia), I moved to a small mostly white city in the southwest, because that’s where the jobs were. Now my family and I are in a position to move, and I want to live somewhere like what I was accustomed to growing up. My kids are school age, and we're looking to settle in an area with homes in the 700k to 1M+ range. I may look for work, but it is not a requirement. If I do work, it will be as a consultant in the software development field. Thanks in advance for your responses.

1. Where in the Metro Atlanta area do you think you (and/or your spouse)
could end up working?


2. Do you want a more "mixed" area or an 90%+ black area?


3. a. Go to this link:
//www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...ead-first.html

b. Fill in the answers to the questions on the link and then come back
here and paste your answers on this thread.

[Mattie]

You could move anywhere in the Atlanta metro and not be seen as a rarity. Some areas have fewer minority families, but diversity is everywhere.

[AnsleyPark]

Brother, move on doan. This is a beautiful and accepting city. I love this town and it's people too. I think you will also.

[softwareengineer1101]

Originally Posted by aries4118

1. Where in the Metro Atlanta area do you think you (and/or your spouse)
could end up working?


2. Do you want a more "mixed" area or an 90%+ black area?


3. a. Go to this link:
//www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...ead-first.html

b. Fill in the answers to the questions on the link and then come back
here and paste your answers on this thread.

The answers to your questions are as follows:
1. My wife will not be working outside of the home (no work for teachers in ATL).
2. We thought about moving to Lithonia or Stone Mountain a few years
ago (90% black), but now we're thinking as long as there is a noticible
population of black people who are our socioeconomic peers, we would
be comfortable.
3. The answers to question "3." are as follows:

1. Budget?
- 800k range.
2. House/Condo/Townhome?
- House.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)?
- Most of the work in my field appears to be in Downtown ATL and
- Alpharetta.
4. Children(public school vs. private)?
- If there are no good public schools available in the area we choose, we
- will go with private schools.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two?
- Suburban.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?
- Not important.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood?
- Noticable (black) population of our socioeconomic peers. Nothing against
- others, but we're just looking to move somewhere with people we have
- something in common with at this point in our lives.

[crazynip]

Stone Mountain used to be really nice in the 70's and 80's. It's a shame to see what it's become.

[northwinds]

Since you don't want you and your family to live around "crackers" probably anywhere within the City of Atlanta would be good.....preferably south of I-20....the Cascade area is pretty much filled with affluent blacks.....avoid Buckhead, Morningside and Midtown as those areas have a high concentration of honkies. The City of Atlanta School System, which is about 90% black, is known far and wide as a "superlative" teaching institution and should serve your kids nicely. Stay away from North Fulton, East Cobb, and Forsyth Counties........

[aries4118]

Don't listen to northwinds. He has an alterior motive/agenda--and will lead you astray.

Mattie and AnsleyPark have already given you good advice--ATL is a great town and you will surely like.


I'll post later with my suggestions, softwareengineer--(too busy and on a roll right now with chores/errands/duties, etc...actually feels good).

[MarkeshaThnx4Lyfe]

This is great news! What a blessed day this has turned out to be.

You should look at the Castleberry area in Atlanta espeically if you have interest in music and fashion.

~Markesha

[DawgPark]

Originally Posted by northwinds

Since you don't want you and your family to live around "crackers" probably anywhere within the City of Atlanta would be good.....preferably south of I-20....the Cascade area is pretty much filled with affluent blacks.....avoid Buckhead, Morningside and Midtown as those areas have a high concentration of honkies. The City of Atlanta School System, which is about 90% black, is known far and wide as a "superlative" teaching institution and should serve your kids nicely. Stay away from North Fulton, East Cobb, and Forsyth Counties........

Classic sarcasm. Appreciate the laugh, and I'm sure you meant no disrespect to the OP. Things do get a little too PC sometimes.

BTW, SoftwareEngineer, I am white and completely understand your desire to hang out w/ peers of your own race and your own socioeconomic standing. Completely normal and not offended.

Our family goes to a church that's maybe 50/50 white/black, but alot of my black buddies prefer to go to churches that are all black. That's cool w/ me. Doesn't mean they don't like white people. They just prefer going to church w/ black people.

I also remember fist picks very well, but that's a whole other story.