Best family oriented neighborhoods (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: best neighborhoods, rental homes, house)

[One Happy Mommy]

Hi,

We are moving to the Atlanta area (not sure which office my husband will be sent to yet), but we are looking to move to the suburbs. He doesn't mind a long commute (less than an hour), but we are definitely looking for a VERY safe and family oriented neighborhood. We are looking forward to meeting other families that the kids can play with in the neighborhood and we can make new friends. Schools, although important, are not crucial, because I homeschool our children.

Thank you! Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[lorilove]

This is a metro area of 5 million people - there are MANY best neighborhoods.

Give us a bit more information. What is your budget, what area of town will he be working. What ages are your children, what type of family activities do you like.

By the way, less than hour is NOT a long commute by Atlanta standards.

[One Happy Mommy]

We're not real sure about the area he will be working. As to what we do as family; hikes, bike riding, parks, etc. My children are ages 5, 6 and 7. I'd like to enroll them in nearby extra curricular activites, such as baseball, dance classes, etc. We are looking for a rental house right now, 3 bdrms, with a finished basement or a 4 bdrm., preferably with updated kitchen and bathrooms and a decent size yard for the kids to play. Our budet is $1500 or less per month.

Thanks again.

[ericsonga]

Originally Posted by One Happy Mommy

We're not real sure about the area he will be working. As to what we do as family; hikes, bike riding, parks, etc. My children are ages 5, 6 and 7. I'd like to enroll them in nearby extra curricular activites, such as baseball, dance classes, etc. We are looking for a rental house right now, 3 bdrms, with a finished basement or a 4 bdrm., preferably with updated kitchen and bathrooms and a decent size yard for the kids to play. Our budet is $1500 or less per month.

Thanks again.

You may need to up your budget for some of the more desirable areas of Atlanta. $1500 isn't that much for the amount of amenities you are asking. I think you may have to move further out, i.e. Woodstock, Dacula, Cumming, etc. Since you are not sure where your husband's office is I'm not sure how that's going to affect his commute.

[peachstatehomegal]

Gwinnett's got a lot of areas that meet your criteria - there's plenty of parks, bike paths, bike lanes on some of the roads, rental homes in that range, lots of places to hike - either Stone Mountain, Arabian Mountain, or an hour or so drive north to the foothills.

Of course a lot will depend on where the work location is - you could be looking at something clear on the other side of town!

[ATLTJL]

Johns Creek/Alpharetta is going to be your best bet. Very family oriented, everything you can imagine for kids to do, lots of greenspace and parks.

If you don't mind being a bit further out, a lot of people seem to be going out to Cumming. Probably not quite as established in terms of the sheer number of activities yet, but more bang for your buck.

Since you quoted safety as a huge concern, I would recommend staying within the city limits of Johns Creek or Alpharetta so you will have the added protection of a well funded city police force in addition to the Fulton county force.

If you find those places are too expensive for you, then you can always do what I did. Go right across the river to Duluth (once again, making sure to be in Duluth and not unincorporated Gwinnett county). That way you can be within a couple of miles of all the amenities of Johns Creek to the west and Suwanee to the north, but enjoy a slightly less expensive cost of living. Duluth police are very well funded and aggressive in their patrols. It's just a slightly older and more established city without the perfect sheen on everything that Johns Creek has.

If parks are very important to you, do a bit of research on the Gwinnett county park system. It's one of the best in the entire country.

[atltechdude]

Alpharetta is good, you might also check out Lawrenceville.

[lorilove]

All the recommendations above are good but are also potential disasters if your husband ends up working across town. Quality of life in Atlanta is directly affected by your commute. Any of the Northern Suburbs offer great neighborhoods that meet your needs. Peachtree City is another great option on the southside. If you are just trying to get a feel for what Atlanta has to offer, there are many options but before you start any specific house hunting, firm up the job location first.

[TwoFuzzyPony]

Originally Posted by lorilove

All the recommendations above are good but are also potential disasters if your husband ends up working across town. Quality of life in Atlanta is directly affected by your commute. Any of the Northern Suburbs offer great neighborhoods that meet your needs. Peachtree City is another great option on the southside. If you are just trying to get a feel for what Atlanta has to offer, there are many options but before you start any specific house hunting, firm up the job location first.

Well stated. This advice is right on target.

[One Happy Mommy]

Thank you all for your responses. We just were notified which office. It's Roberts Dr. in Sandy Springs. I hope this narrows it down. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP!