Woodstock (Atlanta, Norcross: sales, insurance, house)

[lottaquestions]

Can anyone tell me a little about Woodstock. I currently live in Miami. Married w/ 3 children under the age of 14. Looking for a much lower cost of living as well as a more laid back feeling. Can anyone tell me the good, the bad & the ugly about this area. The schools seem to be great (very important). Thanks.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by lottaquestions

Looking for a much lower cost of living as well as a more laid back feeling.

Well it doesn't get any more laid back than miami. So forget about that.
The cost of living may be cheaper in the areas of insurance. Auto, health and home, all cheaper.The water and sewer are a lot cheaper. Electric rate may be cheaper, on the other hand your house will probably be 3 times the size and have expensive winter heating and summer cooling. The housing is a LOT cheaper but that's only good when you're buying and not when you're selling. You'll be amazed by what your dollar will buy here. You won't have to worry so much about getting carjacked, smash and grabbed, mugged at gunpoint in your driveway or burglarized. Property taxes ... meh... that depends. You'll have a state income tax if you live here, pay more in sales tax and more to register your cars.

The drawbacks you asked about.... the sprawl really takes it's toll on friendships and lifestyle. There's not much to do if you don't like the outdoors. The world class shopping and entertainment and culture you're used to in Miami... kiss it goodbye.
Being reasonably close to an airport... kiss that goodbye too.

Be very certain of your commute because if your job is in a place like Norcross, it could literally take 2 hours to get there.

You won't have to worry about hurricanes but you will have to worry about tornados and ice storms.

The weather is good for about 8 months of the year on a good year.

Lots of ex-miami here. You won't be alone

[billl]

Originally Posted by lottaquestions

Can anyone tell me a little about Woodstock. I currently live in Miami. Married w/ 3 children under the age of 14. Looking for a much lower cost of living as well as a more laid back feeling. Can anyone tell me the good, the bad & the ugly about this area. The schools seem to be great (very important). Thanks.

We have lived in Woodstock for 3 years and we love it. The downtown area has really boomed over the last year, to the point where it is hard to find a parking spot on Friday night! Several great local eateries, and a few local/regional chains. They have free concerts and festivals throughout the year. They have a farmers market on Saturday mornings. There's the Elm Street Theatre (which I've never been to, but it is on my list). The people are friendly and there's lots of housing options to choose from. Lake Allatoona is nearby along with Red Top mountain. And the north Georgia mountains are just an hour or two north.

The downside: it isn't exactly close to Atlanta. During off-peak hours it is a 30 to 40 minute drive to the city. During rush hour that can easily double. It is a long way to the airport: at least 45 minutes, but I usually allow for an hour.

Here's some websites that may help you:

Woodstock, GA - Official Website - Attractions

What's Up Woodstock? > Home

[devin1229]

Originally Posted by billl

The downside: it isn't exactly close to Atlanta. During off-peak hours it is a 30 to 40 minute drive to the city. During rush hour that can easily double. It is a long way to the airport: at least 45 minutes, but I usually allow for an hour.

I live in Woodstock and I think there's a common misconception about how far away it is to Atlanta. As far as actual distance it's about 30-35 miles outside Atlanta, which I think is typical for a suburb and really don't find that as shocking as others apparently do.

Now travel time can vary. I work downtown and leave my house around 8:45 A.M. and roll into the parking garage at work around 9:30 -- this is coming off the peak rush hour time, so it's around an hour if you leave earlier. It's no where near the 2 hours that other people say, however, if there is an accident or bad weather the travel time can approach 1.5 hours or so depending on the severity.

I lived in Aventura, FL and can say that Woodstock is drastically different than any part of Miami. I think the closest it probably gets in comparison is maybe Homestead, but even still Woodstock is at a much higher quality.

[10 feet tall]

For some reason I keep seeing "Miami to Woodstock" threads. Is there a Miami to Woodstock pipeline or something? Maybe I am imagining it.

[ATLTJL]

I think Woodstock is a nice place.

It's far out there.

It's true, it's probably really only 30-35 miles outside of Atlanta, but it has a reputation as being really far away, probably because it's beyond the 75/575 split.

Anyway, I would say if you want to make a small town feeling life for yourself, it's probably a really great place to do that. If you like to eat out in trendy restaurants or plan on making friends in places that draw from all over the city, just be forewarned that most people are never going to want to come "all the way out to Woodstock" to spend time with you.

[flamadiddle]

It's a nice place, nothing wrong with Woodstock if what you're looking for is "laid back". Woodstock has a little downtown area with a country feel, but as mentioned, it's a long haul from anything truly metropolitan. They do have a nice little Chicago hot dog place downtown if that's your thing.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by lottaquestions

Can anyone tell me a little about Woodstock. I currently live in Miami. Married w/ 3 children under the age of 14. Looking for a much lower cost of living as well as a more laid back feeling. Can anyone tell me the good, the bad & the ugly about this area. The schools seem to be great (very important). Thanks.

Woodstock is a really nice place and might fit your needs, but I think you will get better responses if you can tell people about your other needs.

Do you know where you will be working?

It is an edge of our metro and us a exurban/suburban community. Most people commute south into Cobb, but it isn't the best place to commute to just any job around Metro Atlanta.

[billl]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

It's a nice place, nothing wrong with Woodstock if what you're looking for is "laid back". Woodstock has a little downtown area with a country feel, but as mentioned, it's a long haul from anything truly metropolitan. They do have a nice little Chicago hot dog place downtown if that's your thing.

They have a lot more than that! Pure Taqueria (with a very lively bar scene in the evenings). The recently opened Century House which has fantastic food that rivals the better restaurants in Atlanta. Magnolia Thomas, with some amazing elegant southern dishes. Vingenzos, with its southern Italian food. Ipp's, an offshoot of the very popular local Ippolito's chain. Woodfire Grill, Freight, Canyon's, Copper Coin Coffee, J Christophers, Tea Leaves & Thyme, and one of the best cupcake places you will find anywhere. And this is all in or very near downtown Woodstock!

And then there's all the quirky shops, too.

[lottaquestions]

Thanks for all your responses. I've lived in Miami all of my life. Never cared for South Beach & all the trendy stuff that goes along with that scene. I'm looking for children's activities, i.e. Gymnastics, martial arts, a YMCA. Would love to do some hiking. Like eating out but nothing too expensive. No money for that kinda stuff. Sounds like a great place. Really. An active church with a strong youth group is a priority. Love the fact that in 4 hours you can visit a plethora of states. Takes 6+ hours to just get out of FL. I guess the closest nice beaches are are in Florida's panhandle, huh? Keep the comments coming.