West Forsyth, East Cherokee, or Northwest Fulton (Atlanta, Kennesaw: 2013, house)

[Adie's Daddy]

My wife and I plan on moving from the southern suburbs of Atlanta to the north side of town in early 2013. We are looking for an area that is "on the rise", as opposed to an area that has already enjoyed its better days and is currently on the decline. The quality of schools is probably our biggest concern. Additionally, we would like to be somewhere that is not too crowded and still has somewhat of a rural feel to it, but with plenty of retail within a 5 or 10 minute drive. We have driven around the West Forsyth area (around Post Rd. and Castleberry Rd.) and we appreciate the rural feel that still exists in this area especially given that retail such as the Avenues of Forsyth is just a few minutes away. I am open to other areas but I do prefer to be somewhere between I-75 and GA-400, as opposed to between GA-400 and I-85. Commuting is not an issue because my company has vanpools all around metro-Atlanta and they all would get me to work within an hour (since the vans can use the HOV lane). Any suggestions or comments would be helpful. The area we currently live in has been going downhill for a while and we really want to be somewhere that is on the rise and would allow us to live there for many many years. Thanks in advance!

[argecash]

I'm sure others will know more than I do but I'll share what I have learned from my research. Of the 3 areas I would say Northwest Fulton has the best schools, followed by West Forsyth then East Cherokee. But, all three areas have better than average schools.

Forsyth taxes are lower, but you can probably find more affordable housing in Cherokee. Fulton is the most expensive area, as the schools are better and it is closer to jobs and shopping.

West Forsyth and East Cherokee and more rural and Northwest Fulton is more suburban.

If you are looking for a more rural area you would probably prefer Cherokee or Forsyth. I think both are close to amenities, but in more rural settings.

I have been researching these areas as my husband and I live in DeKalb County right now but we're looking to move to a better area for our children in the next few years.

[BobKovacs]

A lot will depend on your budget, and what you're looking to buy for that amount. We live in East Cherokee (Holly Springs), and love it- great schools, close enough to amenities while still having a semi-rural feel, and affordable. North Fulton tends to cost more from what we've seen, especially if you're looking for something newer. I don't know much about the part of Forsyth west of 400, so I can't really comment on that.

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by Adie's Daddy

The quality of schools is probably our biggest concern. Additionally, we would like to be somewhere that is not too crowded and still has somewhat of a rural feel to it, but with plenty of retail within a 5 or 10 minute drive. We have driven around the West Forsyth area (around Post Rd. and Castleberry Rd.) and we appreciate the rural feel that still exists in this area especially given that retail such as the Avenues of Forsyth is just a few minutes away.

The schools in East Cherokee are pretty good. My son attended them from grades 1 through 12.

West Forsyth will put you closer to shopping; East Cherokee is more rural. However, this is shifting fast; Canton has a new shopping center including Target and Best Buy, and there's a high-end outlet mall opening in Woodstock next summer. The outlet shops are slated to be Nike, Saks Off 5TH, Brooks Brothers, White House | Black Market, Guess, Michael Kors, Under Armour, Puma, Converse, Cole Haan, Vans, Le Creuset, Levis, Naartjie Kids, Talbots and Carters. The northern and eastern parts of East Cherokee (Hickory Flat, Macedonia, Free Home, Ball Ground) are less crowded, and down towards Woodstock it's more populated.

Originally Posted by Adie's Daddy

Commuting is not an issue because my company has vanpools all around metro-Atlanta and they all would get me to work within an hour (since the vans can use the HOV lane).

Don't count on this trip being under an hour, unless you are traveling outside of rush hour. The HOV lanes are only present on I-75 south of 285, and not at all on 400 or 575 - so for the majority of the trip, you're stuck in the same traffic as everyone else. I used to take the commuter bus from Canton and it regularly took 1.5 hours; longer if the traffic is really bad.

Edit: Also, be sure to check routes and availability for commuter van pools. My company has them too, but the nearest one for me was ~20 miles away in Kennesaw.