How is Bolton Elementary (and the area) (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: renting, condo)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Whether or not our state is going to take over a school based on the laughable AYP metric of the laughable NCLB/RTTT initiatives, does not determine the quality of a school IMHO.

I agree, aries.

However, the APS superintendent sees it differently. You may recall that after Davis abruptly fired the principal at North Atlanta and had him escorted of the premises, he explained his action by insisting that the school was on the brink of a state takeover.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I agree, aries.

However, the APS superintendent sees it differently. You may recall that after Davis abruptly fired the principal at North Atlanta and had him escorted of the premises, he explained his action by insisting that the school was on the brink of a state takeover.

And that was a sh!tty action by Davis--much better ways he could've handled that if he really wanted them out.

[space cadet]

My brother-in-law and sister have lived there for about 5 years. They really like the neighborhood. It is relatively affordable considering its proximity to Midtown and Buckhead. It is surprisingly quiet over in that area as well. There are some property crimes from time to time, but it really feels safe. The neighbors over there do a really good job watching out for each other and the neighborhood in general. There are really nice neighborhoods in all directions, except to the south, which is separated from Bolton by the rail yard.

However, they are frustrated with the pace of commercial development in the area. The shopping center (proposed Publix) at Moore's Mill/Bolton was supposed to be complete years ago. The development in this neighborhood really hit the wall when the economy dropped out a few years ago. However, it is poised to bounce back strong. I think this year will see some movement in the right direction. Assuming all legal hurdles are cleared, the Moore's Mill project should commence this year. I think that project will be a strong catalyst for further development.

My wife and I actually just purchased a house in that neighborhood as well. We have a two year old, so we checked Bolton Academy during an open house for prospective parents. There appears to be some really good programs at the school, and the parent involvement appears strong. We were surprised by the demographic composition of the school. There is a fairly significant number of Hispanic students at Bolton (around 30%). My guess is that the somewhat lower test scores (which is what the GreatSchools.org rating is based) can be attributed to language issues for Spanish speakers. The Bolton officials were actually bragging that their recent third grade class outscored E. Rivers Elementary on the state test. In summary, we currently feel comfortable sending our child to Bolton when she gets to kindergarten.

[Calitransplant27]

Originally Posted by aries4118

True.

Calitransplant--what are you looking for, exactly, in a neighborhood?

Family friendly, safe, lots of free events (movies on the green,etc) and good schools. And a good retail mix for shopping and eating.

I was hoping for something within the city limits of Atlanta so I could take advantage of the down payment assistance program, upping my budget to 175k. But I think I may need to go to the suburbs.

[Calitransplant27]

Originally Posted by space cadet

My brother-in-law and sister have lived there for about 5 years. They really like the neighborhood. It is relatively affordable considering its proximity to Midtown and Buckhead. It is surprisingly quiet over in that area as well. There are some property crimes from time to time, but it really feels safe. The neighbors over there do a really good job watching out for each other and the neighborhood in general. There are really nice neighborhoods in all directions, except to the south, which is separated from Bolton by the rail yard.

However, they are frustrated with the pace of commercial development in the area. The shopping center (proposed Publix) at Moore's Mill/Bolton was supposed to be complete years ago. The development in this neighborhood really hit the wall when the economy dropped out a few years ago. However, it is poised to bounce back strong. I think this year will see some movement in the right direction. Assuming all legal hurdles are cleared, the Moore's Mill project should commence this year. I think that project will be a strong catalyst for further development.

My wife and I actually just purchased a house in that neighborhood as well. We have a two year old, so we checked Bolton Academy during an open house for prospective parents. There appears to be some really good programs at the school, and the parent involvement appears strong. We were surprised by the demographic composition of the school. There is a fairly significant number of Hispanic students at Bolton (around 30%). My guess is that the somewhat lower test scores (which is what the GreatSchools.org rating is based) can be attributed to language issues for Spanish speakers. The Bolton officials were actually bragging that their recent third grade class outscored E. Rivers Elementary on the state test. In summary, we currently feel comfortable sending our child to Bolton when she gets to kindergarten.

Thanks for the feedback. My daughter is 2 as well. The commercial development does concern me. But I think the distance may out it for me anyway, it seems to be further from work than I thought.

[LovelySummer]

Glad you figured out that Alpharetta is a significant commute from the Bolton Elem. area. Perhaps something within the city limits on the north side of the city (more due north from city center) would be closer and help you use your down payment assistance?

[Jackalope]

Don't think that would work. That would put him in Buckhead and Dunwoody. Probably not the best chance for a good deal.

However, Dunwoody is on the OUTside of I-285. It's pricy and high-end. But just on the other side of I285 are a lot of older homes that are much less expensive and just might work. Don't know much about the education there. Maybe someone else does.

[berkeleylake]

I think if you are completely new to the area, you should rent first. Since you mention you work in Alpharetta, try to find some place closer in North Fulton, such as Roswell or Alpharetta. With the price range you mention, the housing stock will either be very small homes built in the 70s and 80s, condos or townhomes in North Fulton. There are many options here, you just need to see it all first before making a housing purchase. The public schools in North Fulton are considered really good overall, but you do need to research them to find the clusters you are most interested in. Try greatschools.org if you haven't yet. Commuting during rush hour is rough, so you want to live close to work because of that, live somewhere very near North Fulton.

[starfish27]

This post came at a perfect time! My fiance and I considering that area as well and are looking in roughly the same price range (we could go higher but prefer to keep our housing payment as reasonable as possible). We've driven through the neighborhood and like what we've seen. Schools are concern as we plan to start a family soon and they seem good and only improving. We're currently on the east side (Avondale/Scottdale area) so I don't know too much about the area as a whole. A couple posters here mentioned a lag in commercial development. We did notice that in the area. My question is, where do people in the Riverside area do their shopping? Through my searches it seems that the Howell Mill area is the closest but that seems a bit of a hike. Am I missing something? So where do people get groceries, coffee, restaurants, that sort of thing?

[AtlJan]

If you are working in Alpharetta, Bolton is on the far side of town. You will be going West to Northeast in your commute. That will be QUITE a chore and not likely to improve. Bolton Academy is not one of the public elementaries of choice either. Why not East Atlanta, or Chandler Park (Mary Lin Elementary) if you are looking for intown neighborhoods--they would at least be on the East side.

Also historic Roswell has a lot of great local shops and foodie restaurants. . .just check it out before you discount the suburbs. Roswell and some of the other suburbs (thinking Chamblee, Marietta) have some great neighborhoods with artsy shops and things to do. . . and you could have better public services and way, way better schools. The friends I know who live in Bolton send their children to private schools (Whitefield, Walker, and all the big ones). Really, folks live there b/c 1) they need to be near the private schools or 2) they need to be close to downtown and/or to Vinings but can't afford elsewhere in town. You don't fit either of these needs, so personally I would not live near there.