Relocating from Tallahassee (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Smyrna: condo, townhome, employment)

[blmarlin]

Looking to relocate from Tallahassee in the next few months as would appreciate advice on the best areas to look to balance commute with our budget and house needs:

Family of 4
One child in kindergarten
One child with advanced special needs (Probably will be enrolled at Pediatria in Smyrna)

1. Budget - (350-450K Buying)
2. House/Condo/Townhome? House (3,000 + square feet)
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) - Commute to work (Office is just outside the 75 / 285 interchange on the north side of town)
4. Children(public school vs. private) - Open to either
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. - SAFE, Upper middle class

Thanks for any advice!

[lorilove]

You will do well with the newer Smyrna neighborhoods or with East Cobb - there are several current threads discussing commute to 75/285 being relatively easy.

Because of the location of Pediatra it would be easier to live in Smyrna.

[blmarlin]

Thanks, what about the Sandy Springs area?

Also what areas of Smyrna are the newer areas? I did a search and saw so,me discussion on Atlanta rd.

[lastminutemom]

Have you seen homes you can afford in Sandy Springs that are in a school district you are comfortable with? I presume that your child is preschool age or younger. Is your intention to utilize public schools later? If so, I might call the special ed offices in Fulton and Cobb and ask where the classes that might meet your child's needs are located.

[lorilove]

I would look in the Teasley Elementary or Kings Springs Elementary areas.

There is a new Smyrna Elementary that is beautiful and worth considering but too soon for rankings. It borders Windy Hill Road which you definitely would want to stay south of.

Also, Nickajack Elementary generally gets good reviews on this site but they are not as highly rated in online rankings.

In your search, include the Vingings area - they attend the same schools as Smyrna. True "Vinings" that is inside the perimieter is most likely outside of your price range but the area outside of the perimeter just south of Smyrna has many nice homes. This area is fondly referred to as Smynings in that it is not Smyrna City limits.

Pediatria Smyrna is in the Nickajack area, Kings Springs is just NW and Teasley is NE. The 75/285 exchange or Cumberland area is just East of Teasley

Here is the school district map

http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice...Round4Plan.pdf

[JAS]

I am a TLH native who moved here from NC back in 2007. I work in the general area of 75/285 and live in West Cobb (zoned for Hillgrove/Lovinggood/Kemp, which are all good schools). You could easily find a house in that price range in the zones I mentioned, and the commute would be anywhere from 25-45 minutes depending on what time you leave, less summer rush hour, etc.