Where to live?! (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell: renting, houses, neighborhood)

[taurus2000]

Ok...so in about 9 - 10 months I will be moving in with my partner. He works in Cumming and I work in Smyrna. We are trying to find a nice area in between so that we can minimize each commute, i.e. they are relatively equal (and as short as possible). We will be renting at first. So...what area would be the best.

1. $1000 - $1400 per month
2. Single family house
3. 1 will be commuting to Smyrna and 1 will be commuting to Cumming
4. No children...schools not important
5. Suburban or mix
6. Not important.
7. Whatever, just a nice neighborhood with some parks and maybe a green way nearby.

THANKS!

[jaybird45]

Sandy Springs or maybe Roswell would be a good location but not sure you can find what you are looking for in a good neighborhood for that money in either place.

[taurus2000]

Thanks jaybird. I've seen a couple of 3/2 houses in Roswell in the budget that SEEM to be in nice areas. Any opinions on the Terramont subdivision just off of Holcomb Bridge? It's across from Martin's Landing.

[Born 2 Roll]

Because Smyrna is in a part of the metro area with some pretty bad rush hour traffic (on/near major routes like I-75, I-285, US Hwy 41 South Cobb Parkway, GA Hwy 280 South Cobb Drive, Windy Hill Road, and even Atlanta Road) and because a drive to and from Cumming would pretty much be a "reverse commute" during both morning and evening rush hours with the drive up GA 400 northbound in the morning and the drive down GA 400 southbound having few, if any delays on most days as the very severely-heavy traffic will be heading in the other direction on GA 400 during both of your rush hour drives up and down GA 400 to and from Cumming, it might be best if you tried to live in someplace that is closer to Smyrna than Cumming.

You should probably look around in the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody areas so that your partner will be doing somewhat of a reverse commute to Smyrna during the morning rush hour by way of I-285 westbound (traffic can be somewhat heavy on I-285 WB to Cumberland/Galleria/Smyrna during the morning rush, but is severely-heavy on I-285 eastbound between I-75 and GA 400 during morning rush hour).

With relatively easy access to GA 400 northbound (to Cumming) and I-285 westbound (to Smyrna) by way of on-ramps from the Glenridge Connector, the Brookhaven/North Atlanta area of North DeKalb County is also a living option that would be relatively-convenient to where both of you will be working.

Anything any further north than the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody/North Atlanta/Brookhaven area will likely make your partner's rush hour commutes to and from Smyrna much more challenging than you both might prefer.

[taurus2000]

I will be the one working in Smyrna. I typically leave for work about 6 to 630 in the morning (even though I don't HAVE to be there until 9) because I like being in early and leaving early. Is traffic heavy on 400 south and 285 west at that time in the morning? What about 400 north and 285 west at about 4 in the there afternoon?

Thanks for that response Born 2 Roll, you've really gotten me thinking...because I don't want to make MY commute more challenging if I don't have too.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by taurus2000

I will be the one working in Smyrna.

I apologize for getting it confused...Another case of BWD (Blogging While Distracted), LOL.

Originally Posted by taurus2000

I typically leave for work about 6 to 630 in the morning (even though I don't HAVE to be there until 9) because I like being in early and leaving early. Is traffic heavy on 400 south and 285 west at that time in the morning?

Traffic is heavy on GA 400 southbound between 6 and 6:30am, but not as heavy as it is after 6:30am and definitely not as severely-heavy as it is after 7am when traffic is the absolute worst.

On traffic reports between 6 and 7am you will often hear the term "building traffic volumes" to reflect that traffic is getting progressively heavier on stretches of freeway outside of the I-285 Perimeter that are heading in the direction of I-285.

Between 6 and 6:30am, traffic is somewhat heavy but flows much better on I-285 westbound west of GA 400 over to I-75 than it does from I-85 over to GA 400.

Originally Posted by taurus2000

What about 400 north and 285 west at about 4 in the there afternoon?

I-285 Eastbound to GA 400 Northbound is very-heavy at 4pm in the afternoon and continues to get even more extremely-heavier after 4pm to the point of near-to-total gridlock after about 4:30pm, particularly in the area of the dangerously outmoded and outdated ramp from I-285 to GA 400 northbound where many a serious and deadly crash happens because of the ramp's flawed design that dumps very-large volumes of traffic into the far-left highest-speed lane of traffic on GA 400 Northbound.

Traffic is also extremely-heavy on GA 400 between I-285 and the Abernathy Road because of the heavy traffic from I-285 eastbound that has to get over to the right through extremely-heavy traffic already on GA 400 Northbound (and extremely-heavy traffic joining GA 400 NB from I-285 WB) to exit at Abernathy Road.

[taurus2000]

Thanks so much for the information!

[jaybird45]

Originally Posted by taurus2000

Thanks jaybird. I've seen a couple of 3/2 houses in Roswell in the budget that SEEM to be in nice areas. Any opinions on the Terramont subdivision just off of Holcomb Bridge? It's across from Martin's Landing.

I would avoid Holcomb Bridge Road if you can. However the east side is much better than the west side within a mile or two of SR 400. Traffic will be a bear in the commute times on HBR. I have not been in the Terramont subdivision but if is directly across the street at a light, it is older and a little run down looking from HBR. Martin's Landing would be okay if you want to stay on the lower priced end of the market.

[ElleKaye]

I suggest you just move to Smyrna or Vinings. You'll be able to find a SFH in your price range and at least one of you (i.e. you) won't have a rough commute.

It won't be that hard on your partner either since that will be somewhat of a reverse commute once past the Perimeter/Dunwoody area on 400.

If you're determined to get a somewhat midway point, then Alpharetta, Roswell, or maybe even Woodstock would work but trust me, you're going to come out way worse commute-wise with that deal.

I'd go along with Sandy Springs a bit but it's only like 3 exits up 285 from Smyrna and it's going to be harder to find SFH in your price range.

I think someone should just give one up for the team and move to Smyrna.

[ElleKaye]

BTW, I relatively recently relocated here to Kennesaw and work in Marietta and if anybody had told me the amount of time I could have shaved off my commute by sitting in traffic on 41 to even get the opportunity to get on 75 simply by getting on the opposite side of it, I would have appreciated it.