Athens Subdivisions Close to Town?? (Watkinsville: crime, Home Depot, neighborhood)

[macalan]

Can anyone recommend some subdivisions in Athens that are:

1) safe, 2) would be no more than a 15 min drive from downtown (preferably shorter), 3) would have a smallish yard (.15-.25), 4) has some trees (mature trees would be a bonus), and a newer home (less than 10 years old).

Our budget is @250K for a 3BR/2BA home - 1,600 - 2,000 sf

Preferably would like a subdivision that is not cookie cutter.

We are older (62 and 55) and one of us will be retired, but don't want a retirement community. We like a mix of ages.

Work is not an issue as far as commute, as I work from home. No kids so schools not important. Proximity to a hospital, vet, and 24 hr vet important.

Safety is our main concern and a nice "look and feel" to the neighborhood. We'd also like to be close to amenities - pharmacy, grocery, hardware store, etc. that might not be in the downtown, but are part of "daily living" as we don't want to be driving long distances when as we get older.

[DJDeadParrot]

Originally Posted by macalan

Preferably would like a subdivision that is not cookie cutter.

That's almost an oxymoron.

Originally Posted by macalan

Safety is our main concern and a nice "look and feel" to the neighborhood. We'd also like to be close to amenities - pharmacy, grocery, hardware store, etc. that might not be in the downtown, but are part of "daily living" as we don't want to be driving long distances when as we get older.

First thing that popped into mind is a neighborhood called Normaltown. its 2 miles from the downtown core, has a hardware store, and a few pharmacies surrounding Athens Regional Medical Center. In a relative sense, its a safer neighborhood.

Farther afield, I would definitely scope out Watkinsville, about 15 minutes south of Athens. Obviously, this may exceed your preferred drive time to Athens, but, once you see it, that might not matter. Yeah, its that nice.

[macalan]

Does Watkinsville have services, shops & restaurants ?

What do you mean "safe in a relative sense"? We are looking for safe "period".

[DJDeadParrot]

Watkinsville for the most part has the amenities you are looking for [I don't know about 24-hour vets down that way simply as a matter of not knowing that area THAT well; check local listings]. Main Street generally isn't having to compete against big box retail encroachment, and seems to be doing pretty well. And even if you do need a trip to Home Depot or PetSmart or Kohl's, that stuff is a 10-15 minute drive away West Athens.

As for safety, crime in Athens/Clarke County, itself, is a bit higher than comparable cities in the region; its just a sad reality. I wouldn't discourage someone from moving there if they decided that that's where they wanted to be, but I'd be remiss in not gauging their level of awareness of what Athens can be like. Watkinsville is far enough away to not be affected by this too much.

[macalan]

Thx for your honesty.