North Brookhaven and Young Families (Atlanta, Dunwoody: sale, credit, houses)

[SouthTraveler]

I am moving to Atlanta in a few weeks with my wife and young children, and I've been looking online at some houses in the North Brookhaven area. Basically, the houses are off of Harts Mill Rd., just south of Murphey Candler Park and east of Marist School. I'll be working in the Perimeter Center area, so it appears to be a great commute. Two of my kids will be in preschool, and there seem to be some good, reasonably priced church preschools in Brookhaven and Dunwoody. The houses I'm looking at are zoned for Montgomery Elementary, which seems to be pretty strong, too. Best I can tell, there are plenty of shopping and restaurant options in the general area, between Perimeter Center and Peachtree Blvd.

For those of you who know the area well, I'd like to get your thoughts on the pros and cons of this area with young kids. Is it generally safe, such as if my wife wanted to stroll the kids down the Nancy Creek Trail between Murphey Candler and Blackburn Parks? Are those parks well used by families? Are there other amenities (parks, playgrounds, kids sports, libraries, etc.) in the area for families? Am I missing any major negatives that could be an obvious dealbreaker?

Thanks in advance any feedback.

[lastminutemom]

DeKalb schools are a mess and in the last few years the impact has been felt at all DeKalb schools, even the strong ones. Largest class sizes in the metro area and most observers don't see that changing very quickly. School system nearly lost accreditation, but is slowly climbing out of it. Financially not in good shape as much of DeKalb took huge hits in property values and won't recover very soon, if ever. North DeKalb far better shape than S. DeKalb.

DeKalb County is also a mess from the government perspective. In Brookhaven, you are buffered from some of this by cityhood. Brookhaven is a new city (less than 18 months old) and it will be a while before everything is smooth, but it will get there.

Parks (esp Murphy Candler) is well used. Lots to do, library isn't so convenient, but not too bad.

The biggest negative is the state of the school system and the county as a whole, but the location is terrific and given the huge amount of growth coming to Perimeter Center, I think you investment would be ok, even if you need to sale in just a few year...

[CMMom]

If you are even willing to consider private schools, St. Martin's Episcopal and Our Lady of the Assumption (Catholic) are nearby and very good. For preschool, consider Chamblee Methodist. If you're thinking about Marist in the future, you're in exactly the right spot. Murphey Candler is great for youth sports and the area is family-friendly for family walks, etc... Do consider the DeKalb school issues, though. They are not insignificant.

[vince217]

i live in that area (Murphey Candler Park). Murphey Candler Park, Blackburn Park and Nancy Creek Trails are very well used and are safe. My only complaint would be a lack of updated playground facilities, but it does look like the City is planning to do something about it.

my eldest goes to Montgomery and I am satisfied with the education. However, I am very apprehensive on Chamblee Middle and High School. Our plan is to enroll our kids in a private school come middle school to high school.

[ericsonga]

As others have said, it's a great location with awesome amenities and conveniences. However, the Dekalb schools are a mess. There are a lot of younger families moving to the area. I have several friends in the low to mid 30s with families that have moved to the area. They all plan to send their kids to Montgomery and then opt for private after that. I know that a lot of people moving there try to get into Hampton Hall and Brittany Club subdivisions because of the long wait list for the swim clubs. Hope this helps!

[netdragon]

Where are you going to be working? What are your criteria?

There are so many options in the metro area, I'm trying to figure out why you are limiting yourself to Brookhaven, especially with the school system in such poor shape.

[Go Blue 99]

We live in North Brookhaven and absolutely love it. We can walk to Blackburn Park and it is very safe and popular for families. You also have easy access to Perimeter Mall and Town Brookhaven. And the great ethnic restaurants on Buford Highway are a short drive away. There are a ton of families with young kids in the area.

That being said, we don't plan on being here long-term because of the schools. We are cool using Montgomery since it is well-reviewed. But I don't see anything great about Chamblee Middle or High. And we aren't wealthy enough to afford the private schools. We'll plan on eventually moving to the suburbs because of this issue.

[10 feet tall]

Chamblee High has a great magnet program, but you have to get in. Otherwise it is somewhat lacking.

[SouthTraveler]

Originally Posted by netdragon

Where are you going to be working? What are your criteria?

There are so many options in the metro area, I'm trying to figure out why you are limiting yourself to Brookhaven, especially with the school system in such poor shape.

I will be working in the Perimeter Center area. We will only be in Atlanta 2-4 years, so schools are only an issue through first grade at the most, as our oldest has not yet turned 4. So, we're looking more at commute and other quality of life issues than at long-term school quality. In short, high schools and middle schools are a non-issue for us.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by SouthTraveler

I will be working in the Perimeter Center area. We will only be in Atlanta 2-4 years, so schools are only an issue through first grade at the most, as our oldest has not yet turned 4. So, we're looking more at commute and other quality of life issues than at long-term school quality. In short, high schools and middle schools are a non-issue for us.

Then I would look at both N. Brookhaven and Dunwoody.