Please help - Been researching online for months (years) Peachtree City vs. West Cobb vs. East Cobb? (Atlanta: condo, crime)

[moderngnome]

Hello,

Just for starters:

1. Budget: $400,000
2. House/Condo/Townhome? House
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commuting to Sweetwater Creek State Park area (Douglasville)
4. Children(public school vs. private): Prefer public school - Three kids going into 7th and 6th grades
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, Family Friendly, Good Public Schools

Okay, DH is looking at a possible transfer to Douglasville. We currently live in a very nice suburb outside of Chicago.

I've been reading about the suburbs of Atlanta that are a "reasonable" commute from Sweetwater Creek State Park online for a very long time. I've also asked every person I know that is in Atlanta for their opinion.

We loathe long commutes, but are resigned to it, as we realize this is a major issue in Atlanta, but still feel we are gaining better weather and cost of living with this opportunity. That said, I'd like to keep my husbands commute to 25ish miles.

So, I've Google Mapped it at all different rush hours - and it seems that Harrison High School in West Cobb is exactly what we are looking for - 18 mile commute, excellent Great Schools Scores, new homes in our price range.

Peachtree City has great schools, but the commute is a little longer - and the housing in our price range is mostly from the 80s.

Every single person except one has said that we have to move to East Cobb. End of discussion. But I don't really want to. I just have to believe that there are other schools that are good that aren't Walton, Lassiter and Pope

My girls are also figure skaters, and there appears to be a rink that might work in Kennesaw, and if we move down to PTC, that is way too far to drive multiple times a week. Anyone live in West Cobb that can just reassure me that it is safe and family friendly? (I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm considering West Cobb, everyone says, "The schools there aren't good"). That's not what my research bares out.

Thanks for any thoughts or input. Of course we will come down and drive around and check out the different areas - but I love looking at houses and doing online research - so it helps to know if I'm looking in the right places.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by moderngnome

Hello,

Just for starters:

1. Budget: $400,000
2. House/Condo/Townhome? House
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commuting to Sweetwater Creek State Park area (Douglasville)
4. Children(public school vs. private): Prefer public school - Three kids going into 7th and 6th grades
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, Family Friendly, Good Public Schools

Okay, DH is looking at a possible transfer to Douglasville. We currently live in a very nice suburb outside of Chicago.

I've been reading about the suburbs of Atlanta that are a "reasonable" commute from Sweetwater Creek State Park online for a very long time. I've also asked every person I know that is in Atlanta for their opinion.

We loathe long commutes, but are resigned to it, as we realize this is a major issue in Atlanta, but still feel we are gaining better weather and cost of living with this opportunity. That said, I'd like to keep my husbands commute to 25ish miles.

So, I've Google Mapped it at all different rush hours - and it seems that Harrison High School in West Cobb is exactly what we are looking for - 18 mile commute, excellent Great Schools Scores, new homes in our price range.

Peachtree City has great schools, but the commute is a little longer - and the housing in our price range is mostly from the 80s.

Every single person except one has said that we have to move to East Cobb. End of discussion. But I don't really want to. I just have to believe that there are other schools that are good that aren't Walton, Lassiter and Pope

My girls are also figure skaters, and there appears to be a rink that might work in Kennesaw, and if we move down to PTC, that is way too far to drive multiple times a week. Anyone live in West Cobb that can just reassure me that it is safe and family friendly? (I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm considering West Cobb, everyone says, "The schools there aren't good"). That's not what my research bares out.

Thanks for any thoughts or input. Of course we will come down and drive around and check out the different areas - but I love looking at houses and doing online research - so it helps to know if I'm looking in the right places.

I don't know who you are talking to, but the schools in West Cobb are very good schools (particularly in the attendance zones for the aforementioned Harrison High School as well as in the attendance zones for Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools).

The aforementioned schools in West Cobb may not have the national reputations that the schools in East Cobb have, but the aforementioned schools in West Cobb are still excellent schools no less.

If you like the attendance zone for Harrison High School and West Cobb in general, I say go for it!

[moderngnome]

Thank you Born 2 Roll! I just kept telling my husband I could not figure it out - My research shows West Cobb having really good school scores in the districts you listed. I'm definitely leaning toward West Cobb!

[jane078]

I live in West Cobb. I don't have kids so can't speak for the schools, but it is a nice place to live and you won't find a lot of crime here. Perhaps not as built up as East Cobb (less shopping and dining overall) but there is lots of green space and lots of parks, and Kennesaw is just a short drive away for big retail outlets.

The only real drawback to living here is lack of interstate access, so it does take a while to get into the city of Atlanta. But it would be a pretty easy drive to Sweetwater Creek.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by moderngnome

Hello,

Just for starters:

1. Budget: $400,000
2. House/Condo/Townhome? House
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commuting to Sweetwater Creek State Park area (Douglasville)
4. Children(public school vs. private): Prefer public school - Three kids going into 7th and 6th grades
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, Family Friendly, Good Public Schools

1. You'd get the most square footage for your money in West Cobb.
2. All three are mostly houses so that's easy to accommodate no matter which you choose.
3. West Cobb would certainly be the shortest commute for your husband.
4. I hear East Cobb schools getting the most pats on the back, but both PTC and West Cobb have good public schools as well.
5. I like parts of Chicago and even considered moving there, but I waited too long to try to adjust to the climate difference . Neither East Cobb, West Cobb, or PTC are what I think you would consider urban; however, I think PTC is more of what I think you might consider upscale suburban. All three are fine, but parts of West Cobb cross the line from suburban to rural.
6. Good thing it's not important because you will not have easy access to public transit.
7. I find all three areas safe and family-friendly with good public schools. I find parts of West Cobb less safe feeling though.

As for your daughters' figure skating, I can say it's not the most popular after school activity in the metro. Maybe you can find some good places other than Kennesaw; there are always other options even if they are difficult to locate from afar.

[lorilove]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

I don't know who you are talking to, but the schools in West Cobb are very good schools (particularly in the attendance zones for the aforementioned Harrison High School as well as in the attendance zones for Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools).

The aforementioned schools in West Cobb may not have the national reputations that the schools in East Cobb have, but the aforementioned schools in West Cobb are still excellent schools no less.

If you like the attendance zone for Harrison High School and West Cobb in general, I say go for it!

I agree

The reputations of the East Cobb Schools unfairly draw attention away from other schools that are in the exact same School System (such as Harrison High).

[moderngnome]

[quote=ElleKaye;37465298]

1. You'd get the most square footage for your money in West Cobb. Fantastic! We live in a tiny house now, I can't wait for a little more space!
   
2. West Cobb would certainly be the shortest commute for your husband. More good news
3. I hear East Cobb schools getting the most pats on the back, but both PTC and West Cobb have good public schools as well.Excellent
4. I like parts of Chicago and even considered moving there, but I waited too long to try to adjust to the climate difference . Neither East Cobb, West Cobb, or PTC are what I think you would consider urban; however, I think PTC is more of what I think you might consider upscale suburban. All three are fine, but parts of West Cobb cross the line from suburban to rural. This is fine, too. My suburb is probably on the edge of what most would call urban - we're pretty close to the city of Chicago. I'm fine with a little more rural, though. That is one reason West Cobb appeals to me.
   
5. I find all three areas safe and family-friendly with good public schools. I find parts of West Cobb less safe feeling though.This is interesting. Definitely something to be aware of, but I'm not overly concerned. Where we live, there are fantastic neighborhoods right up against not so fantastic ones. We do okay.

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts! I really appreciate them!

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

I find all three areas safe and family-friendly with good public schools. I find parts of West Cobb less safe feeling though.

The parts of West Cobb that ElleKaye may be referring to as less safe are likely in Southwest Cobb County below the Georgia Highway 360/Macland Road/Windy Hill Road dividing line in Powder Springs and Austell areas in the attendance zones/feeder zones for McEachern, Osbourne and South Cobb high schools.

You probably don't need to worry about this area in question below (south of) the GA 360/Macland Road/Windy Hill Road corridor because this is an older suburban area that is in transition from suburban to urban. The schools in this area (in the attendance/feeder zones for McEachern, Osbourne and South Cobb high schools) are good but they are dominated by large and rising populations of transient students and transient families that can be a major drag on their test scores and general academic performance.

From the sounds of what you are looking for, most of what you want and most of what you are searching for will be found in the area of East Cobb that is NORTH of Georgia Highway 360/Macland Road and WEST of Barrett Parkway in the attendance zones for Harrison, Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools.

In fact, almost all (if not all) of the Harrison High School attendance/feeder zone lies above (NORTH) of Georgia Highway 120/Dallas Highway in a geographical area that is relatively far removed (several miles removed) from the transitional area in Southwest Cobb that ElleKaye is most likely referring to as being a less safe area.

The attendance/feeder zone for Harrison High School (as well as for Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools) is a very safe area that is dominated by a high-quality housing stock, good schools and a generally financially stable population so you've really got nothing to worry about as far as your search goes in West Cobb.

[moderngnome]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

The parts of West Cobb that ElleKaye may be referring to as less safe are likely in Southwest Cobb County below the Georgia Highway 360/Macland Road/Windy Hill Road dividing line in Powder Springs and Austell areas in the attendance zones/feeder zones for McEachern, Osbourne and South Cobb high schools.

You probably don't need to worry about this area in question below (south of) the GA 360/Macland Road/Windy Hill Road corridor because this is an older suburban area that is in transition from suburban to urban. The schools in this area (in the attendance/feeder zones for McEachern, Osbourne and South Cobb high schools) are good but they are dominated by large and rising populations of transient students and transient families that can be a major drag on their test scores and general academic performance.

From the sounds of what you are looking for, most of what you want and most of what you are searching for will be found in the area of East Cobb that is NORTH of Georgia Highway 360/Macland Road and WEST of Barrett Parkway in the attendance zones for Harrison, Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools.

In fact, almost all (if not all) of the Harrison High School attendance/feeder zone lies above (NORTH) of Georgia Highway 120/Dallas Highway in a geographical area that is relatively far removed (several miles removed) from the transitional area in Southwest Cobb that ElleKaye is most likely referring to as being a less safe area.

The attendance/feeder zone for Harrison High School (as well as for Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Allatoona high schools) is a very safe area that is dominated by a high-quality housing stock, good schools and a generally financially stable population so you've really got nothing to worry about as far as your search goes in West Cobb.

Thank you, Born 2 Roll. This is perfect. Yes, I'm looking at Harrison, Hillgrove, and Kennesaw Mountain.

[Mawoods]

Interestingly I have lived in all 3 areas! We did not care for the PC area. For some reason it is harder to go north into the city than going south. Not sure I understand myself. But when we lived in the northern areas I could get to Buckhead much easier. Much more to do and choices in Cobb and North Fulton area. Better shopping and restaurants also. And you can hop on a highway and be in the mountains so easily. In PC you had to go through the city.

We currently live in West Cobb. It is close enough to everything and I can go straight down Cobb Parkway and be in Buckhead easily if I do not want to get on 75. We are liking the area very much. Previous posters have done a good job of explaining things.