Relocating to Atlanta - looking for suggestions on areas (Sandy Springs: apartment, houses)

[lokeshpatel]

Hello,

I am from South Carolina and originally from NC. 30 years old. I am married with two young kids, 3 years and 9 months. I have a position with a firm that is located in midtown. I will be traveling 4/5 days a week across the country and maybe internationally. My wife will be staying at home with the kids. My 3 year old currently goes to Montessori school.

Looking for an area with good public schools, good community (pool, playground, etc), houses around $400k-$500k. Since I will be traveling, we don't mind living a little farther out but still have a decent commute to midtown on days I need to go to the office/airport. I can always take the MARTA to the airport.

We are currently looking at the Alpharetta/Johns Creek area.

Any suggestions???

[travbo]

I'd recommend Decatur area if you can afford 500k home.

[afdinatl]

Anywhere on the Red Line north of Buckhead

[lorilove]

Alpharetta/Johns Creek is an excellent choice

I have a family member that is a Delta Pilot and he lives in Johns Creek and flies out several times per week.

[Calm Down ATL]

Check out Dupont Commons in West Midtown. It is a great community with lots of families, parks, swimming pool, clubhouse, etc. It is convenient to airport (~20 minutes) and obviously close to your job. There are also Montessori schools nearby, and you would be right in the middle of the city.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Calm Down ATL

Check out Dupont Commons in West Midtown. It is a great community with lots of families, parks, swimming pool, clubhouse, etc. It is convenient to airport (~20 minutes) and obviously close to your job. There are also Montessori schools nearby, and you would be right in the middle of the city.

OK, this West Midtown is getting out of hand. Dupont Commons is in Hill Park neighborhood. Nowhere close to Midtown. Let's start using the correct and official neighborhood names.
Still it is a nice area, close to amenities of Howell Mill Rd Corridor and Atlantic Station.

[evannole]

Originally Posted by cqholt

OK, this West Midtown is getting out of hand. Dupont Commons is in Hill Park neighborhood. Nowhere close to Midtown. Let's start using the correct and official neighborhood names.
Still it is a nice area, close to amenities of Howell Mill Rd Corridor and Atlantic Station.

You're really obsessed with this West Midtown business, aren't you?

I have a friend who lives at Briarcliff and Shallowford Roads. He says he lives in Decatur, though he is in unincorporated DeKalb and downtown Decatur is a 20 minute ride from this location, but I shrug and figure he can say he lives wherever he likes. If Decatur is the closest easily identifiable landmark of his house, and that's how he wants to identify himself, so be it.

Hardly anyone knows what or where Hill Park is. Shoot, I don't, and I know the northwest side pretty dang well. But DuPont Commons is about two miles west, down Chattahoochee, from an area that most would call Midtown, even if the map identifies it as something called Berkeley Park. The fact remains, this is just west of Midtown and is no more than a very short drive from it. I have absolutely no horse in this race, but if someone wants to call this West Midtown or the Westside, who cares? It gives people who don't know the metro area (e.g., the original poster) and its myriad of unidentifiable and rather poorly delineated neighborhoods a general sense of where something is located. I have no issue with that.

[lokeshpatel]

Originally Posted by travbo

I'd recommend Decatur area if you can afford 500k home.

Good recommendation. We were mostly looking for a new build because of the specific layout we would like. We are open to older homes but don't see the value in this market. What is your take?

Originally Posted by afdinatl

Anywhere on the Red Line north of Buckhead

I wished the Red Line would go beyond Sandy Springs. Hopefully soon.

Originally Posted by Calm Down ATL

Check out Dupont Commons in West Midtown. It is a great community with lots of families, parks, swimming pool, clubhouse, etc. It is convenient to airport (~20 minutes) and obviously close to your job. There are also Montessori schools nearby, and you would be right in the middle of the city.

I looked at Dupont Commons previously. It would be the perfect location/house if we could find good public schools. We would be transitioning to public schools after a few years of Montessori.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by evannole

You're really obsessed with this West Midtown business, aren't you?

I have a friend who lives at Briarcliff and Shallowford Roads. He says he lives in Decatur, though he is in unincorporated DeKalb and downtown Decatur is a 20 minute ride from this location, but I shrug and figure he can say he lives wherever he likes. If Decatur is the closest easily identifiable landmark of his house, and that's how he wants to identify himself, so be it.

Hardly anyone knows what or where Hill Park is. Shoot, I don't, and I know the northwest side pretty dang well. But DuPont Commons is about two miles west, down Chattahoochee, from an area that most would call Midtown, even if the map identifies it as something called Berkeley Park. The fact remains, this is just west of Midtown and is no more than a very short drive from it. I have absolutely no horse in this race, but if someone wants to call this West Midtown or the Westside, who cares? It gives people who don't know the metro area (e.g., the original poster) and its myriad of unidentifiable and rather poorly delineated neighborhoods a general sense of where something is located. I have no issue with that.

I am obsessed with calling an established neighborhood with it's own history, it's correct name. That would be like calling all Atlanta-in-DeKalb neighborhoods, East Atlanta. Druid Hills has a very different history than Kirkwood.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by cqholt

OK, this West Midtown is getting out of hand. Dupont Commons is in Hill Park neighborhood. Nowhere close to Midtown. Let's start using the correct and official neighborhood names.
Still it is a nice area, close to amenities of Howell Mill Rd Corridor and Atlantic Station.

Amen, brother. West midtown is a silly, inaccurate name invented by realtors trying to capitalize on the market activity in the real midtown atlanta.

mid·town
ˈmidˌtoun/
the central part of a city between the downtown and uptown areas.
"a huge midtown apartment"

This is very much *not* the area some are calling 'west midtown' (sic)