good schools and affordable suburbs which has decent commute. (Atlanta: rent, home)

[gayatri102]

I am looking for good schools and affordable suburbs that have a decent commute to downtown. Currently I am thinking about 2 cities ..Marietta and Alpharetta. I have 2 kids and both are in elementary school. all schools have to be good. Any help will be great.

Thanks.

[AtlJan]

What is your housing budget and what do you consider decent as a commute? How many bedrooms do you need and is the age of the home important--what type of house/community are you looking for.

[red92s]

What do you consider "decent" for a commute? What do you consider "affordable"?

[ElleKaye]

Of the two places you mentioned, both have good school systems.

Of the two places you are considering, commute-wise, Alpharetta would be shorter if you're willing to do a Park & Ride and take public transit to downtown. If you're definitely going to drive all the way, I'd go with Marietta.

You could also consider Smyrna or Mableton which are also in Cobb County like Marietta (different school systems), but at least they are closer to downtown. I do not know how the school system is in Tucker, but it seems like a suitable option.

Also, you could look into Chamblee or Doraville. I have never lived in either place, but people who do live there seem to love it. And I mean I have heard the love from 70+ white ladies at the Y to 20-something hispanics. Something clearly must be going right in that area.

My only other suggestion is rent even if only short term before buying. The commute and culture within Atlanta metro can vary greatly even within the same cities.