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I need for you all to tell me your thoughts on the lilburn area? Do you think that area is on the decline? The shools seem to be good but I read the reviews and quite frankly while the schools tested well and had "high" numbers, it seemed like people were not happy. Granted, some of the reviews were students, but still.
I've also got a friend and co-worker who live in lilburn. The friend is on the Dekalb side and says it's declining and the city is ****. Then the co-workker is on the Gwinnett side and says it's established, no crime and quiet.
Can several of you gurus help me out and give me your thoughts. Is lilburn on the decline?
The northern part of the town, north of Lawrenceville Highway, is decidedly working class and more lower income than the southern half. The public schools in north Lilburn are probably the worst in Gwinnett County, but given that GCPS is highly regarded, they're still better than many in other parts of the ATL metro. South Lilburn has traditionally been more white collar, with the Parkview school cluster historically being one of the better ones in Gwinnett.
Being in Gwinnett, Lilburn, like every town in the county, fell victim to mindless sprawl and lack of planning. Prior to the 80s, it was essentially just a sleepy outer suburban/exurban community. The commercial corridor of Lawrenceville Highway is unattractive and lousy with low rent businesses and fast food chains. There seems to be an effort to reverse this, as they're building a new library and city hall and trying to create a town center around their downtown.
It has strengths that will help it in the long term. It's closer in than every other city in Gwinnett, save for Norcross. If MARTA comes to Gwinnett, it's a likely beneficiary. Lilburn is very diverse and has been a magnet for immigrants for the past 25 years. The parks and schools are mostly pretty good and it's relatively safe. I wouldn't say it's in decline. It's just that it's one of the first Gwinnett suburbs to come of age, and it shows.
My wife went to Parkview and we looked at moving to the area around 2007, but decided against it. The Parkview area of Lilburn is still a good area and is the nicest area in Lilburn. Parkview used to be a Academic and Sports powerhouse in the late 90's-early 2000's. The Berkmar side of Lilburn has had issues for some time, and now the Parkview cluster appears to be declining academically too. There has been quite a demographic shift in Lilburn and Gwinnett in general. The number of free and reduced lunch students at Parkview has increased from 0% in 1998 to 41% in 2014 and the median income in the area is declining too. This is significant because Parkview was a very middle to upper middle class area. Also the number of white students has significantly declined from over 90+% in the late 90's to 35% in 2015. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but could indicate "white flight" which tends to depress home values. The area has experienced a growth in middle class Asian & African American families which has held test scores steady over the past few years, but SAT scores at Parkview are starting to decline as the % of free and reduced lunch students precipitously increases. Real estate in suburban Atlanta is closely linked to schools, particularly the High Schools. So for that reason, I would say from a school perspective, the area appears to be in a decline.
Parkview SAT scores:
2013-1584
2014-1563
2015-1525
Decline? Well, technically yes. But that's a like a decline from A+ to A (for Parkview HS). The sports program has definitely seen a decline. Academics it's still doing just fine. The US 29 corridor hasn't been well regarded in some time. Wanna know what an area is like? Check out the security in stores. The WalMart on Scenic HWY north of Snellville (last time I checked) did not have the in store security features (locked batteries, locked other items, etc) that the one at US 29 near Berkmar has. The Five Forks Rd area is still just fine and dandy. US 78 is like other commercial areas, a little iffy.
N Lilburn has been rather poor and transient for a while now. The southern part (Parkview area) is still an integral part of the school arc north of 78 (Parkview, Brookwood, Grayson, and Archer with a little imagination).
On non-decline side of the argument --there is still a lot of money going into the Parkview area in Lilburn--where land is available, expensive developments are going up, with each more expensive than the last (especially the Camp Creek area). The schools are still a huge draw for the area, and, seriously, if you want to spend less than 300K on a home and work at Emory, the CDC, or the VA--etc. where are you going to find a better combination of schools and commute time? And, even if you can afford the Intown neighborhoods with better schools, they still may not be the better option--the recreational opportunities are much better in Lilburn, beautiful sports complexes, nice parks, homes with nice lots, most areas are very safe, and there is real diversity in schools that are doing well--they really seem to do a better job of educating a diverse student body than possibly anywhere in the state (and the GADOE statistics support this view).
I need for you all to tell me your thoughts on the lilburn area? Do you think that area is on the decline? The shools seem to be good but I read the reviews and quite frankly while the schools tested well and had "high" numbers, it seemed like people were not happy. Granted, some of the reviews were students, but still.
I've also got a friend and co-worker who live in lilburn. The friend is on the Dekalb side and says it's declining and the city is ****. Then the co-workker is on the Gwinnett side and says it's established, no crime and quiet.
Can several of you gurus help me out and give me your thoughts. Is lilburn on the decline?
The Parkview Cluster is excellent.
According to this list, Parkview is #23. That's pretty awesome, I would think.
On non-decline side of the argument --there is still a lot of money going into the Parkview area in Lilburn--where land is available, expensive developments are going up, with each more expensive than the last (especially the Camp Creek area). The schools are still a huge draw for the area, and, seriously, if you want to spend less than 300K on a home and work at Emory, the CDC, or the VA--etc. where are you going to find a better combination of schools and commute time? And, even if you can afford the Intown neighborhoods with better schools, they still may not be the better option--the recreational opportunities are much better in Lilburn, beautiful sports complexes, nice parks, homes with nice lots, most areas are very safe, and there is real diversity in schools that are doing well--they really seem to do a better job of educating a diverse student body than possibly anywhere in the state (and the GADOE statistics support this view).
^^^^^^
This.
jeoff has lived in the area and knows the Parkview Cluster well. The area is still very much sought-after and offers amenities and attributes that are nearly impossible to find in other parts of the Metro.
And, the tell-tale sign is development. Developers are still trying to build ever more expensive neighborhoods in the area.
It really depends on your definition of "area" and "decline." The Lilburn City Limits are entirely within Gwinnett County, so that is an easy one. Here are facts about the City of Lilburn right from this website. The area, however, may be better explained through a review of school performance since our public schools serve a Gwinnett County area. Review Berkmar and Parkview High Schools at the links below for published information on school performance.
Lilburn residents take pride in their historic buildings and spaces that house locally owned shops, community events and more. But the new library and city hall that Pemgin described will likely be a venue for even more excitement. There's the Camp Creek Greenway Trail Head, certified police protection, a community improvement district (where owners tax themselves to fund needed improvements), a soccer academy and so much more going on in Lilburn than the schools.
Please keep an open mind about your move into the area and thanks for getting opinions.
On non-decline side of the argument --there is still a lot of money going into the Parkview area in Lilburn--where land is available, expensive developments are going up, with each more expensive than the last (especially the Camp Creek area). The schools are still a huge draw for the area, and, seriously, if you want to spend less than 300K on a home and work at Emory, the CDC, or the VA--etc. where are you going to find a better combination of schools and commute time? And, even if you can afford the Intown neighborhoods with better schools, they still may not be the better option--the recreational opportunities are much better in Lilburn, beautiful sports complexes, nice parks, homes with nice lots, most areas are very safe, and there is real diversity in schools that are doing well--they really seem to do a better job of educating a diverse student body than possibly anywhere in the state (and the GADOE statistics support this view).
True on all points. Best combo of manageable commute and affordable housing with good schools. Diversity is another huge point. It's majority minority at 61% non-white.
On non-decline side of the argument --there is still a lot of money going into the Parkview area in Lilburn--where land is available, expensive developments are going up, with each more expensive than the last (especially the Camp Creek area). The schools are still a huge draw for the area, and, seriously, if you want to spend less than 300K on a home and work at Emory, the CDC, or the VA--etc. where are you going to find a better combination of schools and commute time? And, even if you can afford the Intown neighborhoods with better schools, they still may not be the better option--the recreational opportunities are much better in Lilburn, beautiful sports complexes, nice parks, homes with nice lots, most areas are very safe, and there is real diversity in schools that are doing well--they really seem to do a better job of educating a diverse student body than possibly anywhere in the state (and the GADOE statistics support this view).
I agree with all of Jeoff's points. The amenities such as Mountain Park Park, and Mountain Park Aquatic center are outstanding, and you're also very close to Stone Mountain Park. Gwinnett Co. Parks & Recreation is one of the best recreation departments in the nation. There are also some new 400-500k homes being built in The Legends of Parkview and the Big Orange Jungle neighborhoods which is a sign that builders are still investing money in the area.
My point is that there does appear to be an economic decline in the schools. Trickum Middle is around 50% free and reduced lunch and Parkview is over 40% which has led to a slight decline in test scores. It could be that many of the more affluent families no longer have school aged kids or have been opting for private schools & magnet schools such as the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Tech. Gwinnett county does better than any county in the state educating economically and racially diverse students. I think if you do plan to move to the area, as stated above, the Camp Creek attendance zone is the best. It is still a highly ranked school with a very involved PTO.
Schooldigger rankings (based only on test scores)
Parkview #72 top 20% in the state
Trickum #90 top 20% in the state
Camp Creek #69 top 6% in the state; Best Schools in Georgia - GA School Rankings
My concern would be that if the high school test scores continue to decline, it may bring down property values too. Look up Lilburn on Zillow. The home sales in the Lilburn zip code (not sure about just the Parkview cluster of Lilburn) still haven't recovered above 2006 values whereas areas of East Cobb, North Fulton, & Southern Forsyth are above 2006 values.
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