Relocating to N. suburb of Atlanta (Sandy Springs, Roswell: transplants, new home, neighborhood) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

mommabear2 · 07-10-2007, 11:10 AM

We are contemplating a move to the N. 'burbs of Atlanta - we are looking in the Roswell, Acworth, Woodstock, Kennesaw areas or anything close to Kennesaw. Could anyone tell me their opinions on these cities? We have young children so we'd like family-friendly places. I'm a stay-at-home mom and am curious about the culture/attitudes and any other information. Where would one live if you could? We have the income to live just about anywhere but we don't do snobby. Any suggestions would help my family decide... thanks.

djz · 07-10-2007, 12:31 PM

We just recently relocated to the Towne Lake area of Woodstock and we really love it. We are in the Bascomb Elementary/ET Booth/Etowah high school district. We looked all over in the same areas you're looking in. We ended up in Cherokee County because of much more affordable housing in a golf/tennis community. Roswell is closer to the city so it's much more expensive, you can't get into a new home under 400K. You can buy a resale though, lots of older homes. Schools are also great.

The South Cobb area is not as nice as West Cobb (Acworth, Kennesaw)or East Cobb. West Cobb (Acworth, Kennesaw) has a lot more affordable housing than East Cobb.

For instance at our price range 320K we bought an 8 yr old home that backs up to Towne Lake golf course-. (In East Cobb we had a contract fall through on a house that was 25 years old and needed a ton of work all for same price)

I guess it's all in what you're looking for... good luck!

djz · 07-10-2007, 12:35 PM

One more thing... sorry East Cobbers but it's a known fact that East Cobb is affectionately called East Snob...

I always think it's kind of strange when someone who lives there says they are from "East Cobb" and not Marietta, like it's a status thing.
So if you're not into the snobby thing beware....

gnatty8 · 07-10-2007, 01:08 PM

I live in East Cobb and like it overall. I don't find it snobby at all, at least compared to places I have lived in the past.

The only thing I dislike about East Cobb is the commute into downtown Atlanta. In fact, it is why I am moving my family out of the Atlanta area altogether. If you do not have to commute into downtown, its great, but if you do, be prepared to spend up to 2 hours a say commuting (on average days) a round trip of under 40 miles. Hey, maybe your realtor will show you our house!

lolamom · 07-10-2007, 01:24 PM

I am a SAHM, like you, and we have the income to live anywhere also. We ended up buying in North Buckhead (in the famed Sarah Smith school district which we don't attend!) and that has been an okay decision. Not bad, in the last, but not ideal either. What has been an interesting discovery is that in Atlanta, accessibility to private schools matter because the public schools are not always all that good.

We may be moving to Texas in a year and coming back this way. When we return, I plan to look at Roswell (of the ones you mentioned) and Apharetta but my sense is we will end up in Sandy Springs, close to Chastain Park. I would probably opt for a new subdivision (if I could find one) to encourage making friends and giving the kids a chance to ride their bikes on the street etc--something I don't have now. East Cobb and Vinings would be other options for us--. I don't know the other areas you mentioned.

What is interesting about your question is the snob factor. I have absolutely encountered it here but mixed in among the snobs, I have also met some really wonderful mothers who are just very plugged in to the best opportunities for their kids. Like I said, not all schools here are created alike and thus there is a survival of the fittest approach that is necessary to get your kids decent education. But I really struggle with the feeling I am not raising my kids in "Americana"--I never imagined me as a private school mother living on a property set back from the street and driving my kids to school-- yet here I am. I admire your commitment to avoiding this....

But I have to share too that what would draw me back intown towards Chastain (and a very snobby area) is my kids' school which is WONDERFUL. Not snobby at all--very child centered, very nurturing--a real community. My children are so happy in school, learning so many things I never imagined they were ready to learn and their friends are absolutely lovely kids. The parents are great too, and I have been very surprised by that--I was expecting big time snobs but instead, I have encountered the type of Sesame-Street feeling I thought I would get in the suburbs. I am not sure I can ever go back to public school knowing what I now know can be found for pay. So there is that issue too..... This is not what I imagined for myself and my family and yet---it works, somehow. I can't imagine finding a better school elsewhere. I am not sure this school is for us in the long term but for now (my children are in preK, K) it has been an amazing discovery that school could provide so much.

Anyway, just my two cents.... Not sure if that added any value for you! Best of luck in your search!

Lola

mommabear2 · 07-10-2007, 08:27 PM

Thank you all for your thoughts. I'm actually going to print it out and research the towns mentioned. My husband and I have considered putting our kids into private school if it calls for it - though, I've always thought it wasn't a "real world" environment - "what if my kids act like Paris Hilton?" was my argument against it.

I find it interesting that the age of a house was mentioned. I actually like "older homes" homes but when I look on Realtor.com most of the homes are less that 10 years old. What's up with that?

Anyway, thanks again

GF72 · 07-10-2007, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djz

I always think it's kind of strange when someone who lives there says they are from "East Cobb" and not Marietta, like it's a status thing.
So if you're not into the snobby thing beware....

That's because it's not Marietta, in fact it's not anywhere near Marietta. Roswell and Sandy Springs are far closer to East Cobb, and depending on the part of East Cobb so is Buckhead and Dunwoody. East Cobb has double the population of Marietta and its own identity.

The fact that most of the area has Marietta zip codes (and by extension, Marietta addresses) doesn't mean anything. Sandy Springs and Vinings have Atlanta addresses, to just give a small sampling of the many wrong addresses in metro Atlanta. Besides, most people in Buckhead say they are from Buckhead, not they are from Atlanta. That doesn't automatically make them snobs, they're just being specific...

GF72 · 07-10-2007, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommabear2

We are contemplating a move to the N. 'burbs of Atlanta - we are looking in the Roswell, Acworth, Woodstock, Kennesaw areas or anything close to Kennesaw. Could anyone tell me their opinions on these cities? We have young children so we'd like family-friendly places. I'm a stay-at-home mom and am curious about the culture/attitudes and any other information. Where would one live if you could? We have the income to live just about anywhere but we don't do snobby. Any suggestions would help my family decide... thanks.

On the north side, if money isn't an issue I recommend East Cobb, Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and Duluth (from west to east). Kennesaw and West Cobb are also good, cheaper than those areas but the schools are a little worse and overall a little less nice. If you are willing to go a little bit closer to Atlanta (but still north suburbs) then Vinings, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody are also very nice, but in these areas you'll want private schooling. (all those other areas have excellent public schools).

My personal opinion is that you should send your kids to public school. The public schools in the north suburbs simply offer much more opportunity (in terms of extracurriculars and academics), diversity, and in my opinion better education than the private schools in Atlanta. I go to GA Tech and meet students from every school in the state and the ones from the north metro public schools just seem much more educated and down to earth. The kids from private schools are always talking about how they didn't have this and they didn't have that in school... in some cases a certain AP class in other cases the school didn't even have a football stadium (and by proxy, football teams)...

About the snobby thing, don't waste time worrying about that. You're going to run into the occasional snob anywhere, but most of the north metro Atlanta is made up of transplants and honestly, it's not a problem. You can't live in a nice area and not have a few snobs. But Atlanta is nothing like LA, people here are cool.

kaos5 · 07-12-2007, 08:37 AM

I have to agree I have been here for 18 months and I have found snobs and the nicest people on the planet all over.
We started looking in east cobb for the schools, ended up in woodstock for the price and the schools. We live in Towne lake and absolutely love it. I grew up in New york and this is such a wonderful place to have a family by comparision.

We will probably be moving in about 4 years to east cobb. My husband went from working in Kennesaw to working downtown and the commute is too much. If we go to South East Cobb Walton school district he can get to work in 30 minutes instead of 1 1/2 on bad traffic days. I was at home until my daughters started 1st grade and now I teach middle school five minutes from my house, and I love the school schdule here I will hate to move to Cobb's schedule, but oh well!

I will consider private school but at about $60,000 a year for three children I'd rather put them in a great public school, So I will be shopping in the Walton school district.

I will probably buy a fixer upper. I think Indian hills would be a good neighborhood, I could find something for about $400,000 and spend about $200,000 and make it into my dream house. The houses there go into $1,400,000 at the top of the market, the lots are large and the neighborhood is very established.

Good luck
Oh here is a good school info website.
Atlanta Public Schools Directory - Atlanta School Reports, Atlanta School Rankings, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta Private Schools

gnatty8 · 07-13-2007, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaos5

If we go to South East Cobb Walton school district he can get to work in 30 minutes instead of 1 1/2 on bad traffic days. [/url]

Don't be too sure of that. I drive past Indian Hills Country Club every day on my commute and it is a minimum of 45 minutes in the evenings. On bad traffic days, it is easily an hour. However, that still sounds easier than what he's got now if you're up in Kennesaw.