Retied vetran and family (Atlanta, Savannah: cul-de-sac, city hall, condos)

[Twistersam]

Any helpful input on cities ~ neighborhoods with low crime and good high schools. Preferably with atleast a 30-40 minute commute to Atlanta. Nice area for retiring, decent job market, close to military installations..(quiet suburbs)
Thank you

[Twistersam]

Darn auto correct "Retired Veteran"

[Iconographer]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Robins,_Georgia

[evannole]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Robins,_Georgia

Mmm, Warner-Robins is NOT 30-40 minutes from Atlanta. Not even close.

To the original poster, if you need proximity to a military installation and prefer a suburb, I would aim for Marietta, East Cobb, Smyrna or Sandy Springs (near Dobbins ARB) or Henry or Fayette Counties (near Fort Gillem).

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by evannole

Mmm, Warner-Robins is NOT 30-40 minutes from Atlanta. Not even close.

To the original poster, if you need proximity to a military installation and prefer a suburb, I would aim for Marietta, East Cobb, Smyrna or Sandy Springs (near Dobbins ARB) or Henry or Fayette Counties (near Fort Gillem).

I guess I misread. I interpreted it to mean that he wanted to be at least that far away from Atlanta.

[evannole]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

I guess I misread. I interpreted it to mean that he wanted to be at least that far away from Atlanta.

Ha, good point! Perhaps I misinterpreted as well!

And further to my original post: I didn't realize it but it looks like Fort Gillem is closed now. I thought that some of Fort McPherson's functions had moved there upon its closure, but it appears that they're both now fully decommissioned. So, Dobbins is the only major base remaining in the metro area. If you want access to a PX or commissary, the northwest side of town is probably the best bet.

[Twistersam]

Thanks alot guys. I gather the northwest side will be my best option. From your prespective what can you tell me about the following areas Marietta, East Cobb, Smyrna or Sandy Springs... In regards to schools, job markets and crime...Ive been doing research but I would like to hear input from someone in the area

[evannole]

First things first... Apparently there is no regular commissary in the ATL metro area, but within the last year, one that is open a few days a month was established just outside the gates of Dobbins in Marietta. See: MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER OPENS AS THE NATION'S FIRST PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDING ON-SITE SALES I do believe that there's a PX on the grounds of Dobbins, but I am not and have never been military so I might not be the best person to ask.

Regarding your questions about the various cities:

First, know that the Atlanta metro area has multiple major job centers... Not everything is located in Downtown or Midtown. So, some of these suggestions will provide great commutes for some job locations and less appealing ones for others.

Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County, and its small, walkable downtown area, centered on the historic Marietta Square, offers a good mix of a city/small town atmosphere, with lots of independent restaurants, shops, open air concerts, festivals, a weekly farmers market, the main county library, courthouse and so on. We have lived here for a few years after a decade and a half in Smyrna, and love it. Of the four options I suggested, it definitely has the most city feel, with a multitude of traditional neighborhoods within a one mile radius of the Square. Of the suggested options, it's the closest to the main gate of Dobbins. Housing options run the gamut from small 1940s bungalows that might be need of renovation in the $200k range, to new construction in the $300-600k range, to 140-year-old (or older) estates upwards of $1M. The high school has an IB program and I believe it is fairly well regarded... We don't have kids and while my wife is, in fact, a teacher, she teaches at a different school and consequently we don't know too much about the Marietta City system. The city of Marietta itself is quite convenient for jobs located in the Cumberland/Galleria area (I-285 and I-75 interchange), though not as much so as Smyrna is.

East Cobb, most of which has a "Marietta" street address but is outside the city limits, is a more traditionally suburban area, or is at least what you might picture when thinking of Atlanta suburbs. Good sized homes on large lots abound, and many are in cul-de-sac-laden subdivisions. Walkability is minimal but it's a pleasant place, if a bit bland for my own personal tastes. Schools are pretty much uniformly excellent, particularly Walton, Pope and Lassiter. The drive into central Atlanta, if that's where your job ended up being, would be a bit longer from here than from the other options. Homes tend to be expensive here, due to the excellent schools, but it should be possible to find single family homes starting in the mid-to-high $200s.

Smyrna is in the southern part of Cobb County, near where I -75 and I-285 intersect, which is also the location of the Braves' new stadium/lifestyle/shopping/dining/entertainment complex. As is the case with East Cobb/Marietta, there are substantial parts of Cobb County that are many miles from the central part of Smyrna, so you really do have to look at a map to know where a house is really located. The most appealing and close-in parts of Smyrna and its immediate surroundings are 1) around its city hall and library complex, where there are also a few restaurants and shops, along Atlanta Road just north of Spring and Concord Roads, and 2) along the Atlanta Road corridor from the city hall down to I-285. Smyrna has done a good job in recent years revitalizing itself, and while it's undeniably suburban, the parts along Atlanta Road feel like they have less sprawl than many parts of the metro area, and there's even a traditional style neighborhood behind city hall. The high school here is Campbell High... It has an IB program that is very well regarded. The non-IB part of the high school is probably a bit more challenged. Home prices are similar to East Cobb but there's probably a bit more variety, with an abundance of townhomes and condos in addition to single family houses. Smyrna also has the advantage of being quite centrally located... You can pretty easily get into central Atlanta without getting on the interstate, and indeed that's often the best option.

Sandy Springs is an edge city located along I-285 between the Chattahoochee River and GA Highway 400. It incorporated about 10 years ago and as such is a new city without a defined downtown area, though the city government has a master plan to create one from scratch, and indeed that's being worked on as we speak, but it will take time. It's very close to the huge Perimeter Center concentration of office complexes, where there are also a couple of MARTA stations which might prove useful for getting into the city of Atlanta proper or to the airport. High schools here are in the Fulton County Schools system and include Riverwood, which has an IB program and is well regarded, and North Springs, about which I know very little. Housing prices here are similar to East Cobb and Smyrna, perhaps a bit higher.

I hope this is helpful. Again, if you need frequent base access, these are probably your best options, but if you're only going to the base once or twice a month, you'd probably do better to base your decision more on where your job is located, what school you prefer or what kind of neighborhood or city you'd like to live in. All of these are good options but depending on those other factors, there might be others as well.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by evannole

Ha, good point! Perhaps I misinterpreted as well!

And further to my original post: I didn't realize it but it looks like Fort Gillem is closed now. I thought that some of Fort McPherson's functions had moved there upon its closure, but it appears that they're both now fully decommissioned. So, Dobbins is the only major base remaining in the metro area. If you want access to a PX or commissary, the northwest side of town is probably the best bet.

You are correct in your assumptions. There are no longer commissary services offered in the Atlanta metro area. The USAF website indicates the two closest to be Camp Merrill in Dahlonega or Robins AFB in Warner Robins, both about 1.5 - 2 hours away.


https://www.commissaries.com/stores/locator/index.cfm

Honestly, unless the OP is married to the idea of living near Atlanta, there are a couple of other communities on the list of Georgia cities that fill the bill.
I would definitely consider Hinesville (Fort Stewart, near Savannah) or Warner-Robins (Robins AFB, near Macon) as alternatives to the Atlanta metro. Both IMO offer a comfortable suburban lifestyle complete with reputable school systems.