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Hello to all and thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide. My wife and I currently live in Orange County, CA and due to an upcoming job transfer will likely be moving to the Atlanta metro area (job location- Forest Park). I have been told the most "desirable" areas and "things to do" in Atlanta are primarily on the north side- while my job of course is on the southeast side.
So far, we have been looking for houses in the McDonough/Locust Grove area, but my concern with those is that they seem to be far away from everything. Currently, there are about 4 Costcos within a 10 mile radius- having to drive an hour or so to one is concerning. Restaurants/bars and such seem to be similarly far away.
Admittedly, I know very little about Atlanta. What I do know has been basically learned by driving through the city and reading information online. Orange County is approximately 75% white/ 10% asian /15% hispanic and african-american and we are looking for an area with similar demographics. We have been looking at houses in the 200-300k range. Ideally, the house would be around 2000 sq. feet, more is better of course.
Ideally the area would be a 30-45 minute commute from Forest Park. Up to an hour is okay. I'm not sure if more than an hour would be tolerable on a daily basis. No children yet so school district doesn't really matter, of course a good one is a plus. Public transit is not really important.
In short, I guess we are looking for an area that is suburban enough to have a big house, but close enough to fun things to do. I have started looking in the Sandy Springs / Buckhead / Dunwoody area, but the prices seem to be out of our budget. Alpharetta seems nice as well, but I am assuming the commute would be far too long to Forest Park.
Is there a good compromise of all the above where I should look? Thanks again in advance for any help.
For the demographics, home and nearby amenities you are seeking you will need to look North. I would zero in on SW Gwinnett County in Peachtree Corners, Norcross west of I-85 and Lilburn. Even closer and also nice is the Northlake/Tucker area of NE DeKalb County, which straddles I-285 about 10-15 minutes closer to Hapeville. Taking I-285 south around the Eastside would be a reverse commute from either area, and probably in the range of around 45 minutes on a good day.
Schools are excellent in Gwinnett, challenged in areas of DeKalb at this point for future reference.
There's a Costco in Morrow, which is not far from McDonough. Certainly not an hour. Probably more like 15 minutes.
That said, while there are plenty of nice areas on the Southside, it's true that they tend to be pretty family oriented, so if you don't have kids you might find some of them to be a less than ideal fit. Maybe some others who know the southern suburbs could provide some suggestions... All I truly know down there is Peachtree City, which is a really nice community but completely family oriented, and Serenbe, which is fantastic but well outside your (and my) budget, and a bit too rural for my tastes, though I love to visit.
In your shoes, I might be inclined to look in the small pockets of Hapeville, College Park and East Point that have been revitalized, near their historic centers, as you can still find some pretty good deals in that area and it's close to Forest Park. Or you might try Smyrna... The closer in parts, nearest to I-285, are probably a 25-30 minute commute to Forest Park, depending on where in Forest Park you're going.
I live in Downtown Marietta and work in Hapeville, and my commute is a very tolerable 35-45 minutes. The walkable community and historic Square with restaurants, shops and festivals make the drive plenty worth it. Forest Park would probably be a bit farther but possibly still doable.
Tucker is a suburban area near the northeast interchange of I-285 and I-85 (Spaghetti Junction) and you might find some options in your price range there. Lots of mid-century ranches, and it's a suburb that has been somewhat revitalized in the past several years. It has a smaller historic downtown - nothing like Decatur, Marietta or even Roswell, but it does look like there are some shops and restaurants there. From there, you'd have a relatively easy reverse commute up and down the east side of I-285 to Forest Park. Doraville, Chamblee and Brookhaven are also fairly nearby but have had more price appreciation than Tucker in recent years, so might be tougher at your price point.
I wouldn't touch Alpharetta with a ten foot pole if you are working in Forest Park. It's very nice but much too far with too much stressful traffic.
I would really suggest renting first, even if just for six months, and getting a feel for the areas in which you might like to live and those that work for your commute, then focusing on those areas down the line when you go to buy a place.
Good luck in your search and feel free to ask any questions you may have!
For the demographics, home and nearby amenities you are seeking you will need to look North. I would zero in on SW Gwinnett County in Peachtree Corners, Norcross west of I-85 and Lilburn. Even closer and also nice is the Northlake/Tucker area of NE DeKalb County, which straddles I-285 about 10-15 minutes closer to Hapeville. Taking I-285 south around the Eastside would be a reverse commute from either area, and probably in the range of around 45 minutes on a good day.
Schools are excellent in Gwinnett, challenged in areas of DeKalb at this point for future reference.
There's a Costco in Morrow, which is not far from McDonough. Certainly not an hour. Probably more like 15 minutes.
I didn't realize there was a Costco in Morrow, evannole! Thanks for pointing this out to an ignorant Northsider that basically lives in a 10 mile radius.
That was one of the most detailed and helpful posts to a newcomer since Born 2 Roll hit town as well. Kudos!
There's a Costco in Morrow, which is not far from McDonough. Certainly not an hour. Probably more like 15 minutes.
That said, while there are plenty of nice areas on the Southside, it's true that they tend to be pretty family oriented, so if you don't have kids you might find some of them to be a less than ideal fit. Maybe some others who know the southern suburbs could provide some suggestions... All I truly know down there is Peachtree City, which is a really nice community but completely family oriented, and Serenbe, which is fantastic but well outside your (and my) budget, and a bit too rural for my tastes, though I love to visit.
In your shoes, I might be inclined to look in the small pockets of Hapeville, College Park and East Point that have been revitalized, near their historic centers, as you can still find some pretty good deals in that area and it's close to Forest Park. Or you might try Smyrna... The closer in parts, nearest to I-285, are probably a 25-30 minute commute to Forest Park, depending on where in Forest Park you're going.
I live in Downtown Marietta and work in Hapeville, and my commute is a very tolerable 35-45 minutes. The walkable community and historic Square with restaurants, shops and festivals make the drive plenty worth it. Forest Park would probably be a bit farther but possibly still doable.
Tucker is a suburban area near the northeast interchange of I-285 and I-85 (Spaghetti Junction) and you might find some options in your price range there. Lots of mid-century ranches, and it's a suburb that has been somewhat revitalized in the past several years. It has a smaller historic downtown - nothing like Decatur, Marietta or even Roswell, but it does look like there are some shops and restaurants there. From there, you'd have a relatively easy reverse commute up and down the east side of I-285 to Forest Park. Doraville, Chamblee and Brookhaven are also fairly nearby but have had more price appreciation than Tucker in recent years, so might be tougher at your price point.
I wouldn't touch Alpharetta with a ten foot pole if you are working in Forest Park. It's very nice but much too far with too much stressful traffic.
I would really suggest renting first, even if just for six months, and getting a feel for the areas in which you might like to live and those that work for your commute, then focusing on those areas down the line when you go to buy a place.
Good luck in your search and feel free to ask any questions you may have!
East point is 16% white. College Point is 12% white. A far cry from the Orange County demographics she wants.
OP, what you're looking for may be difficult. Most areas in Atlanta with that demographic profile are $$$ and out of your price range. There are plenty of areas I can think of that fit your profile close to college park, but are out of your price range. I'm sorry I can't offer any advice.
East point is 16% white. College Point is 12% white. A far cry from the Orange County demographics she wants.
OP, what you're looking for may be difficult. Most areas in Atlanta with that demographic profile are $$$ and out of your price range. There are plenty of areas I can think of that fit your profile close to college park, but are out of your price range. I'm sorry I can't offer any advice.
Yep, this is why I pointed them NE in the first place - especially towards Gwinnett, since they desired an Asian mix in the equation.
Hello to all and thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide. My wife and I currently live in Orange County, CA and due to an upcoming job transfer will likely be moving to the Atlanta metro area (job location- Forest Park). I have been told the most "desirable" areas and "things to do" in Atlanta are primarily on the north side- while my job of course is on the southeast side.
So far, we have been looking for houses in the McDonough/Locust Grove area, but my concern with those is that they seem to be far away from everything. Currently, there are about 4 Costcos within a 10 mile radius- having to drive an hour or so to one is concerning. Restaurants/bars and such seem to be similarly far away.
Admittedly, I know very little about Atlanta. What I do know has been basically learned by driving through the city and reading information online. Orange County is approximately 75% white/ 10% asian /15% hispanic and african-american and we are looking for an area with similar demographics. We have been looking at houses in the 200-300k range. Ideally, the house would be around 2000 sq. feet, more is better of course.
Ideally the area would be a 30-45 minute commute from Forest Park. Up to an hour is okay. I'm not sure if more than an hour would be tolerable on a daily basis. No children yet so school district doesn't really matter, of course a good one is a plus. Public transit is not really important.
In short, I guess we are looking for an area that is suburban enough to have a big house, but close enough to fun things to do. I have started looking in the Sandy Springs / Buckhead / Dunwoody area, but the prices seem to be out of our budget. Alpharetta seems nice as well, but I am assuming the commute would be far too long to Forest Park.
Is there a good compromise of all the above where I should look? Thanks again in advance for any help.
I don't know where you got your demographic figures from, but the most recent demographic figures that I have from 2015 have the population in Orange County, California being 41.4% non-Hispanic/Latino White, 34.4% Hispanic/Latino, 20.1% Asian, 2.1% Black...demographic percentages that all seem to be much more consistent with California's current overall demographic makeup than the possibly out-of-date figures that you posted. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/06059
(Orange County, California QuickFacts/United States Census Bureau)
In any case, demographics are pertinent to your inquiry because in many (if not most) cases, the demographic makeup of almost all areas that you look into will be much different than what you might be expecting.
For one, African-Americans will in many (if not most) cases make up a much larger proportion of the population in Georgia (the Atlanta metro area) than in Orange County, California.
With your workplace being in Forest Park (on the south side of metro Atlanta near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) and with a budget of $300k and less in pursuit of a 2000 square-foot home, you should probably try and look on the south side of the Atlanta metro area in south metro suburbs where home prices are likely to be lower and where your commutes to and from work are likely to be relatively shorter than commutes between Forest Park and the much more heavily (and severely) congested Northside.
Look in Fayette County in areas like Tyrone (in the cluster of schools anchored by Sandy Creek High School), Fayetteville (in the cluster of schools anchored by Fayette County High School). Also look to see if you might be able to find anything for sale within your budget in Peachtree City (in cluster of schools anchored by McIntosh and Starr's Mill high schools). Fayette County is a good place to look because of the extremely high quality of the public schools in the county.
Also look in Coweta County (in the clusters of schools anchored by Northgate, East Coweta and Newnan high schools) and in Douglas County (in the clusters of schools anchored by Alexander and Douglas County high schools).
If you look in Henry County, look in the clusters of schools anchored by Union Grove and Ola high schools.
McDonough and Locust Grove are good areas to look in but the traffic congestion on Interstate 75 South (particularly south of the I-75/I-675 split/merge in Henry County and between US 19-41 and I-285 in Clayton County) could make commutes to and from Forest Park a challenge on many days.
Though, the good news about the I-75 rush hour commutes through Henry County is that a new set of reversible toll lanes just opened through the McDonough area....Lanes that flow north towards Atlanta during the morning rush hour commute and south away from Atlanta during the afternoon/evening rush hour commute.
If you elect to look and/or stay in the city or on the Northside, you are going to have to make apartments and smaller condos a key part of your housing search and/or you are going to have to increase your housing budget and/or you also may have to make a serious inquiry to see if public transportation (MARTA trains and buses) might be a viable option as a way of completing your commutes to and from Forest Park during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours.
Any thoughts on the Hampton area? Specifically around the Crystal Lake Country Club?
Overall, it's a really good area with a large playground, dog park and soccer park just across the road at North Mount Carmel Park. There are also an abundance of retail amenities/somewhat large shopping areas nearby at multiple exits/interchanges along the extremely busy I-75 South corridor (at I-75 & Hudson Bridge Road, I-75 & Jonesboro Road, I-75 & GA 20-81, I-75 & Bill Gardner Parkway/Locust Grove).
The only challenge is that the local high school that serves the Crystal Lake Country Club area, Dutchtown High School, while still okay-to-good (and even very good in many respects), appears to be slipping into a middle-of-the-pack/middling status after some fairly good early years during the school's first decade or so of existence.
There have been some frequent changes in administrative personnel over the last few years at Dutchtown and its feeder schools and the demographics of the area continue to shift dramatically (along with much of Henry County, which in some areas has become a slightly lower-cost suburban alternative to other higher-cost, in-demand parts of the metro area).
I just would strongly advise that you first research and checkout the schools in the area to see if they would be a good fit for you and your family (...while also keeping in mind how the schools in this and any other area might and/or will change by the time that your children enter into and through elementary, middle school and high school).
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