Family relocating to Gwinnett County (Atlanta, North Atlanta: to rent, house, preschools)

[Abbzilla]

My husband (african american) and I (jewish) and our one year old are moving to Gwinnett County at the end of June 2017. I will be working for Gwinnett County Public Schools (when I interviewed I told them we were looking around lawrenceville or buford but that can change). We are looking to rent a house between 1500-1800 a month that accepts pets. We'd like to be about 45 minutes to Atlanta (Downtown). We are looking for a suburb that has the typical stores (target, a mall, good grocery stores) and a nice variety of chain and non-chain restaurants. Pretty much we'd like to have the amenities of a city but in the suburbs and only go into the city for fun but not because something we like is only there. Does that make sense? My husband is a stay at home dad and veteran so anywhere with a lot of stuff for kids to do and good preschools would work? We are 32 and 33 years old too. So...what are your recommendations nice suburbs?

[jhtrico1850]

Buford and Lawrenceville are too far from Downtown. I would recommend Doraville, Peachtree Corners, or Norcross (the nice parts).

[lastminutemom]

Is the Jewish part important to you in terms of access to services, etc?

[Abbzilla]

I know there is a synagogue in snellville and I'd like to be able to go to family events. Is there a JCC?

[sedimenjerry]

I live between Lawrenceville and Snellville in the Brookwood HS cluster. With no traffic it's maybe a tick under 45 minutes to downtown. I wouldn't want to do a rush hour commute to downtown but if you're going on the weekend or mid day it's really not that bad. Scenic Hwy has almost everything and it seems like whatever is lacking is being built right now. You have all the typical chains but you have non chains scattered about as well. We're not really close to a mall but honestly I can't even remember the last time any of us went to one. There's a lot of department stores on Scenic and there's "The Shoppes at Webb Gin" with quite a few stores. I knew a jewish family when I was growing up. I have no idea where they went for synagogue or anything like that but I guess the location worked for them.

I'd also look around I 85 north of GA 316. Suwanee is a great area and you'll be closer to malls and still close to Lawrenceville.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Abbzilla

I know there is a synagogue in snellville and I'd like to be able to go to family events. Is there a JCC?

The closest thing to a Jewish community center within Gwinnett County itself is likely the Chabad Enrichment Center in the Peachtree Corners/Norcross area.

(Chabad Enrichment Center, serving Gwinnett and Hall counties)
Chabad Enrichment Center of Gwinnett


Otherwise, the biggest and most comprehensive Jewish community center in the North Atlanta suburban area by far seems to be the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Dunwoody, which is an area with a very large Jewish population and the type of educational, retail and dining amenities that you are looking for in a community.

(Marcus Jewish Community Center Atlanta/MJCCA)
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta | MJCCA


If you could find a house to rent within your price range in Dunwoody, you could live in Dunwoody, where many of the amenities that you are looking for are located, and reverse-commute from Dunwoody out to your job in Gwinnett County.

Dunwoody is also within that 45-minute window of Downtown Atlanta that you cited (...Dunwoody is within a 45-minute one-way drive of Downtown Atlanta when traffic conditions are good).

If Dunwoody would not be an attractive option for you, then almost anywhere near where you will be working in Gwinnett County would be a good option. That's because Gwinnett County is loaded full of good housing options.

[Abbzilla]

I know that the Dunwoody area has the large Jewish population but looking at homes, I have yet to see any that we liked or that were our style in that area. And how long of a commute would it be to Gwinnett?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Abbzilla

I know that the Dunwoody area has the large Jewish population but looking at homes, I have yet to see any that we liked or that were our style in that area. And how long of a commute would it be to Gwinnett?

How long of a commute between Dunwoody and Gwinnett County depends on where in Gwinnett County you will be working.

That's because Gwinnett County is a relatively geographically large county which a large amount of development and a large population.

Do you where in the Gwinnett County Public Schools system you will be working?

If you decide to live in Gwinnett County, where you work will play a major role in where you decide to look for housing.

[Abbzilla]

I should know by the end of the month. I'm just getting anxious and eager to get out there.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Abbzilla

I should know by the end of the month. I'm just getting anxious and eager to get out there.

What might be best for you at this point in time is to wait until you know exactly where in Gwinnett County you will be working and then look for housing in an area that will be convenient to where you will be working.

You don't want to end up with a relatively long cross-county commute (through heavy traffic) after, for example, having moved into a home in Snellville and then finding out that you will be commuting to the other side of the county to an area like Norcross or Buford or Hoschton, etc, for work.

At this particular point in time it's probably best that you wait until you find out exactly where you will be working so that you will know where to focus your search for housing geographically.