Looking for the best schools— particularly high schools! (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: condos, townhomes)

[Lisalu910]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

My husband and three children (6, 8, and 11) will be likely moving from St. Louis to Atlanta in time for the 2018-2019 school year (I will be moving down in January, and they will follow me). We are looking for the best schools public schools Georgia has to offer particularly STEM, but the arts are important as well. Our budget is 600,000 but is somewhat flexible. My husband will be working at Lockheed-Martin, and I will be working at SunTrust downtown. Access to the airport would be nice. We're currently half an hours drive from our city's airport, but I understand that probably won't be realistic in ATL. Close proximity to shopping and entertainment is relatively important too, and I'd like to be within a 15 minute drive of a Costco. Also coming from an area that has a large number of municipalities, does it matter if you live in an unincorporated area in Georgia or not?

You have quite a laundry list of requirements!

Based on your criteria of being near I-75 to get downtown and/or to Lockheed-Martin AND near a Costco, one idea is to look somewhere in the North East Cobb area, such as Kennesaw. There you have the busy Barrett Parkway area with plenty of restaurants and shopping, including a Costco. It is right on I-75 for quick access. Also, you can catch a commuter bus in Kennesaw that will take you downtown during working hours.

If you are looking for the very best schools the Atlanta area has to offer, though, in Cobb County these would be Walton, Lassiter, and Pope high schools. These are in some of the nicest suburbs in the metro area, but none of them are quickly accessible to the interstate. The Walton district would probably be best for getting on 120 to I-75, and is probably closest to Lockheed-Martin (however, it is NOT near a Costco. You'd have to go 20-30 minutes to either the Dunwoody or Kennesaw locations.)

So for East Cobb, at least, it might be difficult to match up all your criteria. Just to give you an example, I live in the Lassiter area, which is a 10 minute drive to I-75, a 15 minute drive to Costco, and perhaps a 20 minute drive to Lockheed-Martin (going straight down 41/Cobb Pkwy.) To get downtown with light traffic might take you 30 minutes, but during rush hour it could easily be an hour or more. However, the commuter bus stop in Kennesaw is less than 10 minutes away.

(A bonus for this area, though, is that if your kids want to take dual enrollment college classes when they get to high school, Kennesaw State University is also about 10 minutes away and has a great dual enrollment program.)


There are other areas of town that might meet your needs, such as the intown neighborhoods like Morningside or Virginia Highlands. These are upscale, gentrified neighborhoods with an "artsy" vibe, quite unlike the suburbs. And there is a Costco fairly nearby. It would be easy for you to get to your job downtown, but a haul for your husband to get to Lockheed-Martin (however, he would be going against traffic for his commute.) The primary schools in these neighborhoods are good, but the public high schools aren't necessarily the best, and everyone I know who lives in the area sends their kids to private school. That might be something you'd check into. (example: Grady High School is one that serves this area https://www.schooldigger.com/go/GA/s...66/school.aspx)

These areas are just two examples. Others might include Vinings, in West Cobb, which is a well situated for both your jobs and near Costco at Cumberland Mall. I can't tell you a lot about it, other than it is an upscale community and right off 285/75 so you have easy access to the city (AND to the new baseball stadium!) I don't know anything about the schools there, but you might want to check that out.

PS... I forgot about the airport! Of all these choices, Vinings would probably have the quickest proximity to the airport since you can get right on 285. From intown, it would be about 20 minutes with light traffic, from East Cobb it would be 45 minutes with light traffic.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Lisalu910

...

Just to give you an example, I live in the Lassiter area...

My point exactly.



(And Kennesaw is not in North East Cobb. You need to stop giving inaccurate advice on this forum.)

[Soccernerd]

Close proximity to a Costco is more of a want, but I don't really see the point of having a long drive (15 minutes or more) to shop at one. We would prefer a location that you could almost use as a daily or weekly grocery store. That just might not exist in Cobb County. If that's the case, I guess we'd cancel our membership and just shop at Publix and Target or something.
Priorities in order of importance:
1) rigorous high schools with high academic standards
2) commute distance/time
3) an Episcopal Church within 20 minutes or so (that's really a function of simply looking up locations on the diocese's website though)
4) access to Costco
5) proximity airport
6) proximity to a Macy's
7) an incorporated area of some kind

[PTC Dad]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

Close proximity to a Costco is more of a want, but I don't really see the point of having a long drive (15 minutes or more) to shop at one. We would prefer a location that you could almost use as a daily or weekly grocery store. That just might not exist in Cobb County. If that's the case, I guess we'd cancel our membership and just shop at Publix and Target or something.
Priorities in order of importance:
1) rigorous high schools with high academic standards
2) commute distance/time
3) an Episcopal Church within 20 minutes or so (that's really a function of simply looking up locations on the diocese's website though)
4) access to Costco
5) proximity airport
6) proximity to a Macy's
7) an incorporated area of some kind

I still think the Walton, Lassiter, Pope or Harrison districts are your best bet. There's also a Costco at Cumberland which is probably 15-20 minutes away from East Cobb. That certainly beats being 50 minutes away from a Costco down here in Peachtree City because Sam's Club and BJ's aren't the same.

[Soccernerd]

I am opposed to Walmart and anything associated with them. Truthfully, it's probably not any worse than other big box store. Regardless, one of my friends is members at Sam's and I wasn't impressed with what I saw at all.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

Close proximity to a Costco is more of a want, but I don't really see the point of having a long drive (15 minutes or more) to shop at one. We would prefer a location that you could almost use as a daily or weekly grocery store. That just might not exist in Cobb County. If that's the case, I guess we'd cancel our membership and just shop at Publix and Target or something.
Priorities in order of importance:
1) rigorous high schools with high academic standards
2) commute distance/time
3) an Episcopal Church within 20 minutes or so (that's really a function of simply looking up locations on the diocese's website though)
4) access to Costco
5) proximity airport
6) proximity to a Macy's
7) an incorporated area of some kind

There are only 10 Costco locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area, nine of which are located on the Northside and two of which are located in Cobb County (in the Cumberland and Kennesaw areas) and three of which (Cumberland, Kennesaw and Sandy Springs) can be relatively very easily accessed from East Cobb County which is home to at least four highly-rated and highly-regarded public high schools with rigorous academic curriculums and high academic standards.

East Cobb County also provides access to a fourth Costco location in Alpharetta in neighboring North Fulton County.

Like PTC Dad alluded to, the Costco locations at Cumberland, Kennesaw and Sandy Springs are only minutes away from an attractive enclave like East Cobb.

Cobb County (particularly the area of county known as East Cobb with the highest-rated and highest-regarded public schools) provides the best commuting access to both your husband's job at Lockheed-Martin at Dobbins ARB in Marietta and your job at SunTrust Plaza in Downtown Atlanta.

Cobb County also provides relatively very good access to the world-leading Atlanta Airport, particularly by way of the West Wall of I-285 during peak traffic hours, but also by way of I-75/I-85 through Atlanta during off-peak hours.

Cobb County is also home to two Macy's locations at Cumberland (Cumberland Mall) and Kennesaw (Town Center Mall) and is within reasonable driving distance of three other Macy's locations in Dunwoody (Perimeter Mall), Buckhead (Lenox Square Mall...Macy's flagship location in Georgia) and Alpharetta (North Point Mall).

Many of the areas that you look at with excellent schools and a very high quality-of-life in Cobb County will not be located in incorporated areas....Which whether or not an area is incorporated will not be of consequence anyway because the Cobb County government provides municipal services at a very high level in unincorporated areas, particularly in affluent areas like East Cobb and West Cobb.

With the extremely/exceptionally high quality of the public schools there and with your husband's job being located there and your job being located in Downtown Atlanta (along with the presence of retail amenities that you highly desire like Costco and Macy's), Cobb County by far remains your best and most attractive choice for relocating to Georgia.

[AtlJan]

Another vote for East Cobb but don't rule out Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs. You'll be closer to town and it is a great school.

[Soccernerd]

My husband and I are going down Labor Day weekend to look. I think East Cobb is the best option at least on paper. We'll also look at West Cobb and the Riverwood district. The Riverwood area will have better access to retail and the city, but it looks like a lot of the housing within our budget is older or multi family. We'll see though.

[PTC Dad]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

My husband and I are going down Labor Day weekend to look. I think East Cobb is the best option at least on paper. We'll also look at West Cobb and the Riverwood district. The Riverwood area will have better access to retail and the city, but it looks like a lot of the housing within our budget is older or multi family. We'll see though.

https://www.schooldigger.com/go/GA/s...87/school.aspx

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

Another vote for East Cobb but don't rule out Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs. You'll be closer to town and it is a great school.

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

My husband and I are going down Labor Day weekend to look. I think East Cobb is the best option at least on paper. We'll also look at West Cobb and the Riverwood district. The Riverwood area will have better access to retail and the city, but it looks like a lot of the housing within our budget is older or multi family. We'll see though.

Yes, Riverwood is a jewel. Thank you, AtlJan, for listing this option as well for Soccernerd.