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My family has a job offer in ATL and are thinking of relocating from Denver. We've lived in Denver for the last 8 years and have really enjoyed it, but are kind of interested in a change since we're not originally from here and I hate cold weather. We have a small bungalow in a walkable part of the city and enjoy the city lifestyle.
We're planning on visiting soon and need advice on neighborhoods and schools to check out.
Were looking for...
a diverse community both neighborhood wise and school wise (racially, linguistically, economically, lgbtq open, all over diversity)
walkable to restaurants, parks, coffee shops, libraries, etc.
access public transportation
good schools (not test scores necessarily, but solid public schools with community, NOT charter)
safe (common city safe)
preschool and elementary is where our kids are now, but planning for middle & hs does APS run by neighborhood boundaries or lottery/choice system??
A friend recommended West End, would that fit the criteria well?? any other areas to check out?
Also, any info on working in APS. I'm a teacher and would love any insight.
My family has a job offer in ATL and are thinking of relocating from Denver. We've lived in Denver for the last 8 years and have really enjoyed it, but are kind of interested in a change since we're not originally from here and I hate cold weather. We have a small bungalow in a walkable part of the city and enjoy the city lifestyle.
We're planning on visiting soon and need advice on neighborhoods and schools to check out.
Were looking for...
a diverse community both neighborhood wise and school wise (racially, linguistically, economically, lgbtq open, all over diversity)
walkable to restaurants, parks, coffee shops, libraries, etc.
access public transportation
good schools (not test scores necessarily, but solid public schools with community, NOT charter)
safe (common city safe)
preschool and elementary is where our kids are now, but planning for middle & hs does APS run by neighborhood boundaries or lottery/choice system??
A friend recommended West End, would that fit the criteria well?? any other areas to check out?
Also, any info on working in APS. I'm a teacher and would love any insight.
tia
With the possible exception of an LGBTQ-friendly environment much of the diversity and good schools that you are looking for will be found in the extremely expansive (and not necessarily all that walkable) Atlanta suburbs and not necessarily as much as you might like within the City of Atlanta proper itself.
The West End area of Atlanta is definitely an area on the rise with much potential as Intown and urban/city living continues to become more popular. But the quality of the schools in the West End area might not necessarily be up to where many might like them to be.
The schools in the West End area have the potential to improve as the schools in other parts of the city have improved as Intown living has become more popular and trendy in recent years. But the schools in that area still have a ways to go before reaching their full potential... Though there are many bright spots in the schools that one such as yourself should look closely to find before writing them off completely.
The West End area (an area that is home to the multiple high-profile HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) of the Atlanta University Center) is continuing to improve on economic diversity with more middle-class residents moving back into the area as urban living has become more popular and trendy in recent years... But the West End area still appears to be a ways from being the type of racially and ethnically diverse that you seem to desire as the area (along with almost all of Southwest Atlanta) is overwhelmingly predominantly Black.
Not unlike most major American city/metros (particularly throughout the Sunbelt), Atlanta is overwhelmingly a suburban-oriented city/metro, one that is more suburban-oriented than probably any other large major city/metro on the entire globe with the area's generally extremely low-density transit-deficient automobile-oriented nature.
You probably will not find anywhere near as much walkability in Atlanta as you may currently enjoy in Denver... And the relatively very little walkability that you do find will be in relatively very limited supply and often highly-priced, particularly if that walkability is in an area of good schools and lots of amenities.
Going back to the earlier point about the type of "all over diversity" that you desire... Most of that type of extreme diversity in the Atlanta area is found in outlying Northside outer-suburban areas like North Fulton County and (especially) Gwinnett County and (to a slightly lesser extent) Cobb County.
Along with the increasingly extreme diversity, outlying Northside outer-suburban areas like North Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb also have some of the best public schools in the Southeastern United States south of the Northern Virginia suburbs outside of Washington D.C.
APS (Atlanta Public Schools) is not the largest and most high-profile school system in the Atlanta area.
The most high-profile (and the most highly-touted) school systems in the Atlanta area are in Fulton County (especially in North Fulton County), Gwinnett County and Cobb County in a ring of the North Atlanta suburbs (sometimes known as the "Northern Crescent" or the "Golden Crescent") where the most diversity is found in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest public school system in both the Atlanta metropolitan area and in the state of Georgia. The Cobb County School District is the second-largest public school system in metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia.
The DeKalb County School District is the third-largest public school system in metro Atlanta and Georgia. The Fulton County School system is the fourth-largest public school system in metro Atlanta and Georgia. Atlanta Public Schools is the fifth-largest public school system in metro Atlanta and Georgia.
Both the North Fulton and Gwinnett areas feature some of the most diversity in the entire Southeastern U.S. with very large Asian, Hispanic/Latino and Black populations... Though housing appears to be somewhat scarce in North Fulton County at the moment but is in greater supply throughout much of Gwinnett County.
The problem for you is that these Northern Crescent/Golden Crescent areas of extreme racial and linguistic diversity served by good-to-great-to-excellent-to-exceptional public schools are generally NOT walkable areas... To the contrary, these Northern Crescent/Golden Crescent areas of extreme racial and linguistic diversity served by good schools are very suburban (about as suburban as one can get on the entire North American continent and even planet for that matter), very low-density, extremely automobile-oriented/dominated and extremely transit-deficient.
You should be forewarned that you are not going to get the type of walkable/transit-accessible city lifestyle that you may currently enjoy in Denver. Atlanta is going to be a whole different ball of wax as far as urban living goes.
I don't know what your budget is, but if you want walkable Intown/city living (by Atlanta standards) in the Atlanta area, you should look in Intown Atlanta/ITP (Inside-the-Perimeter) metro Atlanta districts and neighborhoods with good-to-dramatically improving schools like:
> Decatur (on a subway line with an excellent school system but with a highly-priced low supply of housing)...
> Kirkwood...
> Edgewood...
> Reynoldstown...
> Cabbagetown...
> East Atlanta/East Atlanta Village...
> Ormewood Park...
> Glenwood Park...
> Grant Park...
> Sweet Auburn...
> Old Fourth Ward...
> Inman Park...
> Little Five Points...
> Poncey-Highland...
> Virginia Highland...
> Midtown...
> Atlantic Station...
> Buckhead...
> Brookhaven...
> Chamblee...
> Vinings.
Along with West End, areas like East Point, College Park and Hapeville are Intown areas that you could look in on the Southside... Though the quality of the schools may not necessarily be up to where one may like them to be in those Southside areas.
Again, be forewarned that walkability and transit access in Atlanta will not quite be on the same plain as you may currently find it to be in Denver. There's a long political, cultural and social aversion to transit in Atlanta and the Southeastern U.S. that has retarded transit quality in this area. That political/cultural/social aversion to transit is just now starting to subside a little bit, but (outside of the relatively very limited service area of Atlanta's MARTA Heavy Rail Transit/subway system) development of transit infrastructure in Atlanta generally still has a long ways to be at the level that transit infrastructure might be in a progressive Western major metro area like Denver.
The crime issue likely will also be different in Atlanta than it is in Denver. The incidence of violent crime in the City of Atlanta proper is way, way, way down from where it was in the years and decades before Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. But the Atlanta metro has a much larger (infinitely larger) transient population than a Western metro like Denver and continues to experience a relatively high rate of crime in general, including violent crime.
(...Homicides are less than half of what they were in the City of Atlanta proper between 1970 and 1994, but armed robberies, assaults, etc, along with home and car break-ins, car thefts, etc, continue to be occurrences of crime that are not all that uncommon throughout much of the city and the surrounding metro area.)
When it comes to crime, just think of Atlanta as being almost in a similar universe as Los Angeles crime at times (...I have a very vivid memory of when metro Atlanta led the nation in bank robberies (more than perennial bank robbery leader Los Angeles) back in the late-2000's.)
A crime rate that may be considered very low by Atlanta standards may be considered significantly higher by Denver standards.
I think you will like Decatur, Va-Hi, Old Forth Ward, Candler Park. I think Decatur will be the best school option. It will really come down to your budget for housing - all these areas are in hot real estate markets...
I think you will like Decatur, Va-Hi, Old Forth Ward, Candler Park. I think Decatur will be the best school option. It will really come down to your budget for housing - all these areas are in hot real estate markets...
These are all reasonable suggestions, and if you are coming from Denver the sticker shock on real estate there might not be as bad as it is for those coming from lower cost areas.
Thanks everyone for all of the info! This gives us a lot to research so we can be more specific when visiting. It sounds kind of similar to the Phoenix metro feel that does have some pockets of walkability, but overall is very car dependent. The city feel is something we've really enjoyed about Denver since moving here so that's definitely something to think about.
Denver's housing prices are unreal these days so I can't imagine we would be shocked at housing prices, but I'll look into these areas.
Favorite day or weekend trips out of Atlanta? favorite festivals/ events? kid friendly activities?? must see while we visit???
What is the overall feel of Atlanta culture wise. Background- I'm from nola, spouse is from Phx. My mom grew up in ATL but she hasn't been back since high school so all I can get out of her is... 'ohh it was just so long ago'
Does your mom remember what street she grew up on? It might be fun to visit there, and see if maybe that neighborhood has the kind of amenities you're interested in?
My family has a job offer in ATL and are thinking of relocating from Denver. We've lived in Denver for the last 8 years and have really enjoyed it, but are kind of interested in a change since we're not originally from here and I hate cold weather. We have a small bungalow in a walkable part of the city and enjoy the city lifestyle.
We're planning on visiting soon and need advice on neighborhoods and schools to check out.
Were looking for...
a diverse community both neighborhood wise and school wise (racially, linguistically, economically, lgbtq open, all over diversity)
walkable to restaurants, parks, coffee shops, libraries, etc.
access public transportation
good schools (not test scores necessarily, but solid public schools with community, NOT charter)
safe (common city safe)
preschool and elementary is where our kids are now, but planning for middle & hs does APS run by neighborhood boundaries or lottery/choice system??
A friend recommended West End, would that fit the criteria well?? any other areas to check out?
Also, any info on working in APS. I'm a teacher and would love any insight.
tia
What part of Denver are you in now? What is your budget?
Here are some answers to what you are looking for:
Atlanta is far more racially and ethnically diverse. Denver is becoming more diverse, but it still has a long way to go.
Most of Metro Atlanta is car centric, but there are a few walkable areas. Atlanta lacks Denver's residential neighborhoods with blocks and blocks of family housing like Wash Park, Congress Park, Park Hill, etc.
Public Transportation is similar. Atlanta has way better service to the airport, but Denver's system in general is newer. I think Atlanta's bus system is better.
DPS is better than APS. Atlanta schools have the same problems most other big city schools have. There are pockets of solid schools, but it's tough to find a good public HS like East High in Denver. There are other good school systems close to the City of Atlanta like Decatur though.
School attendance is based on neighborhood boundaries. No lottery except at Charter schools.
Most of suburban Atlanta OTP (outside the perimeter interstate 285) is basically Highlands Ranch.
Thanks everyone for all of the info! This gives us a lot to research so we can be more specific when visiting. It sounds kind of similar to the Phoenix metro feel that does have some pockets of walkability, but overall is very car dependent. The city feel is something we've really enjoyed about Denver since moving here so that's definitely something to think about.
How ever sprawling and automobile-dependent a metro area like Phoenix may be (and Phoenix is very much a sprawling, automobile-dependent metro area), Atlanta is a likely multitude of times worse than Phoenix.
As sprawling and as automobile-dependent as Phoenix may be, Phoenix's developed area is relatively extremely compact by comparison to Atlanta which is known to be possibly the lowest-density metro area/region on the entire planet.
Metropolitan Atlanta with its overwhelming multitude of county governments (somewhere between up to 30 and 40 county governments total depending upon one's definition of the metro area/region) spreads out like no other and has developed a well-deserved reputation over the past 2-3 decades of being "the poster child for sprawl."
Phoenix's metropolitan developed area, while sprawling, is set up mostly on a strict grid of north-south, east-west roads that are pretty much located about a mile apart.
Atlanta's metropolitan developed area includes not even semblance of such an organized grid pattern of roads. Atlanta's metropolitan road network, which was basically fashioned from a series of winding Native American foot trails, much more resembles a very large plate of disorganized spaghetti than any kind of organized grid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iakam007
Denver's housing prices are unreal these days so I can't imagine we would be shocked at housing prices, but I'll look into these areas.
Atlanta's housing prices likely still have quite a ways to go before reaching the level of a city/metro like Denver. But with an apparent tight supply of housing inventory throughout many of the more desirable parts of the metro area (an apparent tight supply of housing fueled by a series of high-profile corporate relocations into the north side of the Atlanta area from the Northern U.S. along with an exploding television and film production industry on the south side of the Atlanta metro area), housing prices (including rental rates) through some key swaths of the Atlanta area are higher than they have historically been as of late.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iakam007
Favorite day or weekend trips out of Atlanta?
Lots of day and/or weekend trips possible out of Atlanta to places all around the Southeastern U.S. like:
> Savannah/Hilton Head Island and the Georgia/South Carolina coast on the Atlantic Ocean...
> Florida, including the Florida Panhandle beaches of the Gulf Coast as well as the beach and resort areas of the Florida peninsula...
> The Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coasts (including areas near and around Mobile, Alabama and Biloxi, Mississippi)...
> The Natchez Trace Parkway historic and scenic drive through Mississippi, northwest Alabama and Tennessee...
> The Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian mountain ranges and recreational and scenic areas of North Georgia, Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina (an area that includes extremely popular tourist-oriented areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Asheville, NC; Knoxville, TN; Gatlinburg/Piegon Forge/Sevierville, TN; the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, etc)...
> Chattanooga, Tennessee (a progressive scenic small Southeastern city with lots to do and see)...
> Nashville, Tennessee (a bustling and booming Southeastern metropolis with a vibrant live music scene that is about one-third the size and population of Atlanta)...
> Greenville, South Carolina (a small city with a really nice downtown area that attracts lots of regional visitors)...
> Charleston, South Carolina (historic city with historic architecture and culture).
Quote:
Originally Posted by iakam007
favorite festivals/ events? kid friendly activities?? must see while we visit???
Lots of different small neighborhood festivals in areas scattered throughout Intown/ITP (Inside-the-Perimeter) and OTP (Outside-the-Perimeter) metro Atlanta and North Georgia.
Kid-friendly activities include Stone Mountain, Fernbank Museum of Natural History; the massive Georgia Aquarium; The World of Coca-Cola; the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site; Center for Civil and Human Rights, the fountains at Centennial Olympic Park on a hot day, the top of a downtown skyscraper, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iakam007
What is the overall feel of Atlanta culture wise. Background- I'm from nola, spouse is from Phx. My mom grew up in ATL but she hasn't been back since high school so all I can get out of her is... 'ohh it was just so long ago'
Atlanta is an extremely transient city/metro with most of the people who live in the city/metro (probably nearly two-thirds of the metro area population) coming from either another city, another state or another country.
Atlanta features an extremely/exceptionally large black population (largest black population of any metro area in the nation outside of New York)...probably more black people in politics and business than in any other large major metro area in the country, large/massive black middle-class ("black metropolis").
Increasingly extremely diverse suburban areas (particularly in North Fulton and Gwinnett counties where there are booming Asian populations along with booming Hispanic and black populations).
Deeply politically, socially and culturally conservative suburbs, outer-suburbs and exurbs (the Atlanta region features some of the most conservative suburban/outer-suburban/exurban areas in the entire U.S.).
Overall the Atlanta area is a strange mix of very heavy Northern influences (particularly from the Northeastern and Great Lakes regions of the Northern U.S.), some noticeable West Coast influences with people who have moved into the area from California and Deep, Deep, Deep South culture (Appalachian foothills and Piedmont culture with a small amount of Atlantic and Gulf coastal influence).
Atlanta is not as cultural and as socially defined as a Denver or a New Orleans or even a Phoenix. Atlanta can sometimes feel like its a miniature Southeastern version of Los Angeles' "there's no there, there."
Atlanta has changed a lot since your mother left the area after high school. The Atlanta metro area is probably 3-4 times larger than it might have been when your mother lived here when she was young. The Atlanta area has gone on an extreme population growth spurt since about 1980, with a brief but jarring slowdown during the Great Recession and a noticeable pick up in growth again since the end of the Great Recession. Because of the extreme population growth spurt (fueled largely by people moving to the Atlanta area in droves from other parts of the U.S. and the world) over the last 3-4 decades, much (but not all) of the Atlanta area may have a noticeably less-Southern type of feel than many other Southern city/metros.
Atlanta has grown into a technology hub of sorts. Atlanta also has emerged as the second-largest television and film production hub on the entire planet after only Los Angeles. Television and film production has (along with Hip-Hop music production) become a massive business in Atlanta and Georgia, a factor which has given the area a Hollywood type of feel to many onlookers.
What is the overall feel of Atlanta culture wise. Background- I'm from nola, spouse is from Phx. My mom grew up in ATL but she hasn't been back since high school so all I can get out of her is... 'ohh it was just so long ago'
I lived in Uptown New Orleans for a while and absolutely loved it, but I decided to move to Atlanta because I wanted to be somewhere a little more metropolitan, with more of the conveniences that a bigger city can offer. I really enjoy living in Reynoldstown, and lots of places on the east side; East Atlanta Village, Little 5 Points, Edgewood Avenue (not the Edgewood neighborhood), and spots in the Old 4th Ward feel very comfortable to someone used to life in New Orleans. It's different, but it feels good.
Everybody will tell you that the best schools are out in the suburbs, and that may be true, but look at schools like Burgess-Peterson Academy and Jackson High School; intown schools are improving and worthy of investment.
How ever sprawling and automobile-dependent a metro area like Phoenix may be (and Phoenix is very much a sprawling, automobile-dependent metro area), Atlanta is a likely multitude of times worse than Phoenix.
As sprawling and as automobile-dependent as Phoenix may be, Phoenix's developed area is relatively extremely compact by comparison to Atlanta which is known to be possibly the lowest-density metro area/region on the entire planet.
I didn't think the OP was moving outside of the US, so that comparison is irrelevant, and reeks of hyperbole. Plus Phoenix's public transit isn't on par with that of Atlanta. At least ITP (inside I-285), Atlanta's public transit system (however lacking it may be) does make a less-car-dependent lifestyle possible.
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