Northern Suburb advice - Need help choosing one (Atlanta, Roswell: crime, theater)

[cb4618]

Thanks so much for the feedback so far. I like PC (it's similar to where we live today I think), but... few more questions:

Does it matter that we also like the outdoor / hiking lifestyle (not sure if you need to be North of the city for that)

I also have family in Nashville that will travel in frequently. Does PC add a lot of time to travel and does that impact recommendations for location?

[Clayton white guy]

Peachtree City is not a bad drive to the North Georgia Mountains, but it is also close to our "fall line" range between Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia southwest of Atlanta. There is Callaway Gardens (which is great for hiking and biking as well as its gorgeous scenery) and the famous Pine Mountain hiking trail all in Harris and Meriwether Counties not too far from Peachtree City.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cb4618

Thanks so much for the feedback so far. I like PC (it's similar to where we live today I think), but... few more questions:

Does it matter that we also like the outdoor / hiking lifestyle (not sure if you need to be North of the city for that)

I also have family in Nashville that will travel in frequently. Does PC add a lot of time to travel and does that impact recommendations for location?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that many people think you have to be north of the city or in the North Metro to have easier access to the hiking/mountain-like lifestyle. Atlanta is so full of transplants that too many do not know about true gems in other parts of Georgia and Eastern Alabama--with very easy access to Peachtree City.

Check out this link (even though I went ahead and copied the contents below):

//www.city-data.com/forum/47048818-post7.html



There are actually mountains southwest of Metro Atlanta and southwest of Peachtree City. A very convenient (and lovely and scenic) trip from PTC. The Pine Mountain Range:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Mountain_Range

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._D._...elt_State_Park

F.D. Roosevelt State Park | Georgia State Parks

Pine Mountain


The Cheaha Mountain Area in nearby Alabama (convenient to PTC) is also a good option:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheaha_Mountain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheaha_State_Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheaha_Wilderness

Cheaha State Park | Alapark

[LTCM]

PTC is a great place. Really great place.

It's also not really all that close to the airport. The reason lots of airport workers live there is because there's not much traffic between PTC and Hartsfield. But that's just a symptom of it being isolated from center of the Northside based metro. It also has the airport worker infrastructure built up which attracts more airport workers.

Great city. Great schools. Great people. Pretty far from the center of the metro around the buckhead area. For someone new to the area I believe it's important for you to know that.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by LTCM

PTC is a great place. Really great place.

It's also not really all that close to the airport. The reason lots of airport workers live there is because there's not much traffic between PTC and Hartsfield. But that's just a symptom of it being isolated from center of the Northside based metro. It also has the airport worker infrastructure built up which attracts more airport workers.

Great city. Great schools. Great people. Pretty far from the center of the metro around the buckhead area. For someone new to the area I believe it's important for you to know that.

Only Smyrna and Dunwoody are the same distance as PTC from the airport. The others (Alpharetta, Woodstock, Cumming, etc.) are much further away.

But of course, again, it must be emphasized that even with Smyrna and Dunwoody being roughly the same distance from the airport as PTC, traffic is much worse from Smyrna and Dunwoody which will greatly increase drive times.

As far as how close an area is to Buckhead, meh, literally everything one needs in terms of amenities can be found in PTC or neighboring Newnan without having to go to Buckhead.

[markjames68]

There seems to be so much focus on airport proximity. OP said -

“but I need to be within an hour or so from the airport for a few flights a month.”

This hardly seems like a burden.

I live in Alpharetta. I had an 8:20am flight on a Friday recently, that returned on Sunday late afternoon.

I left the house at around 5:45am and was at the airport within 45 minutes. At the gate by 7. On the return journey it took also around 45 minutes, maybe a few minutes more.

OP doesn’t need to commute into Atlanta and has flexibility on flight times. OP doesn’t work at Delta.

Realistically, ANY of OP’s choices will work.

PTC is nice, but don’t think that everywhere else means an airport drive from hell and therefore should be excluded. It isn’t unless you are trying to drive to the airport during rush hour. Even then, it’s a few times a month. Not a few times a week.

I had it a lot worse when I lived on Long Island in NY and flew out of La Guardia or JFK.

[ATLTJL]

Cliff's notes version:

East Cobb - 80s houses with big yards and really congested roads

Roswell - nice houses that aged well, isolated pockets have gone downhill, downtown is great and a playground for the older set (30s, 40s, 50s people).

Johns Creek - best schools in the city, easy access to outdoor activities, friendly people, far from highways that go downtown

Milton/ Crabapple - horse farms and very new houses on huge plots of land, upscale without being redneck.

Cumming - explosive growth, big expensive houses, blend of new money and rural, new and shiny

Woodstock - cool, but southern downtown, family friendly, southern culture

Dunwoody - older, nice, gridlocked roads, most parts aged extremely well with constantly updated retail

Smyrna/ Marietta - old, only small pockets have updated, poorest of the areas you listed, I wouldn't go here if I had $700k.

Peachtree City - family friendly, well-kept up, golf carts everywhere, isolated and by itself...if you can't find what you need in PTC, you're driving. A lot.

[Iconographer]

I get so tickled when I hear suburbs like Dunwoody, Roswell, Smyrna and Marietta referred to as 'older'.

A suburb is not older unless it's older than me.

[autolycus25]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

I get so tickled when I hear suburbs like Dunwoody, Roswell, Smyrna and Marietta referred to as 'older'.

A suburb is not older unless it's older than me.

Well Roswell does have some of the oldest houses in the metro area... houses like Bulloch, Barrington, Smith, Primrose Cottage, etc. :wink:

[ATLTJL]

A suburb is not older unless it's older than me.

Smyrna was incorporated in 1872.

What year were you born?



https://georgia.gov/cities-counties/smyrna