Where to live - schools, commute, community? (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: low crime, house)

[JMatl]

Decatur for the win.

[Forhall]

Why is it that 95% of people recommend suburbs when people ask where to live? City living is becoming much more popular, hence why homes in the nicest neighborhoods regularly sell in the million dollar range or above. Commuting in Atlanta is not fun, there's no point living far outside the city and having to hop on the highway to get to work like 2 million other people every day. Virginia Highland, Candler Park, Ansley Park, and multiple areas in residential Buckhead are filled with beautiful, stately homes and filled with families with young kids.

[ATLTJL]

Virginia Highland, Candler Park, Ansley Park, and multiple areas in residential Buckhead

I think it's because the assumption is, if you have a budget of a million dollars, you want a really nice and awesome house. In the neighborhoods you mentioned, that's not always the case.

The bottom line is we're all coming at this question with our own biases because we don't know exactly what type of home the OP expects to be able to buy at his price point.

I made a large assumption based on the fact that he said he can work from home and travels a lot...but the biggest thing he said was that he works 60+ hours a week. Which means that he probably won't be doing much traveling during normal commuter hours. (it also means he's insane, but that's a totally different conversation )

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Decatur for the win.

Decatur a very close second place. B2R’s post above is the ultimate champion.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Why is it that 95% of people recommend suburbs when people ask where to live? City living is becoming much more popular, hence why homes in the nicest neighborhoods regularly sell in the million dollar range or above. Commuting in Atlanta is not fun, there's no point living far outside the city and having to hop on the highway to get to work like 2 million other people every day. Virginia Highland, Candler Park, Ansley Park, and multiple areas in residential Buckhead are filled with beautiful, stately homes and filled with families with young kids.

‘Cause if you ain’t livin’ in the suburbs, you just ain’t really livin’.

[ATLTJL]

Or it could be because Atlanta has a population of 472,000 and the metro area has a population of almost 5.8 million. That means more than 90% of the population does not live in the city. So it's playing the odds.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Why is it that 95% of people recommend suburbs when people ask where to live? City living is becoming much more popular, hence why homes in the nicest neighborhoods regularly sell in the million dollar range or above. Commuting in Atlanta is not fun, there's no point living far outside the city and having to hop on the highway to get to work like 2 million other people every day. Virginia Highland, Candler Park, Ansley Park, and multiple areas in residential Buckhead are filled with beautiful, stately homes and filled with families with young kids.

I would think someone who can comfortably spend $1+ million on a home would like some acreage with their property, which would be hard to find in the city.

Also, unless they want to limit themselves specifically to private schools, the school quality in the city frankly isn't as good as in the suburbs.

But I could be wrong.

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

You have more than a few options. What has been stated so far is pretty good. Since you want to be able to walk to restaurants and have a good school, Decatur fits very nicely as it definitely satisfies these needs. I'd say it's on the liberal side, if that matters. The good think about Decatur is unlike most people, you can afford a good area. However, you may very well end up saying, "Well, I afforded it, but I'm pretty shocked this is all I got for a million bucks!"

That's why I'm going to say what nobody else on this board says because of how it leans, but what most reasonable people in Atlanta outside of here would tell you: consider the northern suburbs. They're the preferred place to live for a reason. You'll get the best schools in the area if you stick to the Milton/Alpharetta/Johns Creek area. You'll be able to live in the kind of house someone with $1 million should be able to live in, instead of a $50,000 house on a $950k plot of land. You'll be in what I would call a moderate area chock full of overachieving kids and the parents who support them. You'll be able to have a pool, if you want one, and you'll almost definitely live in a neighborhood with a community pool. Golf if you like it.

It's such an obvious choice and where most people in your situation go. So, why wouldn't it be suggested here? Well, there are a few reasons....

1) These areas are not what one would consider walkable. I'm assuming you want to be able to walk to restaurants and bars, but you're willing to give that up for an amazing area. If you're not, the northern burbs probably aren't for you.

2) You said you want to be an hour from midtown and the airport. Believe it or not, that's a really tall order in Atlanta. Yes, there are tons of areas you can live in for this if you're willing to give up on other things. For example, Vinings will probably fit the bill, but you're stuck sticking your kid in a snooty private school. Peachtree City fits, but then you're pretty much in the middle of nowhere with not much else around you.

3) Because the northern burbs have been so good for so long, there's a bias against it on boards like this where everybody thinks everybody else wants to live in the city above all else. Maybe you do, and if so, the advice you've received is perfect.

I'm just telling you this because I'd hate for you to take the above advice as gospel, then get here and say, "Wow, I bought a house in Vinings and send my kid to Lovett, but all my co-workers are up in Milton in their 5,000 square foot houses with swimming pools, playing golf or going boating on weekends, and being part of their communities centered around top notch schools."

OR....if you'd be like, "Why am I wasting this money on a big house I don't need in a regular family oriented suburb when I could be in Decatur living in a cool Craftsman house on an urban street walking to neat restaurants and bars while my kids enjoy open-minded teachers and have transgender classmates," then that's the right decision for you.

It's up to you, and neither is better or worse than the other. Just letting you know the options!

Your friends' bragging about their 5,000 sq ft home are driving 1 hour each way if not more. Once they get to said house, if they want to go anywhere, it's back in the car. They are not telling you about the soccer games they miss etc. With a high schooler, his activities (games, concerts) are going to be on week nights. Good luck catching those if you live in Milton. And you'll be empty nesters in 4 years. After he goes to college, you won't need a 5,000 sq ft house in a great school district.

St. Pius, for example, is less than $15K a year for Catholics. The other privates are $25-30K. Either way, it's not that big a financial deal for 4 years--especially if it means you can see your kid during the week and not spend the best years of your life fighting traffic--to arrive home stressed and exhausted.

I had to laugh when he called the intown private schools "snooty" in the same post as talking about Johns Creek/Milton/Alpharetta as a place where "You'll be able to live in the kind of house someone with $1 million should be able to live in". If that is the attitude in those parts, I would think the kids will end up far more entitled and "snooty" than those of us living intown in smaller, older homes and paying for our kids to go to independent schools.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

You'll be able to live in the kind of house someone with $1 million should be able to live in, instead of a $50,000 house on a $950k plot of land. You'll be in what I would call a moderate area chock full of overachieving kids and the parents who support them. You'll be able to have a pool, if you want one, and you'll almost definitely live in a neighborhood with a community pool. Golf if you like it.

Folks these days act like spending $1 million on a house is a big deal.

[SharenaLoggins]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Best post of the thread.

This is actually an excellent post!

We recently were considering Cobb County specifically Kennesaw, Acworth and Marietta because of the schools but we ended up staying in North Fulton. We moved to Roswell from Sandy Springs. I love both areas but school district was super important because I have a hearing impaired son.

In regards to public schools and school districts you pickings are rather slim. That's the one other thing besides worrying about your commute that makes finding the perfect location difficult.

Both areas would work well for your family but traffic is horrible no matter where you go.