Opinions on zip code 30008.....Marietta (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: renting, crime rates, new home)

[Winetime12]

All,
I would like to get your opinions on zip code 30008 in Marietta. I relocated to Atlanta for a job about a year ago, and have been renting in the Cumberland area, where my job is also located. Now I would like to purchase a home , my preference would be new construction.

My budget is 350k-500k. Lifestyle wise I’m mid 30s, single professional , work and travel a lot. I go out most weekends downtown or check out new neighborhoods etc. I found a new development in the 30008 , that has new construction homes for under 350k. The homes are very nice and the subdivision also looks well maintained.

I’ve been out to the subdivision a couple of times and drove around the area. The surrounding area is not luxurious, I didn’t notice any red flags or anything that would make me feel unsafe. However in speaking with several locals they said the area is Terrible, lots of crime? And it would be a mistake to buy there. Also searching this forum all the threads with that zip are very negative, although from a few years ago. Also there may be an issue with flooding in the neighborhood as it’s close to Austell?

I really like the house, the location is 20 minutes to my work on the roads, 30 minutes to downtown, 15 minutes to Marietta square and close to a lot of shopping, however if it’s not safe then it’s not worth it of course.

So I’d like some further local opinions from locals, would you move to this zip code if you were me?? Some further information is I’m not home a lot , sometimes gone for weeks at a time and don’t want to worry about property crime, I will have a security system as well. The other neighborhood I’m considering is Sandy Springs however I won’t be able to get a detached home new construction within my budget.


Thank you for your advice.

[flyonpa]

Not good... I don't like zipcodes with three consecutive zero in the middle.

Its just a Zero thing for me.

[evannole]

30008 is awfully large, stretching basically from the Square all the way to the East-West Connector at Powder Springs Road. If you could narrow things down a bit more, we could probably provide more input.

I am a bit biased, but I would generally say that the closer you can be to the Square, particularly in that zip code, the better.

[Winetime12]

Very close to the connector and the movie theater, about 15 minutes from the square

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Winetime12

All,
I would like to get your opinions on zip code 30008 in Marietta. I relocated to Atlanta for a job about a year ago, and have been renting in the Cumberland area, where my job is also located. Now I would like to purchase a home , my preference would be new construction.

My budget is 350k-500k. Lifestyle wise I’m mid 30s, single professional , work and travel a lot. I go out most weekends downtown or check out new neighborhoods etc. I found a new development in the 30008 , that has new construction homes for under 350k. The homes are very nice and the subdivision also looks well maintained.

I’ve been out to the subdivision a couple of times and drove around the area. The surrounding area is not luxurious, I didn’t notice any red flags or anything that would make me feel unsafe. However in speaking with several locals they said the area is Terrible, lots of crime? And it would be a mistake to buy there. Also searching this forum all the threads with that zip are very negative, although from a few years ago. Also there may be an issue with flooding in the neighborhood as it’s close to Austell?

I really like the house, the location is 20 minutes to my work on the roads, 30 minutes to downtown, 15 minutes to Marietta square and close to a lot of shopping, however if it’s not safe then it’s not worth it of course.

So I’d like some further local opinions from locals, would you move to this zip code if you were me?? Some further information is I’m not home a lot , sometimes gone for weeks at a time and don’t want to worry about property crime, I will have a security system as well. The other neighborhood I’m considering is Sandy Springs however I won’t be able to get a detached home new construction within my budget.


Thank you for your advice.

The area inside of the 30008 zip code is not nearly as bad as some might portray it to be, but there are some elements of it that are not necessarily the absolute greatest either.

It is generally an area that is a working-class area with lots of transient (lower-income, less financially stable) elements to it.

Generally speaking, there probably could be better areas that one could buy into with a budget of $350-500k.

Though, there are some areas at the very northern tip of the 30008 zip code that are closest to Downtown Marietta and the historic Marietta Square that currently look to be on the rise and executing their redevelopment potential.

If I were you I would definitely keep that home on your list of options while continuing to do much more homework on the area (talk more to the neighbors, examine crime rates, research resale value should you decide to sell in a few years, etc). I would also continue to look for an area that I might feel more comfortable about buying in at that price range.

Speaking of resale value, homes in the 30008 zip code that are located within the boundaries of the City of Marietta proper (an area that is served by the Marietta City Schools system) potentially may have greater resale value than homes in the 30008 zip code that are located in unincorporated Cobb County, which is served by the cluster of schools anchored by Osborne High School in the Cobb County School District system.

Osborne High School is a good school if one comes from a working-class or less-affluent background. I should know because I have family that has graduated from there, including a cousin that graduated with honors from there a few years ago.

But the school has a very high population of lower-income transient students and families, along with a high population of ESL (English as a Second Language) students that pulls on the school's test scores and overall academic ratings.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Winetime12

Very close to the connector and the movie theater, about 15 minutes from the square

I think that I might know almost exactly where you are talking about.

I should also add that part of the 30008 zip code that is located in unincorporated Cobb County and is served by the Cobb County School District also feeds into the cluster of schools anchored by South Cobb High School... Which is a school that, much like Osborne High School, is/can be a good option for working-class students and families from less-affluent backgrounds, but that also has a large population of transient students and families that pulls on academic ratings and scores.

South Cobb High School appears to be rated slightly higher than Osborne High School, but the high transient student/family population is still somewhat of a significant drag on academic ratings and scores.

Just beware of that, both if you ever plan to have children, or if you might have to sell the house at anytime in the future.

[Winetime12]

Thanks, future children are not a factor however sounds like resale could be an issue. I would probably be in the home 3-5 years. I would want the home to atleast hold its value so I could sell when needed.

[evannole]

I would look closer to the Square, if I were you. If you want new construction, there are a couple of new neighborhoods going up along Powder Springs Street, across from the Hilton and city club, within walking distance to the Square, with homes in the same general price range. Lennar is the builder, and they've just started building.

The area you cite is basically Austell and is probably more on the downswing than the upswing. I imagine the East-West Connector gets pretty backed up during rush hour; a commute to Cumberland from the area around the Square would probably actually be better, particularly when you factor in the new toll lanes. I usually reach 285 within 12 minutes of leaving my house just off the Square during the morning rush hour; that would be impossible from the area you're considering even outside of rush hour. I also don't think of Austell as being a particularly interesting place for a single person in their thirties.

Just my two cents, of course!

[evannole]

Great comments from B2R, as always!

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by evannole

I would look closer to the Square, if I were you. If you want new construction, there are a couple of new neighborhoods going up along Powder Springs Street, across from the Hilton and city club, within walking distance to the Square, with homes in the same general price range. Lennar is the builder, and they've just started building.

This.

If I were a younger guy in his mid-30's that was single and active and looking to purchase a new home in the Marietta area, I would look to purchase close to historic Marietta Square, an area that is one of the social and cultural activity hubs of Atlanta's expansive northern suburbs and for the greater Atlanta metro region as a whole.

Marietta Square/Downtown Marietta is an area on the rise, with lots of community events being held on a very consistent basis on the Square (and in Glover Park, which anchors the Square).

Lots of bars, restaurants, theaters, museums, cultural and social activities... I would definitely try and get closer to the Square if I were in your situation with your budget.