Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Because of its location along Interstate 75 (which, of course is a major transcontinental superhighway route for travel to and from the popular resort areas of Florida), Henry County was always going to struggle to manage its growth and development.
Because of its location along I-75 on the way to and from Florida, Henry County was always going to be overwhelmed (if not swamped) with development permit requests by builders eager to cater to the massive amount of tourists and vacationers traveling to and from the popular resort areas in Florida on I-75.
There was no way that a county like Henry (which had struggled at times throughout parts of its past with some degree of poverty and isolation) was going to be able to (or even desire to) control its growth and development to the extent of a neighboring county like Fayette, which does not sit directly along an Interstate superhighway like Henry and Coweta counties do.
And with Henry County's history of struggle with poverty, economic challenges and social isolation, I cannot say that I blame Henry County's leaders for being accommodating to the high volume of development permit requests that have been thrown their way over the last few decades.
I know that many people (both on an online forum like this and in many parts of a metro area like Atlanta) seem to be down on what they consider to be "sprawl" or lower-density development patterns these days for some understandable reasons.
But what many modern-day online commenters and offline onlookers have to realize is that those low-density or "sprawling" development patterns have helped to lift many North Georgia communities (like Henry, Gwinnett, North Fulton, etc.) out of an existence of what is basically poverty and social isolation to an existence of prosperity, social influence and exponentially increased interaction with the outside world.
Low-density development or "sprawl" has undeniably had its downside and negative effects (traffic, long single-occupant vehicle commutes that spawn their own form of social isolation, etc.), but on the other hand, that "sprawl" has also brought much economic opportunity to places that were not exactly swimming in economic opportunity before overtaken by Atlanta's metropolitan and regional development patterns. It is a double-edged sword that has been more positive than negative overall.
As usual, you are spot on. I so appreciate your ability to view Atlanta with a clear eye and avoid the myopic sentiments that get bantered around so easily.
To carry on with your interstate locale reasoning, would say that is why Fayette is a unique pocket having no interstate. And85 not being as busy a connector for true interstate travel as a reason why Coweta has developed a little less haphazardly than Henry. I would also add this: Newnan has been a sizeable town for years, much more so than McDonough, and Coweta being overall a more prosperous county than either Fayette or Henry historically (when considering what each was on its own before being absorbed into Atlanta's reach) as why Coweta seems a head (or two or three) above Henry when considering how they have handled rapid growth from Atlanta.
Last edited by Saintmarks; 03-30-2019 at 08:53 AM..
As usual, you are spot on. I so appreciate your ability to view Atlanta with a clear eye and avoid the myopic sentiments that get bantered around so easily.
To carry on with your interstate locale reasoning, would say that is why Fayette is a unique pocket having no interstate. And85 not being as busy a connector for true interstate travel as a reason why Coweta has developed a little less haphazardly than Henry. I would also add this: Newnan has been a sizeable town for years, much more so than McDonough, and Coweta being overall a more prosperous county than either Fayette or Henry historically (when considering what each was on its own before being absorbed into Atlanta's reach) as why Coweta seems a head (or two or three) above Henry when considering how they have handled rapid growth from Atlanta.
As a southside native my entire life, I agree with this 100%. Newnan was a vibrant small southern town for over a hundred years before becoming a suburb. I-85 has never been a true interstate connector. In fact, I-85 is the best kept secret for Atlanta morning commutes.
Also, Fayette was a small, poor county until Peachtree City and upper middle-class white flight from Clayton County in the 80's and 90's turned Fayette into the wealthiest county in Georgia. It has now been passed by Forsyth, but still ranks in the top 50 in the nation for median income.
Seriously, what is your thing against Southern Crescent county governments (like Coweta County) attracting and permitting industrial development in areas along Interstate highways?
As requested by the OP, I provided my reasons why I do/don't prefer the areas mentioned in their OP plus why and I stand by them.
If you would like to discuss the specific question you're asking further, please feel free to DM me or create another thread.
As requested by the OP, I provided my reasons why I do/don't prefer the areas mentioned in their OP plus why and I stand by them.
If you would like to discuss the specific question you're asking further, please feel free to DM me or create another thread.
I think that all three areas the OP mentioned in their inquiry (McDonough/Henry County, Fayetteville/Fayette County, and Newnan/Coweta County) are great communities and great choices for the OP.
My biggest concern is the often extremely heavy traffic on a major roadway of transcontinental importance like Interstate 75 through Henry and Clayton counties, if the OP has to commute between McDonough/Henry County and Atlanta on a consistent basis during peak traffic hours.
Outside of that, I just don't seem to have anywhere near the problem with warehousing, distribution, logistics and light industrial development being located along Interstate highways in Southern Crescent jurisdictions that some people evidently seem to have a major problem with.
That type of development has been a critically important part of what seemingly have been wildly successful economic development strategies for Northside jurisdictions like Cobb, North Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties.
I just don't see why that same type of development pattern (light industrial development along major highways) which has been so successful for much the more upscale and more affluent Northside is seemingly so bad for the Southside in the eyes of some.
But I guess that we will just have to agree to disagree on that point.
I thought I would build onto this thread instead of starting a new one.
I, too, am parsing through options south of Atlanta. My wife has been offered a job at Ft. Gillem. I work from home, so our priorities are a not-unreasonable commute for my wife, a solid high school for my daughter, and to be in an area with shops and restaurants, preferably a walkable downtown, not too rural. We are currently focused on Decatur, and while we could afford the homes there, it would make it difficult for me to transition to part-time employment in a few years--so I want to explore a secondary option.
Fayetteville is much more affordable, of course, and the schools seem to be similarly well-respected. I could have a roomier home office!
So with that intro, here's my question: The Fayetteville (and surrounding) area is gigantic. Because I live out of state, I've never been there. What parts are--for lack of a better description--less rural? Where is/are the town center(s)? Where are the community centers, the main branch of the library, etc.? IS there even a traditional town center there?
I thought I would build onto this thread instead of starting a new one.
I, too, am parsing through options south of Atlanta. My wife has been offered a job at Ft. Gillem. I work from home, so our priorities are a not-unreasonable commute for my wife, a solid high school for my daughter, and to be in an area with shops and restaurants, preferably a walkable downtown, not too rural. We are currently focused on Decatur, and while we could afford the homes there, it would make it difficult for me to transition to part-time employment in a few years--so I want to explore a secondary option.
Fayetteville is much more affordable, of course, and the schools seem to be similarly well-respected. I could have a roomier home office!
So with that intro, here's my question: The Fayetteville (and surrounding) area is gigantic. Because I live out of state, I've never been there. What parts are--for lack of a better description--less rural? Where is/are the town center(s)? Where are the community centers, the main branch of the library, etc.? IS there even a traditional town center there?
Thanks in advance!
If you are looking for the highest rated schools in Fayetteville, I would stick to the Whitewater or Starr's Mill District. Fayette County and Sandy Creek are good schools, but don't rate as highly as the schools in southern Fayette County. In fact the new SAT Scores were released, and McIntosh was #9 in the state, Starr's Mill ranked #18, and Whitewater was #37 out of around 500 high schools.
The portion of Fayetteville in the Starr's Mill district is connected to the Peachtree City golf cart paths and close to all the amenities of Peachtree City. Students at Starr's Mill can also drive a golf cart to school as long as the have a learner's permit. The entire cart path system is over 100 miles of walkable trails that connects to shops, restaurants, parks, lakes, and golf courses. The downside is that Peachtree City doesn't have a walkable downtown. The square in Fayetteville is walkable, but there aren't many homes surrounding the square. You could also consider Pinewood Forest. It's a new urbanism community in Fayetteville, and everything will be walkable.
One issue we are struggling with is that living in the Fayetteville/PTC area would be difficult if my wife later switches jobs to something else in Atlanta, and the prospect of that happening would seem to suggest that Decatur is a better option for us. She'll rent for a few months before I join her, though, so she will have a chance to look around some.
One issue we are struggling with is that living in the Fayetteville/PTC area would be difficult if my wife later switches jobs to something else in Atlanta, and the prospect of that happening would seem to suggest that Decatur is a better option for us. She'll rent for a few months before I join her, though, so she will have a chance to look around some.
That's definitely a valid concern, and renting short term to get a feel of the area would be a good move. I live in Newnan and I'm renting for that same reason.
PTC / Fayetteville / Newnan predominately cater to very niche demographics in Metro Atlanta, those being airport workers/pilots and retirees.
The drive from Decatur actually might not be too bad, depending on how close you are to I-285. Traffic drops off fairly drastically south of I-20, even if the distance is a bit further.
One issue we are struggling with is that living in the Fayetteville/PTC area would be difficult if my wife later switches jobs to something else in Atlanta, and the prospect of that happening would seem to suggest that Decatur is a better option for us. She'll rent for a few months before I join her, though, so she will have a chance to look around some.
I have some neighbors in PTC that commute to Buckhead, Smyrna, Decatur, downtown, and midtown. I wouldn't do that, but many do. The commute to downtown and the airport isn't bad, and the commute to midtown is manageable from the northside of Peachtree City. That's because most of the population and traffic is north of Atlanta. The commute to downtown from Peachtree City is traffic free until you get to Atlanta.
Decatur is a very nice area. I love downtown Decatur. It's a vibrant area with great restaurants. Decatur also has a top rated school system, but the prices are sky high right now. You'll probably need to spend 750-800k for a decent house, and I'm not sure what the rental market is like. Also, there are some higher crime areas surrounding Decatur. Whereas I know friends that live in-town and it takes them 35 minutes to go a few miles.
If you do decide on Decatur, make sure you are in the City Limits. It's a city run school system, so you have to be in the city limits to attend Decatur City Schools. There are many surrounding areas with a Decatur zip code that are zoned to some of the worst schools in Dekalb County. They did let kids out of district attend Decatur City schools if they paid tuition, but I think they've stopped that due to limited capacity.
No matter where you decide, renting is always a good option. It will allow you to get a feel for the area, and for your wife will be able to see what the commute will be like.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
