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Here are my recommendations based on your criteria:
1) Southern Lilburn/Northern Stone Mountain in Gwinnett County (Parkview High School Cluster)
By Metro Atlanta standards, this area is relatively close to Midtown. However, you should still generally expect a commute of between 45 minutes and 1 hour 15 minutes both to and from Midtown during rush hour, sometimes worse, depending on exact location and other factors.
This area is generally older, but there is a decent amount of new and nearly new housing, nearly all of which is priced below 600k. This area is a great value for the money! You may even be able to spend less on a quality house and save for future expenses/vacations/etc. if you wish. The follwing Zillow link contains housing within the Parkview cluster that may fit your needs:
This area is home several parks, most notably Bethesda Park and Lilburn City Park, which contains the Camp Creek Greenway. Also, Stone Mountain Park is a 10 minute drive away and is great for school-age kids. Stone Mountain has a great view of Atlanta from the summit.
All of the schools in the Parkview cluster are high quality. While they are not ranked as the absolute best in Metro Atlanta, they are still very, very good. They are "A" schools, but not "A+". All of the schools in the Parkview cluster are incredibly diverse in every way imaginable. The schools in the cluster include Arcado Elementary, Camp Creek Elementary, Knight Elementary, Mountain Park Elementary, Trickum Middle School, and Parkview High School. You can't go wrong with any of them, however, Arcado and Mountain Park attendance zones are somewhat closer to the city (shorter commute).
There is a large Indian community in the area. Lilburn is home to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta, one of the largest Hindu temples outside of India. This is a major reason why many Indians have located in the area, along with the high quality schools and affordablity. Several small Indian grocery stores are located nearby. Patel Brothers, a large Indian supermarket, and the Dekalb Farmer's Market, a giant international market, are both located 20 minutes away in Decatur.
2) Southern Smyrna in Cobb County
Smyrna is close to Midtown by Metro Atlanta standards. Your commute will be between 30 minutes and 45 minutes both to and from Midtown during rush hour on most days.
Like Lilburn, Smyrna is older. However, the area is undergoing a revitalization and has become very desirable/popular. There is a decent amount of new and nearly new housing in the area, some of which is less than, but close to, 600k. Here's a Zillow link for homes in southern Smyrna that may fit your needs:
The area is home to several parks, most notably Heritage Park and the Palisades West portion of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The Silver Comet Trail, a former railroad converted into a cycling/walking trail, begins in Smyrna. This trail is about 100 miles long and goes to Alabama. Also, Kennesaw Mountain is 20 minutes away and has a great view of Atlanta from the summit.
The schools in the area are just okay overall. Some are very good, some are not very good. King Springs Elementary, Nickajack Elementary, and Teasley Elementary are all quite good, "A" to "A-" schools. If you focus your search to these attendance zones, you can't go wrong. The Middle Schools (Campbell and Griffin) and the High School (Campbell) are all decent, "B+" schools and improving. Teasley Elementary is the best as well as the closest to Midtown, but finding a newish house in the Teasley attendance zone for less than 600k will be difficult.
There is a small Indian community in the Smyrna area. A couple of Indian grocery stores are located nearby. Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, about 20 minutes away, have more Indian grocery stores.
Another benefit of living near Smyrna is access to jobs in the Cumberland area. Many high-paying jobs are located here. So if you change jobs, you will be close to a lot of opportunities.
3) Alpharetta/Johns Creek in northern Fulton County
Alpharetta and Johns Creek are quite far from Midtown. Your commute will be no less than 1 hour both to and from Midtown in rush hour. However, if you choose one of these suburbs, commuting on the MARTA train is an option for a portion of your commute, from either North Springs station or Doraville station. This will not reduce your commute time, but on MARTA, you can work/relax/read/listen to music/etc. instead of driving in awful traffic. Also, MARTA goes directly to Midtown, you would not need to worry about parking at work.
Alpharetta and Johns Creek are both newish, and many new/nearly new homes can be found. While many of these houses are less than 600k, most are at or above 600k, especially as you move closer to Atlanta. Here's a Zillow link for homes in Alpharetta/Johns Creek that may fit your needs:
The area is home to several parks, most notably Autrey Mill Preserve, Newtown Park, Webb Bridge Park, and the Big Creek Greenway, a cycling/walking path along Big Creek. Also, Cauley Creek Park is about to be constructed in Johns Creek. It is slated to become the largest park in the area, and it will include a cricket pitch as well as cricket batting cages along with the typical sports facilities.
Alpharetta and Johns Creek are home to some of the highest quality schools in all of Metro Atlanta. Nearly all schools are "A+", with a few "A" schools. You can't go wrong anywhere in Alpharetta or Johns Creek. This includes the Alpharetta, Chattahoochee, Johns Creek, and Northview High School clusters, as well as their feeder elementary and middle schools.
There is a very large Indian community in the area, and some elementary schools even have a majority of Indian students. Several small and medium-sized Indian grocery stores are located in the area.
Another benefit of living near Alpharetta is access to jobs. Thousands of high-paying jobs, especially in the Information Technology sector, are located here. So if you change jobs, you will be close to a lot of opportunities.
4) Sandy Springs/Dunwoody/North Brookhaven
Sandy Springs and Dunwoody are close to Midtown by Metro Atlanta standards. Your commute will be between 30 minutes and 45 minutes in general, but sometimes worse, depending on traffic. However, both Sandy Springs and Dunwoody are highly accesible to MARTA, with 4 stations nearby. Theoretically, you could commute entirely by public transport directly to Midtown if you wanted. The MARTA ride will be about 20-30 minutes, depending on the station and the exact location of your work.
Unfortunately, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs are expensive, and finding a new or nearly-new home under 600k will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. However, since the area is older, you can find a decent number of older homes, many of which have been well-maintained or fully renovated. Here's a Zillow link:
The area is home to many small parks, most notably the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Brook Run Park, and Murphey Candler Park. The Chattahoochee River is excellent to have nearby for outdoor recreation.
The schools in the area are good, but not great. Some schools are not very good. Stick to the Heards Ferry Elementary, Spalding Drive Elementary, and Woodland Elementary attendance zones in Fulton County. Choose the Austin Elementary, Dunwoody Elementary, Montgomery Elementary, and Vanderlyn Elementary school attendance zones in Dekalb County. All of these schools are high quality, "A-" and above schools. The middle schools and high schools are "B+" and above, but improving.
There is a large Indian community in the area. Several Indian grocery stores operate in the area.
Another benefit of living near Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, often called Perimeter or Perimeter Center, is access to jobs. Thousands of high-paying jobs in several fields are located here. Several national headquarters are located here. So if you change jobs, you will be close to a lot of opportunities.
5) Peachtree City
Peachtree City is very far from Midtown, even by Metro Atlanta standards. However, it is on the less-developed, less populated southside of Atlanta. Expect a commute of between 45 minutes and 1 hour 15 minutes, sometimes worse. However, this commute will not be as stressful as a commute from the northside suburbs, as you will rarely run into traffic. Also, you can take MARTA from the College Park station for the last, most stressful 1/3 of the commute to Midtown if you wish.
Peachtree City is relatively affordable compared to the most desirable northside suburbs and the City of Atlanta. You can easily find new construction housing in Peachtree City for much, much less than 600k, allowing you to save some money. However, new construction homes are limited, as most of Peachtree City was built years ago. Here's a Zillow link:
Peachtree City is home to dozens of parks, many of which are situated along water features such as ponds, rivers, and lakes. Peachtree City is known for its system of golf cart paths, and you can go almost anywhere in the city with a golf cart along the paths. Many high school students drive to school using golf carts.
The schools in Peachtree City are very, very good. Some of the best in Metro Atlanta, and by far the best on the southside, in fact. Almost all are "A+" schools. You cannot go wrong anywhere in the McIntosh and Starrs Mill clusters, including the elementary schools. However, the McIntosh cluster is significantly closer to Atlanta.
There is a small Indian community in Peachtree City. Unfortunately, the nearest Indian grocery store is about 30 minutes away in Jonesboro.
Good luck in your search
This is a very good list, the only thing I would add is South Forsyth. The schools there are some of the best in the state and the Indian community there is probably the largest in Georgia. Most elementary schools are majority Indian and the middle schools are starting to become majority Indian/Asian. There is a huge new Patel brothers opening up in the area on Peachtree Parkway and several other Indian grocery stores on the same street that are relatively big based on metro Atlanta standards (Suvidhas and Cherians).
The area has plenty of new housing 0-5 years old and under 600K. There are several community parks in the area and the North Georgia mountains are not far away.
Look at elementary, middle schools that feed into Lambert High, Denmark High, South Forsyth High and West Forsyth High(way smaller Indian population than other three high schools but the school is still good).
The only downside to this area is the commute would be pretty bad (50+min rush hour).
This is a very good list, the only thing I would add is South Forsyth. The schools there are some of the best in the state and the Indian community there is probably the largest in Georgia. Most elementary schools are majority Indian and the middle schools are starting to become majority Indian/Asian. There is a huge new Patel brothers opening up in the area on Peachtree Parkway and several other Indian grocery stores on the same street that are relatively big based on metro Atlanta standards (Suvidhas and Cherians).
The area has plenty of new housing 0-5 years old and under 600K. There are several community parks in the area and the North Georgia mountains are not far away.
Look at elementary, middle schools that feed into Lambert High, Denmark High, South Forsyth High and West Forsyth High(way smaller Indian population than other three high schools but the school is still good).
The only downside to this area is the commute would be pretty bad (50+min rush hour).
I live in South Forsyth, and I agree, it is a great place to live/move to, especially for Indians.
The reason I didn't include it is because of that awful commute. 50 minutes is underestimating it. I know of a few people who worked for NCR back when they were in Duluth. When NCR moved to Midtown, they tried the commute and absolutely hated it. One moved, and the others got new jobs soon afterwards.
I live in South Forsyth, and I agree, it is a great place to live/move to, especially for Indians.
The reason I didn't include it is because of that awful commute. 50 minutes is underestimating it. I know of a few people who worked for NCR back when they were in Duluth. When NCR moved to Midtown, they tried the commute and absolutely hated it. One moved, and the others got new jobs soon afterwards.
Me, too, DoubleZ. After two years, I decided to never do that commute again.
Apologies, I don't want to hijack this thread from the OPs original question, but I'm too curious not to ask: Did NCR lose a lot of employees in this manner? Were they easy to replace? Did the employees get jobs they like as much?
Apologies, I don't want to hijack this thread from the OPs original question, but I'm too curious not to ask: Did NCR lose a lot of employees in this manner? Were they easy to replace? Did the employees get jobs they like as much?
Not sure about NCR specifically, but I have a friend who works at Porsche, and they definitely lost some people when they moved from Perimeter to near airport. A lot of their employees were able to do a northern burbs to Perimeter easily, but northern burbs to airport was pretty rough. Others decided to move.
In a related note, I love Midtown and that’s where I lived when I was single and first moved to Atlanta. But having a job there as a parent with school-aged kids is not an ideal situation, unless you can swing living ITP. Just my opinion, but I’d much rather have a job in the suburbs as a parent.
Welcome to Atlanta!! You are going to have so much fun shopping for homes! You've gotten a lot of great advice on neighborhoods already.
Midtown is not a car-friendly part of town. The main thing I would suggest is that you find a part of town which is convenient for MARTA commuting. If it were me, this would be absolutely essential. This one move will save you many, many hours of stress.
The next big thing you need to think about is whether you want to live in the north side of town or if other areas are O.K. The north side of town has the most people, most shopping and the most high-paying job opportunities. However, residents also have to contend with very bad traffic and it is more expensive than other areas. If you have a lot of friends and family on the north side, or if having lots of high-end shopping is important to you, then I'd probably stick with the north side. If being on the north side is not that important, then you'll have a lot more options and your housing budget will go much further.
After you decide these two questions, it will be much easier to narrow your housing search. I live in Peachtree City, which is on the south side of town. It meets many of the requirements you want in a home.
Peachtree City is an easy 15-20 minute drive to the College Park MARTA station. You would be able to make it to work under 45 minutes consistently as long as you're willing to take MARTA.
[list][*] 600K will go very far in Peachtree City. World is your oyster.
Peachtree City is mostly built out, but for 600K, you can easily afford new construction with lots of square footage. The new construction in PTC is on smaller lots, but the yard space would be more than sufficient.
All of the schools in PTC are among the best in the state.
PTC is great for people who love the outdoors. It is known for its multi-use paths, and most families travel within the city by golf cart. There are many lovely lakes, parks and outdoor venues. Most of the older homes have lots that are 1/2 acre and have mature vegetation.
As a previous poster mentioned, there are no Indian grocery stores in the city itself, but Jonesboro is not that bad of drive.
The main reasons I chose PTC are that it is fairly diverse, has very little traffic, and I fell in love with the golf cart paths and lakes. If PTC appeals to you, I'd also consider Fayette County. All of the towns in Fayette have the same benefits as PTC, but don't have the golf cart lifestyle.
Welcome to Atlanta!! You are going to have so much fun shopping for homes! You've gotten a lot of great advice on neighborhoods already.
Midtown is not a car-friendly part of town. The main thing I would suggest is that you find a part of town which is convenient for MARTA commuting. If it were me, this would be absolutely essential. This one move will save you many, many hours of stress. Even if you live in the nearby areas, the traffic is a headache.
The next big thing you need to think about is whether you want to live in the north side of town or if other areas are O.K. The north side of town has the most people, most shopping and the most high-paying job opportunities. However, residents also have to contend with very bad traffic and it is more expensive than other areas. If you have a lot of friends and family on the north side, or if having lots of high-end shopping is important to you, then I'd probably stick with the north side. If being on the north side is not that important, then you'll have a lot more options and your housing budget will go much further.
After you decide these two questions, it will be much easier to narrow your housing search. I live in Peachtree City, which is on the south side of town. It meets many of the requirements you want in a home.
Peachtree City is an easy 15-20 minute drive to the College Park MARTA station. You would be able to make it to work under 45 minutes consistently as long as you're willing to take MARTA.
600K will go very far in Peachtree City. World is your oyster.
Peachtree City is mostly built out, but for 600K, you can easily afford new construction with lots of square footage. The new construction in PTC is on smaller lots, but the yard space would be more than sufficient.
All of the schools in PTC are among the best in the state.
PTC is great for people who love the outdoors. It is known for its multi-use paths, and most families travel within the city by golf cart. There are many lovely lakes, parks and outdoor venues. Most of the older homes have lots that are 1/2 acre and have mature vegetation.
As a previous poster mentioned, there are no Indian grocery stores in the city itself, but Jonesboro is not that bad of drive.
The main reasons I chose PTC are that it is fairly diverse, has very little traffic, and I fell in love with the golf cart paths and lakes. If PTC appeals to you, I'd also consider Fayette County. All of the towns in Fayette have the same benefits as PTC, but don't have the golf cart lifestyle.
PTC is a fine place, and is a great choice for someone well into their career who works at the airport or downtown, but IMO, sticking with areas north of I-20 would be your best bet given your job is in Midtown.
The commute time from PTC on the connector increases exponentially once you hit the bottleneck just south of downtown, to the point where your commute time will be no shorter than if you were coming from north of the city.
You should also keep in mind future job prospects as well. There's very little in the way of corporate employment south of I-20, with exception to Delta/Porsche/Chick-Fil-A. If you're someone concerned about job security or a careerist who wants to rapidly advance in their profession, you'll be better off closer to the corporate job centers such as Sandy Springs, Cumberland, Alpharetta, etc.
PTC is a fine place, and is a great choice for someone well into their career who works at the airport or downtown, but IMO, sticking with areas north of I-20 would be your best bet.
The commute time from PTC on the connector increases exponentially once you hit the bottleneck just south of downtown, to the point where your commute time will be no shorter than if you were coming from north of the city.
You should also keep in mind future job prospects as well. There's very little in the way of corporate employment south of I-20, with exception to Delta/Porsche/Chick-Fil-A. If you're someone concerned about job security or a careerist who wants to rapidly advance in their profession, you'll be better off closer to the corporate job centers such as Sandy Springs, Cumberland, Alpharetta, etc.
I agree with Citidata and would add that with the OP's desire to be near other Indians and the exponential growth in the Indian community in North Fulton, Gwinnett and southern Forsyth counties, it makes sense to point him to that area or near it.
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