Atlanta suburb relocation advice (Sandy Springs, Roswell: 2014, house, neighborhoods)

[CRTS]

Greetings all.

My husband and I are empty nesters, in our 50s, planning to retire in 2021. We will be relocating to a suburb of Atlanta, though have not decided on which city. We like access to Atlanta's restaurants, music venues, plays, comedy shows, cigar lounges, etc.; however, we'd prefer to reside in a single family home in the suburbs. We've visited a couple of the cities, but will have to return to check out others. I've done a great deal of online research and narrowed down my list to a few cities (Decatur, Alpharetta, Duluth, Roswell, and Sandy Springs). I've also considered Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Snellville, and Fayetteville. Processing all the information I've gathered can sometimes be overwhelming. Despite my research, there is certain information that I would not be privy to as a nonresident. I wouldn't know the personality of the cities or which are up-and-coming, which have traffic problems within the city, etc. I'm hoping that I can find some assistance on this forum.

We are looking for an ethnically diverse city that has some amenities of Atlanta. I would hate to always have to drive into Atlanta to see a show, hear live music, find a vegetarian restaurant, etc. It would be nice to have options close to home too (even in neighboring suburbs). Commuting distance to Atlanta and the airport isn't highest on our "want" list because as retirees we will not be facing rush hour traffic on a daily. However, we would prefer to reside within 35 miles of Atlanta/ATL airport. Our housing budget is $450,000 and below.

We would really appreciate any suggestions that will help us make a more informed decision. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[CRTS]

Hi,

I was under the impression that Alpharetta was diverse and had a bit of a performing arts scene. Based on your response, I guess I was wrong. :-) I considered Lawrenceville and Suwanee basically due to affordability. What I forgot to mention is that my husband really wants a private pool. Suwanee and Lawrenceville had a few homes available with pools and were still in our budget, yet close to the neighboring options.

I would love to reside in Atlanta, but finding a home with a private pool in our budget seems impossible. The same goes for Decatur, which I love too. Regarding Decatur, should I only consider city proper (30030) or are other neighborhoods (30033, 30034, 30035) safe to consider as well?

Truly, traffic commuting to Atlanta isn't a surprise, or even a major concern. However, it would be nice to drive to get groceries within your own suburb and not be faced with significant traffic. Bottom line though, traffic is not a priority issue. Living in New York, we had to get used to it, and will in Georgia.

Thank you for your response and suggestions.

[CRTS]

Thedude404, I appreciate your time and input. Take care.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by bklyn

Hi,

I was under the impression that Alpharetta was diverse and had a bit of a performing arts scene. Based on your response, I guess I was wrong. :-) I considered Lawrenceville and Suwanee basically due to affordability. What I forgot to mention is that my husband really wants a private pool. Suwanee and Lawrenceville had a few homes available with pools and were still in our budget, yet close to the neighboring options.

I would love to reside in Atlanta, but finding a home with a private pool in our budget seems impossible. The same goes for Decatur, which I love too. Regarding Decatur, should I only consider city proper (30030) or are other neighborhoods (30033, 30034, 30035) safe to consider as well?

Truly, traffic commuting to Atlanta isn't a surprise, or even a major concern. However, it would be nice to drive to get groceries within your own suburb and not be faced with significant traffic. Bottom line though, traffic is not a priority issue. Living in New York, we had to get used to it, and will in Georgia.

Thank you for your response and suggestions.

Former Decatur (and Brooklyn Heights) resident here. If I were you, I would restrict my search to zips 30030 (City of Decatur) and 30033 (North Decatur). Forget the other Decatur zips; while there is some emerging turnaround in 30032, there is still a lot of sketchiness there.
Even so, a SFH with pool for $450K is going to be a near impossibility in 30030. Its location and excellent school system (which I presume are not a concern for you) have driven prices (and property taxes) through the ceiling. Decatur is very unlike the other suburbs that you cited (Lawrenceville, Suwanee et al) in that it is much closer to the city (a very big deal) and the housing stock is much older (mostly pre-war).
Try a search of zip codes 30033, 30329 (North Druid Hills) and 30345 (Oak Grove/Sagamore), which are the neighborhoods due north of 30030. These neighborhoods will offer an empty nester more bang for your buck than would Decatur. You won't get new construction or even a rehabbed older home for $450K, but you might score a 50's/60's era ranch home that needs a little updating.

Checking current listings on Zillow I find the following:

30033:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/30033_rb/

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...31_rect/12_zm/ (with pool)

30329:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/30329_rb/13_zm/

30345:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/30345_rb/

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Thedude404

As far as Alpharetta having a vibrants arts scene I would have zero idea. As far as diversity goes, when I think of Alpharetta, I do not think diverse. I think of subdivisions with 40- 50 year old white people with families. Maybe I'm wrong though. I lived in Atlanta for 25 years and I think I've been to Alpharetta maybe 3 times. TFor me, there was zero reason to go there. I'm sure there are others in here with more educated opinions and knowledge on Alpharetta then myself. To me, Alpharetta is soooooooooooo far from Atlanta. Also, I have never lived in Decatur but have been there many times. So as far as housing there goes, others here will be able to help you better than myself.


The pool thing makes total sense (as far as where you are looking). I agree, good luck finding a home with a private pool within Atlanta city proper for under $450k. Probably not impossible, but definitely a needle in a haystack. So if that is the case, I'd be looking in Sandy Springs/Dunwoody area if possible.

I agree with you - you don’t know Alpharetta well at all...

Median age is mid-30’s, White non-Hispanic population is under 60% and is nearly 20% Asian now. Good mix of families, single people and retirement age couples.

Between Avalon and Downtown Alpharetta there has been a ton of building. A new art center, street fairs, etc.

About 25 miles from Midtown, which is far, but not too far on the weekends or evenings. Not fun as a commute.

Another advantage is being that much closer to the Georgia mountains in the North, Dahlonega, Ellijay, etc.

But if OP wants to be spending a lot of time in Atlanta proper then it is a bit far out.

[CRTS]

Thank you, Iconographer. I will search those zip codes and check the listings. I've no self-delusions about finding an ITP home with a pool within our budget. That's why I begrudgingly started to look in the suburbs. It's OTP or my husband will have to sacrifice the private pool to find a home that's near the desired offerings of Atlanta and Decatur because we definitely aren't going over $450,000. Thanks again for all the information you shared!

[Citykid3785]

I would highly recommend Marietta near the square. I would have said Sandy springs, but it's too busy (has its own traffic). Alpharetta could be a good option, as it's becoming its own identity independent of Atlanta.

But Marietta is very affordable and diverse. One of its biggest drawbacks is the mediocre schools, but you wouldn't have to worry about that. And 75 is a quick shot into the city, with the benefit of an HOV lane. They have several theaters and near constant events planned.

[BobbyJayATL]

Is there any reason you aren't willing to find the house and put in the pool?

Lots (even in town) tend to be pretty good sized around Atlanta. Your choices likely go way up if you spend 425k on a house and 25k to put in a pool.

Example - $378k house, in Brookhaven (schools aren't the best but that doesn't matter to you; neighborhood is still great otherwise). Basically Buckhead - all but indistinguishable if you miss the DeKalb County sign.
Not tons of pics but the ones there seem reasonable. 1/2 acre lot. And at that price, you have $70k to put in the pool and do any updates you might want.

https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/18.../home/23780310

[evannole]

Given your interest in restaurants, theater and the arts, if you don't want to live in the city itself, it sounds like you'd be most comfortable being near one of the more developed downtowns in the suburbs. I would suggest the following, organized by category:

1) Near the true downtowns and historic town squares of the following close-in suburbs:

-Decatur-Certainly the most developed downtown area outside of Atlanta itself, and in great demand, but consequently $450k for inside the Decatur city limits may be difficult.

-Marietta-Easily the second-most established suburban downtown in the metro, after Decatur. There certainly are homes within your stated budget here, though it has gotten pricier since we bought at roughly your price point in 2014. Pretty convenient to the city but still maintains its own unique feel, with good dining, two theaters and many events on the historic Square.

-Roswell Similar prices, probably slightly higher than Marietta due to better schools, but the downtown area is not quite as well developed, though we do still drive over there for dinner from time to time.

2) The following are a bit farther afield but have established small downtowns. Being farther away from the city, they are less diverse than Decatur, Marietta, and, probably, Roswell.

-Newnan:far enough away from downtown Atlanta that it has its own federal courthouse but a reasonable 45 minute drive to the city in most cases, and 30-40 minutes to the airport. Certainly likely to be cheaper than the northern suburbs.

-Alpharetta: as others have mentioned, pretty much the crown jewel of recent development in the northern suburbs. Avalon is a great "lifestyle center" with homes and offices as well though it's still on a bit of an island, surrounded by high-speed roads. It does have all the boutique-style stores we like and we've taken to going there rather than to a mall when we want to go shopping. Alpharetta is in the midst of developing a new downtown area not far from Avalon and it seems to be coming along nicely. $450k in this area isn't going to go terribly far, however - at least not in areas in close proximity to Avalon.

-Woodstock: about as far north as Newnan is south. Probably a slightly shorter drive than Newnan to the more interesting parts of in-town Atlanta as long as you're not going at rush hour. They've done a good job redeveloping their downtown area with significant amounts of new construction mixed in with some older buildings.

3) Sandy Springs, as others have mentioned, is pretty close in, but the city center that they currently have under development, while really nice, is probably never going to resemble any of the historic suburbs. Still, proximity to the city is good and there are plenty of good shopping and dining options around there. You'll probably find some homes in the $450k range, but most desirable SF homes will be higher.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by bklyn

I considered Lawrenceville and Suwanee basically due to affordability. What I forgot to mention is that my husband really wants a private pool. Suwanee and Lawrenceville had a few homes available with pools and were still in our budget, yet close to the neighboring options.

When you say "private pool", is he necessarily wanting his own private pool in your back yard, or would a neighborhood private pool check that box? Because there are LOTS of neighborhoods in the suburbs with neighborhood private pools. There are some right here in town, too. With that, you don't have to maintain it or pay much for it.