Raising kids in ATL (Atlanta, Smyrna: condo, townhome, neighborhoods)

[ATLDreams]

Hi everyone! Yes, this is another moving to ATL post. I'm hoping y'all can give some good advice, though. My partner is looking at a job in downtown ATL. I have extended family in the ATL suburbs (Newnan, Peachtree City, Jonesboro, etc.) so I'm familiar with the outskirts of ATL. If we move to the ATL area, though, my ideal scenario would not be somewhere like PTC. Here's some relevant info, and what we are looking for. Does such a place exist?

Relevant Info:
- Partner's job would be in downtown ATL, and I telecommute from home
- 2 kids, ages 7 and 4
- Our family includes 3 LGBT people
- Budget: $400k or less would be ideal, possibly could stretch that a bit

What We Want:
- Diversity - we are white, but I don't want to be surrounded by only white people
- Okay public schools (we are looking for diversity, safety, and availability of things like AP classes, but aren't too concerned about test scores); we are committed to the mission of public schools and are not looking to put our kids in private school.
- Minimum 3 bed 2 bath, plus office/den OR 4 bed 2 bath
- Some type of green space (either private yard or shared community green space)
- Single family home, condo, or townhome
- Urban or suburban
- Within 30 minute commute of downtown ATL
- Other families with kids in the area
- Either progressive politically or a blend of progressive and conservative. I don't need to live in a progressive bubble, but I don't want to be worried that the neighbors will be conspiring to tear down my rainbow flag.

So, does such a unicorn of a place exist? Or am I dreaming?

[Forhall]

Kirkwood/Edgewood/East Lake would fit.

1. Gentrifying but still very diverse. Good mix of races and income levels.
2. Very safe.
3. Residential vibe with urban ameniy. About 15-20 min drive to downtown.
4. Very welcoming and progressive.
5. Lots of green space and most homes have yards.
6. Within your budget, but with much upside.

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Kirkwood/Edgewood/East Lake would fit.

1. Gentrifying but still very diverse. Good mix of races and income levels.
2. Very safe.
3. Residential vibe with urban ameniy. About 15-20 min drive to downtown.
4. Very welcoming and progressive.
5. Lots of green space and most homes have yards.
6. Within your budget, but with much upside.

I would second this advice, and add some of the neighborhoods in the Westside/Bolton/Riverside/Whittier Mill Village area.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Kirkwood/Edgewood/East Lake would fit.

1. Gentrifying but still very diverse. Good mix of races and income levels.
2. Very safe.
3. Residential vibe with urban ameniy. About 15-20 min drive to downtown.
4. Very welcoming and progressive.
5. Lots of green space and most homes have yards.
6. Within your budget, but with much upside.

This is a reasonable starting point. You probably won't find 4 bedrooms readily under $400k, but 3 is certainly doable. You can use 30317 as a search area. The most affordable quadrant of that zip code is probably the SE corner (south of Memorial, east of the EL Golf Club, West of Candler). There are portions of 30317 outside the city limits of Atlanta, which impacts municipal services and schools. That would primarily be the Parkview neighborhood south of Memorial and west of Charlie Yates golf course and east of Wilkinson Drive.

The "public schools" discussion gets a bit murky in these areas, as there are both "public schools" in the traditional sense, and "public charter schools". In Kirkwood and East Lake in particular, there are a lot of families in the Drew Charter pipeline.

https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/15.../home/23898398
https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/26.../home/23876359
https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/24.../home/23825248
https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/37.../home/23694595
https://www.redfin.com/GA/Atlanta/41.../home/23902756

[ATLUTD]

Someone made a very similar post to yours (minus already having the 2 kids). You should give a read through this thread.

@cqholt's suggestion of the Maynard Jackson Cluster would hit every item on your list. Peoplestown and Summerhill would be my personal suggestion but read through that to get some more perspectives. I think your partner would absolutely love their commute from those 2 neighborhoods into downtown Atlanta, especially if they are comfortable on a bike. Living in East Lake or Kirkwood is gonna get a little more obnoxious for that. All things considered, neighborhoods listed above are all great neighborhoods and all pretty similar in every facet to Peoplestown/Summerhill.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by ATLUTD

Someone made a very similar post to yours (minus already having the 2 kids). You should give a read through this thread.

@cqholt's suggestion of the Maynard Jackson Cluster would hit every item on your list. Peoplestown and Summerhill would be my personal suggestion but read through that to get some more perspectives. I think your partner would absolutely love their commute from those 2 neighborhoods into downtown Atlanta, especially if they are comfortable on a bike. Living in East Lake or Kirkwood is gonna get a little more obnoxious for that. All things considered, neighborhoods listed above are all great neighborhoods and all pretty similar in every facet to Peoplestown/Summerhill.

Well, my job is here done.

[Calm Down ATL]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

I would second this advice, and add some of the neighborhoods in the Westside/Bolton/Riverside/Whittier Mill Village area.

Definitely check out the Westside neighborhoods of Bolton and Hills Park. A place like DuPont Commons or Westside Station fit your criteria perfectly, although maybe just a little more expensive.

[Beretta]

Atlanta posters - good job with the responses!

[lethalhipster9]

I’d recommend Smyrna. The area leans liberal and is very popular with Millennials.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Calm Down ATL

Definitely check out the Westside neighborhoods of Bolton and Hills Park. A place like DuPont Commons or Westside Station fit your criteria perfectly, although maybe just a little more expensive.

I agree with this. The Eastside neighborhoods are great and will give you the stuff you want, but you'll also deal with lots of congestion and the commute into Downtown can get rough. The Westside neighborhoods offer a lot of the same, a little more suburban, but with very little congestion. Commute into Midtown of 10-15 minutes at most, and downtown 15-20 minutes at most.