Relocating from Seattle (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, North Atlanta: rent, new home, neighborhoods)

[soccerphan]

We're relocating to the Atlanta area from Seattle. Tough to leave - but it's raining as I'm sitting here and I definitely won't miss the constant rain! I've been researching and reading the info here - great help! My husband will be working North Atlanta - his office is on Century Pkwy. Not sure yet where I will work. We have 3 kids 14, 12 and 10. Schools are very important - middle and high school next year and we're thinking of public schools. We're just starting our neighborhood/house search - so any info is appreciated. Budget for housing isn't an issue but we are hoping to find a newer home (tired of house repairs) and a big yard. A must is at least a 3 car garage - which seems to rule out most of the newly built homes in Atlanta that would be a short commute and have good schools (specifically City of Decatur?) I'm looking for info on what areas might be within a decent commute? Alpharetta seems too far out - would Dunwoody or Sandy Springs be a tough commute? Also - our kids all play premier level soccer - any info on the soccer clubs/teams in the area would be greatly appreciated!

[lastminutemom]

Tell me a little about your expectations of schools and is there any chance you could get out here in the next week or two (we only have three weeks left in most public school systems) to visit schools. If it were me, I would be on a plane next week, rent a car with a GPS system and visit schools.

Here are some questions that will help us help you more:

1. When you say budget is no issue, do you mean you can afford $800.000 plus for a new home in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs? (I am not trying to embarrass you, just trying to give realistic advice)

If budget is really no issue then you might consider tearing down a home in an existing neighborhood and building your "dream" home. You are right, now that I think about it, I don't see to many 3 garage "brand new" homes close in.

2. How do you feel about diversity in terms of schools? Are you use to a school where all students are high achievers and college bound? Are your children gifted or honors type students?

Soccer

Concorde Fire - Home ( Blue Sombrero Premium 4.2 ) (http://www.concordefire.com/Home/tabid/3319/Default.aspx - broken link)
North Atlanta Soccer Association

[Iconographer]

Century Center (where Century Pkwy) is located right in the middle of NE Atlanta, so you have a great number of options; within commutable distance are the suburbs of Oak Grove, Decatur, Emory, (east and north) Buckhead, Brookhaven, Druid Hills and Dunwoody...most of the best in town.
lastminutemom is asking you the right ???s...we'll await your answers and help put you on the path.
I will say that if you're looking for a three car garage situation, a good place to start is just over the south side of I-85 from Century Center in Oak Grove...there is a remarkable amount of new construction there for an intown location, and the neighborhood has a lot to offer. The schools in that district are Henderson (middle) and Lakeside (high); they are considered the best in DeKalb County (some on the forum will declare that a pyrrhic victory, considering the problems of the DeKalb County school system), but there are several private school options as well.

[plessthanpointohfive]

A garage is something that is nearly impossible in the intown neighborhoods, much less a 3-car garage. I am pretty sure you're going to be restricted to a newer home unless you're willing to have one built. Most of the desirable intown neighborhoods are historic...

Good school clustersfor intown Atlanta: Druid Hills High (Shamrock MS, Fernbank ES and Medlock Park ES), Grady High (Inman MS, Mary Lin ES and Morningside ES), Lakeside High (don't know the MS and ES), and City of Decatur. Someone else aroudn here can tell you if any on the northside (aka Buckhead) are good.

Soccer: AYSA (Atlanta Youth Soccer Association) Atlanta Youth Soccer Association AYSA has rec and premier soccer.

[atlantagreg30127]

I'll put in my vote for the Brookhaven neighborhood. Lots of new stuff still going on in that area, and most of it is higher end. The others have covered (or will) the school and soccer info.

If you Google "Brookhaven Atlanta 3 car garage" (or variations) it will help with results. Now, just off the top I found THIS listing (I'm not a realtor and it's a random result, so not advertising). Pricey, but hey, they said price is no problem. Still, it's one result and there will be others with 3 car garages in that area as well.

Brookhaven as a neighborhood is nice. There's new shopping complexes going up in the area, but you're only a couple of miles or less North of the Buckhead/Lenox Square mall shopping district, and near GA 400, I-85, and I-285 (beltway). There is a MARTA rail station there as well, so anytime you want to go downtown to the Aquarium or other venues near MARTA you can do so quickly without worrying about driving.

[mccance]

Soccer Fan (I assume your kids play soccer):

Your list presents a challenge I have seen quite a few times:

Century Parkway - inside the perimiter. No "easy" way to get there unless you live down there...which sets up the next two:

Public schools - inside the perimeter, or nearby - good luck!

New Construction with 3-car garages, nice neighborhoods, etc - see the public schools comment.

It's a tough one!

Everything you are looking for is well North of all that. Low taxes, super excellent public schools, awesome kid friendly master plan communities, like Windermere, lots of high end soccer, baseball, football, etc., etc.

Let me know if I can answer any Qs for you related to counties well North of Atlanta (not "North Atlanta")



Rob

[soccerphan]

My husband is in Atlanta as we speak - working, but is definitely going to drive around the area to get a feel for some neighborhoods. No budget issues mean that since the housing market is slightly higher in Seattle, we aren't having sticker shock at the prices in town. We'd like to stay under $1M - and we're not looking for a "mcmansion" but with 3 kids, a german shepherd the house has to have some room. One thing that Seattle doesn't have is large yards - so we're definitely hoping to get something with a large yard! But a short commute (traffic isn't great in Seattle either) and good schools will have priority over size/type of house.

I've been reading the threads around tearing down houses - it's an idea we are considering - but don't want the neighbors upset at us for "ruining" the neighborhood. We have the same issue going in some parts of Seattle - huge homes being built next to small ramblers. Neither home looks right in the neighborhood.

Good schools are important because our kids are on the upper end of the spectrum in their current schools. I'm not sure how the schools compare between Seattle area and Atlanta - but my 2 kids that are in middle school are in the accelerated or honors program. Strong emphasis in math and science would be preferred.

We go to school through June 20th here but don't start until after Labor Day. I noticed that school starts early in Aug. in Atlanta - can't wait until my kids figure out their summer vacation just shrunk.....

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by soccerphan

We go to school through June 20th here but don't start until after Labor Day. I noticed that school starts early in Aug. in Atlanta - can't wait until my kids figure out their summer vacation just shrunk.....

Yeah that's definately a West Coast thing! The kids are going to be mad about the short vacation . When I first moved out here to attend College I thought it was weird to go back to school so early in the summer but I quickly got used to it since we finished Finals late April/Early May and I was back in California for May, June, July and a week or two in August . I miss those long summer breaks .

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by soccerphan

We go to school through June 20th here but don't start until after Labor Day. I noticed that school starts early in Aug. in Atlanta - can't wait until my kids figure out their summer vacation just shrunk.....

I moved from northern BC to Atlanta 6 years ago this summer. My daughter was a second grader at the time. We solved the short vacation problem by pulling her out of school at the beginning of June to move. I wouldn't do that with your middle schoolers, but with a second grader I figured that the last 3 weeks of second grade were probably not essential to her academic career.

Good luck with your move! You'll likely find it quite a cultural adjustment being down here. If you don't consider Seattle culture insanely liberal and horrifyingly Godless, then you'd be well advised to find housing in town ("inside the perimeter"). On the other hand, if you can't wait to live in a neighborhood entirely populated by ardent Christian right-wingers, I could point you at some suburbs that would fill the bill.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by mccance

Public schools - inside the perimeter, or nearby - good luck!




Rob

Another smug OTP'er that knows little if nothing about life ITP.
Ignorance is not knowing what you don't know.