Gainesville: Moving to the area soon please help! (Atlanta, Lawrenceville: low income, best neighborhoods)

[kayla_d_mac]

Ok, so my husband and I are planning to move to the Gainesville area soon as he is in the army reserves and is transferring to the unit there. We don't have to live in Gainesville and from what I can tell from the other threads it isn't a good idea to live there. Can anyone give me some suggestions on where to live around the area that has that small town charm but not too far away from shopping and food. We have a baby too so, we're definitely looking for the best neighborhoods to raise him in. Also what areas are good areas to look for jobs, day care, and apartments? Sorry for so many questions in one post, but I guess that all comes with moving to a new area and I'd like to hear from a local person's point of view not a website. Thanks!

[brettk]

I think you might want to look at Buford. It's pretty much 'suburb USA' (whether thats a good thing or bad thing to you). Got lot of shopping (Mall of GA) and dining. Its about 15-20 miles south of Gainesville. Can't speak about specific daycares, but I know they have plenty. There are some apartments by the mall that are still OK and haven't been run down or taken over by Mexican drug dealers (like many in Gwinnett). Don't know what type of work you would be looking for, but you would probably have to look south (Duluth, Norcross, Lawrenceville) for more professional type jobs. Buford is about 25 miles from 285 so you could technically work in ATL but I wouldn't do it just for my own sanity. If you were to get a job closer to ATL, I would live around there and have your husband commute to Gainesville as that would be a reverse-commute and not nearly as bad as the ride into the city.

And for a more small town feel I would check out Braselton. Its about 10 or 15 miles SE of Gainesville in Jackson county. But, as I said with Buford, any commute to ATL would be brutal.

[michael near Athens]

Whats wrong with Gainsville? I live south of the city of Gainsville and have passed through a few times, found it very nice, some old antebellum homes on the main strrets and modern banks and buildings in town. Check it out, the less driving you do the better. The other post here will have you driving all day. Gainsville is just off Lake Lanier and I think the most beautiful part of North Georgia.See for yourself.

[MovedfromFL]

Originally Posted by michael near Athens

Whats wrong with Gainsville? I live south of the city of Gainsville and have passed through a few times, found it very nice, some old antebellum homes on the main strrets and modern banks and buildings in town. Check it out, the less driving you do the better. The other post here will have you driving all day. Gainsville is just off Lake Lanier and I think the most beautiful part of North Georgia.See for yourself.

Yeah, start by driving out Atlanta Highway area and let me know how you like it.

We have had some bad gang activity here lately (shootings, beat-ins during school, etc).

This town is a mix of both very upscale homes/ people around the lake/ country club (many older folks or doctors, etc) , as well as very low income Mexican folks who work in the chicken plants.

Some of the areas out by I-985 are also very industrial and not very attractive, but at least we have some kind of business tax base. (Get off at Exit 22 and come into town. You'll see what I mean)

Bottom line is you could do much better, but we do have a large medical community here with the hospital and many doctor's offices/ clinics/ MRI centers, etc.

[ebs964]

Flowery Branch might be a better place to live.