Want to relocate to atl (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: transplants, townhomes, transfer)

[diamond007]

Hello,

I am looking to relocate to ATL (I know, along with the rest of the world). I currently live in Colorado where the mountains are oustanding! I want to be within an hour of the downtown. I am also in the military and thus would need to be centrally located. I have a teenager starting high school and a soon to be 3 year old. I want to be in a community setting to raise my children. Please let me know your thoughts! I have been told to look at the Marietta, Rockdale-Cobb area. I've also been told to stay where I am...

Please help this confused person!

[BobKovacs]

Don't know how Rockdale got mixed in with Marietta and Cobb- it's on the opposite side of the metro area from the others and away from the mountains.

[ramblinwreck17]

Originally Posted by diamond007

Hello,

I am looking to relocate to ATL (I know, along with the rest of the world). I currently live in Colorado where the mountains are oustanding! I want to be within an hour of the downtown. I am also in the military and thus would need to be centrally located. I have a teenager starting high school and a soon to be 3 year old. I want to be in a community setting to raise my children. Please let me know your thoughts! I have been told to look at the Marietta, Rockdale-Cobb area. I've also been told to stay where I am...

Please help this confused person!

I think I'm confused too. Why do you need to be centrally located? To be near the airport?

My boilerplate response would be Sandy Springs/Roswell/Alpharetta as far as places to look.

[IntownHomes247]

I guess the first question would be why, exactly, do you want to move to Atlanta?

You say you're in the military, which makes me think you're being transferred to a specific installation, but then you say some people are telling you to stay where you are, so I assume it's a voluntary transfer.

Is there something about the Atlanta area that you have reason to believe will be preferable to Colorado? It will be easiest to advise you if we have some idea what you're looking to find in Atlanta and why you believe it it's a good place for you to move.

In Atlanta, it's best to live as close as possible to where you work because of the horrible traffic, so knowing where you will be working will help at least put you in the right quadrant of the city (cross-town commutes are miserable).

But without understanding more about your motivation and your needs, it's impossible to give you any good advice. There are plenty of neighborhoods in the Metro Atlanta area that have good schools and are good places to raise kids.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by IntownHomes247

I guess the first question would be why, exactly, do you want to move to Atlanta?

Ditto on that question.

You (original poster) stated that some have said that you should, "stay where you are", which to me sounds like you have the OPTION of whether to move or stay.

Are you miserable where you are? Can you not afford your current area? Is there a specific reason you want to leave that area?

Atlanta is a love it or hate it kind of city, and many feel that it's reputation and hype are far overdone, with people having wildly inaccurate visions of it here than reality. You may wish to take a couple of weeks leave (if that's possible) and come here and visit. Don't just do the touristy areas - drive the various neighborhoods, go downtown and walk the streets - go to shopping areas, etc. Get a feel for it before you get too hyped.

You may still want to come here, but you may find that the grass where you are is already greener.

[diamond007]

I want to move there because, though Denver is beautiful, cost of living is steep. Can I afford it, yeah, but do I want to? no.

I don't have a support system here and I have a 14 yr old and a 3 year old. Never realized the importance of a support system until I left mine.

I heard ATL is overpopulated. I just want to be in a place that I can afford as a single parent. Meaning I can buy a nice house without needing 2 jobs to maintain it. I also have family there.

I am in the military, but I work for USDA Forest Service fulltime. In a nutshell, I am looking for a place where a can buy a nice house reasonably, raise my children (my daughter wants to attend college there), and start my own business.

Originally Posted by IntownHomes247

I guess the first question would be why, exactly, do you want to move to Atlanta?

You say you're in the military, which makes me think you're being transferred to a specific installation, but then you say some people are telling you to stay where you are, so I assume it's a voluntary transfer.

Is there something about the Atlanta area that you have reason to believe will be preferable to Colorado? It will be easiest to advise you if we have some idea what you're looking to find in Atlanta and why you believe it it's a good place for you to move.

In Atlanta, it's best to live as close as possible to where you work because of the horrible traffic, so knowing where you will be working will help at least put you in the right quadrant of the city (cross-town commutes are miserable).

But without understanding more about your motivation and your needs, it's impossible to give you any good advice. There are plenty of neighborhoods in the Metro Atlanta area that have good schools and are good places to raise kids.

[Pcola110]

Originally Posted by diamond007

I want to move there because, though Denver is beautiful, cost of living is steep. Can I afford it, yeah, but do I want to? no.

I don't have a support system here and I have a 14 yr old and a 3 year old. Never realized the importance of a support system until I left mine.

I heard ATL is overpopulated. I just want to be in a place that I can afford as a single parent. Meaning I can buy a nice house without needing 2 jobs to maintain it. I also have family there.

I am in the military, but I work for USDA Forest Service fulltime. In a nutshell, I am looking for a place where a can buy a nice house reasonably, raise my children (my daughter wants to attend college there), and start my own business.

In the Atlanta metro there's over 4 million people, so you have more people per square mile, like any other big city. You have family here, I'll suggest you come to Atlanta on a visit, to form your on opinion and get some incite from your family about the pros and cons of living in metro or one of the surburbs surrounding the perimeter (I285). Others on this forum will steer you to areas they live in (i.e. LovinDecatur loves Decatur, she/he lives there, so they know the area and amenities that that area offers).

While others will steer you to areas they think might fit the bill on base on your personal preferences; housing stock (price your willing to pay), neighborhood, schools etc that you want. My2cents, certain areas of Atlanta metro are pricey, those areas do have good statistics (grades, test scores) for both public and private schools, yet some of the feeder schools (middle and/or high schools) are under performing.

[matt8325]

Originally Posted by Pcola110

In the Atlanta metro there's over 4 million people, so you have more people per square mile, like any other big city. You have family here, I'll suggest you come to Atlanta on a visit, to form your on opinion and get some incite from your family about the pros and cons of living in metro or one of the surburbs surrounding the perimeter (I285). Others on this forum will steer you to areas they live in (i.e. LovinDecatur loves Decatur, she/he lives there, so they know the area and amenities that that area offers).

While others will steer you to areas they think might fit the bill on base on your personal preferences; housing stock (price your willing to pay), neighborhood, schools etc that you want. My2cents, certain areas of Atlanta metro are pricey, those areas do have good statistics (grades, test scores) for both public and private schools, yet some of the feeder schools (middle and/or high schools) are under performing.

Actually, there are more than 5 million in metro Atlanta.

[Pcola110]

Originally Posted by matt8325

Actually, there are more than 5 million in metro Atlanta.

Aiight aiight what's a couple more million, I did say over 4 million.

[Zel Ya]

Originally Posted by diamond007

Hello,

I am looking to relocate to ATL (I know, along with the rest of the world). I currently live in Colorado where the mountains are oustanding! I want to be within an hour of the downtown. I am also in the military and thus would need to be centrally located. I have a teenager starting high school and a soon to be 3 year old. I want to be in a community setting to raise my children. Please let me know your thoughts! I have been told to look at the Marietta, Rockdale-Cobb area. I've also been told to stay where I am...

Please help this confused person!

I grew up in Colorado--metro Denver, so I know both states a little.

There's lots of variables as to why people love/like their state.

Personally for me, I don't want to live in a cold climate. Denver receives around 60 inches of a snow a year, and at this point in my life snow is a no-no.

Denver's summer climate is nice. It can be on the hot side, but the evenings are always cool--generally in the mid to upper 50s. It can be in the 90s during the day, with low humidity, but you do need a little jacket if you sit out on your patio or deck in the evening. No jacket is required here on summer evenings.

Atlanta summers are on the warm side ( some say hot ), but the rest of the year is very nice. Cool Canadian fronts moving in are a rare event. A nice cool front is maybe 7 degrees tops.

My politics are very liberal so living in Atlanta is an easy fit. Atlanta is very progressive and liberal. Living in other parts of this VERY RED STATE, or for that matter metro Atlanta, would not be an easy fit. Republican? Easy fit for Cherokee County, much of Cobb County, Douglas County and other conservative metro Atlanta counties.

RELIGION IS BIG HERE. In Atlanta it's not so much of an issue, but it can be in some parts of the state.

One time I was in the Woodmont subdivision a few years ago, a John Weiland community in Cherokee County, and they hand out flyers as to the day and time of the next regular Bible study group. Cherokee County is Republican and conservative. I don't think that would happen in many large cities in the North and West. Certainly not in Seattle--one of the least religious big cities in the country.

Many here in the metro Atlanta area are transplants, but on the other hand many are natives of the South.

Where you live here is very important.