Alpharetta, Buckhead, or Roswell? (Atlanta, North Atlanta: transplants, condos, townhouses)

[Cami]

Could some please give me advice on Buckhead. I am from California and I have heard so much about this area. I also was told by one of my neighbors that use to live in Roswell that it was a good areas as well as Alpharetta?

[Go Blue 99]

Buckhead is more of an in-town neighborhood, while Alpharetta is about 20 miles north. Both are wealthy areas, with Buckhead having better restaurants and bars/clubs. Buckhead has a ton of condos, while Alpharetta has more houses and townhouses. If you're choosing between the 2, you should definitely look at where you are planning to work. And also you should consider if you prefer a city atmosphere or a suburban one.

[stvincent]

I dont know what price range your are looking to stay in but Buckhead is SUPER expenisve while Alpharetta is pricey and Roswell is pricey by Georiga standards. All three are affluent communitites.

Buckhead is Atlanta's most affluent community and is sometimes called the Beverly Hills of the East because of its hundreds of palatial estates lining beautiful tree lined streets. Alot of transplants complain that Atlanta homes lack character, as you will see in some of the newer suburbs, but Buckhead definately has the charm you may be looking for. Many of the homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s and feature Geogian, Federal, and Beaux Arts styles. Newer larger homes are also available, especially as you go further west in Buckhead. Homes can be relatively affordable(in comparrison to the rest of Buckhead) if you stay in the right neighborhoods. Homes in Garden Hills, Peachtree Hills and Buckhead Forest typically will run you between $400,000 and $700,000. These homes are not "family homes" though and are small in compaison to what you can get in other parts of the metro for that price. All the other neighborhoods have homes priced in the millions. The condos are much cheaper as you can puchase one in the 200s to 300s range. Townhomes can be just as expensive as homes though with many being sold in the 800s to million dollar range.

Some Buckhead public elmentary schools(Jackson, Smith, and Brandon) are top notch private school quality. Beacause of their new intermediate IB program, Sutton, Buckhead's Middle School, has seen a resurgance in attendance from neighborhood students whose parents had originally opted for private schools. The public high school for Buckhead is North Atlanta High and it also has the IB magnet program. There are also a multitude of private schools if you choose that route as well. IMHO, if you can afford it, there is no better community to live in in the Metro area than Buckhead. It offers you an amazingly convient location in an otherwise gridlocked city, close proximity to the metro's best private schools, and beautiful homes with historical character which is a rarity in Metro Atlanta.

Alpharetta is a gorgeous community too but my favorite part of Alpharetta is now the city of Milton. Up there you can still breathe because development is not allowed to run amuck like in other parts of Atlanta,(Your commute into the city could be an hour and a half though if you will be working downtown). The homes are huge and boast large lots. Milton High School is one of the best in the state and the community can better maintain its affluent suburban/rural character now that it has incorporated. New homes in Milton start in the $500-600s range and go up from there. That's probably cheap though compared to L.A.