Athens/Atlanta split commute (Sandy Springs, Marietta: rental, daycare, house)

[mtnmama2013]

Hi all,

I know there are some threads on this but they appear to be several years old. Hoping for some recent advice.

DH may be offered a job in Athens. I have an offer near the intersection of 85 and 155 (just south of the Peachtree airport).

I would have to commute every day for 6-12 months, but after that would be allowed to telework pretty extensively and only have to commute once every two weeks.

We'd like to rent somewhere in between Athens and ATL for that time, where the commute would be roughly equivalent. Our rental budget is up to $1500-1800/mo (we'd want to rent a single family home). After I was allowed to telework, we would move to Athens.

Please let me know what your suggestions would be for a rental location, and what our commutes would look like. We have one preschool aged child.

Also - we'd both be able to flex our schedules. I could work a 6am-2:30pm schedule to help with the commute.

Thanks!

[sedimenjerry]

Lawrenceville near 316. East of Dacula there isn't much at all. Maybe Winder but your traffic situation takes precedence. And there isn't that much to do. Definitely flex your hours. 85S starts backing up at 615 am.

[mtnmama2013]

Thanks so much! We were thinking perhaps Snellville? We need daycare for our child and they have a good one there.

[sedimenjerry]

That's actually where I live! Well, between Snellville and Lawrenceville but basically there. Depending on where you live exactly you can take 78 to Athens or the Sugarloaf Pkwy extension to 316. From my house west of Scenic Highway (124), I can be at the exit for UGA in Athens in about 50 minutes pretty consistently taking Sugarloaf to 316. It's a really good area with lots of shops up and down Scenic Highway north of US 78. Your commute won't be fun unless you leave early. When I commuted to Sandy Springs I would leave around 615 during the school year, 630 during summer. Add more time if you live east of Scenic Highway. Just crossing that adds a few minutes.

[mtnmama2013]

Thanks!

When you say the commute will be rough, do you mean the commute to ATL or to Athens? Because one of us has to leave later to drop our daughter at daycare at 7, I was thinking I would commute to ATL for a workday of 6-230 (leave at 5:20), and my husband could leave at 7, drop our daughter off at daycare, and be to Athens by 8?

We're thinking that the Snellville-Athens commute will be better than the ATL commute.

[sedimenjerry]

Yes the ATL commute will be worse because you'll be fighting traffic. A drive to Athens is long, but there isn't much traffic (maybe IN Athens). Both my parents leave about 530 am to drive to Marietta and to Sandy Springs. If you leave that early traffic on 85 will be thick but pretty much 70+ mph. Local roads in Gwinnett will be pretty empty. 85NB will start backing up in the afternoon around 3 a lot of days (2 on Fridays) but if you get a peach pass you can fly past it and only spend maybe a dollar.