relocating

[gcoleman]

Grayson has great schools and has excellent new neighborhoods.

[jeweloflight]

Originally Posted by CHI/MN

I am looking into relocating from MN to Georgia as well. I have read quit a few entries in regard to the feelings on moving south. I am originally from Chicago (born and raised), I am used to both living amongst my own as well as being in a multi cultural community as well for the last 13yrs here in MN. For more insite purposes I am black. I love both Chicago and MN although Chicago being my home town I love it most. I don't mind living in a multi cultural area but I must say that one of the things I miss about back home Chi is being a closer community which I believe probably stems from having more in common as far as culture? I miss everyone knowing each other and eachothers children, when someone moves in a the neighbors introduce themselves and may even bring a plant to welcome you in. I am also in nursing school and will be done next year which is when I would be looking to move. I am undecided if I should be looking at either Marietta or Lithonia. The reason I say that is because I've heard good things about both. I know Marietta is more combined in regard multi-culture and Lithonia is prodominately black. I originally had my eye on Marietta. The reason I am looking to come is while I love Chi I have become acostume to a more laid back environment MN used to offer, yet I hate snow. Also my children 2 of which will be college bound and one middle school I believe has missed out on knowing what a close knit neighborhood is like. Right now my little one doesn't have friends in the nieghborhood we have to travel to pick her friends up and bring them over. Sorry for the long posting, I just have a lot of questions and wanted to give some background. Also I was hoping to get a little in between Chi and MN in regard to atmosphere. Please give feedback. thanks.

First off, don't base where you live on the fact that two of your children want to go to Clark; that area is just not good for living. Predominately black, high crime, and you won't get a good return on your investment when it's time to sell. I go to that area every year for their Spelman/Morehouse Christmas concert, and I have a very good friend who graduated from Clark and was mugged twice while in school. Not to scare you away, but just a heads up.

Marietta is an o.k. choice for living, but like a previous poster said, it's such a big county, it depends. I think East Cobb is the best thing going in Marietta or around Kennestone Hospital or the downtown square. It's pricey though. You won't live in those areas decently for under $500k. Parts of Marietta have a heavy hispanic population and can be seedy. East Cobb has great schools though, but like I said, you'll pay. Smyrna is good too, but parts of it are shady. You need to be picky. The best part of Smyrna is an upscale area called Vinings (where I live) and the houses over here start about $500k as well. I'm only over here because I moved back home, but couldn't afford it on my own right now. But it's safe and growing rapidly. Lot's of families and young professionals.

Don't think another minute about Lithonia, crime is high, and the schools are of poor quality. Keep moving. I'm curious about you working at Kennestone Hospital. Have you already applied for a position there or something? I am currently a nursing student myself and will graduate in May. Our professors keep us up to the minute on what's going on with what hospitals, the laws, rules, and pay around Atlanta. Kennestone is part of the WellStar Healthcare System, and is the lowest paying around. They lure you in with all these "perks" and benefits, but the pay simply sucks. The only other hospital that doesn't pay well is Emory University. They feel that because you can put "Emory" on your resume, that's all the rage; however, for me status doesn't pay my bills. I would check around if I were you with other hospitals before I settle on Kennestone. There's Northside, (which has 3 three different campuses) Piedmont, Gwinnett Medical, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, Grady (a county hospital, if that tells you anything) North Fulton, St. Joseph's and Emory.

It sounds to me honestly, that you would be happy in maybe Gwinnett County. Gwinnett is the most diverse county in the metro area. I mean, indian, asian, hispanic, romanian, black, white, you name it, it's there. I know you hadn't considered that, but you should. You'll feel excepted there no matter what race you are. The schools are good, plenty of families, and kid freindly. The housing market is booming there, and they're constantly putting up new subdivisions. Now about the neighborliness, I have always done apartment living since I've been in Atlanta, but from visiting friends with houses, people seem to just keep to themselves. I have yet to see the neighborhood where the neighbor brings you apple pie and says "welcome to the neigborhood", but I could be wrong. Like I said, mostly apartment living for me. Good Luck.

[Paul Turman]

OK fine. My son is a cop in Cobb county. If you say there is no crime in Cobb then move there.

[Paul Turman]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

It's dangerous to generalize. Cobb county is extremely diverse, and includes some fairly tranquil areas right near 285 (like Vinings) as well as some more rural areas (like south and west of Douglasville). Also, Kennesaw seems to have created an interesting way to reduce crime in general (mandatory firearm ownership for heads of households within the city limits).

My son is a cop in Cobb county. It is dangerous to assume one is generalizing.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Paul Turman

My son is a cop in Cobb county. It is dangerous to assume one is generalizing.

No, it isn't, and your simplistic "appeal to authority" argument doesn't work in this case. Sorry.

Keep in mind that we're talking about an entire county here, and in Cobb's case the "county" encompasses a rather large geographic area with multiple isolated regions, some of which are urbanized, some industrial, some suburban residential, and some even small-town-like or rural in nature.

The area is not homogeneous by any stretch of the imagination, either in terms of general land usage, or in terms of its existing population.

I suspect that is also true of crime statistics within the county, both current and historic -- there will be hot spots and areas in Cobb County which have a higher rate of certain types of crimes than other areas, but most of the area will be relatively average.

Because of this, any sweeping statement about such a large and diverse entity is going to end up being a generalization, and probably an overgeneralization. It might apply to some areas in the county, and perhaps even many, but I suspect it won't apply to the vast majority.

FWIW, since your son is a cop: I would be very interested in seeing some statistics comparing/contrasting Cobb and Gwinnett counties in general w.r.t. crime, and I would also like to see a map with the actual locations of crimes presented over time in both counties. If he (and indirectly, you) could provide that information, it might lend some credence to your comments. Otherwise, its just hearsay like my own comments are. :-)

I personally suspect that you will see similar patterns in both cases. Some areas are good, some bad, but the majority will be comparable in both counties.

I've only lived in Cobb County for 29 months, which isn't a very long time, but we've seen no evidence of crime at all in either of the places we've lived (a rental house in SE Smyrna just south of Atlanta Road and Paces Ferry, and now in an older covenant community in eastern Mableton just south of Cooper Lake Road and the E/W Connector).

All I know is what I've seen, what my neighbors have seen, and what our friends, acquaintances, and cow orkers have seen. If Cobb County is a dangerous place in general, it sure seems to disagree with the experiences I've had and been exposed to...

[Paul Turman]

As you wish. Enjoy the traffic jams.