Woodstock GA ok for retiring? (Atlanta, Roswell: 2014, apartments, condos)

[ClassicCarFamily]

We are from So Cal. Is Woodstock GA a good place to retire to? We are looking for a nice community that is friendly and has decent medical services and is walkable. Our children are grown and live in a cold climate so we cannot live in their state as it snows a lot. A nice friendly community is important where neighbors care about one another. would like to get about a 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot so we can build a second garage. We have visited the Atlanta area before and liked it. We haven't been to Woodstock but read good things about it. If you also know anything about Senoia would appreciate that too. Thanks so much

[Brian_M]

I've lived in Woodstock and travel through Senoia frequently now, between the 2 Senoia is easily the more "walkable" and friendly. Not to say that Woodstock was unfriendly or bad, just that it's more spread out and much more a part of the Atlanta sprawl than Senoia is (currently).

But Senoia is also Smaller, by a ways (half the size if not smaller than that).

Of all the communities I know around the Atlanta metro, Peachtree City is the most "Californian" that I can think of. It boarders Senoia, is still smaller than Woodstock but much more densely packed (1/4 is about the smallest lot size found here, most are 1/2 to 3/4).

You'll probably want to post in the Atlanta sub-forum of this Georgia forum though, you'll get more replies (It's all considered Atlanta, and it very much part of the ATL sprawl). Be warned that if you move vehicles here, you'll be paying a 7% valuation fee to register each vehicle.... and if you like any variety of Mexican (New Mexican, Tex-Mex, etc..) there is absolutely nothing here that even comes close to what you most likely consider "normal" or "average". Honestly, Taco Bell is the best quality 'mexican' food available, at least that I've found in 10 years time.

[ClassicCarFamily]

So sad to hear about Taco Bell being the best LOL We are not hispanic and whats left of family lives in Rutherfordton NC. We are not out to change anything just want to slow down a bit. How brutal are the summers. Currently we live in the Inland Empire which is hot and dry 100 degrees in summer. I know GA is slightly lower temp and humid. How hot and humid can we expect and how many months does it last? What do you do to cope in the humidity? Thanks again!

[Brian_M]

Well, I'm a Wyoming native so I grew up with summer temps no higher than 85 and humidity in the teens... I've had to grow gills to survive in GA. Summers are brutal to me (even after a decade of GA living, and a couple years in Phoenix), a few years ago we had several months of 100+ temps and 90% humidity in a row. Those can start in May and last into October... the last 2 Christmases we've seen 80 degree temps and needed AC.

The shoulder "seasons" here, Nov and March, when neither heat nor AC are running our bathroom towels will go mildewy overnight unless we toss them in the drier for 20 minutes. Inside humidity levels in my house range from 60~70% at this times (vs about 50% when either heat or AC is running more). The biggest change I've had to make is taking showers at night when I'm done going outside else I feel slimy and sticky all night.

Mostly I either try to hibernate inside through the worst of the summers or I simply suck it up and get out Early and never go into AC so as the heat builds, I notice it a little less.

If you want a little more mild, get into the mountains with some elevation. Any reason you're looking at GA over TN, NC or SC?

[ClassicCarFamily]

We haven't ruled anything out just looking at GA as they seem to be a retirement friendly (tax wise) state. Do you have any suggestions on any of the other states? The last time we were in Atlanta area for my son's boot camp graduation we notice the water was a little off tasting? Is that common ? How is crime in the area (woodstock)?

[Born 2 Roll]

Both Woodstock and Senoia are good places to retire to.

Brian_M makes some good points about the Woodstock area as a whole (the entire Woodstock 30188 and 30189 zip codes) being spread out and much more apart of the Atlanta metropolitan sprawl (not unlike most of the suburban North metro Atlanta area) than Senoia.

Greater Woodstock (the unincorporated area with a Woodstock mailing address that includes all of the 30188 and 30189 zip codes) may be spread-out and not walkable, but the City of Woodstock itself is home to a historic village-like downtown area that is indeed very walkable.

Downtown Woodstock is filled with shops, restaurants, theaters, condos, townhomes, upscale apartments, single-family homes and park areas all within a very-walkable pedestrian-friendly village area that continues to rise in popularity. Woodstock has a very nice and growing village-like downtown area that gets rave reviews.

Senoia, down in Coweta County in outer-suburban South metro Atlanta is famous for being the primary shooting and production location for the popular "The Walking Dead" television series.

Peachtree City, a few miles north of Senoia in Fayette County in outer-suburban South metro Atlanta, like Brian_M mentioned, is also an excellent location to consider because of that community's popularity with retirees.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ClassicCarFamily

We haven't ruled anything out just looking at GA as they seem to be a retirement friendly (tax wise) state. Do you have any suggestions on any of the other states?

Just the usual suspects of Arizona, Nevada, Florida and South Carolina.

Parts of Tennessee (particularly the mountains of Eastern Tennessee) and North Carolina (the mountains of Western North Carolina and the Outer Banks/Atlantic Coast of Eastern North Carolina) also have some appeal to retirees.

Some parts of Texas, Mississippi and Alabama (particularly along the Gulf Coast) have been known to attract retirees, though not necessarily to the extent as states like Arizona, Florida and South Carolina.

Originally Posted by ClassicCarFamily

The last time we were in Atlanta area for my son's boot camp graduation we notice the water was a little off tasting? Is that common ?

The water is not as bad as it may be in other parts of the country (most notably in the industrial areas of the Northeast and the Midwest), but it probably may not be all that unusual for the water to be a little off-tasting.

With my experience of living in the Midwest (where water from the faucet can be of much worse quality) for extended periods of time, my advice is generally not to drink the water from the faucet.

My advice is to either install a home drinking water filtration system on your kitchen sink/faucet or buy bottled drinking water in bulk from the grocery store.

Originally Posted by ClassicCarFamily

How is crime in the area (woodstock)?

Crime is generally really low in Woodstock and Cherokee County and will not really be anything that you will have to worry about for the most part.

That's not to say that crime never occurs in the area, that's just to say that crime is not really a frequent occurrence in the Woodstock area.

[ClassicCarFamily]

Thanks so much for the info. The folks in GA have been very kind to us. When our son graduated boot camp at Ft. Benning he got so many "Thank you for your service" comments we were very touched and we were treated very kindly. In CA most folks keep to themselves a lot and you don't get so much friendliness all the time. Everyone seems in a hurry on the roads, and everywhere else. We are looking for a slower pace and friendly neighbors. I know what you mean about the tap water-we have reverse osmosis here as the water is really hard and we get a lot of sediment in the pipes. We don't even give the tap water to the cat and dog. Thanks again for your suggestions its really appreciated. Take care

[Brian_M]

IMHO, the Atlanta tap water is a taste issue only and easily solved with a simple/cheap Carbon filter but it's been a few years since I had an Atlanta Metro address.

Be warned that the "slower pace" you're looking for is probably not in the Atlanta metro area. Way back in 2008, Atlanta took away the "worst traffic in America" title from LA... anecdotal observation from my perspective is that it's noticeably worse now than it was in 2008. Atlanta is a LOT of type-A, fast paced folks. That's not everyone, but it's also not everyone where you currently live either.

Just be careful with making assumptions, they tend to be real heartaches. I've had residence in 13 different parts of the country over the past ~30 years, things are pretty much the same everywhere (meaning cities are like other cities, 'burbs are the same everywhere and rural only has a couple deviations based on the average income). You can't "escape" anything by moving unless you change between city/'burb/rural, and that's just changing one set of issues for a second set.

[pimpninja]

Woodstock is a great and growing city. We moved in three years ago from Roswell, GA and in no way is it a small town. It used to be a VERY tiny country town, barely called a suburb of Atlanta. Now, easily called one of the fastest growing small city in Georgia.

With this in mind, it has increase dramatically since we moved in 2014. A huge increase in population with new homes EVERYWHERE. downtown Woodstock is amazing but with all the growth, the only major worry to me is change in demographics and potential of increase crime with increased population.

Still, so far, can't complain.