Where to live in East Cobb? Are there parts of Roswell in East Cobb? (Atlanta: townhomes, neighborhood)

[atlgabound]

What are the preferred towns to live in, in East Cobb County? I keep hearing folks on the forum referring to East Cobb as a good place to live for schools but isn't that a general statement? Where should one live if they are zeroing in on this area of the county town wise? We are hoping to find a 3-4 BR for 400-500K in a good school district close to the perimeter if not inside the perimeter in Cobb. Isn't part of Roswell technically in Cobb County? Are there any good areas there for a young couple starting a family with one commuting to Buckhead for work? Thanks for the tips! Also What are the perferred school districts for all of Cobb? We are also considering Smyrna. Are there any environmental health concerns in Smyrna because of the proximity to a major AFB? I come from California where there is a lot of this concern. Sorry for the multitude of questions.....

[backfist]

I agree: the reference to "East Cobb" is pretty vague to us Californians. You either live in [whatever city] or you don't. But out here, the first reference to a geographic area is the county, e.g., Dekalb, Gwinnett. The difference being incorporated cities like Alpharetta, Marietta, Kennesaw.

In East Cobb, there are unincorporated portions of Roswell, Sandy Springs, even Woodstock. Depending on the location, your technical zip code could be Roswell or Sandy Springs even though you're miles away from the hearts of those areas.

I'd say you're in the ballpark as far as price range. You might not get a new home, but you'll be able to find a nice resale home that you'll be happy with. The public schools are reasonably good. And equally as important, there's a Trader Joe's coming soon.

The downside is that your commute to Buckhead can get ugly if you don't leave home before 6:30 AM. Still, East Cobb's a great place. I'm sure others have more info and can be even more helpful.

BTW, what part of California are you from?

[jxu66]

Again, this is another discussion about city of Roswell vs unincorporated Roswell. The city of Roswell is in North Fulton while some part of unincorporated Roswell due to US postal code has Roswell in its name but is not in North Fulton.

Three great high school districts in East Cobb are Walton, Pope and Lassiter.

AFB is on the west side of East Cobb. Depends on what you live in East Cobb, it could be very close or very far away.

[xavier132487]

Wow, you Californians have become disillusioned with home prices, haha. 400-500K for a 4 BR home? Hell, you could find one in the upper 100s to 300s, even in East Cobb (search ReMax under zip 30068, 30066, 30062). Albeit, some of those will be from the 80's and 90s, but still good homes with good school districts. 400-500K will generally buy you an older home with 5000-6000 sq ft, or a newer home with 2500-4000 sq ft, depending on the number of bedrooms, baths, amenities, etc. A newer 2000-2200 sq ft home with .25-.5 acre land should go for 250-300K. All of the schools there are top-rated (Pope, Walton, Lassiter, Wheeler, Sprayberry).

Now, in terms of towns in East Cobb: it's all unincorporated. The majority of addresses, however, are listed in Marietta. There are a few in Woodstock and Roswell, but for the most part, you will get a Marietta address. Now, you're probably thinking "but, it's the Eastern part of an ENTIRE COUNTY"; I know that in CA the land areas of counties are HUGE! However, in GA, counties are much smaller in size (one reason why ATL has 28 of them in its metro). Cobb County, in particular, is only about 300 or so sq miles. So, East Cobb is even smaller in size (the area people talk about on here is probably about 70-100 sq miles, about the size of many incorporated cities ).

Now, in Smyrna, you can DEFINITELY find a home cheaper than 500K (staying away from Vinings...). If you do move to Smyrna, I'd advise staying in the Campell High district; it's known for its IB program and as being an "Oasis" of education in southern Cobb County (the other schools in South Cobb are improving but still have work to do). Also, if you move to Smyrna, you have easier access to many of Metro Atlanta's top private/prep schools if you decide to go the private route. Many of my friends live in Smyrna, and they're pretty healthy, so the AFB is of no concern really. Not to mention, I drive around Dobbins, and much of the area around it is Lockheed or government owned, or is zoned as commercial, not so much residential.

[stvincent]

The best high school in Cobb County and among the top three in the state is Walton High. Pope and Lassiter are other good schools in East Cobb. Notice that no one mentions Sprayberry or Kell High Schools. These area's are the cheapest parts of East Cobb but the schools don't even nearly compare.

If you want to move into the Walton district, $400-500,000 is not going to go very far. That will buy an older home on very little land. It'll be in a nice neighborhood though, as East Cobb is a suburban paridise, excluding the factor of the traffic in the area. Most new homes in Walton's district are starting in the 700s and going up into the millions from there. It's become a very posh place to live.

Pope and Lassiter has some new homes being built in the half million dollar range. Lassiter's district is quite far from Buckhead though so if you can stay in Walton or Pope's district, you should. Wheeler High's district is also close to Atanta and its Math and Science Magnet is great. The regular program is more questionable though. Homes in that area range from the 300s to 600s.

If you decide to move to Smyrna, you are most likely going to want your kids to attend private school, unless they get into the IB program. Lovett and Whitefield are the closest and most popular schools. Education aside. the homes are much cheaper in Smyrna than East Cobb, with most new homes starting in the 400s. Smyrna is also a charming place to live, just doesn't have the best schools at the moment.

It's also easier to commute into Buckhead from Smyrna by way of West Paces and Paces Ferry Rds. Leaving East Cobb going through Sandy Springs or down I-75 is going to be hell for you in the mornings.

[xavier132487]

If you want to move into the Walton district, $400-500,000 is not going to go very far. That will buy an older home on very little land. It'll be in a nice neighborhood though, as East Cobb is a suburban paridise, excluding the factor of the traffic in the area. Most new homes in Walton's district are starting in the 700s and going up into the millions from there. It's become a very posh place to live.

Though most of the NEW homes going up in that area are 700-1mil+, it is mainly due to their immense size. The newer homes there are 5000+ sq ft, on .33-1.00 acre. The non-McMansion homes are still affordable.

If you decide to move to Smyrna, you are most likely going to want your kids to attend private school, unless they get into the IB program. Lovett and Whitefield are the closest and most popular schools. Education aside. the homes are much cheaper in Smyrna than East Cobb, with most new homes starting in the 400s. Smyrna is also a charming place to live, just doesn't have the best schools at the moment.

Again, "most new homes from the 400s"? That's inaccurate. Most new homes are still in the 200s (some even in the upper 100s, depending on size) in that area for what she's looking for.

[atlgabound]

Thanks everyone, this site is so great! I am looking forward to our upcoming trip to Atlanta to check this all out in person. Surely we will make a more informed decision where to live one day thanks to all your help. Backfist we are from Marin County (very expensive, hence one of our motivating factors in moving). I think our $ will go alot further in the Atlanta area but want to find the right place based on schools and commute. To all what is the better commute- Marietta to Buckhead or Roswell to Buckhead. I know they are both potentially bad but what is the worse of two evils? thanks again!

[xavier132487]

Most likely Roswell to Buckhead, because he could go to the Park-and-Ride and take MARTA to Buckhead. How far away is the job destination from a MARTA station?

[stvincent]

Originally Posted by runningncircles1

Again, "most new homes from the 400s"? That's inaccurate. Most new homes are still in the 200s (some even in the upper 100s, depending on size) in that area for what she's looking for.

I live five minutes from Smyrna and I don't know of one subdivision eing built right now with homes priced beneath $400,000. Maybe you are thinking of townhomes...but even then there are NO townhomes being built in Smyrna from the upper 100s. I don't know if you are thinking of the western sections of Marietta or the area near Dobbins in Marietta but Smyrna is no longer a cheap place to live unless one is buying an older home. New single family homes START in the low 400s and go up from there. Please tell me of the subdivisions to which you are referring.

[jghampton]

Same with Sandy Springs - unless you are getting a much smaller, ranch house (low 300's) you won't find many traditional, 2 story type Sandy Spring/Dunwoody homes under 400k and many that have been partially updated are in the 500's. Newer homes are going in the 600's and way up.

Jenn