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I just moved to Atlanta on Sunday to start a new job. My family will be joining me in the spring. In the meantime, I am checking out neighborhoods to see where we might want to live.
I prefer a suburb and the more rural/exurban the better. I took a trip to Cumming this afternoon to check it out. I was immediately struck how much more woodsy it felt, which is to my liking. I surveyed some of the neighborhoods as well. Some looked quite nice, others were sort of run down. The area seems to offer all the shopping and services one would need.
If anyone has feedback on the area, I would welcome it. I only have to commute into my job in midtown ATL twice a week. I don't mind the drive along the GA400. Gives me time to clear my head.
I just moved to Atlanta on Sunday to start a new job. My family will be joining me in the spring. In the meantime, I am checking out neighborhoods to see where we might want to live.
I prefer a suburb and the more rural/exurban the better. I took a trip to Cumming this afternoon to check it out. I was immediately struck how much more woodsy it felt, which is to my liking. I surveyed some of the neighborhoods as well. Some looked quite nice, others were sort of run down. The area seems to offer all the shopping and services one would need.
If anyone has feedback on the area, I would welcome it. I only have to commute into my job in midtown ATL twice a week. I don't mind the drive along the GA400. Gives me time to clear my head.
Welcome to Metro Atlanta!
I lived in Forsyth County (near Cumming) during the latter half of my childhood/adolescence (I actually live in Midtown, where you'll be working, now). My parents still live in Forsyth County. Objectively, Forsyth County is a very good place to live, especially if you prefer an exurban or semi-rural lifestyle. The homes are new, nice, and big. Nearly all of the public schools are rated highly (though "rated highly" does not always mean "good" for every student). It's not far from the city, the mountains, and the lake. Most households are well-off. There's almost zero crime.
It's important to note that the City of Cumming and the Cumming address area are different entities. The City of Cumming is a very small area immediately surrounding the Cumming Square and is, IMO, not very nice. This is probably the "run down" area you referred to. In contrast, the Cumming address area (ZIP Codes 30028, 30040, and 30041) covers a majority of Forsyth County's area. For the purposes of this discussion, "Forsyth County" will serve as a stand-in for what you called "Cumming" because what you're really referring to is "Forsyth County".
While Forsyth County would be a solid choice for you, I will warn you about a few things regarding Forsyth County:
- Forsyth County is not some underrated "hidden gem" of a place, and that's especially true now that working from home is more common. When people come to the internet and ask "what part of Metro Atlanta should I move to", the answer is, more often than not, Forsyth County; Forsyth County is sort of the "default" answer these days. Forsyth County is very popular, and it's one of the most desired places to move to in the entire world. And I really do mean "the entire world" as households move to Forsyth County not just from other parts of the country but also from other countries (India in particular). I'd guess that a majority of new move-ins to Forsyth County are from one of India, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Texas, and California (which I'll guess is where you'll be coming from as you called it "the GA400"). My point is this: Forsyth County is not as quaint and rural as you might expect. The population continues to grow rapidly. There's more local traffic on the roads than you might expect. If you're expecting southern charm, you're not gonna find it.
- Do you think you found a less-densely-populated and more rural part of the county to reside in? Think again! There's a good chance that, in a decade, this area will be full of cookie-cutter neighborhoods, strip malls, and traffic. This is especially true in West Forsyth and North Forsyth. Don't be that guy that moves to a rapidly-growing exurb, pretends that they had no idea that the Atlanta suburban sprawl would encroach upon the neighborhood, and then later complains that the area is "overpopulated". You should move in with the expectation that most of Forsyth County will be busier and more suburban in a few years than it is now.
- Moving for a specific public school? Don't! There's a solid chance that, due to the population growth, you'll be redistricted into another school attendance zone (as most schools in the county are rated highly, this hasn't been too much of an issue thus far). This is especially true in West Forsyth and North Forsyth.
- The commute to Midtown is gonna suck. I know you said that you're okay with it, but I'm still warning you. If you go for a less-developed area of West Forsyth or North Forsyth, for example, you're looking at a 90 minute commute during rush hour. You could consider parking your car at North Springs MARTA and taking the train from there to Midtown (20 minutes, $2.50 one-way) to avoid the worst part of the commute and to avoid parking in Midtown.
- You'll still encounter bigots and ignorant people from time to time, especially in the northern half of Forsyth County and particularly if you're not white (though this is seemingly less of an issue with each passing year). For instance, if you were to inform an ignorant longtime Forsyth County resident that you moved from California, that person might just assume that you're a communist who wants to "indoctrinate" their children with your "California values". To be clear, this isn't common, but does occur occasionally.
I don't know what your budget is, but if it happens to be near $1m or more than $1m, I would strongly consider the City of Milton in addition to Forsyth County. Milton is closer to your work in Midtown (most likely 15-30 minutes closer), and it's more rural-feeling than much of Forsyth County. Milton has strict ordinances for development in most of the city which require minimum lot sizes of 1 acre; this has cultivated a more pastoral feel than much of Forsyth County. My point is that, in Milton, what is quaint and rural-ish now should still be that way in a decade. Public school ratings are equivalent to Forsyth County.
Another alternative for you to consider could be southern Fayette County, to the south of Atlanta. Fayette County is similar to Milton in that there are 1-acre minimums in many places. Fayette County isn't growing that quickly, relatively speaking, so what is quaint and rural-ish now should remain that way in a decade. In particular, I would look into the Starr's Mill High School attendance zone in and near Peachtree City (and maybe the Whitewater High School attendance zone as well). Public school ratings are equivalent to Forsyth County and Milton. If you have a budget of at least $750k, I think that you might appreciate the Redwine Road area. While the distance from the Peachtree City area to Midtown is the same as the distance from most of Forsyth County to Midtown, there is far, far less traffic from Peachtree City to Midtown which results in an easier and quicker commute.
If you have more specific questions about Forsyth County (specific neighborhoods, schools, etc.) don't hesitate to ask!
^ That's really good info and I can't think of much to add.
Forsyth is exploding and the areas that may seem woodsy today have a high chance of being swallowed up by development. The amount of growth north of 20 on 400 is absolutely insane. But with the home prices just down the road in Fulton being absolutely insane, I fully understand why it's popular (if commute isn't an issue). Still, depending on where you are exactly, things could change quickly and you might end up with more neighbors than you intended to. Milton is a good mention as they are strict about their development. They can't really "explode" like other areas and they have no interest in anything remotely dense. While that will keep it very car dependent, it also means the population will be steady instead of increasing as fast as possible like in Forsyth.
As mentioned above, "Cumming" and the actual city of Cumming are two different things. Cumming is the only incorporated city of Forsyth and it's right in the middle so pretty much everything gets labeled as Cumming (although some mailing addresses have different names like Alpharetta or Suwanee despite those being in other counties).
Even just two times a week, that drive from anywhere in Forsyth to midtown will be brutal. Even if you need that time in the car to clear your head, dealing with the traffic will be a pain in itself.
I know several folks who commuted 90 minutes from Forsyth to the Perimeter and they were fine with it. In their opinion the elbow room they got in Forsyth was worth it. Yes, they got home after dark but at least they weren't packed in like sardines.
- Do you think you found a less-densely-populated and more rural part of the county to reside in? Think again! There's a good chance that, in a decade, this area will be full of cookie-cutter neighborhoods, strip malls, and traffic. This is especially true in West Forsyth and North Forsyth. Don't be that guy that moves to a rapidly-growing exurb, pretends that they had no idea that the Atlanta suburban sprawl would encroach upon the neighborhood, and then later complains that the area is "overpopulated". You should move in with the expectation that most of Forsyth County will be busier and more suburban in a few years than it is now.
- The commute to Midtown is gonna suck. I know you said that you're okay with it, but I'm still warning you. If you go for a less-developed area of West Forsyth or North Forsyth, for example, you're looking at a 90 minute commute during rush hour. You could consider parking your car at North Springs MARTA and taking the train from there to Midtown (20 minutes, $2.50 one-way) to avoid the worst part of the commute and to avoid parking in Midtown.
How do you figure, especially with the West Forsyth area? Just curious as I am building a house near West Forsyth High School. Commute wise, I've been tracking around 40 minutes to an hour to get to Midtown. Before the summer 2022 Transform 285/400 construction ramp up (and the recent 285 lane closures), it was tracking consistently around 40, which isn't too bad for a hybrid worker. Hopefully once that project wraps up, it will be better than 40 (and long term, they have the express lanes project).
Mostly I was attracted by looking at the builders, and what they would sell for like 900k in Roswell would be more like 700k in Cumming. Like that West Forsyth has Vickery, near (~20 minutes) to Avalon/Halcyon.
It's also been an interesting experience building in Forsyth, the builder has noted that Forsyth is very strict with enforcing the quality of materials, minimum windows required, etc., while other counties may be vary lenient and grant variances very freely.
Forsyth County is my favorite area in ATL, but I think I would have liked Peachtree City, South of Atlanta too.
Forsyth County has low property taxes, great schools, great parks and youth leagues, nice libraries, A newish Hospital (Northside), good fire and police, and newer infrastructure.
I'd stay w/in 3 miles of 400 due to your trips to Downtown, but not less than 1 mile...due to noise and crime close to 400.
I'd avoid the exit that is for state road 369...its a parking lot. There's a sleepy exit near the DMV...maybe the Bald Head marina exit that I'd look around. State Rd 20 exit is also very congested....find a sleepy exit off 400...there are 1 or 2.
If you stay to retirement, Forsyth only charges 65+'ers a small portion of property tax...they nix the school taxes, so you might pay $1200/yr property tax on a $400k home when you are retired.
Good wide range of retail, but not high end, & restaurants are average. You'll wind up driving down into Alpharetta for fine dining. Nice little playhouse in downtown Cumming we enjoyed. Some live music in and around downtown Cumming.
You're just 1 hour from the nice North GA Mountain towns of Helen, & Dahlonega, & some wineries out in the countryside. You can weekend at the Big Canoe resort, and feel a world away from Atlanta...so much to do there in Big Canoe...its a must see, and do.
Of course, you are right at Lake Lanier which offers all kinds of on the water activities....fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, paddle boarding, or just picnic lakeside.
I cannot think of a better area on the North Side of ATL for work-from-home folks, who only go go downtown 2x wk.
I say go for it. Maybe rent for a year to be certain its for you. The local traffic could force you to go a bit further North...nearer the Outlet Mall off 400, but then you are 1+ hr rush hour to downtown...each way.
How do you figure, especially with the West Forsyth area? Just curious as I am building a house near West Forsyth High School. Commute wise, I've been tracking around 40 minutes to an hour to get to Midtown. Before the summer 2022 Transform 285/400 construction ramp up (and the recent 285 lane closures), it was tracking consistently around 40, which isn't too bad for a hybrid worker. Hopefully once that project wraps up, it will be better than 40 (and long term, they have the express lanes project).
When I said "90 minutes from a less-developed area of West Forsyth or North Forsyth", I was thinking of the Highway 369/Matt Hwy area. The West Forsyth High School area, I'd guess, would be about 15 minutes quicker (1 hour and 15 minutes or so). 40 minutes to 1 hour is optimistic for a West Forsyth High School area to Midtown rush hour commute.
In my experience, it's 40 minutes to an hour without traffic. In typical Tuesday morning rush hour conditions, Google Maps estimates a travel time of 1 hour to 1 hour and 50 minutes from West Forsyth High School to Midtown. That seems about right as it generally takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes for me to get from my apartment in Midtown to my parents' house in South Forsyth if I travel during rush hour (I rarely do).
Transform 285/400 will help marginally once it's done.
The express lanes on 400, if they ever get off the ground, will take a while to build and will likely worsen traffic throughout the duration of their construction (a few years at least). By the time the express lanes are open, induced demand and continued population growth will almost certainly result in no improvement or even a worsening of traffic conditions. The express lanes will merely provide a quicker alternative to those who are willing to pay.
I just moved to Atlanta on Sunday to start a new job. My family will be joining me in the spring. In the meantime, I am checking out neighborhoods to see where we might want to live.
I prefer a suburb and the more rural/exurban the better. I took a trip to Cumming this afternoon to check it out. I was immediately struck how much more woodsy it felt, which is to my liking. I surveyed some of the neighborhoods as well. Some looked quite nice, others were sort of run down. The area seems to offer all the shopping and services one would need.
If anyone has feedback on the area, I would welcome it. I only have to commute into my job in midtown ATL twice a week. I don't mind the drive along the GA400. Gives me time to clear my head.
Yes... Cumming and Forsyth County is an exceedingly amenity rich area that is a very good, if not excellent location for your and your family to target for relocation into a farther outlying outer-suburban/exurban area.
Though, like other posters have pointed out, two possible areas of concern potentially may be the length of your commute to and from your job in Midtown Atlanta (especially if said commute has to be made during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours), and that Forsyth County is an explosively fast growing area that appears to be likely to keep growing at an extremely high rate for the foreseeable future.
But if you are going to be commuting to (and from) your job in Midtown Atlanta only two days a week, there does seem to be an argument to be made that the sometimes noticeably challenging commutes between Cumming/Forsyth County and Midtown Atlanta may be worth it in exchange for living in an exceedingly abundantly amenity-rich area like Cumming/Forsyth County and outer-suburban/exurban North/Northeast metro Atlanta with the area’s access to extremely highly-rated high-quality public schools, numerous retail and dining options, numerous outdoor recreational amenities, and its overall extremely high quality-of-life.
If you want to live in an area that may be located further away from the outskirts of greater Atlanta’s encroaching heavy metropolitan development pattern than Forsyth County (which is an area that is in the process of being overtaken by greater Atlanta’s metropolitan development pattern), you could consider farther out exurban areas like Dawson, Lumpkin and Pickens counties... But the commutes between those areas and your job in Midtown Atlanta will be even longer than the commutes between Forsyth County and Midtown Atlanta, especially during rush hours.
I just moved to Atlanta on Sunday to start a new job. My family will be joining me in the spring. In the meantime, I am checking out neighborhoods to see where we might want to live.
I prefer a suburb and the more rural/exurban the better. I took a trip to Cumming this afternoon to check it out. I was immediately struck how much more woodsy it felt, which is to my liking. I surveyed some of the neighborhoods as well. Some looked quite nice, others were sort of run down. The area seems to offer all the shopping and services one would need.
If anyone has feedback on the area, I would welcome it. I only have to commute into my job in midtown ATL twice a week. I don't mind the drive along the GA400. Gives me time to clear my head.
I lived and worked in Midtown for 25+ years. Loved it! Remarried and moved to St Marlo Country Club subdivision in S. Forsyth. Loved the community, but the commute to Midtown was horrendous. Miserable enough to the point that I simply retired early. Best of luck with your home search!
My view is that cumming has great schools and the rolling hills and woods.
But cumming is an exurb to me, not a suburb. What always drove me nuts is how crowded it gets on weekends as it has retail amenities that support outlying areas like Dahlonega and dawsonville. Just this past weekend, 400 was slowed down, solely because the exit ramps were backed up onto the highway.
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