Help in picking subdivision in Chattahoochee High School area (Atlanta: condo, townhome)

[ratram]

1. Budget: upto 250K
2. House/Condo/Townhome: House
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commute
4. Children(public school vs. private): Public
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: Mix
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not: Not important
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood: Diverse (we are from India), young, small-kid friendly, community feel, ease of access to shops, safe neighborhood

We've decided to narrow our search to houses zoned for Chattahoochee High School. I like that it is a good school, but not as academically focused (it seems) as Northview. I hated going to a academically focused school growing up in Long Island NY, so I want my kids to have a more all-round experience.

Looks like the following subdivisions are in our general price range for a 4Bed/2Bath home:
* Morton Chase
* The Forest
* Waterford Country Lake
* Country Lake
* Edgehill
* Pinewalk
* Abbots Pond
* Hillbrooke
* Brookhollow
* Kimball Bridge Cove
* Willow Run

Questions:
1) Are my thoughts about Northview vs. Chattahoochee High correct?
2) Which subdivision(s) will fit us best price wise and demographics/desire wise?
3) Are there any other subdivisions I should consider apart from the list above?
4) Am I right in thinking most subdivisions come with community amenities (pool/tennis/playground)? This is the main reason I am limiting my search to subdivisions instead of individual houses.

TIA!
Aarati

[tamlym]

Add Concord Hall to your list.... You can get your house for under $200K in this neighborhood.

Personally, I prefer to be zones for Northview due to resale value retention, but I think academically, the two HSs are similar, even though the school culture may be a bit more intense at Northview? I do notice that Northview HS homes are a little pricier.

My daughter attends Chattahoochee and loves it there. She has friends that went to Alpharetta High and are not happy there. But all the (high) schools in this area are top ranked, so you really can't go wrong.

I would say most larger subdivisions have a pool/tennis/playground (trust me, you really need the pool during the summer lol!), but not all do. You will need to check and make sure. Also, you have to see the pool yourself. Some of them have a "pool" that is more like a wading pool and not really a swimming pool kwim?

My husband parks at the WIndward Park n Ride and takes the bus to MARTA into Atlanta to work. It's not too bad, but you really need a car to get around locally. MARTA is great to get to the airport as well.

This whole area is pretty diverse, and you will blend in well . You will also find access to a lot of ethnic foods (grocery and restaurants) in this area.

Good luck!