Atlanta - Where to Live and Lifestyle (Roswell, Norcross: real estate, home)

[melgirl30]

Hi Atlanta,

My boyfriend and I may be moving to Atlanta. He is South African and is looking to get a transfer to his company headquarters which are in Norcross. The possibility is looking quite good. We are currently in South Africa now but I will be leaving in a few weeks and will be in NY in the meantime.

In terms of my work, I am hoping to work at Children's Hospital of Atlanta - Scottish Rite. They also have a few more locations but so far I only see an opening at Scottish Rite.

I am hearing great things about Virginia Highland. I want to be in a walkable area, with cool bars, great restaurants, live music, shops, farmer's market. etc. Also near a park or bike paths. We are both 30 so still like to go out sometimes. I am worried though that VH is too far and his commute will be a nightmare? Any other neighborhoods you could suggest with this vibe?

Originally we were hoping to go out to the San Fran Bay area because it would remind us of Cape Town but it seems Georgia has a lot to offer in terms of nature and mountains? What are some cool but not to long road trips that we can do over a weekend/long weekend? I have never been in South, so I am keen to explore what it has to offer.

Thanks for the info!

[SW30303]

VH is a good choice to start with for what you like. I think the commute from VH to Norcross during rush hour would be over 30-45 minutes at least (just guessing). Parts of the commute will be congested. You might be interested in Peachtree Corners as well which is in and near Norcross.

Weekend trips to the mountains would be pretty easy, 2-5 hour drives one way depending on where you go, not too far at all.

[cittic10]

North GA has a lot to offer in terms of recreation, yes this is true. You don't even need a "long weekend". I live in the suburbs and can be at one of my favorite camping spots at 4000' elevation in about 60 minutes. Lots and lots of opportunities for camping in the mountains, hiking, paddling in the many lakes, offroad vehicle trails and so on. But just outside of San Francisco are the very same things. In fact, SF has the added advantage to being closer to the ocean and beaches.

I'm not trying to sell you on one place or the other but many people dream their whole lives of being able to move to SF. One of the biggest problems with that area is real estate is extremely expensive and while salary earners there earn much more than the national average, it's still not proportional to the cost of real estate, causing many people to live in neighboring Oakland.

Depending on your profession and your salary, this may or may not be an issue.
If cost of living is a priority, you'll find atlanta much more affordable although the culture here is very different. So is the climate. Most people would probably prefer SF's warmer winters and cool to downright chilly summers to be more favorable if you enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. Then again many people enjoy the 3 and a half seasons we get here plus all the fall foliage which is amongst the best in the country. (Yes I just said that!) There is a large number of expats from south africa here. Although SF may have this too.

[melgirl30]

Thanks. My boyfriend can only get a job transfer to Atlanta as their headquarters are there. It's very difficult for foreigners to get work permits here - so the fact that they are willing to help him and want him is great. If we don't take the Atlanta offer then we will have to get married so he can be in the country! SF will have to wait...

Also it will be much easier to get to SA from the east coast...

[rackensack]

Va-Hi to Norcross is basically a reverse commute, against most of the traffic, especially in the mornings -- I did it for several years. Yes, it'll be 25-40 minutes in the car that he could spend doing something else, but as Atlanta commutes go, it won't be that bad.

Roswell has tons of parks and bike paths (it's one of the only certified Bike Friendly Communities in GA, along with Athens), has the Chattahoochee River running along its southern border, and has good hiking within walking distance of downtown in the Chattahoochee National Recreational Area Vickery Creek unit. The downtown Roswell/Canton Street restaurant scene has really blossomed in the last few years. There's a weekly farmer's market down at Riverside Park. There aren't a lot of bars/nightclubs per se -- most are more restaurants than bars -- and few live music venues. Outside of the immediate vicinity of downtown, it's not particularly walkable, though there are areas where it's possible (I have a Kroger, Target, Rite Aid, and several decent restaurants within walking distance, as well as a large park and extensive trails/sidewalks, in the area of East Roswell I live in). Traffic from downtown Roswell to Norcross could be an issue though -- Holcomb Bridge gets backed up a lot of mornings, though I doubt it'd be longer than Va-Hi to Norcross. You'd have a harder commute to Scottish Rite from Roswell, though.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by melgirl30

Thanks. My boyfriend can only get a job transfer to Atlanta as their headquarters are there. It's very difficult for foreigners to get work permits here - so the fact that they are willing to help him and want him is great. If we don't take the Atlanta offer then we will have to get married so he can be in the country! SF will have to wait...

Also it will be much easier to get to SA from the east coast...

So you'll move to the Affordable Coast and join the masses of other people that dream of one day living in california. Nothing wrong with that.

[a2t]

VH is my pick. Yes traffic here sucks. Traffic in morning should be reverse commute so not more than 30 or so minutes. There will be days when it takes an hour to get home though. Still totally worth it.

Such a cool neighborhood, awesome restaurants, bars, people. Its not easy to find that sort of community here. I will live there again someday...

[researchnerd]

You might actually like Norcross. It's kind of spread out, and some parts aren't the greatest, but the little historic downtown area has shops, bars, parks, etc. Take a look at Peachtree Corners too.