East Cobb or Kennesaw? (Atlanta, Marietta: homes, neighborhoods, school districts)

[claudiasmith]

Thought I was going to get a job in Athens but it looks like it may be Kennesaw instead. I LOVE the college-town, funky atmosphere of Athens. Does Kennesaw feel at all like a college town? Would we be better off in East Cobb where the schools are great (we have two young children)? We tend to like older neighborhoods that have some character (and old trees!) but excellent schools are a priority. Right now we're in a semi-rural area and I'm bored to tears. Looking for a place NOT like that.

Thanks!

[nrgpill]

Kennesaw to me does not feel like a quaint college town like Athens but I do admit to not knowing much about KSU in general (I went to school in Athens for 4yrs). The vibe I get is that a lot of students commute, and similar in that sense to GSU. Kennesaw does not lack amenities (and traffic), so you will be fine for that (unless you have some aversion to big box retailers and chain restaurants).

[theoldnorthstate]

when you get there take some time to get a feel of Kennesaw before you make a decision. Check traffic patters, congestion, as well as schools and housing.

I lived in Acworth and East Cobb. and am SO glad to have left the Atlanta area. but mostly it was due to the long commutes I had. just drains a person.

[berkeleylake]

If you are more concerned about school ranking, East Cobb. If you want a more semi-rural feeling (not by much), then consider Kennesaw. Kennesaw itself really does not have a college town feel - it is more bedroom community / suburban with nice terrain. It is very different from Athens IMHO. KSU (Kennesaw State) was a commuter 2 year college and has grown a lot, but I don't see Kennessaw itself revolving around its rapidly-growing college.

If you haven't yet, after you visit both areas, I think you will have most of your concerns addressed.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by claudiasmith

Thought I was going to get a job in Athens but it looks like it may be Kennesaw instead. I LOVE the college-town, funky atmosphere of Athens. Does Kennesaw feel at all like a college town? Would we be better off in East Cobb where the schools are great (we have two young children)? We tend to like older neighborhoods that have some character (and old trees!) but excellent schools are a priority. Right now we're in a semi-rural area and I'm bored to tears. Looking for a place NOT like that.

Thanks!

East Cobb is somewhat older and more established than Kennesaw IMO, so I tend to think it has more of what youre looking for. First thing that came to mind, in fact, was the East Cobb neighborhood of Sibley Forest.

www.sibleyforest.org

[neil0311]

Also want to just mention that there are very comparable homes to East Cobb in the Harrison and Kennesaw Mountain school districts. Kennesaw is not monolithic, and there are the older areas and the newer areas and some very nice subdivisions comparable to what LovinDecatur provided as an example. The West Cobb area with a Marietta address is adjacent to Kennesaw.

We started out when we moved to the area desiring to live in East Cobb. After looking around at that time in 2007, we decided that West Cobb provided more of what we wanted at a better price (and we could have bought in East Cobb if we wanted). Yes, the schools in East Cobb are statistically better than West Cobb, but only slightly, and that's an aggregate look. There are higher and lower performing students in each school. But yes....if you must have Walton HS, then you want East Cobb.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

East Cobb is somewhat older and more established than Kennesaw IMO, so I tend to think it has more of what youre looking for. First thing that came to mind, in fact, was the East Cobb neighborhood of Sibley Forest.

Sibley Forest. A residential community in Marietta, Georgia

Could you explain the above? You must be talking about subdivisions and not the age of the two communities? I mean, Kennesaw was founded in the 1870s or 1880s, I think?

[claudiasmith]

Thanks so much for all the great info, everyone. Keep it comin'!

[caragitana]

We are happy with Kennesaw though East Cobb would have been a shorter drive to our jobs.
EC does have Walton as stated above but both Kennesaw and Harrison are highly acclaimed.
DueWest elem and Bullard elem are great schools with an excellent staff and high parental involvement.
Marietta 30064 near Burnt Hickory is also zoned for Kennesaw schools and has beautiful neighborhoods also.
Look at Saddle Ridge, HuntClub, Greyfiled North, Butler Creek, Davidson Farm, Halisport Lake.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Could you explain the above? You must be talking about subdivisions and not the age of the two communities? I mean, Kennesaw was founded in the 1870s or 1880s, I think?

That is true, but the core is very small relative to surrounding development. Kennesaw's growth came a little later than EC; naturally, since its further out of the city.