Looking for info on East Dallas area (Atlanta, Marietta: condo, low crime)

[Angelheart1023]

My hubby has a great job offer in Atlanta, but I don't like the thought of living in such a big city. I have been looking at schools, home prices, etc and have found some comfort in the area of Dallas, GA (East side I think). I'd like to know about the area and how the commute is to the area near GSU.

We have a daughter in middle school and a son in high school.
What are taxes like? State, local...How friendly is the area, schools, crime rate...really as much information as I can get will be a great deal of help.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

[atl1221]

Dallas (Georgia) is a very rapidly growing community in Paulding County. I don't live there so I can't really help on the taxes aspect, but I am certain that housing is much cheaper there than in other parts of the metro area. Unfortunately with those cheaper houses comes a MUCH longer commute to downtown Atlanta (GSU.) I think 45 minutes one way to downtown at rush hour might be conservative. People all across Atlanta are some of the friendliest I've encountered across the country. Paulding County Schools are average for the state, and I never hear of any crime on the news, so I think the crime rate is pretty low. Honestly if you're commuting to GSU, I would maybe consider another part of the area.

[mlv289]

I live in Dallas and quite frankly am very fond of the area. Yes, houses are cheaper, taxes are lower and the area is growing, faster in some areas than the other. Hiram is located less than 10 minutes away and is starting to really fill in with your big chain stores and restaurants.
But...the commute to GSU area is bad. 45 minutes is very conservative at peak rush hour times. I can barely get to I-75 in that time. I would say you should be prepared to spend 3 to 3.5 hours for your daily commute there and back unless you are working off peak hours. This is the only reason I want to move away from Dallas, it has worn on me the past year having to make the drive, get home, eat and sleep then wake up to do it again. It leaves very little time for quality outside of your home and work. If you can past that, it really is a great area...

[wxjay]

The previous two posts have covered the commute issue fairly thoroughly. Basically, if you insist on living in Dallas (which is on the west side of Atlanta), then you need to plan on not seeing much of your husband during the week.

I don't know your price range, but moving closer in even to Marietta or East Cobb will be much better for you.

[Angelheart1023]

Doesn't sound good. Can anyone give me any areas to check out that would be computable from GSU that have good schools, family friendly and low crime?

Atlanta seems so large that it feels overwhelming. I really like the homes in the Dallas area, so an area similar in housing and more smaller town feel would suit us better.

Thanks so much for all your help!

[atlantagreg30127]

Powder Springs is a bit closer than Dallas but still on the West Side away from the MAJOR congested areas like some others. Other alternatives would be parts of Smyrna, Decatur perhaps. If you list a budget it helps, too.

[sj73]

I know several coworkers that live in Paulding County and commute to midtown (not far from GSU). Their AVERAGE commute is 1 1/2 hours ONE WAY. Housing is affordable in Paulding County, but you make up the difference with the amount you will be spending on gas.

[Angelheart1023]

We plan to spend no more than 160K prefer 140 or 150 for a 3b2b 2 car garage. I'm a country type girl and love being able to have a cup of coffee on my front proch in the morning, wave to friendly neighbors. I don't want my kids in bad schools or have to be in fear if I let them go see a movie without me on the weekends. I also don't want my husband to be in miserable traffic everyday.

Its got my anxiety up. Reading through other threads here I'm starting to feel like its an impossible task. Any help you can offer is greatly apprecitated.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Angelheart1023

We plan to spend no more than 160K prefer 140 or 150 for a 3b2b 2 car garage. I'm a country type girl and love being able to have a cup of coffee on my front proch in the morning, wave to friendly neighbors. I don't want my kids in bad schools or have to be in fear if I let them go see a movie without me on the weekends. I also don't want my husband to be in miserable traffic everyday.

Its got my anxiety up. Reading through other threads here I'm starting to feel like its an impossible task. Any help you can offer is greatly apprecitated.

There are many older brick rambler-style houses and such which are scattered here and there throughout Cobb County, and while many of those are being torn out for spot redevelopment, I still see a few dozen on a regular basis around our area (southern Smyrna/northern Mableton).

Some of them are are very nice larger lots, and many are quite convenient to the city. It's just a matter of looking, really.

[atlantagreg30127]

I assume you got the reply I sent you when you emailed me.

But one more note: Atlanta has had huge growth for decades, and it hasn't let down. We average from 55,000 to a peak of 95,000 people per year, every year, moving into the metro area. That's why the metro population is around 5 million now as opposed to just 2 million when I moved here in the mid-80s.

If you like rural areas and places where you can be close to ammenities but not next door to them, research carefully. VERY carefully.

When I moved to Powder Springs 12 years ago, it was to "get out" and away from the city. We had one small rundown shopping center here and that was it. 100 acres of woods at the end of my neighborhood. A few fast food places, and that was pretty much it. Today, and especially in the last 5 years, we now have a 4 lane bypass road passing through town two blocks from my house. Also two blocks from my home is a Home Depot, Publix with a shopping center, "Ranch condo" complex, several drug stores, banks, etc. If you draw a circle on a map that extends 7 miles from my home in all directions, there are SEVEN Super Walmarts in that circle. Seven... Super... Walmarts. Five miles west of me in Hiram there used to be a Kmart and Walmart (duh) and little more. Today along a 1.5 mile stretch of road, there are something like 55+ stores (Kohls, Petsmart, Circuit City, Best Buy, Linens and things, etc etc etc etc). Hundreds of acres of trees cut down, and now a dozen large shopping centers, anchor stores, restaurants, and a handful of smaller shopping centers under construction as well.

This is the kind of growth you can expect - and in some areas, even MORE than this and much quicker. If you want to see deer in your yard and still see them there 5 years from now and not a Target or Kohls, you really want to live further out, and then live back into several side streets and not that close to a main road - even a main 2 lane road. You will of course, have to deal with the commute into the city, or, find a job further out and closer to where you live. But if you want to avoid the rapidly growing sprawl here, you have to think ahead to where the next Walmart is gonna be.