Relocating to Atlanta - Need advise. (Smyrna, Mableton: schools, food, selling)

[lastminutemom]

East Cobb has some really great schools, but I think it would be a beast of a commute...

Although as a whole I think Dekalb schools are nearly the worst ones around, if you want a decent commute and a subdivision, you could try the Oak Grove/Lakeside or Fernbank/Druid Hills area.

[Onyxhawk]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

East Cobb has some really great schools, but I think it would be a beast of a commute...

Although as a whole I think Dekalb schools are nearly the worst ones around, if you want a decent commute and a subdivision, you could try the Oak Grove/Lakeside or Fernbank/Druid Hills area.

I tried mapping those and they all seem pretty far out of the perimeter.
Edit: Atlanta is weird.. those areas were mapping to OTP.. but I just learnt that they were closer than they were mapped.

[cmtiger]

I think you can get into an intown neighborhood like Candler Park, Lake Claire or Decatur (particularly Oakhurst or College Heights) in your price range if you don't need a really big, new house. The schools in this area are very good and there are a ton of young kids in these neighborhoods. You would be only about 20 minutes from work.

Candler Park/Lake Claire are served by Mary Lin Elementary, Inman Middle and Grady High which are part of the Atlanta City Schools. Oakhurst is served by Oakhurst Elementary, Glennwood Academy, Renfroe Middle and Decatur High which are part of City of Decatur Schools.


Check out these schools on greatschools.net.

[kaday]

East Cobb has great schools but you would have a long commute. There would be many homes in that price range in nice swim/tennis communities. Walton, Pope and Lassiter are considered to be the best highschools and all of the elementary and middle schools that feed into them are considered excellent.

[George Chong]

Rosewalk and Sycamore Ridge in Decatur, GA are both subdivisions with lots of families and within your price range. Rosewalk was built around 1993 and they have access to the pool and tennis courts at the neighboring townhouse community.

Sycamore Ridge was built in 2000 but has no pool or tennis courts but does have a gazebo area that lots of families will gather at and where the children will use as a playground.

Both communities you will see lots of families walking around taking a stroll. It is also part of the City of Decatur school system.

[sweettea1]

If you are looking in the Teasley district you are in a good school district in Smryna. Our neighborhood is a steal in my opinion, for newish construction (2000), swim, tennis, kids and easy access to the highways as well as to Emory/Crawford Long. Smyrna Village is a great, as is Vinings and One Ivy Walk.
There are a few homes for sale in our neighborhood. Ones with basements start in the mid 5s and ones on a slab (no basement but some have big yards) are in the low 5s. Feel free to PM me for more info. This is the best kept secret in Smyrna!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Onyxhawk

What price range should I expect to pay for a nice subdivision in the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody area and/or the Smyrna/Vinings area?

That's a rather wide-open question, given that you haven't really defined "nice" for us. I see houses all over Smyrna in the 300k-800k range, but the actual price range in each subdivision depends on a number of factors (location, anemities provided by the subdivision, house size, style, construction, etc.).

What is "nice"...?

[Onyxhawk]

Thank you for all the responses.

We came down to visit and I think we have narrowed the search grid a little and a little more focused. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Option 1:
Looking in the Mableton area. Have identified 2 subdivisions in that area that seem promising. Legacy & Providence; both on Veterans Highway and by John Wieland. There is a charter elementary school that recently opened and seems promising and kids r kids is down the road. Commute seems reasonable down Veterans to downtown ~ 15 - 20 mins, maybe longer to Emory Hosp.


Option 2:
We are also looking in the Vinings/Smyrna area - cachement area around Teasley Elementary. Looking for a subdivision that is nice, quiet and well-maintained. Short drive to highways and/or short commute < 30 minutes in rush hour to Crawford Long/Emory/Grady Hospitals. And also looking for recommendations about daycare in that area.

PS. Because I know someone will ask.. home price: ~$550k +/-.

Questions:
1. Any advise on the daycare centers in both areas?
2. Which area would you recommend as 'better' for a young couple with young kids. Coming from out-of-state, I know there are little nuances that we can't know and would rather find out prior to moving (like Mableton having low-income housing down the street etc).
3. Better commute and social life outside of the home. Parks, restuarants, movies etc.
4. Anyone know anything about the new charter school in Mableton and where it ranks?
5. Are there safety concerns in Mableton? And does that outweigh the benefits for young kids?

6. And last but not the least, if we wanted to rent prior to buying in either neighborhood. How and/or where can we start looking in rental properties in those areas?

Thanks in advance,
Onyxhawk.

[Onyxhawk]

Question: Mableton versus Smyrna/Vinings to purchase a home.. suggestions?

[lastminutemom]

There is also a sister charter school to the one in Mableton in Smyrna. Both schools are brand new this year -- so no test data yet. Spring will be the first testing cycle for those schools.