Moving to atlanta soon? Read this first (Marietta, Alpharetta: sales, insurance)

[alinka72]

[quote=capricorn85;18708348]Hello, I am planning to relocate to the Atlanta area some time this summer (June or July) or sooner if possible. The areas that I am interested in residing are Ellenwood and College Park because I wanted to live close to the city (Atlanta). I am trying to gather as much information about the areas as possible and plan to visit the areas in May. However, I do not have a job lined up as of now but I do have experience in the administrative/clerical field. Without a local address or local phone number it seems impossible to find a job before moving. Also I am interest in home-base employment (because I am a single parent and want to spend as much quality time with my children as I can) but there are so many scams out there that this seems impossible as well. I am looking for information on the following:

1. Housing (rentals): I am looking for good quality affordable homes(under $1000 per month) for my family **good areas to live in College Park**
2. Good schools (preschools and elementary) Charter schools are a +
3. Any advice to job assistance (employment agencies, etc) or any information on where I could look for home-base employment opportunities.
4.Extra curricular activities that my children can participate in


1. Housing (rentals): I am looking for good quality affordable homes(under $1000 per month) for my family **good areas to live in College Park**
College Park is not an overall good area. I am sure the areas that are good will cost you 1k or more a month.

2. Good schools (preschools and elementary) Charter schools are a +
Good schools... I do not know what you consider to be a good school as a parent. There are many forums here discussing that. I would search for them here.

3. Any advice to job assistance (employment agencies, etc) or any information on where I could look for home-base employment opportunities.
Home based employment. Unless it is a SOHO I do not know of any agencies that do it. I know that At&T had a customer service from home job that was great and legit. But I do not know of any agencies that will place you anywhere. Jobs overall in Atlanta are at a low for the HS school graduate and the college graduate alike. I would not move down here without a job.

4.Extra curricular activities that my children can participate in
It depends on your school district. They do have after school programs that teach languages and music to children but they are private schools.

[rvaloser]

Hello all,

My girlfriend and I were going to move from Richmond, Virginia to Atlanta, GA within the next couple of months and I had a few questions in regards to the transition to our new location. We are both in our early twenties, and have already started our careers. We are a very active couple and enjoy being outdoors, shopping, trying different foods, and overall experiencing new opportunities.

1. Budget and House/Condo/Townhome?
We are attempting to spend no more than $1,000 for rent (1 bedroom), is this possible, and what areas would this be the most probable to occur? Features in our apartment: allow pets, gym, square footage 700 +, in a safe area, stainless steel appliances, and possibility of some and/or all utilities included.

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
My girlfriend and I are both in the IT sector, we both hold degrees with this major, and work at top companies in the Richmond, VA area. How are the jobs within the IT sector for Atlanta? Many opportunities for IT jobs? Salary?

4. Children(public school vs. private)
We currently do not have children, but will in the near future, what areas have good school systems?

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two
Suburban lifestyle is what we are interested in, what areas would provide us with this lifestyle?

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?
Access to public transit may be important depending on our job location in relationship to our home. Not too far from the topic, how is the traffic flow in the Atlanta, GA area?

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.
We look for diverse areas, we get a long with everyone.

[TOMMY4]

My job is relocating to Duluth Georgia, any suggestions on places to live? Looking for a short commute to work, BIG emphasis on education and school districts, quite and somewhat away from the bright city lights...we're from central Illinois (cornfields). Pros/Cons...your honesty is greatly appreciated...Thank you!

Originally Posted by ATLHRLGUY

Sticky?!?! If something similar is already posted...sorry.

Helpful Tip,
For all of those about to move or thinking about moving to the Atlanta metro area, in order for us to better assist you and for you to get more responses please provide us with as much of the following information as possible in your initial post please:

1. Budget
2. House/Condo/Townhome?
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
4. Children(public school vs. private)
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.

These are just a few off the top of my head, feel free to add more.

[sierraryan]

Hi There,

We are having some problems in deciding where to live. We currently live in Cherokee County in Canton to be exact. We really like the area we are in except we feel like we are to far out from everything. We once rented a place in Cornelius, NC in the Peninsula Club its just north of Charlotte off of Lake Norman. We absolutely loved it there b/c it felt like we were living a vacation. Now though we are hoping to move closer to the city.

1. Budget
2. House/Condo/Townhouse?
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
4. Children(public school vs. private)


We'd prefer a house or town home with three levels. Although the town home would have to be an end one. We are hoping to spend between $2500 and $3500. My husband works from home which is why we need a bigger home our current home is 2500 Sq ft. We'd also like a home with a pool and hot tub. Our children are 8 and 11. Our son will be starting middle school next year while our daughter will be going into 3rd grade. They've always gone to public schools although I tried to get them into a charter school back in NC but didn't have any luck with the lottery. We prefer No Private schools!!!

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.

5. I guess we're a mix of the two. We are looking for younger families as I'm 34 and my husband is 45. We'd prefer to be like 30 minutes from say Bucktown or Midtown. Along with the airport. 6. Public transit isn't important although a major highway is. 7. As for demographics... they aren't very important although we'd prefer to live near a great soccer program for the kids. My husband likes to golf although he hasn't had much time to do so. Our last two homes have been a private country club community. What it comes down to is we need a nice house good for entertaining with a pool and hot tub. Near a highway with Great schools and soccer programs. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. If you can just point me in the right directions we prefer schools with little free lunches. And are hoping to move the end of June.

Thanks so much for the help!!!

Sincerely, Sierra

[danner]

I realize that I'm really just throwing in the four millionth "should I move here?" post, but I'm really trying to weigh my options. I'm 27, and I'm really looking to move out of Birmingham to be in a more exciting metro area. I've lived in Birmingham my whole life, and I feel like I'm in a decent position to move: single, no kids, no debt. I've considered everything from NYC to Austin to L.A., but I think I would actually be very happy in Atlanta. I always love visiting the city, it's pretty close to home, and the cost of living is not much higher than what I'm used to. My obvious concern is the job market. I have a BA in English, and I have been working as a Medicare biller for a hospice company for the past four years. I wouldn't exactly consider my job a "career," so much as a resume builder for experience in office/professional work. I'm curious how the temp agencies or job placement programs are in the city. I've heard horror stories about people with 15+ years of experience in their fields shooting out hundreds of resumes without even landing an interview, so I'm a bit worried about my chances of finding entry-level work.

I currently have about $10K in savings, and I plan on spending the next year really tightening up and saving more. I have a friend who is also considering a move, so there's a good possibility that I would have a roommate to share living expenses with. I understand that my resume is fairly useless without me having a local address/phone number, so I would more than likely have to just move out there and hope I stumble upon a job. I don't know. Anyone have any advice? Would this move be a good idea, or do you think I'm setting myself up for heartache?

[vtgirl2011]

Hello-

I will be relocating to GA from New England. I would like to be within 45 minutes of the city. (job-related-->South West part of the city) What are some good areas to live South West, west and north west of the city? How about Newnan, douglasville??? I am looking for something more rural but safe. Small towns are okay!

I do ride horses. Any good places to keep a horse? Any good hospitals/health care facilities to work at?

1. Budget: Rental-Less than 1,100 a month
2. Housing Type: Prefer a house. Would love a pool, even if it is a community pool.
3. Employment Status: I am a nurse. Looking to work in a clinic or a hospital but would prefer a smaller work environment. I do not want a long commute to work (less than 20 minutes) However my boyfriend works south west atlanta and he would like his commute to stay under 45 min.
4. Children: I do not have any children.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: I am looking for suburban or more of a rural lifestyle. I would like to live more rural but be close to stores and shopping.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Not really important.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood: Safe, friendly community.

Please help! Thank you

[joannamet]

Yes, moving to Atlanta and need advice. Hubby will be working SE near Ellenwood and I want his commute to be well under an hour. Need a public elementary school and I'm a teacher so I want the best we can get! The school and commute are really the only considerations for now since we're just trying to narrow down our neighborhood choices. I can make the housing and lifestyle work anywhere. I've used schooldigger to research schools and on the SE side only the McDonough area is really acceptable. Peachtree City or Fayetteville would be perfect but I don't know what the commute time would be for him. Alpharetta also perfect but would the commute be a nightmare?

We've heard that East side commuting is better than West so are there any other areas on the East side with great schools and an acceptable commute time to the Ellenwood area?

Hope thats enough info for my new friends in Atlanta to help me out. Thank you.

[thensome]

1. Budget ($1m)
2. House/Condo/Townhome? (house)
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) - husband both work from home and office in Alpharetta; me work from home and travel to west coast - once monthly
4. Children(public school vs. private) - prefer private - one child coming from country day school
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two - mix if possible - more urban than suburbia
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Not (we are moving from LA - what is public transit?)
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. does not matter as long as STABLE and not a lot of renters (prefer owner maintained houses)

We are moving from Los Angeles (Palos Verdes, specifically) to Atlanta for my husband's job. We know that one of us will be commuting (either for schooling for our daughter, or for his trip to the office in Alpharetta - which will only be 2-3 days per week).

We have $1m+ to spend but would love to spend half and buy a second property (Ski condo). But WHERE? We have been told Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell, Country Club of the South ... ? We are by no means religious and most of the private schools have a religious affiliiation. Does this matter?

Our timeline starts now and we must be relocated by August. Obviously, we will be there a few times house hunting but would like a little information outside what the local chambers of commerce provide.

[BeyondInfinity]

HELPFUL TIP........Create a new thread here in the Atlanta section (https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlanta/) and you all will receive advice and help with your questions.

[skanman7]

ok...here's the info:

moving from the northeast

other option is the burbs of nasheville...brentwood, franklin area.

semi/quasi-retired...so will be working from home.

looking for a larger-scale home to make a leveraged bet on a better market...not imminently, but in the next 3-4 years. definitely a primary residence.

suburban works for me....don't want the city and already nailed by too bloody many deer ticks living in the boonies.

i welcome all insights and candor!

thanks in advance,

derek