Moving to atlanta soon? Read this first (Norcross, Cumming: car rental, apartment complex)

[MMK360]

I am looking to move to the Atlanta metropolitan area from Maryland within the next 3 months. I am interested in 2 communities one is St. Marlo Country Club and the other is The River Club in Suwanee Ga. Is anyone famliar with either one of these communities are they diverse? I am African American moving from Howard County MD and looking for a similar type atmosphere in GA.

[ATLHRLGUY]

The majority of the residents in both communities are white. But if you're asking whether or not you will be the only African American in either community, you most certainly will not. There are people of various ethnic backgrounds in both communities.

[MMK360]

Hello ATLHRGUY,

It is like that where I am now. I guess I am asking if it these communities are relatively friendly areas to be in if you are a minority? Thanks for the reply

[ATLHRLGUY]

To the communities themselves and the area at large-yes. When you go to the local grocery store or mall you will see whites, blacks, asians etc, the majority will be white but you won't stick out like a sore thumb. When it comes to the friendly question, that's entirely up to you. A simple nod or smile to acknowledge someone as you walk by will 90% of the time be reciprocated. People are people. I would suggest as with anyone moving to a new area get involved. Besides with people in your HOA try meetup.com or similar sites to get together with people in your area that share similar interests. Good luck on the move!

[BostontoAtlanta]

Job opportunity for my husband in downtown Atlanta has us seriously considering a relocation from Boston suburbs. I would welcome some feedback given our info below on areas that would be best fit. Thanks so much!

1. Budget: Under $475K
2. House/Condo/Townhome?: Single family house
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Commute to downtown (near Phillips Arena)
4. Children(public school vs. private): Children ages 7 and 5 (preferably public schools)
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: Mix of the two ideally, not too cookie cutter but do want such amenities as two car garage, nice yard (room for kids and dogs to play), safe neighborhood, not out in the country but not too urban either.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? I don't know if public transportation is an option but willing to consider if traffic is unbearable; nice to have the option.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. Not looking for any specific demographic; just safe and friendly community with lots of recreational opportunities for an active family.

What else? We like bike riding, tennis, swimming, parks, dog walks, access to restaurants that aren't all chains; excellent public school system is key. Commute is a consideration of course so keeping it under an hour door to door is goal; want to be realistic about it.

Some folks have recommended Sandy Springs and Dunwoody; another recommended Marietta; another said Virginia Highlands?

[ATLHRLGUY]

Those areas are all great. Intown (inside I-285) is where you will find more of the amenities and non-chain eateries. Seeing that education is top priority (as it should be with children) I would first recommend you check out the school ratings sticky and these links: 2009 Georgia Report Card For Parents (http://gppf.org/pub/edrc2009.htm - broken link) The Georgia Public Policy Foundation Home Page (http://www.gppf.org/article.asp?RT=&p=pub/education/report_card_archives.htm - broken link) Click for a Zip Code Boundary Map. first and see what would be the best fit for your family, then come back and we could make some more intelligent recommendations for areas to possibly live. Also try posting this as a separate thread so other posters with school aged children or more knowledgeable of the areas public schools can assist you as well b/c sometimes even though this is a sticky eyes usually wonder first to the most recent non-sticky threads.

[JerseyCouple]

Due to the quality of life in NJ/NYC my husband and I are looking into GA, mostly the Metro area.

1. Budget: no more than 200k, but ideally 160K
2. House/Condo/Townhome?: Home with 4 br, but ideally 5
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) I will be staying at home to raise lil ones for a couple of yr but than would like to work in a school env. my husband will be transfering and working at home until we get settled. He's in IT (saw many jobs in Alphertta for IT, am i correct?)
4. Children(public school vs. private) we would like a good Public school.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: Doesnt matter, most important it has to be safe and a good place to raise kids, but we would also like to be close to rests, shopping and all the good stuff...
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Not really important.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. diversity, im white husband is spanish, need a place were ppl wont look at us weird...

[ATLHRLGUY]

After checking out the above school ranking and zip code links above post (#86) trying searching and put in your criteria for the Marietta or Lawrenceville areas, just as a start. Georgia Multiple Listing Service

[neurobonk]

Hi all,

My husband and I are relocating from the NYC metro area to Atlanta coming June. I will be starting residency at Emory while my husband (also a physician) is still in the process of securing a transfer from his current hospital which may or may not work out soon (i just mention this because we may have to live on one pretty measly salary ~2.5K/month for a few months, or maybe more)... anyway i am looking for advice regarding rental of 1-2B apartments/condos or homes around the Emory area. we love biking and running but own one car...

we plan to visit atlanta in the next few wks and plan to check out availability at the following: someone i know has mentioned the following:
- Clairmont Reserve
- Highland Lake
- Emory Woods
- Post Briarciff
- Camden at St. Clair
- Longwood
let me know what you think of these, if you have lived or know someone who has...or other options?? im thinking virginia highlands, but is it doable at my budget?thanks!!

1. Budget $900-1100 per month, 1 or 2B rental
2. House/Condo/Townhome? no preference
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) - willing to commute, but due to my schedule i want it to be no more than 5-10 mins one way to emory hospital.
4. Children(public school vs. private) - not an issue, no kids
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two - prefer to mix it up! want to be able to walk, run or bike around my neighborhood, walkable access to restaurants and coffeeshops, bookshops etc a plus
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? not important
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. secular, mixed, safe, clean, young professionals -

[Ce9n9tsah]

1. Budget - $800 - $1000
2. House/Condo/Townhome? - Apartment / Townhome
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) - Commuting to work which is South of Mabletown, but we both have cars.
4. Children(public school vs. private) - No children
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two - Suburban
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? - Not really important but a plus.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. - SAFE, young professionals, fun

My job is relocating me to the Atlanta area and my girlfriend and I are looking for a 2 bedroom apartment in a nice safe neighborhood with some young professionals like us. We would like to be able to go out for dinner and a few drinks on the weekend and be around people like us. My office is located South of Mabletown and she will be looking for a job. I have been looking in the Vinings and Smyrna area and have found some nice apartments, but that is all based on their websites and the pictures they have attached. Does anyone have any suggestions on other areas or specific apartment complexes that would fit our needs? Thank you very much!