lawss74

Hi

We have been asked to move to Atlanta from the UK on initially a 3 year contact. I have two sons aged 9 & 11 and the office where I will be based will be in Dunwoody and then Sterling Point.

I was told that Alpharetta would be a good place however the main driver will be schools for the boys. Work have advised that I need to find a school that offers an international curriculum.

I have also been advised that the Buckhead area is a good location and also good for schools.

soccer is also a major consideration as they are both obsessed.

Any advice would be appreciated.

daccs

I've just moved to Suwanee (near Alpharetta) have a boy who is 8 and 12 year old daughter. Cant really comment about Buckhead but Alpharetta and the surrounding areas cater well for families. Loads to do some great school districts, and great schools, and plenty of soccer clubs. Not sure you need an international curriculum, my kids have been at school for about 4 weeks and have settled really well. I moved on an internal transfer visa, your situation sounds similar. Traffic is a big issue in and around Atlanta so when you start narrowing the search you'll want to consider the commute. PM me if you have any questions.

BubbleChog

Buckhead is very expensive and the good schooling there is generally $$$$. Why do you need an international curriculum? We used http://www.greatschools.org/georgia/...?gradeLevels=e when we were looking to buy our house to check school districts

Trickster78

Don't want to hijack your thread but we are also looking to move to Atlanta with two daughters who are 6 and 4. My husband will be working in decatur and we are looking at East Cobb due to commute times.
Interested to why you have been advised to look at international schools, have you found many? Looked at ais but not sure about the teaching in Spanish. Would like to look at private due to smaller pupil numbers as we are currently in a very small infant school (180 pupils). Is this necessary do you think?

lawss74

Thanks Daccs. Really helpful. Having spoken to colleagues at work, they have all advised that we do not go down the route of the international school route mainly due to friendship reasons for the boys. The reason why we were asked to consider was due to me initially coming to Atlanta on a 3 year contract.

Pulaski

I think (am fairly certain) you'll find the only "international schools" are private ones. You may find some state-funded schools that offer the international baccalaureate program, so I think that is what you should be looking for, though I think if you're only here for three years then the international baccalaureate program won't have started even for the (currently) eleven year old, but you may have made his transition back to a GCSE program in the UK more challenging if you go back when he is 14.

Hanco

I've been in Norcross (just north of Atlanta) since June 2014. Do also think about your commute to work if you will be office based.If you can fit all the things you have highlighted as priorities AND a good "home > work > home" journey then you will be happy here.Driving in the direction OUT of Atlanta in the morning and towards it for a home journey in an evening is better than the other way around. They call it a "reverse-commute". Traffic can be REALLY bad sometimes.I make the journey from North to South Atlanta (to get to the airport) regularly. I gotta tell yer... You can see bad driving in the UK at times, but here you see it every day. There are regular bumps and car write-offs on the interstate/highways. Lots of texting and driving, careless lane changes etc. When they happen it backs traffic up big time. I can get into Atlanta in 30 minutes, but it has taken me 1.5 hours a couple of times. If you go for a place that gives you an East-West commute, consider which direction. It doesn't seem a big thing at first but having the sun in your eyes both in the morning and at night can be a small irritation, every day LOL. Public transport is minimal. There's the MARTA which is ok for a trip to the airport actually (it goes right into it) but it's not really a nice way to travel. Like any big city there's real poverty and it's not hard to find/see.This is a great place though (really!) and if you have any questions about what there is to do, the cool places to go as a tourist or resident, where there is a British Goods Shop (for Yorkshire Tea, Mushy Peas, proper mustard like Colemans etc)... Well I'm very happy to help another ex-pat in the area. Buckhead is very nice, but $$$ pricey.Good luck with the big move!

Pulaski

Don't forget you will need to obtain a GA drivers license a few weeks after you arrive, which will include the requirement to take a road test. Your UK licence will not be valid after you become "resident" in GA, as defined by the GA DMV. Note this definition of "resident" is inconsistent with the federal government's definition of "resident".

Trickster78

Hanco, could I ask you a couple of things? How did you find the pollen season? I hear it is pretty full on and my 6 year old has food allergies, hay fever and asthma. Am concerned that it will be so bad she won't be able to venture outside! Do people cope ok?
We would be coming from a small village in Hampshire where the kids bike to school - are there no pavements at all?
We are looking at East Cobb, is it a massive sprawl of housing, could we walk to school?
Is the driving very different to the UK? (I have only driven on the right once on a very straight highway, am I going to find it impossible.?!?!)
We're hopefully coming out to have a look soon, google maps only tell so much!
Thank you and again sorry for the thread hijack!

BubbleChog

The pollen season here is vile, Atlanta is sometimes called the 'City in the forest' for good reason. March-April everything is covered in a thick greenish yellow layer of pollen. I don't suffer from allergies but SmallChog does. We dose her up on childrens claritin March -Mid June and then again for most of september. Most of Atlanta has no pavements, even residential streets the front yard goes straight to the kerb, unless your potential home is right on top of the school I wouldn't trust the dipshit drivers here to not mow down pedestrians

daccs

Regarding that license. You can lease a car without it, as it may take a few weeks to get your SSN so within a month is almost impossible.

Trickster78

Cool, thanks bubble, this is what we do in the UK re hay fever so hopefully this will be enough In Atlanta too.
Sad to hear about the pavements, in a swim/tennis community do people drive to the pool?
We are excited about the move as my husband currently has a 1.40 each way commute so we are hoping for some more family time as the commute from East Cobb to the perimeter mall looks like about 30 mins. Do you know if this is realistic?
Do you have any elementary school experience? Or pre k? My small is in yr currently so if she joins this year she won't be old enough for kindergarten, do you have any experiences?
Thank you!

Pulaski

This. The standard of driving is truely appalling in the US. Walking here can be dangerous, and it is rare for a motorist who kills a pedestrian or cyclist to be charged with a crime. A few years ago near me (NC, not GA), a delivery truck ran over and killed two small children walking to school with their father. As best I recall it was deemed an accident, and no action was taken.

Personally I would not recommend walking anywhere as a means of getting from A to B, except in the city centre.

Hanco

Bring your paper part for your license with you if you have it. I've never been stopped by Police for driving issues and I don't know if they would have a clue and ask for the paper part, but good to have it just in case (even if you leave it at home here in Georgia)Pulaski is right (of course!) that you need to go to the Department of Driver Services or "DDS" for a Georgia License. That'll be fun for you... I have to go back there soon myself to renew my license. It can get very busy there and they will want to see UK passport, current I94 printout (you can log on and print at the DDS), your visa paperwork and you need your SSN (Social Security Number) OR a letter which you get from the Social Security Office stating that you are not entitled to get an SSN.You can go to the Social Security to get an SSN or a letter after you have been here a while (7 days I think, maybe 10? Sorry I don't know for sure but worth a look for that info!)Since we are "In the South" (I have learned) the rules about how soon you must have a US license to drive will probably be impossible to abide by. The driving test theory part you can do the first time you go to the DDS, and only if you pass that can you then call and request a driving test, which was a couple of months wait in my case. Don't worry about that, just get it booked and drive carefully My work meant cancelling the first driving test and re-booking. Actually, as seems the case with a lot of things here, the process was broken. They reminded me of my test date and time which was different from what I thought it was. When I went for the driving test I was there hours before they said it was booked and they then "fitted me in".At the Social office when I went for my SSN, I was in the interview area with the clerk and the security officer came and said I had jumped the line and it wasn't my turn. The clerk was as shocked as I was... Turned out there were two tickets with the same number on and they let me finish.Expect some challenges and let it wash over you because it's ok in the end!

Hanco

Oh yes, the pollen. I have to say, the blossom is AMAZING. Spring is beautiful here. I have a white pickup truck. It was pretty much yellow for a couple of weeks. The roads, sidewalks, all get a good dusting. BUT, here's the thing, my brother has bad hay fever in the UK every year (injections needed and doesn't stop his issues) yet here in Spring around the time of the highest volumes, he was fine, not even a sneeze. Some people have allergies for sure, but all I can say is you could find you are not affected as it's different pollen. I was quite nervous of the driving when I got here. Especially first day, after landing and picking up the rental car... 7 lanes on the "Connector" through Atlanta (the connector is the name they have for the huge road through the city which is basically like two highways in one - imagine two M25 motorways next to each other) but you have to say to yourself "I can do it" and get out there. Take it steady and just know that there are idiots, and before you switch lanes remember that they overtake and undertake legally (overtake on both sides of the lane you are in). One thing which is good advice is not to lose your temper, just let it wash over you. If you start sounding your horn and flashing lights (road rage style) you don't know that the other driver is not a crazy head case with an arm in the glove box (a gun)... So just say "nice driving" in your head and forget it if you are cut up. And give yourself breaking distance. Things can suddenly grind to a halt. Rather more distance than needed while you get used to things (distance which someone will probably use to get in front of you, forcing you to drop back a bit, but better than a bump!)