hblondie26

Hi All,

Hope there are a few of you who could offer us some advice. We are due to move from our current posting in Sydney over to Atlanta for a few years. It is likely to happen quickly and we know nothing of the area, schools etc etc.

My partners work is slightly north east of Atlanta and Duluth. We have seen a few houses in places like Alpharetta, what is this area like - what else is north of Atlanta that is nice (presumably a gated community) ?

We have two children, one 3 (boy) and the other 9 (girl). We would definitely consider private schools for our eldest if advisable, although the more affordable the better (and if you know of good state schools then will consider that too) ? Also what about nursery / day care for our 3 year old ?

Also, can anyone tell us about what areas north, south, east and west are good for housing, schools, safety, things to do etc....and what areas we should definitely avoid ?

We are going in quite blind so would be really grateful for any / all advice that could be given.

Thanks
Hayley

Deedee13

i suppose its all about how much ur willing to spend. Country club of the south is a great gated community, lovely houses but on the pricey side. Loads of private schools in the area although mine went to the state school for a period of time that was also very good and i had no complaints.

franc11s

Get your hubby or yourself to PM me. I live in the area with my wife and kids.

David Richardson

For schools check out this site www.greatschools.net. The area you are looking in is Fulton County (Alpharetta and Duluth). Same area is also part of Forsyth County and Gwinnett County ( both lower taxes than Fulton). Homes will range from around $300K to well over $1,000,000. I know several great neighborhoods in the $400 - $500,000 range. Schools are good there but make sure you know where the elementary and the middle schools feed to. Private schools are available esp Catholic and other Christian denominations. My 2 kids are graduates of Marist School (private Catholic) after starting at state schools through the 6th grade. Woodward is a good private school with a campus for K through 8 in Duluth. There are others including Wesleyan, Pinecrest Academy, Notre Dame Academy. Greater Atlanta Christian in that general area. Plenty of day care facilities there with most being franchises of national stature. See my PM to you about getting more help.

Patrick Hasler

When you get there look up the guy who owes me pay for 3 loads and kick the s**t out of him please ................ He's English and lives in Fayettville.

Celsius

Why do you think "nice" communities are gated communities? I can think of plenty of nice (safe, family friendly) communities in the South, none of which are gated.

hblondie26

I don't think that gated communities are the only "nice" communities. As I had said earlier we are going in quite blind so ANY advice is gratefully received.

What would you suggest in terms of where to live? And why ?

How long have you been there ? Did you find it easy to settle in?

Hayley

Mallory

You don't need gated communities or private schools in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Most of the gated communities are country club/golf courses - which are gated for obvious reasons. Most people don't hide behind gates and walls in Atlanta.

David Richardson

[QUOTE=hblondie26;4708946]I don't think that gated communities are the only "nice" communities. As I had said earlier we are going in quite blind so ANY advice is gratefully received.

What would you suggest in terms of where to live? And why

If you have some sense of where the job is - you indicated Duluth/Alpharetta - then here are the communities within 20/25 mins drive during key travel times on weekdays: Alpharetta (East of GA 400), Duluth, Suwanee, Cumming (south of GA 20),Norcross (Peachtree Corners area), Roswell. I would really turn to www.greatschools.net and figure out the best school disticts. If you can live anywhere in the metro area and your interests include better restaurants, high-end shopping and theater etc I would add Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and some intown neighborhoods. Atlanta is a very diverse city with lots to offer and you should do a lot of research before settling into a particular area of town.