Atlanta--should we move there? - Page 2

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I would never send my kids to public school here (having gone to public school here ).

[thorn]

Originally Posted by sabrosina

w to get around it. I'll have to look into MARTA to see how extensive it is. One of you mentioned extending the line to somewhere--are there plans? Public transport stops will have a significant impact on our home location. There is apparently a stop a 5 minute walk from my husbands office somewhere in Perimeter Park/Dunwoody(ish). So if we could live somewhere along the line that gets there--that'd be ducky.

they did a study about a prospective location if they extended the line, and they decided on n. point mall in alpharetta. but then they said there were no PLANS to do it, they were just interested to see where they would do it if they did.

MARTA does run up here, but it is a bus for the first leg to the train station, and the bus drives on 400 so it would be affected by traffic. that is coming from the north though, it just depends on where you are on the line.

[thorn]

there are areas of town that are bikeable, too. my friend lives in inman park and her husband bikes everywhere, including to work every day.

[philomom]

http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com/

The market was one of the bright spots.

Those who find the city bike-able must be super moms. It was too hilly and too hot for me and the kids to bike well there.

Decatur city schools aren't too bad and there is a great Waldorf school in Decatur. Fernbank is IB. That's where my kids went and we loved it for the most part, but we moved before middle school because the middle school was crummy. A lot of our friends ended up paying through the nose and their kids go to Paideia, which I have a love/hate relationship with. They do cool things there but the school is very, very white in a county that more than 60% black.

Good luck with your decision making process.

[zjandosmom]

Originally Posted by lovingmybaby

What school is this? Montgomery Elementary? What is the class max?
Thanks

Mary lin elem....we feed into Inman middle and Grady high. The same schools as Morningside but much smaller! Love the smallness.

Forgot, there are couple of good charter schools in Grant Park. I will be looking into one next year for middle school. Inman is too big for my taste.-

nak- someone commented about riding my bike to the farmers mkt - i didn't take the kids! they had some quality time with dad....too far for them but good exercise 4 me! yes, it was hilly but i then didn't feel so guilty about the ice cream i ate the night before!

[mirako]

Frankly, I would love to leave Atlanta, but the job thing isn't working out too well for my dh, so we're here until it does. I've been here on and off for about 7 years and the pollution (in the top 25 for worst air pollution in the nation ), smog, sprawl, and horrendous TRAFFIC and general conservativeness and lack of momentum toward any kind of measures to change any of the previously mentioned things is getting the best of me! I have lived all over the city..Decatur, Avondale Estates, Alpharetta (currently...uggggh!)...

As for advising you on places to live here, I would recommend the Oakhurst, Candler Park, Decatur, East Lake area. There's a great cohousing community in East Lake called East Lake Commons. It's pretty great (organic garden, common house, playground, pond, all w/in community), BUT the surrounding area is not so great. It's in transition, however and it's very close (w/in 5 miles) to the infamous and amazing Intl Farmers Market , Sevananda (natl food co-op), zoo, museums, IKEA and downtown Decatur where they have concerts, festivals, local shops/restaraunts, etc. We actually might be moving to East Lake in a couple months if all goes well.

As far as schools go, the City of Decatur schools are good, I've heard....but no personal experience. I have friends who send theirs to Paidea, the Friends school (Quaker), and the Waldorf School down there and have had good experiences but all are private. I've heard that Fernbank Elementary is good too...and public, I believe. I am unschooling so...not much help w/ it. I am talking to some folks about starting a Sudbury Valley School down that way but it's still in the SUPER early stages!

My best advice to you is to come and drive around and see the areas that appeal to you. Also, I would recommend renting at first. Location is a BIG deal here, as traffic is awful...did I already mention that? LOL! Stay far away from I-285. Feel free to PM me, if you have specific questions and good luck w/ your move! BTW, We've toyed w/ the idea of moving to the Durham, Carrboro , Chapel Hill area. Any thoughts based on your experience??

[zenproofstella]

what she said.

My husband went to school at Paideia, and I know a lot of folks who send their kids there as well. It is a charter school.

Links that may be helpful to you:

Avondale Estates

Decatur

Oakhurst

Lake Claire

Candler Park

These neighborhoods are all in the same general vacinity...and everyone here seems to acknowledge they may be good 'in town' options for you.

They are all just north of I-20 (runs east/west) and East of I-75/85 (north/south).

Inman Park is beautiful, but just as pricey as Virginia Highlands. You won't find much in either for 400k.

Another poster made a good point - I initially mentioned home prices as I remembered them when we were buying 2 years ago. Those figures have totally PLUMMETED since. So you could pretty much have your pick of IN-Town real estate now.

As Mirako said - me, I'm ready to get the heck out of here as soon as we can. I'm so over this city. Its just TOO CROWDED!!!

[pigpokey]

Originally Posted by zenproofstella

what she said.

My husband went to school at Paideia, and I know a lot of folks who send their kids there as well. It is a charter school.

I think this is a typo -- it's a private school, not charter.

Links that may be helpful to you:

Avondale Estates

AE parents are working hard on a charter school. It is a very nice community.

But you probably want to look at the Friends School, based on your post.

[kbuglove]

yeah I LOVE LOVE LOVE
the dekalb farmers market,
I usually only shop there.

But I agree with an earlier poster here, the smell of everything smelling
like the market is getting to me.

I want my pre- nursing, pre pregnancy nose back

ps.
We live in Decatur, moved here from SF a year ago and love it.
Very family friendly, diverse, and liberal.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Originally Posted by SublimeBirthGirl

I would never send my kids to public school here (having gone to public school here ).

I should edit this to say I would not send my kids to public middle or high school. Kindergarten, first grade, possibly even 2nd, I might consider if the school seemed decent. It's more about the social corruption than anything else, though the focus on test scores at the exclusion of all else is a huge factor as well, and how memorizing things like battle dates seem more important than actually learning principles.

[Ednaldine]

A plug for the ATL

I grew up in Atlanta (Virginia Highland/Morningside) back when all the urban pioneers were living in the "blighted" areas of Atlanta and sending their kids to public schools. It just so happens that those urban pioneers turned the neighborhood into the kind of place that everyone wanted to live!

My husband and I moved back to Atlanta a year ago after five years in Washington D.C. and moved right back into the house I grew up in (with my awesome mother!). The characterization of the neighborhood as full of crunchy cons is only partly right. The history of the neighborhood, one made by idealistic young families hoping to change an inner city neighborhood and willing to live alongside anyone, is still alive and well. I was volunteering for the Obama campaign by knocking on neighbors doors last week and was pleased to find mostly rabid Obama supporters. Sure, there are a few McCain signs in the neighborhood but it's not the norm.

It would be hard to find a better Elementary school in the Atlanta area than Morningside Elementary (next year the school will be splitting but I'm sure the new school will be just as good). Less expensive neighborhoods (Poncey Highlands, etc) are still slated to go to these schools.

There are lots of weekend farmer's markets in the area (one specifically in the Morningside neighborhood and others at Piedmont Park, etc). There are lots of grocery/food options.

If you've got the money to spend on housing, I think you'll be surprised at what you might find in the Morningside area, especially if you're not averse to a smaller house that needs a little bit of work. Of course, if you've got 1.7 mil to drop you can move right into one of those McMansions some of these people seem so fond of...that's another story all together.

All of that said, if I was looking for a home for my family right now (I'm not! We've still got a condo in DC and living rent free in Atlanta!) I might be looking in Decatur/Oakhurst area. Most of my friends from growing-up days live there with their families and are really pleased.

Good luck with your search. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

[BetsyS]

We live OTP, but our heart is ITP. If we could afford it, we'd be somewhere like Decatur, lake Claire, Oakhurst. One other neat area is Toco Hills. (But, I went to Emory, so I'm biased)

We are both from an hour or so outside of Atlanta. We've moved away several times (most recently, we tried to sell our house last year, but couldn't sell, and my dh turned down the transfer to Asheville), but the city keeps drawing us back.

I think Atlanta has a lot to offer. Number 1 is that it's home for us. But, it's a vibrant, exciting place. And, dude, it has the Varsity. http://thevarsity.com/ What more could anyone possibly want?

[LittleBirdie]

Another plug for intown

I somehow always feel in a minority, but I have really enjoyed living in Atlanta for the past 7 years, especially after living in other places in Georgia and the south. I live intown near Grant Park (area includes Boulevard Heights, Ormewood Park, North Ormewood, East Atlanta, Glenwood Park) where there are just hundreds of young kids, a big park, a zoo, and easy to find social networks. A little further afield we can get to nice museums and attractions. The Grant Park Parent Network sponsors Halloween, holiday and spring carnivals and playgroups. We shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, a good coop (Sevananda), and local farmers markets. In our area, there are about 6 preschools that are popular and nice, an improving public elementary school with free pre-K, two popular charter elementary schools and charter secondary schools. If you are interested in IB, you might consider our newest charter elementary school, Imagine Wesley. Another park will be opening soon. Housing isn't cheap, but on the whole I think you can find good housing options that are relatively more affordable than some of the other areas mentioned. Everyone on my block has an Obama sign and four houses in a row have at least one hybrid in the driveway. After dinner, I can go outside with my 2.5 yo and he plays with the other toddlers on our cul de sac -- I love that.

Traffic is terrible, but the strategy is to find a way to have an easy commute. When I worked, I worked a few miles away and didn't even have to get on a highway and so faced no problem with traffic -- plus after 7 years, I am used to the highways and just avoid when they are going to be crazy. My husband works midtown and has a 15 minute commute. My next door neighbor rides the bus to work.

All of this being said, I frequently long for a larger house, some of the resources that you find in some of the northern suburbs, less crime (it seemed so bad this summer), better city infrastructure and a feeling that the environment was better. Being from a city like Raleigh, I am sure you are familiar with what the social climate in a southern city is and from Chicago I know you know the problems a large city faces. I'm very happy where we are, but would love to live someplace like where my friend is near downtown Decatur myself.

(I would also love to move back to the Triangle where DH and I spent the 90's and our student days. Sigh. I miss family and friends and NC. Maybe we should trade places!)

Come and check us out!

[zenproofstella]

Pigpokey - I stand corrected! My bad. ( I really don't know much about the schools...)

Everyone will have something positive to say about the areas they live in - and we will all have our opinions about the places we either a) can't AFFORD, or b) are frightened of because of what we hear.

The bottom line is -

Sabrosina: There are TONS of options that may align with the things you are looking for here in Atlanta. I think you can't go wrong in any of the areas that have been mentioned.

I'm sure there would be plenty folks here willing to help you make some connections as well, should you find yourself 'scouting' here in Atlanta. Let us know if we can help further.

Cheers.
shawna


*to add. i have quit going to the farmers market..and i could seriously WALK THERE its so close. its SUCH A SHAME..because I love the quality of food there. The veggie prices can't be BEAT anywhere else. but the smell. GOOD GOD THE SMELL. Everything that has been packaged there REAKS. The cheese, the breads...(i don't find the veggies particularly offensive)...terrible.

The strangest thing is that 1/2 my friends and family agree with this - they can't stand it either - the other 1/2 look at me like I AM COMPLETELY MAD. like I'm just sensitive. poor me.

I am back to publix now for most things. booo hisss. I wish it didn't smell. I wish we had more 'open air markets' around here. that would help.

[BetsyS]

Originally Posted by zenproofstella

The strangest thing is that 1/2 my friends and family agree with this - they can't stand it either - the other 1/2 look at me like I AM COMPLETELY MAD. like I'm just sensitive. poor me.

DeKalb smelled to me while I was pregnant (but so did Kroger and Publix; I could only shop at Whole Foods. Good heavens the bills. LOL), but it doesn't smell anymore.

We drive down there from Suwanee. When I was a kid, we used to drive there from Athens. It's the coolest place in the world. I hope the stinky-ness stops soon for you!

[Verity]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

We live OTP, but our heart is ITP. If we could afford it, we'd be somewhere like Decatur, lake Claire, Oakhurst. One other neat area is Toco Hills. (But, I went to Emory, so I'm biased)

Yea, same here. I am now stuck OTP on the south side (read: armpit, conservative haven and cultural wasteland of the metro area), and I cannot WAIT to move. Unfortunately, that won't be for 10 1/2 years, when our youngest child is out of high school.