Completely OT - Atlanta area

[czycropper]

I'm a big time lurker and then I've been offline for a few months BUT.....I have a question - anyone from the Atlanta area, what is the best part to live around Marietta?

My DH has finally decided that I've been right all along and that we should re-locate down South (I grew up in Alabama) and has started actively looking down in the Atlanta area for a position. He has spoken with 3 companies and two of them are based in Marietta. I really don't know much about that area since when I lived in Atlanta back 25 years ago (after college for a few months for graduate work) I lived in Buckhead.

Any and ALL advice will be greatly appreciated! Oh, we have two DDs, ages 8 & 6 so I'm also looking into a good school system, oh! one other thing, we'll be relocating from New Jersey so property taxes don't shock me, heck, even house prices don't shock me

TIA

 

[shalinao]

I lived in Atlanta 3 years ago and we lived in the Kennesaw area for 7 years (just north of Marietta). We loved it there and would probably go back to that area if we ever moved back.I don't know if that helps any but just thought I'd put my two cents in
Shalina

 

[stenogoddess]

Well, you're in luck. I'm from Marietta, as in grew up, went to high school, went to college, family still lives there. The whole deal. I now live in Savannah, but know all about the home of the Big Chicken! (yeah, we got a 40 foot chicken. I LOVE IT!)

I can tell you that Marietta is BOOMING big time. Which is both good and bad. You can't hardly go to the mall anymore. And traffic is nothing to sneeze at. If you can't work locally (and by this I mean in Marietta, not Atlanta) don't do it.

I still remember when they built Town Center, out in the middle of the cow pasture, and I thought who's going to be shopping here. Well, these days it's everybody and their brother. And it's too funny cause all the rednecks have gone chic. Christmases used to see the hunters coming in with deer still strapped to their trucks to pick something out. LOL So true. Not anymore though.

I don't know your cash for a house or whatall you like, but around Marietta Square they have some really pretty historic homes. They didn't used to be off the chart expensive, but it's been a while since I looked. My dad says real estate up there is doing nothing but climbing, but it started out fairly decent so you can probably still get in with something pretty nice.

I went to Sprayberry High School. It used to be one of those schools where they tried out different learning programs or something. All I know is I had twice the reading than anyone else I knew at other schools. Wheeler is a good school too, as well as Walton. Walton is where all the richie kids go. And it's pretty far away from "Marietta proper" so it just depends on where y'all are looking.

I grew up in a neighborhood called Piedmont Bend off of East Piedmont near the intersection of Sandy Plains. If you pull in there and drive up the big hill, at the apex of the hill is this neat house up on it's own hill that looks right back at you. 1840 Tree Top Court. My dad built that house, literally with his own hands. It's got a view all the way to Stone Mountain on a clear day and a pool. If it's for sale, totally buy it!

Good luck!

 

[czycropper]

Thanks for all the information. I guess I'm actually going to need to wait and see when DH goes down there in a couple of weeks!

I just can't wait to go back South

 

[stenogoddess]

After he gets more of an area nailed down, if you want to pm me I'll be glad to offer whatever information I have. My one big tip is to live as close as humanly possible to work. Like in the parking lot

I know what you mean about going home, . My DH and I lived in South Florida for about seven years. NOT the south at all....... Nice enough, but not home.