Questions for Southerners--LONG

[padams]

GA's public schools are overall poor. GA ranks 50th out of 50 states on SAT scores. You can find some good elementary schools here and there, but then the middle and high schools are not always an option. There are a handful of decent middle and high schools in metro Atlanta. Lots of people send their children to private school (including me even though I am a public school graduate from the midwest).

Don't count on the Hope scholarship (which pays college tuition to state universities if the student has a B average in high school) being around for children unless they are currently in high school. The lottery funds Hope, and lottery revenue is not keeping up with the demand for scholarships (grade inflation is rampant, and it is currently very easy to get a B average). It is emerging as a politically hot issue here.

Property taxes are relatively high in the city of Atlanta and Fulton County but cheaper in the suburban counties. In Cobb County, we paid about $4,000 for a $725,000 house (3,000 sq. ft.) this year. If my house was in the City of Atlanta, which I live 500 yards from, my taxes would be about $7,000-8,000.

The traffic in Atlanta is actually much better than places like NYC, Boston, LA, San Francisco, Houston, and Washington DC. Atlantans complain a lot about the traffic because it has become much worse in recent years (I have been here 18 years) and road construction has not kept up with growth.

When I first moved here, Lawrenceville was a distant suburb, now it's pretty close in to Atlanta. If your DH's territory extends to Alabama, you might want to consider the areas between Atlanta and Alabama off I20 and I85. Places like Peachtree City are considered quite livable with good schools. The farther that you live from Atlanta, the cheaper that housing will be.

The best part of Atlanta is the weather- no real snow- and it's only a 7 hour drive to WDW!

Good luck!

 

[lynetteSC]

Originally posted by disneyjunkie

My dad wants to back to Latta where they all grew up.

Latta is kinda small place I don't know that much about it ... DH & I visited once and enjoyed it!

 

[Lanshark]

We lived in Lawrenceville for 11 years. Gwinnett county was one of the fastest growing in the country for years. The population grew quickly. Land was bulldozed and houses were put in 3 or 4 to an acre. The roads and the schools did not grow proportionally at all. Many people are now migrating out of Gwinnett. We tried the public school system and found it greatlyl lacking. Many schools have trailers lined up outside to use as portable classroom.

We moved 6 years ago to the Roswell area in East Cobb or as some people say East Snob. The area is well established and has a reputation for very high accomplishing schools because it is a very affluent area. That said we still school our kids privately. Our taxes are very reasonable compared to Fulton county (where Atlanta is).

If you have a flexible schedule you can work around Atlanta traffic. If you need to be at work at 8:00 am on the dot I pity you. I avoid the highways at rushhour at all costs. You could easily take a hour to move 5 miles on a bad day.

I came from the Northwest Indiana area. Dh and I have been here 20 years. The weather is beautiful, the cost of living/housing very reasonable and the people, in general, are very friendly. We are in the suburbs but within an hour of the city if we want to catch a game or concert. It is very convenient. I love what the city has to offer but it doesn't have the same character as Chicago. I do miss that.

If you'd like more information PM me.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Thanks for all your helpful replies. We are going to weigh all our options and the pro's and con's of staying or leaving.

I'll probably have more questions--if ya don't mind .

 

[HuggaBaloo]

Barb, I don't know why I didn't think to suggest this sooner, but I would really encourage you to look into Chattanooga as a potential relocation destination. Even though I'll be moving soon, I really do love it here. It is a beautiful mid-sized city, surrounded by mountains and with the TN river flowing right through a thriving downtown area. Chattanooga used to be one of the dirtiest cities in the country not too long ago. It is now studied by city planners both in the US and internationally. The following is from the Chamber of Commerce's website:

<i>The April 25, 1999 issue of Parade Magazine featured Chattanooga in its cover story, focusing on the revitalization on the downtown area. The article reads, "Once a prime example for everything wrong with America, Chattanooga (pop. 148,820) is turning itself around. The city's formerly decaying riverfront is now a thriving entertainment district that draws more than a million visitors a year. Electric buses, locally built and free to ride, ply downtown streets. A not-for-profit group is spending more than $30 million a year on housing. And the air, once so dirty you had to drive with your headlights on at noon, is clean again. </i>

Below is a link for some other surprising facts:

Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce - America's Talking

Also, because it is located right over the GA border it seems like it would be a great location for your business purposes. It's about 1.5 hours from downtown Chattanooga to downtown Atlanta, and a little over 2 hours to Knoxville and Nashville. You'd also be very close to SC, NC and AL.

My understanding is that the public schools are very good, and there is at least one very highly regarded private school (Baylor). Once again, I'm afraid I can't help you very much on the property tax question.

Feel free to send me a PM with any questions!

 

[Bichon Barb]

...Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes...

Sorry. Isn't that the punchline to some bad joke?

Our neighbor moved to Syracuse from Chattanooga in the 1980's, I believe. He left there because of the racism. (My neighbor is black.) I wonder if that is what they meant by "everything wrong with America". In any event, it sounds like Chattanooga has turned itself into a great city. My sister and her family have gone there on day trips. When I told DH about your post, he gave it a "hmmmmm yeahhhhhh".

It's exciting, yet terrifying, to think of the possibilities.

 

[HuggaBaloo]

Originally posted by Bichon Barb
...Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes...

Sorry. Isn't that the punchline to some bad joke?

Yes...and apparently you and my father have the same sense of humor.

I'm assuming the "Hmmmmm....yeahhhhh" was positive? If so, and you do end up here, please hurry up and move before I leave! That way I can meet you!

And trust me, I can relate to the whole "exciting yet terrifying" thing. I'm feeling the same way about our move to FL.

Good luck with your decisions and let me know if I can do anything to help!

 

[Bichon Barb]

Oops. Yup, that was a positive "hmmmm".