Relocating to GA (Atlanta)

Hello All,

Thank you in advance for your help....I'm going to be moving to Georgia within the next 2-3 months for work and could use some assistance. I am currently living in a college town in NH, I like the smaller town atmosphere and the mall and airport aren't too far away. I am about an hour north of Boston and a 10-15 minute ride to a larger town for shopping malls, etc.

Most of my customers will be in and around Atlanta and although I work out of my house the main office is in Alpharetta but I'd rather not live in a city. I suppose a 45 minute ride to downtown Atlanta would be fine, but no more than an hour and although I live in a small town now I wouldn't mind a larger town with more services.

I'll be renting and have a Newfoundland dog (no children) and would like a house in a nice neighborhood with a garage for the bike and a small yard. Looking on Craigslist there seem to be a lot of developments with single family homes that look nice, I'm just not sure where to start for towns/areas.

Thank you for your input!

Chris

Marietta, Kennesaw, Woodstock, Canton, or Cartersville (C-Vegas Baby )come to mind and are on the NW side of Atlanta with Cartersville being the furthest away at 45 minutes up I-75 and is still considered Metro Atlanta. I live in Cartersville and sometimes I get bored with it after living here for my whole 31 years but when it boils down to it, there is something to be said about a town close enough to a big city but yet, small enough that you don't have the negatives that come with a big city.

North of Alpharetta is on the road to a lot of good riding, Suches, Deals Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway etc. You could find a quiet place north of Alpharetta then buzz down to the main office easily and downtown is further down. Marta is there if you want for airport runs etc. That area is close to a lot of things. 400 is crazy during rush hour.

Craigslist is free so you don't always get the best stuff advertised.

Here is a site from the local paper. Atlanta Journal and Constitution. AJC.
http://www.ajchomefinder.com/?cxnsid=ajcse21713

Good Luck. There are a lot of options.

If your local office is in Alpharetta then definately stay on the north side of the city. Not sure how often you will have to go in to the city. Traffic on 400 is a bear at times. I would get a map and plot out where your customers are on the map and fugure how much driving you will have to do to see them to help make the decision. North of Atlanta puts you closer to the good riding and recreating.

Some pretty good suggestions so far. I can't agree with NW atlanta though (marietta, kennesaw, cartersville etc) as that would be pretty inconvenient from alpharetta. North Atlanta is pretty built up and I agree with staying away from 400 if you can help it.

Here's my .02
I used to live in a really good location between Duluth and Alpharetta in north fulton county that built up a little more slowly than the rest of the area. West of GA 141 around the intersection of GA 120 would be my vote. Some good neighborhoods and not completely paved over. Still some sizable tracts of land that give it a country feel. Very close to Alpharetta while being able to avoid GA 400 hassles, and you're right next to major arteries (GA141 GA120) that quickly take you to the interstate and/or city without the insane traffic of 400. There is plenty of "stuff to do", nice businesses and good variety that you will probably rarely venture into the city. I bet you can rent some really nice houses lately because people who can't sell don't want to take a huge loss. The bonus of course is a short hop to north ga mtns and probalby the best riding in the southeast. I hated leaving but the people I was renting from moved and are trying to sell the house. I ended up buying on the south side to be closer to the airport (job) and get away from mobs of people/traffic. If less traffic and rural is what you are looking for then your only choice is SW of the city, everywhere else is a cluster.

I make the drive from Dawsonville to Alpharetta regularly. For the most part, I grew up in Alpharetta and have watched the boom in population first hand. I couldn't live south of Cumming now if you paid me. I have also been in the landscaping business for over 15 years now and know every single back road around Alpharetta and can get from Dawsonville to North Point Mall with minimal traffic headaches. 400 is the pits, it is dangerous as hell with lots of brake checking from people all riding each others' asses trying to kill themselves getting somewhere they don't wanna be (work).

I can get to Atlanta in an hour with no traffic using the freeways. With traffic though it has taken me 2 hours.

The main traffic on 400 does not usually start until exit 13 which is Hwy 141. Of course, there are exceptions, and some days it backs up to exit 15 or 16 north of Cumming.

There are some nice areas still left in Cumming, on the west side of 400. Check around Matt Highway (369), Hendrix Rd (my in laws live there), Bannister Rd, Elmo Rd... just to name a few. You can get to Alpharetta easily from here, and on the weekends you can get north to to good riding in equal time.

There are decent parts of Alpharetta, too, but you gotta search them out. Areas along Birmingham Hwy are nice, and traffic seems to have missed them for the most part, but that too is changing quickly. Alpharetta is very $$$ as well. Lots of richies driving their Hummers to soccer practice with a Starbucks in one hand and a Blackberry in the other.

That is the area around Parsons Rd. It used to be considered Duluth but it might be Johns Creek now, I can't keep all the rezoning lines straight. I drove through there for the first time in a while and it has GROWN sadly. We used to go to church (I know, me in church ) at St Benedicts there and my wife's family used to live in Parson's Run. We used to consider McGinnis Ferry Rd "out there" and there was no reason to drive north of there that we could figure out.

My wife used to ride her horse up a dirt road called....

WINDWARD PARK WAY.

Most everything up 141 is the pits. And now 141 is under construction.... FINALLY developing the road into a 4 lane (too little too late) so its even worse. I rank it right up there with 400 at this point.

It was several years ago but I lived in parson's run
Go much north of there on 141 and yes it sucks as I recently found out...South of there toward the city however is 4-6 lanes and moves nicely usually, its 11 miles from I-285 and about the same to I-85 on GA120 (only 2 lanes however). Close to 400 and alpharetta but rarely went that way. It's still Duluth as far as I know. I agree that if you are not that interested in the "city", and don't have to go to the airport or downtown regularly, live as far away as possible :)

Well after re-reading your OP, up toward cumming or dawsonville will take you over an hour to get in the city. The north side is just a crowded mess when you get closer than that, so I guess you have decisions to make!

Small world!

You pretty much have the 75 corridor, the 400 corridor and the 85 corridor. I've lived along all three highways. Like anywhere, all areas pretty much have their demographic. So, what demographic do you want to fit into? If you ride a beemer, it's Alpharetta or Atlanta. The Alpharetta area and most of the 400 corridor is all pretty much new money, yuppies 'n such.

Based on the little I know about you, and heavily influenced by what I know of life in the northeast, I'd think you may enjoy an area like Smyrna. And that's the best access to Atl of any place mentioned. I'm discounting Alpharetta for you since you said you work from home. What is it you do for a living? I work from home as well.

So, more about how much you ride, what you ride, people you hang with, other interest....all that would help.

I like the town square area of Roswell. Definitely big-city but a nice feel if you stay off the main drag. Similar to what Flux is talking about Alpharetta--if you squint and stay in the right area it still has a small-town feel.

That's one of the things I dig about the small towns around Atlanta. In the midddle of it all there's still usually a thriving town square and a good walking neighborhood. To me that's the ideal and why I live in Decatur. I can walk to a good pub or take the train if the f____ing retarded drivers get to be too much.

Some thoughtful soul even put speed humps on my street for me to jump over

I live in Clayton.


We have 4 red lights.

I moved to Dahlonega, and I highly recommend it if you work from home. A bit of a ride to Alpharetta for every day, about 45 miles, but not bad if you work from home. Small town all the way, college town, lots of outdoor stuff to do like canoeing, hiking, and fishing. I assume you ride and it is the destination of choice for many bikers. Let me know if you want a tour. Good luck with your move, you will love it!
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I lived off of bear gap road at one time. Nearest red light must have been 15 miles away :)

I live off Hwy 141 in south Forsyth County, zip code 30024, the area mentioned above a couple times. It is a great place to live in many respects and we love our neighborhood, and the families around here, but I share the negative views such as traffic, current construction, lack of a true town center, Hummers running you over, etc that others have shared here. If you live in the 'burbs you have to recognize that and guard against losing your soul. My family and I have figured out how to manage that pretty well. Key word is family. If I were single I would concentrate more on something with a small town center rather than a neighborhood with pool and tennis courts, good schools, etc.

More important to be near the riding? choose Dahlonega or similar. Airport and business with decent restaurants bars, neighborhood pool, but no city center? choose the 'burbs like where I live. Nightlife? Decatur or in the perimeter somewhere like that.


I would second others recommendation to either look at the areas like Roswell, Decatur, Alpha, Dahlonega, for at least a hint of "town center"...but you will not likely find them on true par with college town lifestyles. Close, but no cigar.

I landed here under different circumstances four years ago and really like the area; work from home and travel now, and if the economy were better (i.e. if I could sell the house with a little more upside), I might consider moving north to Dahlonega....but it is a long way to the airport...I am 40 miles = one hour to checkin at ATL right now.

Welcome and enjoy the riding.

Hello everyone,

Wow, thank you very much for your replies....some very good information to look over, maybe some more details that would help:

- I figured I'd look around Alphretta since it was north of the city and wouldn't be as hectic as Atlanta, but still be a decent commute into the city. And be closer to riding areas north.

-I will be working from home 100% of the time. Most of my customers are in Atlanta but will be traveling in the SC, GA, TN, AL areas as well. I'll be on the road I would suspect 50% of the time, most of that within driving distance from home.

-I like the idea of the Cummings area but afraid if I get too far north the Airport will be a trek.

-Maybe I should look in the north/western region like the Smyrna area? What other towns out that way would be good?

I ride a 2002 BMW Adv that is mechanically solid but not a garage queen so I have no need to fit in at Starbucks...and am really looking forward to the riding areas north of GA, have never ridden around there. I have no interest in the nightlife in Atlanta but wouldn't mind a few nice local resturants and have shopping close by. Barnes and Noble is key since I like to flip through the magazines without paying an arm and a leg for them...

The most important part is the nice town and neighborhood, single family home with a garage and a small yard for Daisy the Wonder Dog to do her thing...beyond that she's sleeping all day. A townhouse with a garage would be perfect but because of the pooch I think a house would be better. I was hoping one of you guys would have a house for rent, looking online is painful. But if I narrow my search more towards the northwest area I might be in better shape.

I hope that is helpful and I really apprecaite your feedback. When I get down there, hopefully Aug 1 or at the latest Sept 1 we can get together for a ride.

Thank you!

Chris

I will keep an eye out and ask around...keep us posted.

What kind of work do you do? My territory and travels are similar. I sell enterprise-class software primarily to manufacturing companies to control quality, efficiency, etc.

QFT

I live north of Canton and have everything I need within 30-60 mins of me. The areas you mentioned are great and, as others have mentioned, close to some good riding. Woodstock, Acworth and others are closer to the city. For me, Canton/Jasper is were it is at.

My .01

+ 1. I work in Jasper now, and wish I could live up that way. I could care less if I ever see Atlanta again.

If it was me, I'd stay on the NW side of Atlanta, there is no where near the traffic when you have to get to the Airport.