Atlanta Georgia Neighborhoods - Best Place to Raise Kids

Districts for Mary Lin (Candler Park, Inman Park area), Morningside (Virginia Highlands, Morningside) and Sarah Smith(?) Elementary Schools are strongest. Also, many neighborhoods have excellent charter elementary and middle schools. Grant Park Neighborhood Charter School is one that has been around now for several years and has a good track record. Be sure to get into a Zone 1 neighborhood because there is a lottery and that will improve your chances of getting in. You can check the school's web site for that information.

Sandy Springs has an excellent school system. My son goes to Spalding Drive Charter Elementary and the school is phenomenal. There are a lot of quiet neighborhoods here in Sandy Springs that are perfect for raising kids.

We moved to East Cobb a year ago (previously lived in S FL). We like it here because of the top rated schools and the focus on the children being raised in this area. My husband drives intown to work - he's next to the Cobb Energy Center near where I-75 and 285 intersect. Takes him 20 minutes. No big deal at all. We looked for 9 mths before settling here, love it! Good luck :-)

The schools in this area are Mt. Bethel Elementary, Timber Ridge Elementary and a few others. Middle schools are Dodgen, and Dickerson, plus some more. High schools are Walton (#1 in state), Pope, Lassiter, ++. These are just a few I can think of. We are specifically in the Mt Bethel, Dodgen, Walton zoning area.

We really love Smyrna, on the northwest side of town. It's conveniently located to 75 and 285, and you can even take Atlanta Rd. straight into downtown if you so desire. We also like it b/c it is in between Vinings, another nice neighborhood with lots of shopping and restaurants; and Marietta Square - another area of town that always has something going on. Our daughter goes to preschool at a church on the square, and loves it.

Smyrna has a great community feel to it. You do pay an extra property tax, but in return you get a great parks and recreation system. It seems they open up a new playground every six months. The library and community center (which has a gym free to residents), as well as the adjacent market village, are always having family friendly events.

Smyrna elementary schools vary by location, from what I've heard. I'll be looking into the Imagine charter school on S. Cobb dr. From the four or five parents I've spoken with whose kids attend, they have really enjoyed it.

Good luck!
Jenn Dennard

Hi A.,

The ladies are right, Atlanta is diverse and you have to pick where you want to be. I love intown for the culture and I love Cobb County because it really is it's own place, a home town feel but with a lot to do. I live on the southeastern end of the city which is more rural. Hampton is in Henry county and is a straight shot into downtown Atlanta. If your husband has a 9-5 type job getting home may take some time unless he commutes in and out on the transit system. Henry County schools are the best in the south part of town. Hampton utilities are inexpensive (the rest of Henry County is higher) and housing costs are cheap in comparison to the other parts of Atlanta.....we shoot down to Florida to the beach a lot and it's easy from where we are.

Happy shopping!

M.