I'm looking at moving to the Atlanta area for 12 months. My hubby is deploying and I want to live somewhere that can keep me and my kids busy. Atlanta can do that. I need advice on what areas are SAFE and very kid friendly. My son plays hockey here in Nashville TN and I've found ice rinks in Duluth, Kennesaw and Roswell so I'm looking within 20 minutes of those cities. My realtor cannot tell me where is nice and where is not. Could anyone give me a little direction? I'm a stay at home mother so commuting isn't a factor. I need good a school system (my son will only be in Kindergarten here), within 20 minutes of an ice rink, a mothers day out program or other part time daycare for my 1 year old and maybe a nice playground.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, J.
THANK YOU !!!!!
I am so comforted by all the great, SAFE places to have available around Atlanta. After Thanksgiving I'm going to go down there and just drive around and get to know the area. Thank you for the websites, I'm checking them out after I send this. All of you have been so kind to take time out of your day to help me.
Thank you so much, J. Smith
East Cobb/Marietta is a Great area, & only 10 - 15 min from the Ice Forum in Kennesaw. They have WONDERFUL schools, esp elementary schools!! Also, if you look into the YMCA in East Cobb (off of Johnson's Ferry Rd), they have an excellent inline hockey league...my step-son has been playing for 3 years now. I personally like that area around the YMCA, & that's where I grew up. Hope this helps?!
Hi J.,
I live in the Bentwater Subdivision in Acworth just north of Kennesaw and love it here. I also lived in Legacy Park in Kennesaw and was happy there too. The traffic is getting a little crazy there though.The area around the Marietta rink is very nice. My husband plays hockey and is dying to get our two boys on the ice. Where in Nashville does your son play hockey? My husband knows the youth hockey director at the Centenial rink.
L.
I just moved to Roswell this summer, and here's why. Roswell has a traditional downtown and a great recreation and parks program. The schools are top-knotch and you can find some with diversity. Roswell has suburbs, but is not completely suburban. There are also great arts and cultural activities here and a strong sense of history. I'm not a big fan of sterile suburbs, so I wanted to give you an opinion different than others in case you are looking for a more diverse cultural experience too in addition to good schools.
J.,
As far as location goes, Cherokee County is an up and coming area about 12 miles north of Kennesaw, GA. I live in an area called Holly Springs, GA. This borders the cities of Woodstock, Canton, Waleska, Ball Ground, and is about 12 miles away from Alpharetta and Roswell going down highway 140. As far as Holly Springs being kid-friendly, I would definitely say it is. I have two daughters, a four year old and a seven month old, and I feel completely safe around here. I moved from California in April, 2006, and was almost instantly taken by how family-friendly the general area is. So, location wise, it is a great place.
As far as kindergartens go, there are several to pick from. I would guide you to the Atlanta Parents website, I believe it's just called "atlantaparents.com". That has all kinds of recommendations from parents all over the Metro Atlanta area for schools, daycares, etc.
I cannot tell you about ice rinks, as I do not currently do that with my children, but I as far as the other stuff you mentioned, I would highly recommend the Cobb County/Cherokee County area.
Good luck with your move.
E.
J. --
I'm a working mother of a Kindergarten girl and a 20 month-old boy. I live and work in Roswell, close to the Alpharetta line. These areas are incredibly kid friendly. Roswell, I think, was ranked very high nationally as one of the best places to live for families. Like all areas, there are some areas of Roswell that are older, a little less safe than others, but for the most part, it's great. The area West of GA400 is the better part of Roswell, with better elementary schools. Hembree Springs, Crabappple Crossing, and Sweetapple are the better elementary schools. Most places in Alpharetta have great schools. The Roswell and Alpharetta parks and recs dept.'s maintain several community parks with playgrounds, ball fields, walking/biking trails, etc. The Cooler, which is the Alpharetta hockey rink, is on the border of Roswell/Alpharetta. The only real downside of any norther suburb is that it's a bit of a hike down into town if you're taking the kids to the Children's Museum, the Aquarium, the Zoo, World of Coke, etc. Still, it's more affordable and tolerable traffic-wise than closer inside the perimeter neighborhoods, like Dunwoody. Duluth is nice but a little far out, and so is Kennesaw. South Alpharetta/North Roswell give you a central location north of the city but not so far north you aren't motivated to travel inward for an event . . .
Hey! I am originally from the Metro Atlanta area and only move away once to live in Nashville for a few years. Loving the Atlanta area so much I wanted to move back! I live in Marietta due to commuting factors. I love this area. Since you do not need to worry with commuting, you need to live in Alpharetta or Cumming. These areas are kid friendly, offer family entertainment, safe, affordable and great schools. You will not regret taking my advise.
All the best to you and your family!!
M.
We lived in Orlando, FL for 11 years and moved to Acworth last summer. We now live right on the kennesaw/acworth line. we realllllly like it here. We're close enough to the "big city" without having to worry about the "big city" problems.
We are enjoying suburbran life and all it offers. You can find anything you are looking for in kennesaw/acworth. Both have city sports leagues to boot.
You can see the stars at night, there is room to breathe and things are far more affordable than inside the city. There really isn't a bad part of town when it comes to this particular area. The only issue we've faced is traffic during rush hour, but aside from that we feel safe, happy & content here.
I have 5 kids ranging from 11 years to 12 months and after living in several states over the years and I can honestly say that I feel Kennesaw/Acworth is the safest, happiest, most kid-friendly place we've ever lived.
Hope that helps!
I live in Kennesaw which is Cobb County in GA. They have a GREAT school system in Cobb County. I live on the Marietta/Kennesaw/Paulding county line. I am not sure where the ice rink would be... since my DD is only 1, but there are tons of activities for children in the area. Here are some links to research:
http://www.mariettaga.gov/default.aspx
http://www.cobbcat.org/Children.htm
Hey J.,
I live on the Marietta/Austell line right behind Cobb Hospital. We bought our first house here and have been here a little over a year. I LOVE it! My son went to the nearby school and was Kindergarden last year there. He loved it and still loves first grade. There are alot of houses for rent in this neighborhood as well as condos and apartments. The area is realatively inexpensive and it's well established> All our neighbors have lived here 10 plus years but there are alot of kids.
I have lived in Kennesaw for 12 years and raised my 3 kids here as a single mom. Great place to live!
Here is a good website to check out areas: http://www.city-data.com/
Good luck!
