We are considering relocating to the Atlanta area. We have two young children (at least three years before school becomes an issue), so we would like to live in a safe area with good schools. I have done a lot of research into the area. It seems that the Dunwoody area has a good school system and is reasonably close to the city. However, I am concerned about the commute to downtown on either 400 or 85. Can anyone that makes either of those drives tell me approximately how long it takes to travel 400 and/or 85 from 285 to North Avenue? If that will be more than 30 to 35 minutes, can anyone give me some advice on closer in, low crime areas with decent schools that would be within that range? We are moving from a high dollar real estate market so cost of housing is not that big an issue. Any input would be appreciated.

The drive will take 45 minutes, perhaps longer, during rush hour. Your husband may be able to ride the MARTA rail, lowering his aggravation, if not his transit time.

You might investigate Morningside, Sherwood Forest and Ansley Park. All are lovely intown neighborhoods, with prices ranging from $750,000 to several times that. Morningside has an elementary school with a very good reputation, though in Atlanta proper, most folks who live in those neighborhoods send their children to private schools after elementary school, if not sooner.

North Atlanta has Sarah Smith and Jackson elementary schools. I hear both are first rate and are in great neighborhoods (priced accordingly). The commute would rival that from "Dunwoody," itself a large area.

Decatur, a short drive to North Avenue, has vocal supporters of its lower schools, and some nice, though pricey homes. Druid Hills is even nicer, though priceier still, most homes well exceeding $1,000,000. Though I have family in the neighborhood, I don't know anything about the school system that services the area. Some of it is Dekalb County, some is Atlanta/Dekalb.

In the end, most folks either move outside the perimeter and accept longer commutes or their children complete their educations outside the public school system-or both.

You should speak to a qualified real estate agent about your search.

Thanks for the response. Looks like Dunwoody is out. For ease of commute, I heard that Smyrna/Vinings would be good. Unfortunately, it looks like the schools there are pretty bad. Can someone tell me approximately how much private school tuition is in the Atlanta area? With that many kids going to private school, it must be a lot cheaper than it is here ($20,000 to $25,000/year).

There are several nice neighborhoods intown that I would chose if $$ were no object. In fact, if $$ were no object for me I'd be looking seriously at the newest development downtown, Atlantic Station. I really don't know about what school district that would be in though.

Google Atlantic Station for the website. It's really a neat area.

The schools in Cobb County are generally good. High schools like Lassiter and Sprayberry are two of many in the north Atlanta area that are feeder schools into the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.

I think that is an indication of quality because acceptance at UGA has become difficult, and Tech has been highly selective for a long time.

Also I hear other parents comment that some children in the 3rd grade in rural Georgia counties are learning what first graders get in Cobb and Gwinnett counties.

Let me also suggest that just because a school is private does not mean it is better than the public schools. My grandson was in a Cobb County private school because of family connections.

When he changed in the 5th grade to the Cobb County public school system, we found out that he was well behind. It took quite a bit of parental attention to get him caught up in math and English.

I hate to say this, but unless you plan on living on the edge or inside the Perimeter, finding a commute that is less than 30 minutes is going to be difficult. And even then, there are days when there are traffic accidents that throw everything off.

I will tell you that when I lived in Smyrna/Vinings (or Sminings, as I remember it) two years ago, the commute down 75 was pretty nice. Rarely had a problem. I worked on the corner of 10th and North and it took me about 20 minutes coming from the end of Powers Ferry Road.

At the same time, I have no idea what the school situation is like. Since you have very young children, you could look into all the elementary schools, public and private, in that area. East Cobb schools tend to be awesome but that would kill your husband's commute.

East Atlanta is one area that is booming with new development and renewal. But again, not so sure on the schools.

I personally love Decatur. The "downtown" area of Decatur has plenty of cute shops/cafes. And Decatur city schools are among the best in the state.

Here's a link that may help:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/gen...ide/index.html

Forgive me, that was 10th and Northside. Not North Ave.

Deannamark:

Re: you question about the price of private education in metro Atlanta. Tuition, fees and essentials range from a few thousand dollars a year at some parochial schools to the range you quoted.

Hi d,

We live in Madison, about an hour out of Atlanta on I20.

We have a number of young families who have moved here in the last few years who commute to Atlanta because

(1) it is a much better place to raise children

(2) schools are as good as the best public schools in the Atlanta area

(3) the commute often takes less time, because the traffic on the commuter roads around Atlanta is so terrible.

A 1/2 hr commute is short. You should plan for 45 min - 1 hr on a good day.

Nearly every morning and evening, there is at least one major accident that ties up traffic.

I hope you find a nice place. GA is a very nice place to live - mostly.