Where to build -- ATL north side
 

I currently live on the south side of ATL. I really like my neighborhood and with the addition of a few new restaurants and the Costco the south side is really improving. Unfortunately I want to have easier access to the north GA and NC mountains as well a view with at least a little bit of vertical development. We're still considering a move to SLC (love the mountains, hate winter so probably not) but can anybody recommend a neighborhood or town on the north side that fulfills these requirements:

1. Mountain views
2. 1.5 hours or less to the airport (not accounting for rush hour or accidents)
3. Enough acreage that I won't know my neighbors -- I'm thinking 3-5 acres and wooded.
4. Established high speed internet
5. Available lots, I want to build from scratch
6. No more than 30 minutes from a Costco and preferably 15 minutes from a major grocery store

Schools are not a factor, we're empty nesters next year. We're not scared of septic and a well. My own inept research has capped the northernmost boundary around Dahlonega, but even there it's tough to tell on Zillow if any of the available land is part of a neighborhood or has high speed internet access.

Thanks!

Forsyth County (Cumming, GA)

I would also look in Milton.

Canton or even Jasper (pushes the timing to Costco be a little). Express lanes down 575 and 75 work great. (good luck with your sanity if you drive 400 more than once a year).

Dahlonega easily exceeds your 1.5 hour limit unless you only bid Saturday trips with a 04:30 duty in. Dahlonega is a nice town. I-85/400 can be apocalyptic.

There is a new Costco in Canton, GA. Lots of land in that area. Milton is nicer. Forsyth has the most Klan activity, but also now holds the distinction for the "richest" per capita County in Georgia. I don't like the Forsyth vibe, but the schools are good and I'm sure all the immigrants that are moving to the area (improving the per-capita income stats) are changing the "vibe."

I am in Cobb. We're built out of land. Really good property is starting to go for over $1m an acre as developers are pushing density. Cherokee Co. is where I'd go. You've got the express lanes, highway 41 and an escape route around the west side of town (South Cobb, Camp Creek) if things are really bad.

How are the schools up in Canton. I don't know anyone up there. I can read ratings but I know those dont always tell the whole story. My wife was a teacher in a 8 that she hated and a 5 that she loved.

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Thanks for the replies so far. If anybody has specific neighborhoods that would be great. I'm not moving this year so I don't want to involve a realtor yet but I'm sure they'd be a wealth of information once I get closer to my bug out date.

When you guys are talking express lanes, do you mean Peach Pass or HOV? Copy stay the hell away from 400!!! Dahlonega is just the 30 minute Costco limit as well as the no-traffic 1:30 limit. I prefer to play the RES game and fly as little as possible but that means I need to adhere to the 2 hour policy. My current property in southern Fayetteville is a little over 3 acres with pine and hardwoods between me and my neighbors and I don't think I'd want to go any smaller. $1M/acre is WAY out of my price range!!! I'm hoping $40-60k for my 3-5 acres will get the job done but reality might make me break that price goal.

Have you looked at Big Canoe?

Godspeed. We lived in Roswell for a year and then caved to move to Base Housing due to traffic to the airport, schools, shopping....Ev. Ry. Where.

Just sayin.

My kids graduated from east Cobb schools (which were great) and then we moved up to Ellijay (Gilmer County). I suggested Canton based on my impression of available land as I drive through (and from visiting a friend that lives there). I apologize, but I don’t know much about the schools.

I plan 3 hours for the drive (leaving house until I need to be at the gate), and I pattern bid to limit my drives to work at 3 per month (until I can hold a fleet and schedule with longer trips and fewer drives to work), and accept the additional planned slop in my drive time as the cost of a large acreage, horses and livestock, shooting on my own land, and small town living. I grew up up rural and it has become an acquired taste for my wife and we enjoy it a lot.

I have have a friend that make the drive from Big Canoe (no kids and >50% 7ERA), and another that drives from Blue Ridge (also empty nest; 330A). I also know someone that is west of Lake Allatoona (Cartersville; 73A, bids reserve and is a bit of a GS ninja). Lots to consider and weigh in the balance, but it is pretty as you get into the hills.

Considering the the cost, upheaval in family life, and the importance of schools, I would suggest investigating any area in person before committing. I hate traffic enough that before we bought land I burned multiple days off driving to the airport from during my typical get to work time just to see what it was like (no thank you on Alpharetta, Cumming, Dahlonega, or anywhere that touches 85 or 400).