The traffic thing is only really a problem if you intend to bid 1-2 day trips, IMO. If you're gonna work 3+ day trips I consider it a small investment of time to be where I want to be.
I picked the NW side of ATL. We have a really nice one-way toll system (peachpass) to avoid congestion at the worst hours. I'm about 14 miles up 575. On rush hour days I can spend $2-6 to avoid most of the traffic and still be about a 1hr drive. Sometimes it goes longer, but I only drive 1 time a week typically.

Kennesaw - Busy college town, plenty to do. Lots of apartments, shopping, and busy roads.
Woodstock - More of your microbrew, coffee shop, young families in townhouses vibe. Downtown woodstock is very eclectic. Lower crime, higher home values on smaller lots.
Canton - Nice suburban town with all the typical suburban shopping/dining. Okay school district, not PTC quality. Proximity to Allatoona Lake (more of a marina lake with fluctuating levels year round).
Ball ground - Quiet suburban / rural vibe. More bang for the buck, but less shopping nearby. Close proximity to GA airport KCNI.
Jasper - A rural cowboy / gun toting vibe. Yellow flags abound. Shooting range and GA airport nearby. I like Jasper, but it's too far for me.
Beyond Jasper - Moutain cabins, airbnb rentals.

Alpharetta is extremely nice. Very similar to the Woodlands. Good schools keeps the property values high. Bid for a few 700-800k houses there last Spring that all ended up going $1m+ to the winning bidder. Settled in Smyrna(pretty nice area, 30 min drive to airport, but terrible schools) for now and will wait til a WB Capt for the Alpharetta forever home. Traffic is a small price to pay for living in that fantastic community.

Look for Avalon. Alpharetta old town area. Draw a 5 mile circle. Great area, worth the :50-1:30 drive to airport for sure. WB trips leave between traffic peaks most of time. Cumming is a little less expensive but great for raising families (most schools still keeping traditional values) Alpharetta better for singles.

Come to florida and pocket 6% a year.

then you have to live in florida.

and I’d pay double that to not commute.

So been lurking here for a long time, familiar with your "stance". Heck you happily pay >60% of your income in taxes, so your opinion on that really doesn't matter now does it?

==== back on topic ====

OP, I drove from Blue Ridge to ATL.

We liked it. Our kids were teenagers at the time.

We are/were not into "city" type living though

Being single I'd do like one poster said - draw a 5 mile ring around center of Alpharetta and start your search there.

BTW what's up with Newnan? Used to be pretty nice.

Why does every person in Florida love to tell others to move to Florida? (Then spends the rest of the time lamenting commuting)

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I do? **** I better talk to my tax professional about underpayment

So Alpharetta is good for singles?

Brace yourself. The TN/TX/FL commuters are coming to tell you how dumb you are, give you unsolicited tax advice, and possibly derail this into a political circle jerk.