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Originally Posted by LivingTheDream
Have lived in Hotlanta the whole time... about 26yrs.
Lived in the city for 19yrs (Buckhead 10yrs, Vinings 9yrs). Delta went bankrupt, we moved south to save cash... big regret... loved the in-town diversity of thought/vibe.
Having said that, we moved to a lake house on Lake Redwine in Newnan (325 acre private lake... electric motor only pontoon boats, swimming, paddle boards, fishing, etc.). We greatly enjoy lake living, but took a while to make peace with the much more singular thought process of living "in the south". (Looked at lake houses in PTC but couldn't see paying top dollar for a lake house when your not allowed to actually use the lake! Want to cut down some trees to actually see the lake?... Fuhgetaboutit!) Also, there is a marina, so you can have a boat even if you don't have a lake house... I think about $40/mo.
Our daughter went to private schools in-town, but we have been very surprised and happy with the public schools in Newnan. Brooks elementary and Madras middle REACH programs have been every bit as good as our in-town private experience. She is starting Newnan HS this fall in the gifted STEM program. The key seems to be to get your kids in the gifted programs... REACH in elementary/middle and STEM in high school.
The traffic situation is the last good artery left in ATL. 12mins to I85... 35mins from driveway to employee lot... 40 mins to our friends in Vinings... 45mins to mid-town/va highlands/buckhead. (We go into the city 3 or 4 times/mo.)
Good luck...
P.s. Love to go to shops/restaurants in PTC, but don't care for the "police state/stepford wife" feel there. 
I keed... sort of... 
I am not an ITP guy at all... but I really enjoyed living in Brookhaven/Bulkhead (just west and south of PDK). I don't know about schools but if I were single or married without kids in the plans it seemed to be a good area. And if you are so inclined you can ride MARTA easily from there and it's not a long ride from there. If you're really rolling in it you can buy one of the McMansions where they tear down the old tiny run down houses there and build a 4-sided brick home with a nice front porch and copper. Lots of copper.
I also lived in Dunwoody (top end of 285 but right on 285). I loved that area too but your money won't go far, or you're buying older homes that were cool in the 80s and 70s. But location is great and your options to get to and from the airport are better even in traffic. Usually there is one direction open to the top end perimeter (maybe not north of the top end but definitely to the top end) and thus you can have a 30 min drive easily even in traffic.
If you go north on GA400 avoid being married to Holcomb Bridge exit. PITA.
A lot of the people I know who live in the Kennesaw and Marietta side love that and seem to have a pretty decent ability to not be stuck in horrendous highway traffic on 285 during rush hour. I've seen some really awesome neighborhoods over there. My father-in-law is from Dallas, a lot of development over there but it totally reminds me of 1950s Americana still or Hazard County and the Duke boys.
A buddy of mine went with City of Decatur (look specifically for those schools as they're the better ones), they love that area and he is close to the airport.
Summergrove is popular in Newnan. A buddy of mine lives in Villa Rica, their neighborhood is awesome and a good deal.
Some people live in Chattanooga and love that, drive doesn't bother them.
Keep in mind, how often are you going to be driving anyways? We've got 5 days even on the 717. Sometimes a lot of 4, sometimes more 3, if you want 1-2 day trips you need to be senior if they even have them.
12-22-2020
