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View Full Version : Tell me about Atlanta.....



cchavez
04-07-2008, 04:03 PM
Best place to live? Best schools? My son has SPD and would need OT and social skills therapy. He will be 5 but we are delaying preschool so I would need a great preschool for both my kids (ages 5 and 2).

I am an slp and hope to return to the workforce next year and would like to cont. working w/ the pedi. population but not necessarily the schools? Any info. regarding leisure activities, parks, restaurants, shopping..esp. grocery stores would be appreciated too!

Thanks!

JTsMom
04-07-2008, 04:30 PM
We live on the north side of the city and love it here. We live in Gwinnett county, which has a ton of transplants from all over. People are friendly, and I love having the mountains nearby, and tons to do.

Here's the thing with Atlanta- it is so big, that different areas are drasitically different from one another, and where you live is REALLY important in relation to where you work. The traffic is legendary.

On the south side, a lot of people like Peachtree City. The schools are supposedly the best in the state. The downside is that stuff is pretty spread out, and there aren't a ton of things to do/stores/etc. For example, there is no Sears- not that I shop there often, but I just thought it was a little strange coming from somewhere where everything you could imagine was 15-20 mins away max.

Up here, we have tons and tons of shopping, restaurants, etc. There are many may grocery stores including Publix, Ingles, Kroger, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Super Target/Walmart off the top of my head. One of the biggest malls in the area is the Mall of GA, but there are also several others nearby.

Leisure- We have lots to do- zoo, museums, aquarium, mountains, farm tours, beautiful parks, a large lake (Lanier), kid stuff like jumpy places, playgroups, Stone Mtn park, Six Flags, etc. It's an easy drive to the Carolinas, Tenessee, etc.

I'm thrilled we live here! Best descion we've made. Let me know if you need more info.

JTsMom
04-07-2008, 04:32 PM
Oooh, I didn't even talk about schools here on the NE side...

Some are good, some are pretty bad- it depends on where you live. Greatschools.net is a good resource to start with. A couple of random cities you might want to check out:

Dacula, Suwannee, Duluth, Alpharetta and John's Creek.

kathsmom
04-07-2008, 07:37 PM
I also live in Gwinnett County. I have a son with Autism, sensory integration dysfunction, apraxia, developmental delays, etc. He's in the public school system here and has been since he's been 3 years old. I have loved all of his teachers and therapists. They have been wonderful to work with. This county is known for excellent schools, parental involvement, etc. My DD, who is almost 12 years old, attends private school, because she was right above the cut-off for the criteria to qualify for services.

I am also a speech pathologist, and I am trying to reinstate my license due to letting it lapse. There is no shortage of jobs for SLPs in the schools, clinics, or Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. I have 3 job offers that would allow me to set my schedule and work as much or as little as I want when I get my license reinstated.

Traffic is horrible, so I agree with PP that you need to find out where your job or your DH's job is so that you can plan on where to live so that you're not spending a lot of time commuting.

We have Lake Lanier, Stone Mountain, and the mountains. We also have several pro teams - Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Thrashers. We also have minor league teams as well for various sports. Downtown Atlanta has the world's largest aquarium, a cool children's museum, the High Museum of Art, the Fox Theatre, etc.

We love living here and we feel that we have received a lot of great services for DS.

Please feel free to p.m. or email me through the boards if you have any questions!

kathsmom
04-07-2008, 07:37 PM
Sorry! Double post!

cmo
04-07-2008, 08:25 PM
I am intown Atlanta, somewhat near Emory University. I agree that commute time should have a big consideration on where you choose to live due to traffic. Once you narrow down your preferred areas, I'd be glad to discuss any options w/you, just PM anytime!

cchavez
04-08-2008, 01:53 PM
Thanks so much for the information! I will keep you guys posted!