Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is perfectly situated to offer the best of the best from all cities in the US. You want a New York feel? Perfect, move to Midtown where you have gorgeous Central Park-esque Piedmont Park situated right next to the bustling city skyscrapers. If you want the charm of a college town, we have Tech and GSU all inside the Perimeter.

The Tech Village in Buckhead is a close rival to San Francisco's Silicon Valley. The craft brewery scene is lively enough to make Portland jealous! And you can’t forget about the history; Atlanta is home to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights as well as the King Center and Birth Home of MLK Jr.. Nightlife, walkable neighborhoods with local coffee shops, Instagram-worthy murals, and all four seasons make this the best of every city you’ve ever been to.

Atlanta traffic is no joke. We redefine long-distance relationships. “Oh, you live in Decatur? I’m sorry but this isn’t going to work. I just moved to the westside.” It’s not uncommon to see commutes around an hour one-way. If you can live close enough to a MARTA stop, that will be your saving grace. But remember, there are only two lines - the north/south and the east/west.

Atlanta is a sprawling metropolis so a summary of the lifestyle there is a bit foolhardy. There are however small pockets of diversity, culture and experiences that are truly unique to this amazing city and can be identified as right for you. Things that are universally true: the city is stunningly green, with forests and beautiful parks throughout the neighborhoods. Combine that green space with a mild climate and you have a recipe for a great outdoor lifestyle.

There are also consistently fun nightlife opportunities, in small neighborhood pubs, Downtown clubs, and in chic Midtown high-end restaurants. The city is known for fabulous shopping, again, via eclectic boutiques in Little Five Points, or the fanciest upscale stores in Buckhead.

Finally, expect amazing southern food of course, but also know that Atlanta is a global city and the foodie options reflect that diversity with world-class Mexican, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Moroccan restaurants are just a few of the options. Surrounding these daily/nightly options are hugely popular food and beverage festivals the whole city embraces: including Taste of Atlanta and Atlanta Summer Beer Fest.

For a list of big Downtown Events throughout the year check out the city calendar.

Atlanta Public Schools are rated average on the standardized scoring sites, getting a "B" grade on niche.com. The North and the East sides of the city have the largest clusters of high-scoring schools, and Atlanta is a geo-zoned city, so if you are chasing standardized scores then keep and eye on the map. We found a parent who summarized the area and options pretty well and share it here:

"If you are getting started researching, here's a relatively (though not perfect) starting point https://schoolgrades.georgia.gov/

Not to insult your intelligence, but it may be helpful to look at a map. City of Atlanta is the Middle 1/3 of Fulton County. The City of Atlanta has Atlanta Public Schools (APS). Of those schools, North Atlanta, Midtown, and I would add Maynard Jackson are strong options. But I want to make one clear caveat. North Atlanta and Maynard Jackson are both IB schools (https://www.ibo.org/). I would say those 2 are good assuming your student is in the IB program and taking the more rigorous, internationally recognized curricular courses. Midtown focus more on AP courses and has an option for an AP Capstone research course. Don't let the Georgia School Grades fool you… All three schools can offer a top tier education to students who are in the higher level courses. If, however, your student is not quite to that calibre, then potentially, you'd want them in more of the outlying suburbs in North Fulton County. Avoid all other APS schools and South Fulton County Schools.

Decatur City Schools are also a phenomenal option. It is also an IB school with amazing teachers and brilliant students. Many students are the children of international families and/or CDC personnel and the school gets a lot of support. I would avoid all Dekalb County Schools at this point and opt for Decatur City and the 3 Atlanta Public Schools options if I was passionate about living pretty much 'in the city' (Technically Decatur is a suburb of Atlanta, but it feels more like part of the city than the northern or outlying suburbs.)

Decatur may be out of your budget. The city is only 4 square miles and the property taxes required to fund the schools are astronomical."