MOMania

By Georgia Native

November 27, 2007 7:49 AM | Link to this

(http://www.ajc.com) I know Patterson, GA, well. I think this is great. While I’ve lived in metro Atlanta most of my life, the Patterson area will always be home. While Patterson is super small, the people are super marvelous. Everyone wants everyone else to succeed and be happy. Big hearts abound without big bank accounts.

By tucansam

November 27, 2007 8:06 AM | Link to this

Warner Robins, baby! Home of the Little League World Champions! But also a great place to raise kids and a superb school system.

By From Patterson

November 27, 2007 8:10 AM | Link to this

Wow, Patterson! Yes I grew up in Patterson. Very, very small town, but a very good school and a great community feel. I live in Atlanta, but I definitely love going home! Very proud!

By granger

November 27, 2007 8:14 AM | Link to this

I grew up not far from Franklin and I can’t belive that made the list. I guess your kids will be safe because there is absolutly nothing for them to do but sit at home. Its a 1 stoplight town with only a few hundred residents and an over-zelous, speed-trap loving police force.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 8:52 AM | Link to this

Hey, how about Rome Ga. Great schools, public and private. Wide variety of sports. Atlanta Braves baseball.. Ok maybe not. Mountains, rivers (3), a wildlife preserve (Berry College). Two great colleges Berry and Shorter. A wide variety of cultural and religious activities. Two regional medical centers. A wide variety of medicals services. Trust me there is no place like Rome Ga to raise your kids. I lived in Carrollton for 6 Years. I would not raise a dog there. Franklin? I agree they kids would be safe but bored.

By trouptiger

November 27, 2007 9:04 AM | Link to this

I agree with Granger. I can’t believe Franklin made that list. LaGrange and Carrollton are close by….maybe that had something to do with it.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this

Oh yeah I also forgot to mention. We have many oppertunities for our young people to stay in Rome and raise their families with great jobs, easy access to Atlanta and Chattanooga. We have no interstate running through our county Floyd but it is 25 to 30 minutes away just close enough for convience and growth yet far enough away to buffer the area from all the development etc brought on by interstates. We have a great government city and county. Even our animal shelter which we visited recently to aquire our new kiten is clean and well run.

By James

November 27, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this

Tucan is right: Warner Robins!

By momtoAlex&Max

November 27, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this

Mmmmmm…this list makes me a bit suspisious. There are an awful lot of towns in Nebraska.

I suppossed based on those criteria, a lot of small towns would make the cut, but I think that in order to be a family-friendly city there REALLY should be a criteria for, oh say, JOBS available???? For the parents? The average income was really low for a lot of them.

And I cannot imagine that all those towns in Nebraska had a good deal of recreational and cultural activities. I think the whole thing was awfully biased. I bet the statitians that put it together are from Nebraska.

By SouthFultonMom

November 27, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this

I’m an Atlanta native and I wouldn’t live any place else. I think Atlanta offers many cultural and recreational activities, which my family takes full advantage of. As for the schools, well in my experience, public school is public school. They all have the same agenda - make AYP. If not, jobs are on the line.

Atlanta is a great place to raise a family and I am proud to say that I am raising mine here!

By I did notice this

November 27, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this

Well Patterson and its county are about 80 to 90% white. That’s nice compared to a lot of these rural south Georgia areas.

By Jan

November 27, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

I think Cartersville is a wonderful, family oriented community with not only excellent access to Atlanta (I-75), but also the Booth Museum, Grand Theatre(original Opera House), and the soon to open Tellus Museum. The residents are friendly, schools excellent, and good restaurants abound. Why live in Atlanta when you can drive there in 40 minutes, but live in Cartersville. Our medical community covers all specialties with Board certified physicians working in a state-of-the-art facility.

By Buckie

November 27, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this

SMYRNA RULES

By abc

November 27, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this

I wouldn’t say that Warner Robins schools are that great. My kids went to elementary school there, some friends had kids that went through H.S. there, and the schools are pretty sorry. Not that much sorrier than those around metro Atlanta, better than City of Atlanta, but not so great just the same. Nonetheless, I’d agree that WR is a great family town. I kinda miss it sometimes.

By Together for 12

November 27, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this

Like MomtoAlex&Max, it does look suspicious that so many towns are in Nebraska. Add to that, a LOT of the town listed have populations under 2000 people and a bunch have populations under 500! Heck, Bartlett, NE has 128 people!! The tiny company I work for has more employees than that.

How do you raise a well-rounded child in a town that’s basically populated with just enough people that they could probably all your own family!? ;) Kids won’t experience much more in life beyond their front door, and where will the rest of the education come from? The skewed “reality” of media - tv, movies, magazines, etc.

Also, quite a number of these nearest “cities” aren’t much larger than the town itself. Where does the funding for schools come from in such small places? Rural areas nationwide, but particularly in GA, are screaming about the lack of funding for schools. They want areas with larger populations to fork over tax money to them for the rural schools’ benefits. Where do you get funding for the technology kids need to learn about to survive in today’s world when your town has less than 2000 people?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of raising kids in a little town. The kind of place where you can let them outside to go off and play and everybody knows everybody… close knit community, etc. But it seems to me that the educational opportunities and good, well-rounding life experiences in these places would be sorely lacking.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this

The thing I love about Rome is its location enables my family to take part in as many activities as we want in Atlanta without having to drive in all the traffic daily. Driving in that is doable on occasion but every day, I would be crazy and my 17 year old would not be driving at all. I am not sure all public schools are the same. The schools in Atlanta must have a larger student body than those in Rome and other areas just because of the population of Atlanta. Rome enables us to access Atlanta activities with out daily battles with crome and traffic.

By Little T

November 27, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this

Franklin is too small and nothing to do—-besides there are alot of durgs and thugs and inbreds there

By Little T

November 27, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this

Franklin is too small and nothing to do—-besides there are alot of drugs and thugs and inbreds there

By jmd

November 27, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

I don’t live there (close) but I love Monticello (Jasper County). It’s close to Jackson and Lake Oconee, so after a hectic week of working, you can take the kids to either lake for some relaxation without the commute. New schools have recently been built and there is no overcrowding as of yet. Garth and Trisha just purchased 26 acres on Jackson Lake, so i’m sure they will bring the crowds with them once they settle. As of now though, the area is just too beautiful for words.

By Atlanta Pearl Girl

November 27, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this

I love small towns….I definately think that’s a great place to raise children…and live period. Although…I really enjoy being close to the city and all that has to offer.

We live in a small historic district (College Park) because the kids are at Woodward….I really love our neighborhood…we are about 15 minutes tops from downtown (85) and still have a small town feel. We have great little restaraunts and neighbors who really care about our neighborhood.

BUT…. I do think the freedmon of no crime in a small town is the way to go….

Atlanta Pearl Girl

By jenny

November 27, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this

At the insistance of my husband who used to work in Franklin and thought my comments were to negative, I will try to find a positive about Franklin. This town has not changed one bit in the 45 years I have been going thru there to visit my grandparents and other family members. A few years ago, a Subway resteraunt came to town and they practically threw a parade. My daddy went to Franklin High School and grew up on a farm outside of “town”. His comment when told that his home town was one of 50 best places to raise a child was “well they won’t get into any trobule there.” Also a positive word about Carrollton. They do have A Target and a Publix. I mis them!

By Melinda Six

November 27, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

Way to go Patterson! I am a Secretary at Patterson Elementary School and I absolutely love it! I would like to say “Thank You” to our Administration, Teachers, Instructional Assistants, School Nurse, Custodians, and Lunchroom Staff for all the hard work that you do that makes Patterson a Great place to go to school, to work, and to live.

By Theresa

November 27, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this

jenny — is your husband backreading on you?? or did you tell him what you wrote?

my husband was on last night reading yesterday’s topic and he told me i had too many typos and needed more puncuation —-

I wonder if other husband read the blog looking for their wives’ comments? I wonder if they know their secret id’s?? Seems like a good topic for another day —

By BJ

November 27, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this

I don’t know anything about Patterson, GA. but Franklin I do know fairly well. We go fishing quite often at Westpoint Lake (at least we did before the drought), Franklin is in that area. It’s a nice, quiet looking little town and there’s quite a bit of country surrounding it. However there’s a big 4 lane they’re working on down thru there so you know that spells more traffic & businesses. I like down there and at one time considered retiring down that way but with the big 4 lane coming thru, I don’t think so….crime will follow.

By Theresa

November 27, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this

We lived in State College, Pa. when we first got married — I don’t know if State College is on the list or not because I didn’t click through the entire slide show (why didn’t they make a scannable list - how annoying the slide show!!!) — But my point is this — State College is a beautiful small town (it does have the university which helps) but it is in the middle of nowhere — I think if we had kids at that point we would have liked it more — it does have great schools, low crime, some culture stuff because of the uiversity , like a zero commute — but it was a small town — the shopping was terrible there (for jenny who talked about a target and a publix) — Whenever I would fly back to Atlanta to visit home i would leave a bunch of time to shop at the Pittsburgh airport — that is so sad that the stores were better in the airport than in the town

— A little off topic - I guess i’m just thinking about small town life

By Karen

November 27, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

Braselton, Georgia is the best!

By Karen

November 27, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

Braselton, Georgia is the best!

By Karen

November 27, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

Braselton, Georgia is the best!

By jenny

November 27, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

BJ, have you ever been behind chicken trucks on 27 south? If you have you would be grateful for room to pass legally! Also I called my husband when I saw this article and he read it and saw my comments. I use my name and he knows well how I feel about the area so he knew it was me!

By East Cobb

November 27, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this

East Cobb is not a Ga. small town, but part of Cobb County that scores high in all areas. We have nationally ranked schools, a great sense of community, and about 15 minutes from everything Atlanta has to offer. We are our own secure little community that supports and watches out for our own. Our public schools are better than most private schools. Growing up in a small town is not always the best thing. Kids need to be near culture and opportunity to expand their minds. I grew up in a SC small town and found it to be limited. Outside of Atlanta, I like the Madison/Athens/Greensboro/Lake Oconee area.

By Just the facts

November 27, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this

Great towns have great jobs… I don’t think that the ability to have a great job resides in those towns. Small towns are awesome to raise kids but you must make a moderate income to move there otherwise long term residents are what makes them great.

By Buckie

November 27, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this

FRANKLIN ROAD IN MAYRETTA ROCKS!!!!!!

By joyce

November 27, 2007 11:34 AM | Link to this

BARNESVILLE, GA IS A SMALL, QUAINT COLLEGE TOWN WITH GOOD SCHOOLS IN THE AREA, PLUS GOOD RACE RELATIONS AND KIND PEOPLE. LOOKS LIKE A VILLAGE, BUT NEAR ENOUGH TO ATLANTA, MACON, THE COAST AND THE MOUNTAINS TO OFFER ALL TYPES OF INTERESTS PLUS WE HAVE BUGGY DAYS EVERY FALL. COME SEE US…..

By jmd

November 27, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

Just the Facts - not so. I have a 17 min. commute and have a great job. You have Covington, Madison, Macon and many other areas to choose to work in while residing in one of the small towns surrounding them.

By bj

November 27, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this

Well yes…I’ve been behind chicken trucks before, not down thru Franklin, but my home town (Blairsville) going across the mountain from Gainesville…whew. But I’ve also seen what progress has done to my little home town….In someways it has helped…when I left in 1971 to come to the Atlanta area to work, it was beautiful and no folks from other states telling our communities what to do. There of course are more jobs now & there are more & more businesses, chopping down the trees & mtns & building houses hanging out on a cliff, more & more Floridians are moving up there and the people that are natives feel almost pushed out. One of my relatives has bought land in the mtns of Virginia ; she says it feels & looks like home used to look, so I don’t want anywhere too close to 4 lanes. we live in Douglas Co now & more & more crime is coming out our way what with Arbor Mall & more businesses being built all around our subdiv.

By Fred

November 27, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this

Jenny, if you travel often to Atlanta you contribute to traffic congestion. Furthermore, crime can happen anywhere. Rome, Ga. is not exempt. Nice job bashing Atlanta.

By Monica

November 27, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this

Jenny, off topic, but why would you not “raise a dog” in Carrollton? We moved from Douglasville to Carroll County six years ago. I like Carrollton and feel comfortable raising my children here. How long have you lived in Rome?

By jenny

November 27, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this

Sorry Fred, I said nothing about crime. I guess you assumed I ment crime when said we are buffered by the development etc brought by interstates. I really had not thought about crime because that happens everywhere. I was talking more about traffic and congestion. But hey if the shoe fits.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

oh yeah Fred I drive to Atlanta as little as possible because of the traffic mess. I would love MArta or rapid rail to come to Cartersville at least, but then Cobb County would have to eal with the “Undesirables” commuting thru their county. Silly isn’t it.

By Bill

November 27, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this

I do not accept the premise that small towns are safer. A study a while back indicated that there was a higher risk of being murdered in smaller towns, and higher yet in rural areas. Why? Proportionally, more people have guns. Also, most murder victims are killed by someone they know. In a small town, everyone knowe everyone else.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 12:36 PM | Link to this

Monica, If you live in the city of Carrollton and have a dog, you know what I mean. Animal control is completely rabid in the area. If you dog sets one foot out of his yard to the pound he goes. Our dog is a well cared for and loved family member but any dog will escape if given half an oppertunity. Our dog would go from Bassett Hound to Grey hound is 2 seconds flat at any given oppertunity. He still does. Only difference is here in Rome, Animal conrol does not pick the dog up with in 30 seconds. We are able to round him up and pen him back up without the trip to the pound. He was in the pound in Carrollton so much her had his own suite. We also have a fenced in back yard now instead of just a dog pen. Our neighbors know and love Buddy and he now has many friends in the neighborhood. I know there is a leash law and we do obey it but dogs will escape from time to time. There is no need to be quite so rabid about enforcement.

By SM

November 27, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this

Family Circle magazine named Kennesaw as the #1 city in AMERICA for families. What does BusinessWeek know about raising a family? How many jobs are there for a college-educated person in a town of less than 500? There’s a reason why metro areas keep growing… folks leaving little podunk towns to get a job that pays and to have a life. That article is useless.

By Bill

November 27, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this

Jenny,

So you agree with the laws, but you wish the people who are paid to enforce those laws wouldn’t do quite so good a job??

By jenny

November 27, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this

SM, I could not agree more. I do not mean to pick on West Ga. and Franklin but that is the area I know. I do not know Patterson and prefer to stay with West Ga. In most all of the factories these days you must have a highschool diploma unless you count Pilgrims Pride in Carrollton which is a chicken processing plant. You often have to have more than that. All the good jobs at Hon or Honda for expamle require at least a highschool diploma. Most jobs requier more. A good place to reaise you kids must have access to good jobs or you can’tive there. That is what is so wonderful about Rome. We have a lot of great oppertunities here and easy acess to Atlanta and Chattanooga as well.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

No Bill. There is law enforcement and rabid law enforcement. Focus on the drug dealers, robbers, murders etc not the occassional errant dog being pursed by his owner. The pound picked my dog up once. He had been out less than 10 miutes with me chasing after him with the leash. Give me a break. The dog Nazi’s Put the dog into the pound truck and would not even be reasonable with me.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this

Bill, I forgot to mention, I had my two kids with me chasing this dog. I guess I should have been greatful to live in such a low crime area.

By Jessica

November 27, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this

St Simons Island!!!!! Who wouldn’t want to grow up at the beach?!? Low crime, you can bike/walk everywhere, they have water. Much better then where I grew up at in Marietta/Powder Springs/Kennesaw.

By Beege

November 27, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

Oh my goodness, Jenny, your husband didn’t check your spelling in your last couple comments

By foolz

November 27, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this

oh yeah Fred I drive to Atlanta as little as possible because of the traffic mess. I would love MArta or rapid rail to come to Cartersville at least, but then Cobb County would have to eal with the “Undesirables” commuting thru their county. Silly isn’t it.
Jenny—No, what is silly is the fact that you drive from Cartersville to Atlanta. You are adding to congestion and wasting a whole lot of gas.

By Bill

November 27, 2007 1:28 PM | Link to this

Jenny,

I don’t see how you can have it both ways. Should we have some laws that we enforce vigorously, and some that we are more lenient about? Perhaps law enforcement is when someone else gets busted, and rabid law enforcement is when you get busted.

By Rhonda K

November 27, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this

I live in Smyrna, and love it. It’s close enought to downtown(you can see the skyline from Atlanta Road), but it still has a small town feel. I’d recommend keeping your children out of the public schools until high school, since the county seems to ignore the schools in the area(the city tries, but can only do so much). We’ve got a great city library, a nice public pool, great parks, the Village Green which has fun family events year round. All that and 5 to 10 minutes to 75 or 285….great for the downtown commuter with children!

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:31 PM | Link to this

Aparently not!

By Bill

November 27, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this

How about a vote for Atlanta. I live in town. There is a great sense of community in our neighborhood. My kids go to APS, and the schools are good and getting better. Lots of intersting things to do; parks, cultural events, etc. All this, and they learn how to interact with people who are different from them.

By jmd

November 27, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

LOL Beege, her typos are driving me nuts too!!! To think, so stuck on her little self and boring town and she didn’t even finish 8th grade. That’s the way they do it up yonder though…..

By anonymous

November 27, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

People, the purpose of the blog is to respond to the selection of Patterson and Franklin and give your thoughts on those towns — not to promote your own towns. There are thousands of towns acros America with much to be proud of but this blog is about Patterson and Franklin and whether you would locate to a city based on these type of lists. Read before you post, please.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

Foolz, when I drive to Atalnta I derive from Rome. Bill, you are right I guess I am a little touchy on the dog issue. I do not live in that delightful town with brown water any more so I guess I need to get over it. By the was I was not tyhe only person who felt the animal control was a little obsesive.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this

Foolz, when I drive to Atalnta I drive from Rome. Bill, you are right I guess I am a little touchy on the dog issue. I do not live in that delightful town with brown water any more so I guess I need to get over it. By the was I was not tyhe only person who felt the animal control was a little obsesive.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this

Foolz, when I drive to Atalnta I drive from Rome. Bill, you are right I guess I am a little touchy on the dog issue. I do not live in that delightful town with brown water any more so I guess I need to get over it. By the was I was not the only person who felt the animal control was a little obsesive.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this

Bill, I wasn’t trying to have to both ways but it does seem a little excessive when the dog is arreated at the end fo your street and you are 3o or forty feet away with 2 small children and a leash and are making an attempt to round up the dog. It was not like he had been rooming the streets for hours.

By Jeff

November 27, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

On Cartersville:

I grew up there. While the place has grown up enough to no longer have QUITE as bad a problem as it did when I was growing up, the local politics are EXTREMELY brutal and the school board is ULTRA petty. (They just ran off their 6th superintendent in as many years.)

I love Cartersville. My entire family is from within 30 miles of Cartersville, and while my mom’s half of the family originated in Cherokee County, most of BOTH sides of my family now live in Bartow, with a few stranglers in neighboring counties (Floyd, Extreme North Cobb, and Cherokee).

All I am saying is that newcomers need to be aware of the politics of the School Board. After all, I’m a LOCAL and School Board politics nearly - literally - cost me my life.

Outside of the School Board though (and county government in general - it runs almost exclusively on the ‘good ole boy’ network), Cartersville is a GREAT place, and one that I hope to return to someday.

On Atlanta:

If you like fast-paced living, feel free to live in Atlanta or one of the closer suburbs. You’ll love it there.

On Regional Cities (Rome, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, Albany, Valdosta, Savannah):

Many of the aspects of Atlanta - malls, sports, parks, etc - without the traffic. I can literally go 100 miles Albany - Macon on any given day in the amount of time I went from the Brookwood Interchange to 675 on I-75 (a 30 mile drive) on Sunday.

Albany is getting a Kohl’s, we just put in a Chili’s, and while we don’t have a Best Buy, we do have a Circuit City.

On Rural areas:

I worked in a place at one point that the biggest store in 50 miles was the local Fred’s. The pace of life is EXTREMELY slow as compared to Atlanta, but I found that I liked it better there. The local politics were a pain in the rear though, so I left that area. Now I live about 20 miles from Albany in a county that is mostly rural but has the outer fringe of Albany on our southern border. The location that I am in is PERFECT for me, other than the fact that there are next to no programming jobs in the area. I LOVE the way of life, and Albany is big enough that if I get tired of the local politics in the city I live in, I can always jump down to Albany to get something done.

At the same time, I DON’T hear cars, airplanes, or anything else at night and yet I live in a neighborhood, so T doesn’t get freaked out about being in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and didn I mention that the schools in my county - one of which T works at - are the best in the area, to the point that EVERYBODY near here wants their kids in our schools?

By jenny

November 27, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

Ok Beege I had a Few more typos.

By Camille

November 27, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this

There is law enforcement and rabid law enforcement. Focus on the drug dealers, robbers, murders etc not the occassional errant dog being pursed by his owner.

This statement caught my eye, and is sort of humorous. Maybe I missed something, but isn’t the place supposed to be low in crime? If that is the case, then law enforcement wouldn’t have to focus on drug dealers, robbers, etc. that much and are doing their additional duty of picking up stray dogs.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

Good point Camille! I suppose that might be another good point about Carrollton and the entire West GA Area. Low crime allows the police/Law enforcement to focus on other items that might usually get over looked like doggie arrrests. Still i was standing there leash in hand trying to get my dog. Perhaps a break would have been in order but maybe not.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this

Maybe since Carrollton is such a low crime area along with Franklin and Heard county the locals could focus on other issues like water lack of and colors of. Yes thats colors plural and not a typo. By the way I have a masters degree just not in typing. Schools would be another issue as well as jobs in the area. Just a thought>

By South Georgian

November 27, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this

Actually, Patterson is nearer Waycross, if you want to pinpoint its location as to proximity to a town someone might have heard of.

By South Georgian

November 27, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this

Actually, Patterson is nearer Waycross, if you are trying to pinpoint its location as to proximity to a town someone might have heard of.

By Stacey

November 27, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

I have never visited (nor heard of) either of the GA towns on the list but I grew up 15 miles from the #20 town (Ackerman, MS) and I can’t imagine how it made the top 500. I have a brother and sister who live (and raise children) there so I visit every year or two. There are no jobs to speak of, proverty and drug use is rampant and (according to my sister) the schools are terrible. From what I’ve seen, they don’t even have the quaint, picturesque small-town look. I am truly perplexed.

By jenny

November 27, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

Why would anyone want to raise children in an area where there are little water resources. My husband had to use the facilities at HArdees in Franklin more than once when the town ran low on water and some people could not flush the toilets. There are no jobs or at least very few job oppertunities. There is no where to eat except Buddy’s, Hardees and the famous Subway. There is little if any local shopping to be had. Everybody goes to Carrollton or Newnan. Just check the parking lot at Target and Publix if you do not believe me. Low Crime area you bet that is because there is noting there. By the way, I have a Masters Degree but not in typing! Sorry. Again what is in Franklin?

By Anonymous

November 27, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this

“Top towns for families,” judging by the criteria they use, are also “Worst towns for intelligent adults.”

By DB

November 27, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this

Interesting choices, but what’s with the bucolic bent of most of them? Why is a small farm town better than a more metropolitan area? Both of my parents are from a small town — less than 1,000 — and growing up, both of them could not WAIT to escape a place where everyone not only knew your name, but your mama, your daddy, your mama’s folks, your daddy’s folks, and what your brother had to drink the night before over in the next county, and the only real jobs were collecting the U.S. government subsidies that were dished out to tobacco farmers.

There are things I’d change about Atlanta if I could to suit my ideal of what I think a family-friendly town ought to be, but overall, it’s been a good place to raise a family. You do the best you can with what you’ve got, and Atlanta has got a lot to offer.

And no, I wouldn’t use a list such as this to choose a hometown out of a hat, but if I were moving to, say, Chicago, it would certainly be interesting. (Obviously, though, they didn’t take weather into account!)

By tucansam

November 27, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this

Small towns are not better, but Warner Robins, population 60,000, is nice because it has both the small-town and metropolitan feel. Plus, it’s only an hour away from Atlanta. We love the low crime rate, great paying jobs, less traffic and the ability to go to the big city when we feel like it. Also, I used to live in Atlanta, so I can make the comparison based on my experiences. Atlanta was nice when I was young and single. But now, after marriage and kids, it’s a nice place to visit.

By Just an observer

November 27, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

Jenny needs a job, too much time on her hands, and the rest of y’all need to stay on the subject!

By RonM

November 27, 2007 3:34 PM | Link to this

What is up with the Franklin Bashing? I live in the Franklin Georgia area and have raised 2 boys here. I love this area. The people are friendly and the School system is tops. Some of you stated that there is no shopping here and you are correct but I count that as a blessing! No Traffic! Besides this is an article about good places to raise CHILDREN not about a place to go Shopping. I grew up in Columbus and then Lagrange so I know what it is like to live in a more populous area; I much prefer the rural area of Franklin. As far as jobs go you can get jobs right here or get one in Carrollton, Newnan or Lagrange. You can easily get to either in 30 minutes. That commute is far less than some people make going into Atlanta. It is a great place to live if you like country living. If you don’t then this isn’t the place for you but that doesn’t make it a bad place it just not for everybody.

By The reflex

November 27, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

Who made you king Observer? Your’re not on subject either. Leave Jenny alone. Even with her advanced education it’s got to be difficult to misspell so many commonly used words.

By Foolz

November 27, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

Why would anyone want to raise children in an area where there are little water resources.

Jenny—That is the smartest thing you have said today. How can you even put any Georgia cities on this type of list when we don’t have enough water resources as it is. We do not have room or water for any more people. Our state is being over-developed. They need to stop trying to lure families to our state. We cannot afford it!!!

By Kae

November 27, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this

Not sure about the GA towns on the list, but I grew up in the #12 town on the list (Matawan, NJ) and although it was boring growing up there, as an adult, I would raise my children there.

By GNC

November 27, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

I grew up close to Patterson and I have family that still lives in Patterson. It is a great place to live and raise a family. Good Choice

Nashville GA should have been mentioned. It is a great place to live with great schools, low crime and it is right between Tifton and Valdosta.

By tam

November 27, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

RonM….I agree. Great post and you stayed on topic. Us country folk know how to do that since we don’t have the gunshots, ambulance sirens and trains distracting every thought. I don’t even have to lock my doors when I go to work. How many of you here can say that? I would take a nice serene setting to live in over a mall infested trashy city any day!

By Griffin Girl

November 27, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

I can tell you one thing- it isn’t Griffin. If we didn’t work here we wouldn’t live here. It has all of the things that make it a great destination: high crime rates, crumbling infrastructure, stupid rednecks and hip-hop posers, virtually nothing in the way of arts and dining, a backwards mill town mentality, few decent jobs (two of which are occupied by my husband and me) and great shopping if you like Wal-Mart and nothing else. A few decades ago the University system was looking to put a state college in the area and offered it to Griffin. The mill bosses said “no” and it went to Barnesville, 15 miles to the south, instead. Now Barnesville is a cute, quaint college town (I noticed someone on this blog has mentioned that) and Griffin is the pits.

By Amy in the ATL

November 27, 2007 4:04 PM | Link to this

I always question what the criteria is for family friendly. That almost always means small town or the suburbs, without taking into account the whole quality of life for the family in general. I have 2 kids which I’m bringing up in the city of Atlanta, specifically in Grant Park. And…drumroll please….we absolutely love it. We have 4 playgrounds we can walk to, easy access to Zoo Atlanta, the Aquarium, the Cyclorama, the High Museum, and tons of family friendly restaurants offering something besides hamburgers and french fries. With all this activity, not to mention vastly improved food choices from the normal chain stuff polluting so much of car-centric America, childhood obesity doesn’t seem to be as rampant as it is in the suburbs or in small towns. There are lots of kids to play with, a great parents’ network, and a real feelin of community. And now with the influx of college educated parents moving in, we actually have excellent public school choices through middle school (still working on the high school issue.) Not that it’s ideal, mind you, but it’s wonderful for us and for the many other families who value spending less time driving to work and more time playing with their kids.

By believe

November 27, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this

VALDOSTA, GEORGIA.

By Vee

November 27, 2007 4:19 PM | Link to this

I would like to give a “shout out” to the city of Sandersville. Although I am not really a native of Sandersville, I still claim it as one of my hometowns because I spent a lot of time in that city. The high school (WACO High) and the middle school (Elder Middle) were both Schools of Excellence. We won’t even get started on the powerhouse high school athletic teams from Washington County.

Both of my parents are natives of Sandersville, and I still have lots of relatives there. Many people that I grew up with from there are now successful doctors, lawyers, dentists, lawyers, and military officials. Sandersville (and other Washington County towns) has produced professional athletes like Takeo Spikes, Robert and Terrence Edwards, and Greg Minor.

I am a native of a neighboring county and town, and I can say that there was a contrast in the attitudes and behaviors of the towns’ people. In my true hometown, if you met somebody walking down the street, that person wouldn’t even speak (most of the time). In Sandersville, it was just common courtesy for people to say “Hey” and keep walking. I noticed that early on as a child.

Sandersville is also known as the “Kaolin Capital of the World”. We get a lot of everyday items from the “chalk mines” of Washington County.

So, I’ll end this soliloquoy by saying, “Sandersville, I’m proud of you. You are a great place for anyone to live.”

By Johnny Reb

November 27, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

Not one, don’t have kids and bring them in the crappy world.

By AMERICAN

November 27, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this

YEAH RIGHT!! Anyplace that has Superior Court judges that hate on fathers (good ones) should NOT be a choice to raise kids, as far as the fathers are concerned… Since divorce IS a possibility, and custody battles are a reality, make sure you DONT go to a Georgia Superior Court guys: they side with mothers in opposition to the 14th Amendment.

By Carl

November 27, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this

Forsyth, GA is a nice quiet town with a great school system.

By tam

November 27, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this

Vee - your right & I was going to mention Sandersville. The only problem is, is that the entire town is owned by the same family that owns railroad.

By JCinDuluth

November 27, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this

It’s not surprising, Theresa, that you’ve never heard of these towns. When you toil liberally (how ‘bout that phrase) for the Al Jezzera Chronical there are obviously other things you’ll never hear od see in the rest of this State. You do know where Atlanta is, don’t you? JCinDuluth

By Theresa

November 27, 2007 5:49 PM | Link to this

Hey JCinDuluth — Well what surprised me was I grew up in Georgia — I have family in Savannah so I was surprised that I had never heard of either town — as I’m learning today from you guys — these towns are apparently pretty small so that’s probably why —

By jerry

November 27, 2007 6:20 PM | Link to this

Hartwell Ga. is one of the best places to raise kids. The crime rate is very low and the school system is great….

By Vee

November 27, 2007 6:31 PM | Link to this

Tam, are you talking about the Tarburtons? ;-) I remember my mom mentioning that name a few times.

By mowreck

November 27, 2007 6:53 PM | Link to this

I used to love the Chamblee (30341) and Doraville (30060) back in the 60s and early 70s but now they are both Atlanta zip codes … from small towns outside Atlanta to being part of North Atlanta.

By craig

November 27, 2007 7:37 PM | Link to this

Dalton, if you can speak Spanish

By notanative

November 28, 2007 6:32 AM | Link to this

Check the map. Patterson is not near Savannah. It is outside of Waycross.

By thegoodlife

November 28, 2007 6:44 AM | Link to this

The most noticeable thing on this list was no towns over 50,000 and the vast majority were around 10,000 or less. Parents who raise there kids in large areas like Atlanta are really putting their kids at a disadvantage.

By DBC

November 28, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this

I have Grandchildren who attend Patterson school,They have a wonderful school system. This is a wonderful Small town to raise a Family

By tam

November 28, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

Vee- yep that’s them. Great people but they litterally own the whole town. Kinda strange these days to still find that.

By M Crawford

November 29, 2007 3:13 PM | Link to this

I am a school teacher and have lived in the Atlanta area for 24yrs. Before that, I lived in Patterson and worked in the school system there, also. My children were born and grew up in Patterson. I always knew what a GREAT place it was to live and what a wonderful place for your children to be raised. Now, it makes me very happy to read about it in the AJ. I have been o.k. since we have moved to the Atlanta area, and made many, many, new friends and colleagues, but I have never been as happy living here as I was when I lived in Patterson. I worry every time I go to get in my car and go anywhere in this area, in a small town, that is never a worry. Way to go Patterson, your small, but you made it in the Atlanta news paper. I always knew it was one of the best places in the world to live, now, others know it too. :) ms