Kid-Friendly Living
Jim and Michele Connolly had an advantage in moving from Toledo, Ohio, to Atlanta. They had lived in metro Atlanta a year and a half earlier, and headed to the Midwest for a job. When the opportunity to move back arose, they quickly focused on returning to north Fulton County, where they previously lived, and even possibly their old neighborhood.
The priority
The couple, who have three children – Carson, 8; Cole, 7; and Paige, 3 – wanted to live in a family-oriented community and town. The Alpharetta/Milton area offered so many events, activities and entertainment that you can “find anything you wanted to do on a given day,” said Michele, 41, who works in the payroll industry.
The search process
Working with James Marks, Atlanta market manager and broker for Redfin, the couple focused on neighborhoods that had amenities such as a pool within the Crabapple Crossing Elementary School district. “We hadn’t even considered a pool and a neighborhood being important because our kids were so young when we moved here before,” Michele says. “When they got older, I was like, ‘How did I not think about that?’” Michele and Jim, 42, who works in the recruiting field, put an offer on a five-bedroom home in Milton’s Waterside neighborhood. They couldn’t come to an agreement on the price with the seller, though. They also looked in Alpharetta’s Brierfield community, where they previously lived. A five-bedroom foreclosure was appealing because of the cul-de-sac setting and basement, but they found water in the basement and were unsure about other problems. Then a smaller home in Brierfield caught their attention. They went for it, unable to resist the opportunity to return to their old neighborhood, which has a pool and tennis courts.
The home
The home has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and a screened porch. It was built in 1992, but it had an updated kitchen and master bedroom, plus new windows, a new roof and a new air conditioning unit. Although it didn’t have a basement offering extra room, the backyard is big enough for them to add onto the home, if needed. For now, the space works. “The kids all have their own rooms. My oldest son has the bonus room, which they had like a man cave,” Michele said.
The lifestyle
The family has embraced their return to Alpharetta since moving into their new home in June. Families grilled hot dogs by the neighborhood pool on Friday nights this summer. The Connollys enjoy riding their bikes in the neighborhood, and taking the children to Alpharetta’s Cogburn Road Park to rollerblade or ride their scooters. Kid-friendly entertainment like The Fringe, a mini golf facility in Roswell, is nearby. For a treat, the family heads to Scoops in the Crabapple area. “Every morning I wake up and I’m like, ‘Is this real?’ I’m so happy to be back,” Michele said.
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SIDEBAR
Before moving to a town, find out what family-friendly activities and events the community offers. Having activities close to home can make it easier to get the entire family there and save money on costs such as gas.
• Do online research
Websites for the city, county, local parks and recreation department, chamber of commerce and newspapers in the town (including the AJC’s AccessAtlanta.com) provide event calendars and details. For example, free special events in Alpharetta this fall include the 6th Annual Scarecrow Harvest street party in downtown Alpharetta, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 1.
• Ask around
A real estate agent who is familiar with the area will be aware of upcoming and annual family activities and festivals. You can also ask the potential neighbors and even the sellers for their favorite things to do locally with their kids.
