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Gwinnett or Cobb?


DBR96

If you had to live in either Gwinnett County or Cobb County, which would you chose, and why?  

32 members have voted

  1. 1. If you had to live in either Gwinnett County or Cobb County, which would you chose, and why?

    • Gwinnett
      12
    • Cobb
      20


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Personally, I like Gwinnett County better. Gwinnett has more shopping options, more diversity, more affordable housing and a somewhat less snobbish air than Cobb. Also, it doesn't seem to be quite as buttoned down as Cobb, nor does it fall asleep as early. In Cobb, it seems like most places close between 9:00p and 11:00p, whereas in Gwinnett, I know of plenty of places that stay open past midnight. So my vote goes to Gwinnett.

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  • 4 months later...
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Neither. Cobb and Gwinnett are under the impression that they dont share a symbiotic relationship with ATL. As someone who lived inside the Perimeter the utter lack of cooperation and in some cases staunch opposition to allieviating the regions transportation issues infuriates me to no end.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had the choice to move to either and I chose Cobb County. It was an easy choice. Much of it is newer than Gwinnett, cleaner than Gwinnett (it should be, it's newer), and overall, has a better road system than Gwinnett. It also has better natural geography and slightly less expensive real estate if you're comparing apples to apples.

To top it off, Cobb has a better school system (public schools & colleges) and I find the people to be a little more friendly overall. I work in real estate, and I can tell you that Cobb is a more desirable location, as a whole. However, I think the easy way to compare the two is to drive through them on their respective interstates and get your own first impression... that makes it quite easy.

Now, if the poll was between Cobb & North Fulton, we'd have a better arguement...

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Probably Dunwoody, but that's a tough one. Due to my commute and the lack of alternative rapid transit from suburbia, I have been contemplating selling my home and buying a condo in one of these two locations... and it's a tough choice.

I think the reason I would choose Dunwoody is that most of the development in Atlanta is on the north side of town, and Dunwoody is closer to that (albeit only 5 minutes closer). I also really like the Perimeter Mall area, and prefer it to Lenox/Phipps, for much the same reason I prefer Cobb over Gwinnett. It's a little newer and cleaner.

I don't think you can go wrong either way, though. Atlanta is blessed to have some really great options for a person to call home. Cobb, Gwinnett, North Fulton, Perimeter, Buckhead, Midtown, etc.

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I agree with you. My girlfriend and I went to Perimeter recently and there is something about that area that I like more than Buckhead. I still has access to MARTA, which is a plus.

Not that I don't like Buckhead. Its just different.

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I work in Buckhead currently, and I can tell you that for every block of A+ real estate, there's a block of sketchy territory off the main roads (Peachtree, Piedmont, Lenox, etc.).

In Dunwoody, most of whats "off the main roads" seems to be nice older homes with huge trees or upscale retail.

Now, Buckhead has plenty of upscale retail, probably moreso than does Dunwoody, but the difference with Dunwoody is that if you were to "take a wrong turn off the beaten path", you wouldn't be quite so scared to stop and ask for directions. :->

Of course, if you just buy a car with a navigation system in it, you'll never have to turn off the main roads, and Buckhead would be just fine. :->

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Buckhead and Dunwoody are actually extremely similar. Both are based on a suburban development model. There is a small section of Buckhead down near the village that is pedestrian scale. New condos such as 325 Paces, Eclipse and a new one now under construction called Ovation will bring people in to that area and help create a more urban atmosphere. So for that reason, I would have to go with Buckhead.

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I think that the Perimeter area is going much the same way, too. They are in the middle of building a huge pedestrian-friendly development right across the street from the mall there, wil condos, townhomes and a ton of store-front retail. Combine that with the mall and the shoppes at Park Place, and you have a very good core of pedestrian friendly area there.

I have found that Buckhead isn't as pedestrian friendly as many say it is... but I agree with you, 325 Paces, The Ovation and The Eclipse is a great start to developing that area into a completely ped friendly area in it's own right. I am also interested in seeing the final product at Atlantic Station, down in Midtown.

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  • 3 months later...

Cobb and Gwinnett are almost identical in racial demographics and crime statistics. Gwinnett has more Asians and slightly more Hispanic residents, whereas Cobb has a lot more African-Americans. Both counties have very urban, high-crime areas with growing gang problems. Both counties also have expanses of typically suburban, lily-white cookie cutter homes and strip malls, too. I grew up in Cobb, in a neighborhood that went through "transition" while I was living there. I have a lot of friends in Gwinnett though, so I know a little about both.

Cobb and Gwinnett are both becoming more urban and diverse. I would not consider most of Cobb to be "newer" than Gwinnett, however. Gwinnett has grown at a much faster rate over the past decade than Cobb. There are many 1940's and '50's era neighborhoods in South Cobb and the city of Marietta. Some of these, especially in Smyrna, have already been through the cycle of decline and urban decay, and are now in the process of redevelopment. Smyrna used to be rough, many areas still are.

Also, just driving up I-75 through Cobb does not give an accurate impression of what the rest of the county looks like. The Cobb DOT has a funny habit of trying to pretty the place up by wasting money on "landscaping buffers." Try cruising down Franklin Road, Windy Hill Road, Mableton Parkway, or Powder Springs Road for a taste of the other Cobb county. Theres also something of a nightlife in Cobb too. Ever heard of Vegas Nights? It's one of the most popular hip-hop clubs in metro Atlanta.

But yeah, they pretty much suck in the same way. :thumbsup:

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I think that the Perimeter area is going much the same way, too.  They are in the middle of building a huge pedestrian-friendly development right across the street from the mall there, wil condos, townhomes and a ton of store-front retail.  Combine that with the mall and the shoppes at Park Place, and you have a very good core of pedestrian friendly area there.

I have found that Buckhead isn't as pedestrian friendly as many say it is...  but I agree with you, 325 Paces, The Ovation and The Eclipse is a great start to developing that area into a completely ped friendly area in it's own right.  I am also interested in seeing the final product at Atlantic Station, down in Midtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think you'll find too many people claiming Buckhead to be pedestrian friendly AT ALL. But I'd be interested in where are these "sketchy" Buckhead neighborhoods you talk about since thats pretty much news to me.

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If I had to choose between the two counties, I would choose Cobb.

I guess when you look at the survey, the choice comes down to personal preference or what you are looking for in a home county.

Gwinnett on a whole is much newer than Cobb. As someone stated earlier, much of Gwinnett's growth have occured within the last 10 years or so. I am an Atlanta native and I remember when Gwinnett was rural. I think Gwinnett has many pluses however. The area around the new civic center is great. Although that area is a plus, Gwinnett does not have an equivelant to the Galleria/Cumberland area. There is so much potential for an "urban" experience there. The vision is there, I just wished some things would come to fruition. Plus if CCT amd Marta could come together to open a station in the Galleria area, that would be great.

As odd as this may sound, I am not totally turned off by the suburban lifestyle per se. It's how I grew up. In saying this, I find the East Cobb area very appealing. Schools, parks and shopping are very great. It has a more mature feel than many of Gwinnett's like areas. Smyrna and Vinings are growing like weeds. They are also growing more smartly than say the Sugarloaf area of Gwinnett.....although I give very high marks to the city of Duluth.

As far as Derrickskugler's comment about Buckhead and Dunwoody, it goes back to preference. I also would question what part of Buckhead is he comparing Dunwoody to. Since he is a real estate agent like myself, he will totally understand that his comments about "sketchy" neighborhoods in Buckhead can be misleading. My concentrated area is Buckhead/North Fulton and I will say that there is no classier place than zipcode 30327. The Mount Paran district has to be the most elegant area in all of Georgia. You can drive for miles and never come across a "sketchy" area. He also forgets the 30305 zipcode or the Tuxedo area of Buckhead.

Every area has an area that is in transition....Buckhead as 30324 and Dunwoody has the area around Pitts Rd. I graduated from high school in Dunwoody. I am very familiar with the area....while I may have lived in a pretty calm area (lived off of Jett Ferry Rd.), Pitts Rd wasn't exactly your idea of Dunwoody. Generalizatons can be made about every area. I am proud of the steps being taken in both Dunwoody and Buckhead....the growth around the Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, North Springs, Buckhead, Lindbergh and Lenox Marta stations are mind boggling. As real estate options in both these fashionable and sought out locations decrease, the need for greater urban planning will increase. The infrastructure is either there are being improved so in 10 years, these areas as we know them today can only be improved.

My apologies guys for going so far off the topic as it relates to Cobb and Gwinnett.

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The "sketchy" area of Buchead I am referring to is mostly in the 30324 zip code. Take a jaunt down Lenox Road (and it's side streets) from the Mall(s) towards I-85. Sure, you have some decent-to-nice condo developments there, but you also have several 40+ year old apartment communities with gang activity. Want to know what I'm referring to? I'd be happy to privately list at least 4-5 places in this general area where this is a huge problem. No need to publicly slader them in this forum.

Buckhead is, overall, a wonderful area. But, it DOES have it's bad areas, as every part of Atlanta does. Same thing goes for Dunwoody. But, neither of these areas are really on topic.

Cobb or Gwinnett? I would argue that driving up through the counties on the interstates do have alot to do with what you see throughout the county. More people travel through the counties on these roads than any other, and therefore, a disproportionate amount of money is spent on both to "put the best face forward" for each county. Cobb simply cleans up better.

Good points were brought up about the racial diversity of both counties, though, and pointing out that certain cities within these counties are leaps and bounds ahead of the others are also good things to bring up. Cobb has Marietta, Kennesaw and Vinings, but it also has Acworth, Austell and certain parts of Smyrna. Gwinnett has it's areas on both ends of the spectrum, as well.

As with anything, I guess it all depends on what you like, as both areas have alot to offer. But, judging by the pole, most people would prefer to live in Cobb. Personally, I can't say that I blame them.

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