Sandy Springs, Georgia
The oldest house in Sandy Springs, Georgia, was built in 1842, nine years before the city itself was founded. It was a rural, remote locale until I-285 and Georgia State Route 400 were built in the 1960s, connecting the town to Atlanta.
Sandy Springs enjoyed a real estate renaissance after the construction of I-285 and 400 that continues to this day, where the now-incorporated city boasts a population of just under 100,000 residents and a total of nearly 50,000 housing units.
The average household income was recently estimated at $116,406, while the average home price was listed at around $500,000 with a median cost of $350,000.
Local Attractions
The tranquil Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area contains 48 miles of wandering waterways, more than seven miles of biking trails and terrific trout fishing.
The Morgan Falls Overlook Park offers playgrounds, pavilions, picnic shelters and swinging benches by a restful reservoir. Morgan Falls Overlook Park is also an ideal area for dog-walkers.
Museums in Sandy Springs include Anne Frank in the World, a free educational and inspirational exhibit, and the Williams-Payne House Museum, which offers fascinating insights into the area's history.
September's Sandy Springs Festival brings 25,000 annual visitors to revel in the fun and festivities, while the Sandy Springs Artapalooza is a free April event at which more than 100 local artists showcase their works.
Rumi's Kitchen is a highly rated restaurant, featuring the finest Atlanta-area Persian cuisine, while the Egg Harbor Cafe's a popular breakfast/brunch stop.
Schools
Public schools in Sandy Springs spend almost $7,000 per student -- the national average is $5,691 -- with a student to teacher ratio of about 14:1, which is better than the 15:1 average in the U.S; however, more than 40% of Sandy Springs students attend private schools. Overall, 94% of the area's residents over the age of 25 years old have high school diplomas, which far exceeds the United States average of around 80%.
Sandy Springs has seven public elementary schools (Dunwoody Springs, Heards Ferry, High Point, Ison Springs, Lake Forest, Spalding Drive and Woodland), two middle schools (Sandy Springs and Ridgeview) and two high schools (North Springs and Riverwood).
Private schools include five K-8s (Springmont, Greenfield Hebrew, St. Jude the Apostle Catholic, The Alfred and Adele Davis Academy and The Epstein School) three K-12s (Holy Innocents' Episcopal, Mount Vernon Presbyterian and the Holy Spirit Preparatory) and The Doris & Alex Weber High School.