Roswell Neighborhoods in Cobb County

Welcome back!

The majority of neighborhoods in Roswell belong to Fulton County, but there are a small few that are in Cobb County and their residents get to enjoy the lower Cobb County taxes and East Cobb schools.

With a Roswell address and the benefits of low Cobb taxes and award winning East Cobb schools these neighborhoods are highly sought after.

We have put together the below list of 39 neighborhoods that have a Roswell address, but reside in Cobb County.

Bernham Woods
Cambridge Walk
Carriage Lakes
Carriage Park
Chatsworth
Childers Ridge
Chimney Lakes
Clary Lakes
Coventry Downs
Coventry Green
East Spring Lake
Edgewater Cove
Ellenwood
Estates of Chimney Lakes
Garrards Crossing
Garrison Oaks
Glenbrooke
Glenforest
Hampstead
Hedgerow
Hollister
Horseshoe Knoll
Huntridge Estates
Indian Creek
Loch Highland
Mountain Creek
Old Mabry
Old Mabry Place
Plantation North
Riverbirch Glen
Rock Ivy
Springdale
Sturbridge Vallage
Summerwood
Summit Oaks
The Park at Garrison Oaks
The Reserve at Mabry
Tiffany Place
Westchester

The 8th Annual Historic Roswell Criterium

April 26, 2009
11:00 am	to	7:30 pm

While Historic Roswell has become a destination for many metro Atlanta residents looking for both entertainment and old historic charm, this coming Sunday will bring citizens from across North America. The 8th Annual Historic Roswell Criterium returns on Sunday, April 26, 2009, with a full schedule of events for professional cyclists and area residents.

Since 2001, The Historic Roswell Criterium has established itself firmly as one of the top single-day races in the United States, with 10 categorized contests for amateur and professional athletes. This year the event will be part of the USA Crits Speed Week racing series for elite athletes and the Georgia Cycling Grand Prix (a 12-race series). The race format, a criterium, is the most common form of American bicycle racing. It is a multi-lap event of approximately 25-60 miles held on a closed course, generally a mile or less in length, that can see competitors exceed speeds of 30 miles per hour. The criterium consists of 10 bicycle races which will take place on a one-mile route in Historic Roswell. Races begin at 11:00 a.m. and will run through 7:30pm. There is over $15,000 prize money up for grabs.

For local families and residents, the event has grown into a full-day festival, including a morning recreational adult bike ride with Mayor Jere Wood, an afternoon bicycle safety rodeo for children, and retail specials at local shops through the day. While there are registration fees to participate in the races ($35-50), it will be complimentary for children to participate in the Bicycle Safety Rodeo and for spectators to watch the races. After the rodeo, there is the Shimano Youth Series race and participation is complimentary to any children who complete the Rodeo. I have not personally witnessed this particular race, but have heard from many that it’s the best race of the day – and quite entertaining!

The weather forecast for Sunday is near 80 degrees with mostly sunny skies. In Historic Roswell our azaleas are in full bloom, the retail shops and art galleries have their doors propped open and our restaurants have their most gracious smiles waiting to seat you. It promises to be a beautiful spring day with entertainment for all – come join the fun!

For more information on The 8th Annual Historic Roswell Criterium visit www.roswellcriterium.com.

Is It Time to Refinance?

Recent action by the Fed has interest rates on 30 year fixed rate mortgages being right around 5% and in some cases (depending on your credit score) even lower.

These are the lowest rates we’ve seen in over 35 years.  With that being said, I believe everyone should consider refinancing their homes.

I purchased my house about a year and a half ago at 6% and recently locked in at 4.85%…it will take me about two years to recoup the closing costs associated with the refi, but I will immediately be saving a little over $100 per month on my mortgage.  Note, my loan amount is just under $200K, the higher the loan amount, the more money you save.

There are a couple of ways to benefit:

1. First, know both your current mortgage rate and current refinancing rates (and associated costs like closing attorney fees, appraisal fees, etc.). Generally, if the current rates are at least 1% lower than your current interest rate on your mortgage.
2. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage think about locking it in for a longer term at today’s low rates, among the lowest in the last 25 years. Or if you know you will be moving in the next few years, think about locking in a lower rate 5 year adjustable mortgage.
3. If you have lots of expensive credit card debt or second and third mortgage debt, consider paying it off with a new first mortgage that puts all your debt in one low-rate long-term obligation.

To get these advantages, you’ll generally have to have good credit, be current on payments,  and the value of your house must be above the amount of the mortgage.

To determine if refinancing is right for you, ask yourself these two questions:

• How long do you plan to stay in the house or how long do you plan to own the house?
• What are the costs associated with the refinance and how many months of money saved from refinancing will it take to cover these costs?

These questions will help determine the length of time it will take to actually realize the savings.  Generally speaking though, the immediate savings is worth it even if it takes 1-3 years to “break even” because houses tend to appreciate.

Send your friends a link to this article, they’ll be glad you did because everyone could use some more money in their pocket which will help our economy and then we all benefit!

When Was Your Last Family Reunion?

Today, while trying to familiarize myself with other bloggers covering news and events about Roswell I came across an interesting post titled, Reunion Time in Roswell.

At my young age of 26 I have only been to a few family reunions.  I have some good memories of the Martens’ annual family reunions and my mother’s side of the family had the Rustan-Peterson reunion once upon a time (I think I still have the shirt from it).  As it turns out, I had a relative that was in the movie, Devil’s Brigade and another that was a card dealer in the movie Rain Man.  That’s what’s fun about reunions…meeting people you never knew existed and seeing how large your family really is.

Here’s what caught my attention about the article post…the city of Roswell’s marketing director will help families plan their family reunions.  From the blog…

She works with each family to determine what unique needs their reunion will have. Some just need help getting quotes for hotel rooms. Others need catering. For multi-day events, she has helped secure restaurants and scheduled tours.

I’m not sure if other cities offer these same services, but I thought this was something cool and unique that the city of Roswell offers and something worth mentioning on this website as well.

Roswell has it all:

• One-of-a-kind restaurants
• Spa packages
• The natural side – miles of walking trails, rafting or canoeing down the Chattahoochee, and the Chattahoochee Nature Center
• Walking Tours of the Historic District
• Ghost Tours on the weekend
• Antebellum House tours
• Arts – plays at our 3 local theatres, art galleries galore, two major annual Arts Festivals and many other art-focused events throughout the year
• Shopping – antiques, collectibles, and many unique shops
• Family Fun – skate park, Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, Professional Disc Golf course, StarTime

To get started just contact Marsha Saum (msaum@roswellgov.com 800-776-7935, or 770-640-3253) and she will help you every step of the way.

Top Five Things I Love About Roswell Georgia

1.  Big Creek Park – Big Creek Park consists of 3 trail systems: The Greenway Trail, Mountain Bike Trails and a Walking Trail. The Greenway trail consists of a little over 2 miles of concrete sidewalk and boardwalks. It is a multi-user trail meaning it is open to joggers, walkers, bikers, roller bladers, etc. The trail will eventually connect to Alpharetta’s Greenway trail as well as Roswell’s Riverwalk trail system.

My favorite part about Big Creek are the mountain biking trails. There are approximately 4.25 miles of open trails including beginner,
intermediate and advanced trails. The latest addition to Big Creek is a designated “freeride” section with plenty of berms and jumps.

2.  Chattahoochee River – Running through Roswell is the Chattahoochee River which gives you an opportunity to be active and close to nature just minutes from home.  There are many trails along the banks of the river…even some hidden singletrack trails for mountain biking!

Residents enjoy time spent on the trails, sunbathing on rocks, fishing, kayaking, tubing, and much more!

3.  Mountains - Originally from the midwest, mountains are something I’m not use to seeing.  About 90 minutes north of Roswell are the Blue Ridge Mountains an amazing and scenic place.  Some of the best mountain biking is located up in the mountains.  In addition there are some great water systems for kayaking and whitewater rafting.

4.  Lake Sidney Lanier – Located about 45 minutes northeast of Roswell is the man-made reservoir known as Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier).  The lake encompasses 38,000 acres of water and 692 miles of shoreline.  The lake is extremely popular with boaters, sailors, houseboats, jetskiers and others.

5.  History – There is so much history in Roswell from the old mill to the historic antebellum homes to the quaint downtown.  Roswell is a city with a lot of character and a great place to spend your time and marvel at its rich history and deep seeded roots.

The City of Roswell and Keep Roswell Beautiful Light Bulb Exchange Event

April 22, 2009
3:00 pm	to	7:00 pm

Recycle those old light bulbs! The City of Roswell and Keep Roswell Beautiful (KRB), are planning a Light Bulb Exchange event open to any Roswell resident and employee on Wednesday, April 22 at City Hall from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Please limit three bulbs per household.

According to the ENERGY STAR website, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

The Light Bulb Exchange is a first-time event and is a result of fundraising efforts through the Green Hair Challenge. The money raised through the Green Hair Challenge is being used to purchase compact fluorescent light bulbs and there is still time to cast your vote for Mayor and Council and/or a Management Team member!

Employees and residents can cast their “vote” for who should wear green hair. Two people will be selected – one individual from Mayor & Council and one from the Management Team. Voting will take place through April 15 (close of business) and can be done online through the KRB website (www.keeproswellbeautiful.org) or at City Hall in the Environmental/Public Works Department. Votes are $1 each. The person with the most votes will wear green hair.

The City is making great strides in its efforts to “go green” by working toward the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities Certification. The City has updated policies to include hybrid vehicles, began the process of an energy audit on City facilities and diversified the types of recyclables collected both curbside and at the Roswell Recycling Center.

Councilman Kent Igleheart is leading the City’s green efforts by heading up the Green Ribbon Committee and assisting with the City’s sustainability goals. “It’s important for Roswell to set an example by using new green technology and in moving toward more sustainable operations,” explains Councilman Kent Igleheart.

For more information or to link to the Green Hair Challenge PayPal site, visit www.keeproswellbeautiful.org or www.roswellgov.com.

Sponsors for the Light Bulb Exchange include the City of Roswell, KRB, Georgia Power and Service Lighting of Roswell.

Annual Roswell Easter Egg Hunt

April 4, 2009
11:00 am	to	1:00 pm

Hop on over for the Annual Roswell Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.  Children will begin hunting for candy & eggs promptly at noon and separate areas will be designated for different age groups.

Special prize eggs will be hidden in each hunt area. Adults/parents are asked to remain outside the hunt areas, except in the 1’s and 2’s age group area.

The Easter Bunny is expected to make an appearance too!  Children need to bring a basket or other container for their candy and eggs.  Face painting, music, entertainment, and other activities will be available beginning at 11 a.m.

Ages 7 & under.

Held at Sweet Apple Elementary School, 12025 Etris Road, Roswell 30075

For more information, call 770.641.3760.

Alive After Five

April 16, 2009
5:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Historic Canton Street will be “alive” on Thursday, April 16 as the 2009 Alive After Five street party kicks off from 5-9 p.m in Roswell, Georgia. Live music, food, displays and shopping make this event a fun and family friendly break during the busy work week. Alive After Five occurs the third Thursday of every month from April-October. Trolley shuttles from the parking lot of City Hall are available free of charge.

Be sure and stop by the City of Roswell booth and learn more about the services we provide and see plans for the Mimosa Boulevard Extension project happening in the historic district now.

Complete listing of Alive After Five dates, bands and special offers.