Marietta native here. If you have a choice, I would definitely lean toward Athens. That keeps you away from the traffic mess. You can’t even go anywhere on a weekend fast. A really awesome town out that way is Madison, closer to I-20...small town but close enough to the big city. You obviously know the people and culture if you’re married to one. Down to earth, laid-back and friendly except when in the car. I recommend picking up a tennis racket if your subdivision has courts...ALTA is a blast on weekends...a little exercise and then a little more beer before Noon.
The one thing that I missed growing up down there was a sense of community. Whether it was in CT or PA now...I love the 4th of July parades, Halloween parade, small town events that I give my kids up here. As an example, I went to a high school that had 3,000 students...my class had 800. I didn’t know half of my graduating class. So, if you can find a great niche that avoids the congestion, I’d recommend it. But, really, it depends on your current life stage...kids, no kids, etc.
You’ll absolutely love the access to anything and everything - from restaurants to concerts and such. And you’ll love the longer daylight hours...it is further West and pushes the edge of the Eastern timeline...the sun is out until 10 in the Summer. And the weather in the fall, winter and spring is pretty awesome.
Enjoy!
I bet the place has changed alot since I left. I certainly don’t miss all the traffic. ...once my truck shut off unexpectedly while going south in the middle of seven lanes going about 80 mph. Wow, was I nearly killed! Here, I just get aggravated when my neighbor shoots his gun too much at a 50-gallon drum...lol
