ETA: After thinking about it, traffic here is bad. Coming from Southern California, it's the same, so I didn't really consider traffic!
I live in Georgia. I moved here almost 3 years ago from Southern California. Tyler, my husband, grew up here.
We live in Stone Mountain, north east of Atlanta. We live outside the perimeter. Which is a good thing. Inside the perimeter is Atlanta proper.
Don't know where you stand politically. Georgia is diverse. Kennesaw is very right. They are the county that passed a law that EVERY home owner will own a gun.
Buckhead is due north of Atlanta. It's the most expensive area in Atlanta.
Acworth is a great area. Great schools too. Housing is big and priced well.
Try http://www.greatschools.net to help you find the right school for your family.
I could recommend a Realtor, if you are interested in purchasing a home.
Kennesaw is about 20 minutes from Allatoola Lake. There are a lot of activities to do there. We moved here after the drought, although there are still places that you can't get into.