Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Those who know me best know that I never shut up when it comes to boasting and beaming about how much of a comeback my hometown of Scranton, PA is making and how much of an inexpensive yet "hip" mecca it will be in another five years. However, as much as I like to have a glass half-full, optimistic outlook on life, I'm also a realist when need be. The vast majority of my peers have either already relocated out of the region for college or are planning on doing so after graduating from a local university, which will leave me with a very small pool to draw from as far as finding another educated mate. Hell, the way it is now I haven't had a true date in nearly three years, and I'm by no means a poor catch---the local dating pool is simply that tapped dry. Every other middle-aged person around here in Northeastern Pennsylvania does nothing but whine and gripe about how awful their lives are day in and day out, and it truly starts to grate on your nerves after a while to have any positive idea snuffed out by these malcontents who were too foolish at a younger stage in life to plan ahead and are now taking out their economic frustrations upon a newer generation.
I suppose I'm just looking for the opportunity for a fresh start in a new environment after I graduate from college up here in PA in 2009. As much as it pains me to consider leaving Scranton, my beloved hometown, I now realize that it is pretty much "expected" of me to do so. I have an aunt and uncle who relocated from Scranton to Acworth, GA about a decade ago for a job transfer, and they are extremely pleased that they did so. Whenever they come home for their annual Holiday season pilgrimage, all they do is hype up what a wonderful city Atlanta is to the point where I'm now starting to consider it. I'm not really looking to relocate long-term by any means; I'll probably be a part of the local "revolving-door" phenomenon of educated 20-somethings who flee NEPA like bats out of hell due to the current social doldrums I'm experiencing only to come crawling back with their tails between their legs in their 30s as they realize that NEPA is an awful place to be young and full of energy but an excellent place to raise a family.
Here are some details about me. Please let me know if you think I could be happy in Greater Atlanta.
-I'm gay. I'd be interested in living in an area that is simply "tolerant" of the LGBT community. I don't by any means want a welcome mat to be extended for me, but I also don't want to have neighbors running around after me with pitchforks. I'm the more "masculine" type of gay guy, for what it's worth, so I'm pretty benign and don't stick out in a crowd with a tiara or thick lisp. I'd be looking for an area where people would have the attitude of "Don't bother me, and I won't bother you." I've heard horror stories from my fellow Northerners about how all Southerners are uneducated inbred rednecks, so this is of major concern to me. Do I have to worry about lynch mobs?
-I detest urban sprawl and appreciate the beauty in older architecture. One thing that I'll miss about Scranton is the fact that the city is nearly covered in historic Victorians, Tudors, Colonial Revivals, Greek Revivals, etc. My aunt and uncle live in a McMansion in a sprawling subdivision in Acworth, and being forced to live in a neighborhood like that would KILL me! Does Atlanta have a lot of well-established older neighborhoods with homes from the late-1800s or early-1900s that are located on tree-lined streets with sidewalks and driveways accessible via rear alleyways? If so, where are they? If not, then how can you stand to live in a city with such a bland housing stock? Here are some images from back here in NEPA of what I'm looking for in an Atlanta neighborhood:
Are images similar to these possible in what I've been told is an MSA that is a "mess of ugly, chaotic urban sprawl?"
-In addition to finding an older walkable neighborhood with historic homes and leafy streets, I'd also like to be within a mile's walk or so of a business district with restaurants, coffee houses, stores, etc. I know Scranton's neighborhoods mostly have their own unique "downtown" areas, so it would be nice to find one similar to this so I can potentially lease commercial space at some point in the future to house my CPA practice within walking distance to my home to avoid that famous "Atlanta gridlock" on the freeways.
-I'm a fitness nut. Running is my life. As such, I'm worried to hear about just how DIRTY Atlanta's air is. Are there any fellow runners on this forum who can give me some insight on as to how difficult it is to run appreciable distances (my daily route is altered from 5-7 miles) in smog? The worst summer days in Scranton, PA still only warrant "moderate" air pollution, which doesn't bother my lungs one bit. Additionally, I'd like to go running in my tree-lined neighborhood to keep cool in the shade; how vigilant are motorists in terms of yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. Where I live now they'll speed up to TRY to hit you whenever they see you in the roadway!
-I'm an aspiring CPA. Are career opportunities plentiful in the accounting field in Atlanta?
I'll add more questions/concerns as I think of them. Thanks in advance for all of your help!
Well SWB, I’ll try to hit on some of these for you. Atlanta and a few of the close in suburbs are pretty liberal. Some parts of Atlanta (such as midtown or Virginia Highlands) actually have a very large gay population and I wouldn’t expect you would have many problems, even in many of the more conservative suburbs.
As far as tree lined, historic districts, there are some, but I would guess most of them were built later then the ones you are used to. Most of them are more along the lines of Bungalows or Shotgun houses with a rare Victorian mixed in. Also, Atlanta sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner so many are in extreme disrepair (and most suburbs don’t even have sidewalks). Most the inner city is in the process of gentrifying and redeveloping so you will see a mix of both the old and new. Atlanta is known for its chaotic and endless urban sprawl, so if that is something you are not interested in I would suggest you look elsewhere.
As far as running, I have several friends who run regularly (a couple who are serious enough where they have run a few marathons and such). They don’t seem to have any problem with the smog, they complain more about the heat and humidity in the summer time. I won’t run outdoors in Georgia so I can’t really comment.
The older Atlanta areas are very expensive places to buy a home. Renting apartments in these areas offer the best values (a one bedroom runs about 800-1000/month). The areas I am referring to are known together as Intown. It's just east of the Midtown district and includes the neigborhoods of Virginia Highlands, Inman Park, and Morningside-Lenox Park. Closeby neighborhoods like Brookwood Hills, Ansley Park, and Druid Hills also offers homes built in the 1910s to the 1930s with tree lined streets and sidewalks. Homes in the intown communities average about $500-700,000. Druid Hills homes average at about $800,000 and Ansley Park and Brookwood Hills are filled with million dollar homes. All of these communites have significant gay populations(as nearby Midtown is the center of ATlanta's gay commnities). Maybe other parts of the south are the close minded areas you descirbed but ATlanta is a northern city in the southern United States. Our culture is much more in line with the north than the south. As a result, most in urban and suburban areas, have the attitude you were referring to, where if your lifestyles doesn't affect their lifestyle, they don't care how you live your life.
My suggestion for when you move here is to either rent or buy a condo in a 1920s building along Ponce, Charles Allen or some of the Midtown streets surrounding Piedmont Park. You would get the old old world charm you are looking for without paying an arm and a leg. These condos range from the $300s to $600s for a 2 bedroom unit. The city of Atlanta is very expensive. This is why so many people live in the suburbs in the cookie cutter McMansions...it offers them so much more for their money.
P.S.: The next up and coming area in my opinion is the West End. New developments are starting to go up improving the look of that blighted area. The area by Brown Middle School is filled with late 1800s and early 1900s Victorian homes, most in good conditions. If you are willing to invest and take a risk(though I know you meant you only wanted to investigate) I believe you would see a HUGE return on your monney in 10-15 years. Right now these huge Victorian homes only cost in the 200s. If you could stand to live in the neighborhood until it gentrifies fully, you could be looking at a selling price of like $500,000 or more. If you are not planing on having any kids anytime soon then I definately suggest you go for it. It's only like 5-7 minutes from downtown and like 10-15 minutes from Midtown.
Last edited by stvincent; 08-02-2007 at 08:32 PM..
Thanks very much, XXMan, for your very prompt reply. From what I've seen on Google Earth and from real estate searches, I might be out of luck with Atlanta. Do the the mid-1900s bungalows you speak of look anything like these?
If so, then I'm not interested by any means, as mid-1900s architecture tends to turn me off. One of the few neighborhoods that seems to turn me on is Buckhead, and I won't have nearly the financial means necessary to purchase a home there.
Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Atlanta:
"The sprawling layout of the Atlanta region has resulted in serious traffic and air quality problems. The metro area has one of America's longest average daily commutes, and it is one of the most car-dependent cities on the planet due both to suburban sprawl and underfunded mass transit systems It also has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous for pedestrians, as far back as 1949 when Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell was struck by a speeding car and killed while crossing Peachtree Street."
If that above paragraph rings true, then I can't imagine how anyone would want to live in Atlanta, much less myself. It's mind-boggling how an urbanized area can be so apathetic towards proper land usage.
Thanks very much, StVincent, for your insight into the West End. That type of neighborhood sounds exactly like what I'd be looking for---reasonably-priced historic homes in a neighborhood with potential to make a comeback. That neighborhood around Piedmont Park also sounds like it would be worth investigating---those rent prices you quoted for those 1920s-era apartments and condos are just as cheap as Scranton, even though our cost-of-living is supposedly so much "lower" than everywhere else. I haven't decided just yet as to whether I'd like to purchase a condo, rowhome, or a single-family detached dwelling, but I do know for sure that I wouldn't be interested in renting. It does sound as if purchasing a smaller home with some "old-world charm" in Atlanta will be financially-draining or even impossible, especially considering most entry-level accountants make perhaps around $45,000 to start.
I'm continuing to research the city at this point in time. Those cookie-cutter homes piled on top of each other on cul-de-sacs that everyone is flocking to in the suburbs make my stomach turn; I wouldn't be caught dead purchasing one of those. Yuck! It's so weird. Here in PA, the suburbs are very expensive and the cities are dirt cheap. In Georgia, it looks as if your cities are outrageous and your suburbs are inexpensive. What gives?
Regarding Wikipedia; it is important to keep in mind that authors and editors opinions can influence the articles and information on that site. I would encourage you to make a visit if you can and see it for yourself. Too often we are influenced by other peoples opinions.
"The sprawling layout of the Atlanta region has resulted in serious traffic and air quality problems. The metro area has one of America's longest average daily commutes, and it is one of the most car-dependent cities on the planet due both to suburban sprawl and underfunded mass transit systems It also has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous for pedestrians, as far back as 1949 when Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell was struck by a speeding car and killed while crossing Peachtree Street."
That paragraph rings very true for me. I think Atlanta drivers do a fairly good job of stopping for people in crosswalks (not a great job, but I see them stop a lot more then I would expect) but sidewalks are pathetic here and often you feel like you are walking in the middle of the street.
That Bungalow does look familiar but you would need to add a lot more trees. The amount of trees down here is Atlanta's greatest asset. STVincent's suggest of the West End is a great suggestion. It is a pretty dangerous area, but it is getting much better and an investment there could turn a huge profit if you are willing to stick it out for a while. I know some people who recently bought over there and they are pretty sure that nobody else on their block has a job so there are sure to be some houses for sale soon. The only problem is there aren't a lot of other neighborhoods to go too where you can enjoy the amazing architecture.
Buckhead has some very cool houses, but the cost and the type of people who live there would keep me out.
In Georgia, it looks as if your cities are outrageous and your suburbs are inexpensive. What gives?
Depends on where you go in the suburbs. Some of them can be very expensive also. I think the reason the city is becoming much more expensive is people want to live intown. Like the article on Wikipedia said, we have one of the longest, if not the longest commute in the country. People are trying to commute less so living in the city makes sense and people are willing to pay a premium for it. Also, almost the only place where a neighborhood will have any character at all is intown Atlanta. You get out to the burbs and it is cookie cutter after cookie cutter; strip mall after strip mall (with some small exceptions).
That paragraph rings very true for me. I think Atlanta drivers do a fairly good job of stopping for people in crosswalks (not a great job, but I see them stop a lot more then I would expect) but sidewalks are pathetic here and often you feel like you are walking in the middle of the street.
Atlantans sound as if they need to take a lesson from Massachusetts. Not to get all "Yankee Preachy on the South" on y'all or anything, but whenever I visit that state, I'm floored by how motorists are VERY vigilant in regards to their surroundings and will immediately stop to permit pedestrians to cross streets. While we were in Plymouth, MA two years ago, a police officer even pulled over a vehicle near us for failing to yield to pedestrians. Just today I was doing one of my photo tours of a small town in PA, and when I would be lucky enough to have one courteous driver on the town's congested main drag stop to permit me to cross at a crosswalk, I'd have to play a game of "*******" to dodge vehicles driven by distracted drivers in the other lanes. PA is abysmal for pedestrians, and it sounds as if GA is too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xxman777
That Bungalow does look familiar but you would need to add a lot more trees. The amount of trees down here is Atlanta's greatest asset.
That's one thing that's helping to sell me on the city. Even though it's been dubbed "HOTlanta," I could still go for my runs and keep cool beneath the canopy of shade trees. Urban forestry is a huge asset to any city; the two wealthiest historic neighborhoods in Scranton are intensely-greened with lush foliage and tree lawns.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xxman777
STVincent's suggest of the West End is a great suggestion. It is a pretty dangerous area, but it is getting much better and an investment there could turn a huge profit if you are willing to stick it out for a while. I know some people who recently bought over there and they are pretty sure that nobody else on their block has a job so there are sure to be some houses for sale soon. The only problem is there aren't a lot of other neighborhoods to go too where you can enjoy the amazing architecture.
"Dangerous" doesn't bother me one bit. You're talking to the same dum-dum who would walk right into Camden, NJ with his digital camera to do a photo tour to post here on City-Data if someone had asked him to do so in a PM. You should also consider the fact that I was pickpocketed, had my cell phone stolen, and had to chase away someone jiggling my car door handle all in the SUBURBS! Crime can happen anywhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xxman777
Buckhead has some very cool houses, but the cost and the type of people who live there would keep me out.
While I could probably swing a $200,000 home on a $50,000 starting salary as an accountant, I could never swing those $500,000+ asking prices in Buckhead. What "types" of people are you referring to? If you mean hoighty-toighty spoiled types, then I agree with you there. Trust me, I've lived alongside of wealthy "wannabes" for enough years to understand how obnoxious some of them can be in terms of thinking they are infallible.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've heard horror stories from my fellow Northerners about how all Southerners are uneducated inbred rednecks, so this is of major concern to me. Do I have to worry about lynch mobs? 
Does Atlanta have a lot of well-established older neighborhoods with homes from the late-1800s or early-1900s that are located on tree-lined streets with sidewalks and driveways accessible via rear alleyways? If so, where are they? If not, then how can you stand to live in a city with such a bland housing stock? Here are some images from back here in NEPA of what I'm looking for in an Atlanta neighborhood:
Yuck! It's so weird. Here in PA, the suburbs are very expensive and the cities are dirt cheap. In Georgia, it looks as if your cities are outrageous and your suburbs are inexpensive. What gives? 
