Possibility to move to Atlanta soon (Sandy Springs, Marietta: apartments, for rent, day care)
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My name is Glauco, I live in Brazil and I'm willing to move to US to work. I'm a tech guy (Solution Architect) and I've been to Atlanta in November to take a course in an ECM tool called Alfresco. I spent 1 week there and I liked it very much, so, I was thinking, if I'm moving to US, why not to Atlanta. But I have a hole bunch of question, and wish you could help me.
I've been to US many times. I know Orlando, Miami, L.A. and the south of California, Las Vegas and San Francisco. I'm thinking about Atlanta because it seems that the cost of living there isn't too high. Besides, there are flights straight from Brazil to Atlanta, so it will be easier to come back home for some visits or to receive some visits.
When I went to Atlanta, I stayed at 2762 COBB PKWY SE. It was a very nice place, and I loved it. I know it's not Atlanta itself, but it's near and (already answering one of the questions of the stick post) I can commute.
I'm married with 3 children. One is 5 months old, the other is 4 and the oldest is 7 years old. My main concern is about them. How is school around there? How about baby day care? My wife is still learning english, so she'll have to go to a class. Wwill need some assistance with our children. Is it better have a baby siter to work in our house or take our children to a place where they can stay? How about their english. They don't speak it yet. I know that children learn very fast, but as they have to go to school, what can/should I do?
How about the cost of living? I was thinking of renting a house with 3 bedrooms, a good backyards so my children can play, etc. I was looking in a renting web site and found this house: 3 Bedroom Home for Rent for $845 Apartments - Dallas Apartments For Rent | Dallas, GA 30157
I'm looking for something just like that! I'm very concerned about the quality of my family's life. Here, where I live today, we have a very good quality of life. How about food price (supermarket)? How much will I spent in a month (averege)? And other costs, like Electricity, Gas, Water, etc. I found this website (Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed) but I don't know if that's updated.
How about helth care? Should I have a private helth care plan? How much is it?
Well, many, many questions. I think those are a good start. Thanks in advance for any help.
My name is Glauco, I live in Brazil and I'm willing to move to US to work. I'm a tech guy (Solution Architect) and I've been to Atlanta in November to take a course in an ECM tool called Alfresco. I spent 1 week there and I liked it very much, so, I was thinking, if I'm moving to US, why not to Atlanta. But I have a hole bunch of question, and wish you could help me.
I've been to US many times. I know Orlando, Miami, L.A. and the south of California, Las Vegas and San Francisco. I'm thinking about Atlanta because it seems that the cost of living there isn't too high. Besides, there are flights straight from Brazil to Atlanta, so it will be easier to come back home for some visits or to receive some visits.
When I went to Atlanta, I stayed at 2762 COBB PKWY SE. It was a very nice place, and I loved it. I know it's not Atlanta itself, but it's near and (already answering one of the questions of the stick post) I can commute.
I'm married with 3 children. One is 5 months old, the other is 4 and the oldest is 7 years old. My main concern is about them. How is school around there? How about baby day care? My wife is still learning english, so she'll have to go to a class. Wwill need some assistance with our children. Is it better have a baby siter to work in our house or take our children to a place where they can stay? How about their english. They don't speak it yet. I know that children learn very fast, but as they have to go to school, what can/should I do?
How about the cost of living? I was thinking of renting a house with 3 bedrooms, a good backyards so my children can play, etc. I was looking in a renting web site and found this house: 3 Bedroom Home for Rent for $845 Apartments - Dallas Apartments For Rent | Dallas, GA 30157
I'm looking for something just like that! I'm very concerned about the quality of my family's life. Here, where I live today, we have a very good quality of life. How about food price (supermarket)? How much will I spent in a month (averege)? And other costs, like Electricity, Gas, Water, etc. I found this website (Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed) but I don't know if that's updated.
How about helth care? Should I have a private helth care plan? How much is it?
Well, many, many questions. I think those are a good start. Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards,
Glauco
Hi Glauco,
I think Atlanta is a perfect choice considering the cost of living and the fact that there a many Brazilians in metro Atlanta.
Cobb County is a great choice and I recommend that you checkout the following areas in Cobb: Vinings and Marietta. You can utilize a free service called Promove to assist you with finding the "perfect" location for you and your family (Atlanta Apartments for Rent in GA | PROMOVE).
I am not sure about day care center in the area; however, I am sure there are plenty to choose from.
Cobb County Schools have a program to teach students English, so you should have no problem there(Cobb County ESOL Program).
There is a Brazilian consulate in Atlanta as well to help with any needs you may have (Brazil Consulate Atlanta (US)).
The cost of living is relatively inexpensive in Atlanta. You get more "bang for your buck" in Atlanta than in any of the other places you visited in United States.
You will spend about $150 - $200 a month for electricity usage, $150/month for fuel (Gas is about $3.45 per gallon here for automobile), $350/month for food, $50.00+ / month for water. Some place are all electric here and some places have both electricity and gas. For savings, try to find an all electric home/apartment. This website (http://atlanta.thebeehive.org/jobs/career-coach/discover-career/lifestyle-checklist/how-much-money-do-you-need-live (broken link)) will help you with calculating your expenses and this website will help with the costs to live in Atlanta (http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/pdnedu/...ost-2684.shtml).
I recommend that you come here a couple of months in advance of your family. Come and learn the answers to all of your questions, figure out the best place to be, and then when you have it all sorted out, then bring your family.
Moving a wife and 3 children is a huge endeavor. It would be awful to move them all up here and then realize you are in the wrong place and have to move again in a few months. Or even if you find you don't like it or aren't making enough money, you can learn all of that prior to uprooting your entire family.
A lot of this is going to depend on where your job is located because commuting in Atlanta can be terrible.
If I were you, I would find out where the Brazilian community in Atlanta is. I didn't even knew we had one, so it's probably not very large and concentrated in one or two parts of town. Then you can make the decision of whether you want to live near other Brazilians. I know some people like to live near their ethnic groups because it eases the transition to a new culture. Some people like to not live around them because it can slow assimilation (for example, if your wife makes all Brazilian friends in Atlanta, she will have lower motivation to learn English). That's a call that you will have to make knowing the personality of your family.
If I were you, I would find out where the Brazilian community in Atlanta is. I didn't even knew we had one, so it's probably not very large and concentrated in one or two parts of town.
The Brazilian community is centered in South Cobb, Sandy Springs and up the 400 corridor.
I have a Brazilian friend that moved here from Miami, and she tells me that Atlanta is definately on their radar now. This is mostly due to the excellent flight connections we have, and a desire for something other than Miami in the South. She has even stated that some now bypass Miami to come here to shop.
This is the link to the local Brazilian community webpage:
Glauco, do you already have US citizenship or a "green card?" If not, you will need to find a job where the employer will sponsor you for a visa that provides employment authorization (H1B or similar). This can be a bit of a challenge. Perhaps you will be able to pick up some pointers on that from local Brazilians (such as on the web page cited by johnatl).
BeyondInfinity, your post is great! A lot of information. I'll read all the links you sent me.
ATLTJL, I now it's a big move. I've already thought of that. I'm planning to go there and stay at leat 15 days before I bring them. It's not just about not going well in the job. I won't rent a house by internet. I have to go look the house and see if it's really good as the pictures show. I've looked for a place to rent here in Brazil before and I know it's not an easy job!
BobKovacs and RainyRainyDay. I know I must have the visa to work there. I have a cousin that is Brazilian and is living there already. Acctually, he got married to an american, so he has a green card already. But he sent me a website that hosts companys willing to sponsor the visa (Work Visa USA: Solution for Work Visa, Student Visa, Visa Jobs and Green Card). But before I apply to any job, I'm looking for a city to live. Then, I'll try to get a job there. As I said, I've spent a week in Atlanta and liked it very much. And your posts above are encoureging me to make the move.
Now, it's good to know that there is a Brazilian community in Atlanta. It can help a lot. I don't think it will slow assimilation, because I think that the main reason why my wife accepted moving to US is that she started taking this english class. As we've been there before (we went to Orlando and Las Vegas together) and she got to know US, I think she will be excited to learn your culture. Besides, she is already thinking of trying to get a job too.
Now, what would be a good wage to have? Don't worry about what I do and if I can get this wage or not. I just want to know what would be a good wage so I can have a very good quality of life and still save some money. For example, If I'm going to have a permant cost of U$ 3.000/month, I think a good wage would be around U$ 4.000 to U$ 5.000 a month. What do you think? Is it too much for Atlanta? Do you consider that a person that receives U$ 5.000/month is "kinda rich"? Do you know what I mean? For example, here where I leave, a person that receives R$ U$ 4.000/month has a good to very good wage.
Thanks again for all replys. Everyday I'm more convinced that it's a good idea to move to Atlanta.
Just FYI, I understand why you wouldn't want to move to Miami as that city is a disaster.
However, I believe there is a decent Brazilian community in Orlando. I would look there. I point that out because it has a climate and foliage that is probably more in line with what you are used to. Palm trees and very mild winters. A lot of South Americans get shocked when they see how cold Atlanta can get. We're having a mild winter this year, but several sub-freezing days per year are not uncommon.
If you already have a cousin who lives in the U.S. why dont you ask him? I liked Atlanta when I visited for a week, almost anywhere is OK for a week (honeymoon effect). It is hard for Americans to give you an idea of how your standard of living will be.
There's a very supportive Brazilian community around Powers Ferry between Delk Road and Windy Hill. (This is south Cobb County, very close to the Atlanta city limits.) Tons of Brazilian restaurants, groceries, bistros, bakeries. I used to live up there, and I think that would be a great area for you to base yourself if you move here.
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Possibility to move to Atlanta soon
