ATL in top three metros struggling with "overall affordability" (Atlanta: to rent, houses)

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Also $1400 rent is like cream of the crop here. 1500 in NYC is likely a dump in comparison unless you are in a outer borough.

Lets not get not NYC taxes. There is a reason everyone doesn't live in NYC.

I was raised in NYC and people around here are getting dramatic about the rental cost. 1500 is even hard for something nice in an outer borough convenient to the subway. What you get for 1400 in midtown or Buckhead is impressive for a city.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaLakeSearch

I was raised in NYC and people around here are getting dramatic about the rental cost. 1500 is even hard for something nice in an outer borough convenient to the subway. What you get for 1400 in midtown or Buckhead is impressive for a city.

That is what I'm thinking.

If its so easy and cheap more people would pack up and move there (me included)or at least stay there and not move here.

[arjay57]

$1500 a month sounds like a pretty reasonable rent for a nice apartment. I would have thought they would be considerably more.

[rzzz]

It is a lot easier to move to New York than a lot of people think. 250,000 people move there every year. I moved there with $1500 when I was 22. If you want a cheaper apartment you can just live in Queens or an uncool part of Brooklyn. It's impossible to find a larger space unless you are seriously rich, and schools have historically been not that great, so nesting sorts of people tend to leave. This is pretty off topic at this point, but if you have an inkling to move to NYC, there is no time like the present, because it never gets cheaper.

[Staysean23]

This is funny I'm paying 617 on my 1 bedroom right off north Ave and pine behind publix. I can rent a loft in castleberry for less than 1400 NYC your not going to get the same value or space or amenities in your apt. A lot of apts in Brooklyn that don't even have central Air and heat. There are a lot of window Ac units In These Apartments. You will never be able to find a apartment for under 700 in NY in Atlanta u can. If u want something like 1016 lofts off Howell mill trust your going to pay a arm and a leg in NY for it. My first year in Atlanta I paid 975 for my 1 bedroom loft at 1016

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by researchnerd

rzzz completely nailed it. Buying a house in Atlanta is cheap, but renting is not, and transportation is expensive. As the article states, we spend 63% of our income just to live somewhere and get around. And compared with other cities, there isn't much free stuff to do, for adults or kids. We don't have a nearby ocean or beach, which limits recreation a lot. You can only canoe on the knee-deep Chattahoochee so many times.

I too was shocked when I checked out the Lake Claire pool and discovered their exorbitant fees. There's the YMCA, but their schedule is not at all designed for working adults.

I get attacked a lot for being negative about Atlanta but everything rzzz described is why I am planning to move back to my hometown of Chicago within a year or two.

I didn't have a lot of money back in Chicago but it didn't seen to be an issue because I was never without anything to do. In Chicago you can do a lot for just the cost of bus fare. Here, not so much. You can have fun on a budget in Chicago, in Atlanta you don't have very many options. Moving here I was forced to take on the expense of car ownership. In Chicago I didn't have that expense so that was more money free to shop and do things on weekends. I never owned a vehicle or even had a driver's license before I moved to GA. Didn't need one back home.

I am single (divorced) and also have a teen and finding fun, affordable things to do for either of us is a challenge here in Atlanta. She complains of boredom often.

To rent a nice place in Atlanta is about as much as Chicago or not very much less and yet offers less as a city.

My mom, who also lives here posed in interesting question the other day. She asked me what the justification is of buying a million-dollar home in Atlanta. She said she just doesn't see what's here that would warrant buying an expensive home in places like Buchkead or Va-Hi.

You are right that rent isn't cheap here. I may pay a little more in rent when I move back home but the fact that I won't have to drive everywhere and can save on gas, coupled with the fact that there are lots of free activities, and most utilities are included with most apartments in Chicago (in Georgia I have to pay all utilities, in Chicago I always only had to pay phone and electric and that hasn't changed), moving back to Chicago has gotten more and more appealing.

I posed a hypothetical question to my daughter last week. I asked her what would make her want to stay in Atlanta. We both love the big, beautiful homes here. I asked her if we won the lottery and could buy ones of these big mini-mansions, would she want to stay. She said, she still wouldn't want to stay even if we could buy one of these huge houses--that living in a huge house here wouldn't change for her the fact that there isn't much to do.

[Staysean23]

All u do is complain complain complain I think everyone has gotten the idea what u don't like about Atlanta u have taken every opprotunity u can to do this I don't know if this is a outlet for u to relieve your frustration but geez. You have to remember everyone doesn't share the same issues u have. I could go on and on and Complain about NY and Chicago based on what I'm looking for and how they don't provide the quality of life I like.You do know there are a lot of NY and Chicago transplants here

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

I get attacked a lot for being negative about Atlanta but everything rzzz described is why I am planning to move back to my hometown of Chicago within a year or two.

I didn't have a lot of money back in Chicago but it didn't seen to be an issue because I was never without anything to do. In Chicago you can do a lot for just the cost of bus fare. Here, not so much. You can have fun on a budget in Chicago, in Atlanta you don't have very many options. Moving here I was forced to take on the expense of car ownership. In Chicago I didn't have that expense so that was more money free to shop and do things on weekends. I never owned a vehicle or even had a driver's license before I moved to GA. Didn't need one back home.

I am single (divorced) and also have a teen and finding fun, affordable things to do for either of us is a challenge here in Atlanta. She complains of boredom often.

To rent a nice place in Atlanta is about as much as Chicago or not very much less and yet offers less as a city.

My mom, who also lives here posed in interesting question the other day. She asked me what the justification is of buying a million-dollar home in Atlanta. She said she just doesn't see what's here that would warrant buying an expensive home in places like Buchkead or Va-Hi.

You are right that rent isn't cheap here. I may pay a little more in rent when I move back home but the fact that I won't have to drive everywhere and can save on gas, coupled with the fact that there are lots of free activities, and most utilities are included with most apartments in Chicago (in Georgia I have to pay all utilities, in Chicago I always only had to pay phone and electric and that hasn't changed), moving back to Chicago has gotten more and more appealing.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Staysean23

All u do is complain complain complain I think everyone has gotten the idea what u don't like about Atlanta u have taken every opprotunity u can to do this I don't know if this is a outlet for u to relieve your frustration but geez. You have to remember everyone doesn't share the same issues u have. I could go on and on and Complain about NY and Chicago based on what I'm looking for and how they don't provide the quality of life I like.You do know there are a lot of NY and Chicago transplants here

As this is a public forum, I have the right to voice my opinion. I agree with some of the sentiments expressed in this thread and I have posted that. That is my right as a member of City Data to do so as long as I follow the guidelines and not attack anyone. Yet people love to want to jump all over me.

And yes I do know there are lots of transplants from Chicago and NYC. At least the ones I know personally don't like it here and want to leave too or have left lol.

Since you don't like my posts, you can always add me to your ignore list so you don't have to read them. Problem solved.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

You are right that rent isn't cheap here. I may pay a little more in rent when I move back home but the fact that I won't have to drive everywhere and can save on gas, coupled with the fact that there are lots of free activities, and most utilities are included with most apartments in Chicago (in Georgia I have to pay all utilities, in Chicago I always only had to pay phone and electric and that hasn't changed), moving back to Chicago has gotten more and more appealing.

I only ever had to pay electric and water here. What else are you having to pay?

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

I only ever had to pay electric and water here. What else are you having to pay?

Gas, water, and electric. Water is $55 a month. People I know who own houses don't pay as much for water as I do.