Any Floridians Out There Who Recently Made Move to Atlanta/Gwinnett County Area? (Lawrenceville: broker)

[SoFlaMom]

I'm curious to know if there is anyone who recently (last couple years or so)moved from Florida to Atlanta Metro area? People say that Atlanta Metro is hot, trafficky, etc... but I can't help but believe it's better than living down here in hell (referring to the heat in South Florida). Don't get me wrong, South Florida is beautiful - when you're looking at it from inside a comfortable, air-conditioned building. And I live three minutes from where I teach, so I don't ever deal with traffic. Pieces of it are truly idyllic. But the school system is horrendous; students have very little manners, and most of their parents have none! Traffic does get bad here, but I don't know compared to Atlanta. And about the heat - it NEVER goes away - stifling heat and humidity except two or three days here and there. I just can't take another humid 85 degree Christmas. I didn't feel like we even had a holiday season. My husband likes it down here - but I hate it. I'm trying to get him to consider Gwinnett County. Please tell me if you're happy with your move to Georgia.

[Mattie]

Originally Posted by SoFlaMom

I'm curious to know if there is anyone who recently (last couple years or so)moved from Florida to Atlanta Metro area? People say that Atlanta Metro is hot, trafficky, etc... but I can't help but believe it's better than living down here in hell (referring to the heat in South Florida). Don't get me wrong, South Florida is beautiful - when you're looking at it from inside a comfortable, air-conditioned building. And I live three minutes from where I teach, so I don't ever deal with traffic. Pieces of it are truly idyllic. But the school system is horrendous; students have very little manners, and most of their parents have none! Traffic does get bad here, but I don't know compared to Atlanta. And about the heat - it NEVER goes away - stifling heat and humidity except two or three days here and there. I just can't take another humid 85 degree Christmas. I didn't feel like we even had a holiday season. My husband likes it down here - but I hate it. I'm trying to get him to consider Gwinnett County. Please tell me if you're happy with your move to Georgia.

Moved to Milton from Weston in 2005. Yes, we are very happy we did. Maybe today isn't the best day to ask though, it's freezing here! Also, traffic really is worse in Atlanta, but everything else is better, in our opinion. You must pick your school carefully, just as in FL, as some are overcrowded.

[JayRockTeam]

Most of the people that I know that have made the move to ATL have liked it for the most part. As for traffic, I have to say that when I'm down at the brokerage in Ft. Lauderdale I loathe the traffic on the highways and opt to take the streets to the city. So that being said I think that traffic in MIA is worse than here. Gwinnett county schools have a few well ranked schools and there are some very nice neighborhoods that are reasonably priced.

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[SoFlaMom]

I thought there were a lot of people making this move. It's all everybody in Florida talks about...moving to Atlanta! Maybe it's just all talk.

[compelled to reply]

In the past I considered it because of a potential job opportunity (not mandatory), but I never ended up doing it between the worse crime scattered all throughout the metro, segregated feel, all of the traffic I sat in staying there for a full month, the nasty haze over the Atlanta skyline, the even more high-school like workplace politics, and talking to some of the locals about living there, including some ex Floridians. That being said, I really shouldn't be entitled to reply to this thread because I didn't actually make the move. I would consider heading further north over Atlanta...North Carolina (Raleigh, parts of Charlotte area), maybe Tennessee (outside of Nashville). In my opinion, Atlanta is kind of like South Florida but...well...worse. Just my opinion, but I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of crap for it. Admittely, I don't live there, but I have spent lots of time in and around that city and throughly considered a move there in the past myself.

Yeah, I hear a lot of talk about Atlanta down here. I know a couple people that made the move from here. A few sound exactly like the less objective people on this forum ("ohhhh, it's great! no crime whatsoever, no Hispanics speaking Spanish in my ear, traffic is nothing compared to the Turnpike!), many told me they want to come back here, but almost everybody told me that people are more friendly/mannerly there, and I noticed that myself.

[maddy1980]

Originally Posted by SoFlaMom

I thought there were a lot of people making this move. It's all everybody in Florida talks about...moving to Atlanta! Maybe it's just all talk.

The same as my area of florida! All the young professionals especially the african american ones go to atlanta for better jobs and better living. Yes believe it or not atlanta is much nicer and less expensive than certain areas of florida including the smaller less populated cities. OUr beaches can be nice but who has time to swim all day and all night? And by this summer another florida girl me will be heading out to atlanta s well because I am pursuing a media business and atlanta has more of what I need to work with.

[Think (Freedom)]

SoFlaMom - I lived in Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville) for 4 years (from '03 to '07, and am a Miami native), and the weather in Atlanta is horrible IMO. While not as hot as it is here, it is just as humid. And its contanstly raining. The first year I moved there, it rained for nearly 2 weeks without end. Yes, we have Hurricane season, but you know the rain here only lasts a few hours. In GA, it rains for days and days.

Traffic is terrible. Its worse than here. As is the crime. Yes, Atlanta has more crime than here. And the cops are too busy pulling you over for speeding instead of trying to actually catch some criminals.

In MY opinion, and MY experience, I hated living there and was more than happy to come back home. I'm not saying that the same will happen to you, but do some research and visits before making any radical decisions that you may later regret. Yes, for the most part, people are a lot nicer. I met some awesome people and made great friends in my time there. But I felt like I never fit in. Its very small town for me.

[applejuice]

Well I moved from South Florida to Atlanta (not Gwinnett) in 2005 and love the area!

Maybe it depends what part of Georgia you move too?

[otoatlanta]

Moved from Florida to the Atlanta area just within the past few months. We have already been burglarized, and we moved to the "low crime" suburbs of Cherokee County in an upscale neighborhood. Pretty disappointing and made us second think our move.

The other thing is that people apparently have a difficult time driving around here(running from cops,maybe??) I have never seen so many accidents. It's insane. It makes me wonder about all the churches I see around here as well(you will never see so many until you come here), and yet the criminal element(from speeding to murder) seems to be way more in your face here than in Florida. Very weird indeed. We'll have to see. The burglary may have us thinking negatively, but the fact that we have to spend weeks potentially, in court concerning it, is not likely to make it any better.

[OhioNative]

Yeah, suburban Atlanta does have a somewhat wild west feel, with crime spread out everywhere. Part of the problem is not enough police for the population. Another factor is the transient nature of the population.