Considering move to ATL to escape New Englanders...am I wasting my time? (Atlanta: fit in, home)

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by vtecluder617

As far as the politics are concerned, I am fully prepared and aware that moving to greater Atlanta will be sort of a "political culture" shock for us. Like I said in a previous post, I am more of a moderate. I agree and disagree with some aspects of both political parties. I like my guns and to go shoot them, but I am not going to the gun range in a pickup with islamaphobic/anti-gay bumper stickers all over them either. Definitely middle of the road. I hope I can find some balance like that in an area around Atlanta.

You can find that around here in the more metropolitan areas. You are still going to run into a lot of woo-woos that only regurgitate what Fox tells them, but thankfully, you have options to hang out with moderates as opposed to them being the only game in town. lol. I would die, if they were the only game in town.

Regarding Courtesy, it was funny to me, on my official trip moving down here from NY, (and my first time coming South) I took I-81 and there was a distinct difference as soon as I crossed the Mason-Dixon line. There were wildflowers growing in the median, and my first pull off was in WV somewhere, and I immediately noticed the difference in customer service, definitely warmer and more polite than up north.

Also free refills are still a thing down here. lol

[vtecluder617]

Originally Posted by Tryska

You can find that around here in the more metropolitan areas. You are still going to run into a lot of woo-woos that only regurgitate what Fox tells them, but thankfully, you have options to hang out with moderates as opposed to them being the only game in town. lol. I would die, if they were the only game in town.

Regarding Courtesy, it was funny to me, on my official trip moving down here from NY, (and my first time coming South) I took I-81 and there was a distinct difference as soon as I crossed the Mason-Dixon line. There were wildflowers growing in the median, and my first pull off was in WV somewhere, and I immediately noticed the difference in customer service, definitely warmer and more polite than up north.

Also free refills are still a thing down here. lol

I don't allow that channel on in my house. Like I said I am pretty middle of the road, but there is nothing "fair and balanced" about Fox news. Fear mongering at its best.

And funny you mention I-81, we are definitely planning on going that route down instead of I-95. We heard it is a much more scenic route, and plan on stopping on the way down. Looking forward to it for sure!

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by vtecluder617

I don't allow that channel on in my house. Like I said I am pretty middle of the road, but there is nothing "fair and balanced" about Fox news. Fear mongering at its best.

And funny you mention I-81, we are definitely planning on going that route down instead of I-95. We heard it is a much more scenic route, and plan on stopping on the way down. Looking forward to it for sure!

Just make sure it is a good dry weather day when you do it. Some of the slopes through the Appalachian range can be tricky when it's slick, judging from the amount of "runaway truck" lanes along the route.

[bUU]

We've done I-81 for both Thanksgiving trips and Christmas trips and we never had a significant concern. Not that it never gets bad, but we seen generally worse conditions on I-95 in New Jersey and Maryland than I-81 in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by vtecluder617

Cobb County is definitely not the only area we'd consider, heard good things about Alpharetta as well. I am a gun owner and a firm believer in that right, but a town REQUIRING you to own one is a little much...what if guns made me uncomfortable?! And racist city government would make me re-think residing their.

The town in question is Kennesaw. I think that only heads of households are required to own a gun, but I also believe you are able to opt out for various reasons, and I get the impression that the law isn't really enforced.

Whether it acts as a real deterrent or not is a matter of some debate.


https://www.google.com/search?q=Kenn...nesaw+Gun+law+

[oping00]

I moved from Chicago to Atl and my experience was it was strange listening to people with southern accents, but a majority of people I met were transplants. Atl is a ok city, the infrastructure is terrible, but it has better weather and plenty of jobs. Think of Dallas with trees and hills.

[Francois]

Originally Posted by kasuga888

I found that southern drivers don't play nice in traffic. Either greedy (not letting people switch lanes) or try cheating (ie instead of waiting in the long exit lane, they stop all traffic on regular lane trying to merge onto exit)

I actually find that to be a "Northern" thing--New York plates and the like. In a conversation on C-D about this, once, someone from NY even said that you are SUPPOSED to go all the way up to the end of the merging lanes and that Southerners are "doing it wrong".

[paris-on-ponce]

Originally Posted by oping00

I moved from Chicago to Atl and my experience was it was strange listening to people with southern accents, but a majority of people I met were transplants. Atl is a ok city, the infrastructure is terrible, but it has better weather and plenty of jobs. Think of Dallas with trees and hills.

Define infrastructure.

City Mayors: Best cities in the world

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

The town in question is Kennesaw. I think that only heads of households are required to own a gun, but I also believe you are able to opt out for various reasons, and I get the impression that the law isn't really enforced.

Whether it acts as a real deterrent or not is a matter of some debate.


https://www.google.com/search?q=Kenn...nesaw+Gun+law+

I lived in Kennesaw for a few years and the law is definitely not enforced. I read some data that is was one of the safest areas in Georgia if not the entire southern region, but you know how stats can be fiddled with so I'm not sure if it was pure propaganda. I xcan say I felt safe there, but I would not suggest driving through a yellow light if you don't want to get a traffic ticket (specifically, at Kennesaw Due West and 41).

[ElleKaye]

I'm a transplant but still originally from the south. I had mostly lived and worked in the northwestern section of the metro which means Cobb County. It took years before I could count a handful of native Atlantans that I had met so I'd definitely agree the area is pretty transplant heavy, but not necessarily from the NE US.

I had a lot of coworkers who relocated from Boston, mostly in the 35+ up age range. Some with young children and others a bit older as near retirement age. They love the weather here and most gravitated to Woodstock in the golf communities. I'm sure that decision also had to do with the commute to Smyrna.

I have never lived in Boston, but I definitely liked it during visits. I understand that I could not have gotten the same experience during a work trip as I would having lived there, but I did find the hospitality to be about the same. I managed to get a hotel worker (i.e. total stranger) to hold my bags in a hotel next to the harbor because my co-worker ride was a few hours late. This was when the Dem convention was across the street and I could have been a terrorist for all he knew. That would never happen in Cobb Co.

I have a few hours a day in Gwinett County in very controlled circumstances, but I think it may be a bit more diverse. You might want to give it peek to see if it meets your desires and needs.