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So, just like the title implies, the wife and I are strongly considering a move to the Cobb County area of Atlanta. Both of us are born and raised Bostonians. But we are simply fed up with the harsh winters (we just had the snowiest season on record), the ridiculous prices on homes in areas with good schools ($500k+ for a decent, fairly updated 4bed 2 bath 2500-3000sqft home), and quite frankly, we are sick of the people (arrogant, self-centered, standoff-ish, not very friendly, road raging "tough guy" mentalities). Obviously, not all New Englanders are like this (like the wife and I! ) but living here our whole lives, we only have a very small group of friends (that we've known for along time) and people just don't seem too keen on bringing in new people to their "circle". Living here our whole lives, its honestly never felt like "home".
Since we were looking in the Cobb County area (which we hear is a northern transplant haven) are we simply moving to an area that has the same type of people and mentalities that we are trying to move away from? Do Northerners end up adapting to the "Southern Hospitality" mindset? I would love to hear from transplants as well as natives. Any input would be appreciated!
I'm not so sure that Cobb County has quite as many northern transplants as where we have moved to - northern Fulton County. Regardless...
We feel quite fortunate to have decided to make the move just before 110 inches fell on the town we left behind. We sold our condo, paid off its still substantial mortgage, and had enough money left over to buy a townhome here and invest another $30K in it to make it fantastic. Our state income tax will go up, of course, but just a little, and our property tax will go down significantly, even though our townhome has 300 additional square feet and we own fee simple instead of condo down here.
The highway running through this area is called the Hospitality Highway. The concept is taken seriously here. We came down here to enjoy the friendlier nature and to engage in it ourselves, and we have found that most northerners we've encountered do so as well. We just got to know another member of our church better, someone so soft-spoken and courteous we would have swore he was born in the genteel South. We came to learn that he's from Queens (New York). The least hospitable people we've encountered are actually Florida natives, though some Georgia natives are a little stand-offish toward transplants. However, it isn't a significant enough phenomenon to worry about.
The highway running through this area is called the Hospitality Highway. The concept is taken seriously here. We came down here to enjoy the friendlier nature and to engage in it ourselves, and we have found that most northerners we've encountered do so as well. We just got to know another member of our church better, someone so soft-spoken and courteous we would have swore he was born in the genteel South. We came to learn that he's from Queens (New York). The least hospitable people we've encountered are actually Florida natives, though some Georgia natives are a little stand-offish toward transplants. However, it isn't a significant enough phenomenon to worry about.
This is exactly why we want to make the move as well. I consider myself a "gets along with everybody" type of person, and my wife is the same way, if not more. But living here for so long, and dealing with nothing but (mostly) cold, arrogant people...I feel like I'm starting to build a wall and slowly turn into them! I definitely don't want that for me and my family. We are still young (31, wife 29, 1 year old daughter) so I feel like making the transition won't be as difficult.
Why would you consider relocating into a state that is unwilling to invest in it's future as regards the education needs of it's children & it's overall infrastructure & that epicly fails to fund mass transit?
Do you want to end up fuming over your relocation decision while sitting in your car in gridlock?
Were I in your shoes & unhappy location-wise with New England, I'd carefully look for a more moderate type of state environment than what Georgia & Atlanta offer. Specifically I'd look for a metro area that is not choking to death on it's traffic & one that takes planning ahead as a serious basis for growth.
I moved to south suburban Atlanta from the central city over 4 years ago & there is a huge mindset difference to be found among the various parts of the metro. For example, I am about to permanently cross off visiting a business near me where I have repeatedly run into being told the latest things that illegal immigrants do in Georgia or what Obama failed at, etc.
If you are used to and happy with the general reticence & MYOB mindset commonly found in much of New England, you may be shocked by what you may encounter down here.
By the way, the state motto of Georgia is "Wisdom, justice & moderation". If ever there has been a disconnect between the reality of the history of a state and it's official motto, it would be the disconnect of Georgia.
Why would you consider relocating into a state that is unwilling to invest in it's future as regards the education needs of it's children & it's overall infrastructure & that epicly fails to fund mass transit? Do you want to end up fuming over your relocation decision while sitting in your car in gridlock?
Were I in your shoes & unhappy location-wise with New England, I'd carefully look for a more moderate type of state environment than what Georgia & Atlanta offer. Specifically I'd look for a metro area that is not choking to death on it's traffic & one that takes planning ahead as a serious basis for growth.
I moved to south suburban Atlanta from the central city over 4 years ago & there is a huge mindset difference to be found among the various parts of the metro. For example, I am about to permanently cross off visiting a business near me where I have repeatedly run into being told the latest things that illegal immigrants do in Georgia or what Obama failed at, etc.
If you are used to and happy with the general reticence & MYOB mindset commonly found in much of New England, you may be shocked by what you may encounter down here.
By the way, the state motto of Georgia is "Wisdom, justice & moderation". If ever there has been a disconnect between the reality of the history of a state and it's official motto, it would be the disconnect of Georgia.
This obviously would be a big concern since I have a little one and plan on having more. I mean, from the areas I looked at, schools seem to be top notch. Are they simply not getting funding for computers, new text books, etc?
As far as the traffic goes, I live in a pretty congested area, where traffic on our main highway starts at around 5:30-6:00am (I wish I was kidding) and if you add 6 feet of snow over the course of a month or two and nowhere to put it, its even worse. So that wouldn't bother me as much. And considering where I end up finding work, I think we would base our home search on that.
I consider myself to be a Moderate, and I don't mind other peoples opinion in regards to politics, just as long as it is not constantly being shoved down my throat. You'd be surprised how many bumper stickers you'll see on cars around here with "Obama is a commie/muslim", "illegal immigrant hunting permit" or "*******s suck" etc etc (you get the idea). and although we do have a MYOB mindset, people here can be blunt and loud mouth obnoxious and have no problem telling you whats on their mind. The city of Boston itself it very Liberal, but just drive 20-30 mins in either direction and it gets pretty conservative.
So, just like the title implies, the wife and I are strongly considering a move to the Cobb County area of Atlanta. Both of us are born and raised Bostonians. But we are simply fed up with the harsh winters (we just had the snowiest season on record), the ridiculous prices on homes in areas with good schools ($500k+ for a decent, fairly updated 4bed 2 bath 2500-3000sqft home), and quite frankly, we are sick of the people (arrogant, self-centered, standoff-ish, not very friendly, road raging "tough guy" mentalities). Obviously, not all New Englanders are like this (like the wife and I! ) but living here our whole lives, we only have a very small group of friends (that we've known for along time) and people just don't seem too keen on bringing in new people to their "circle". Living here our whole lives, its honestly never felt like "home".
Since we were looking in the Cobb County area (which we hear is a northern transplant haven) are we simply moving to an area that has the same type of people and mentalities that we are trying to move away from? Do Northerners end up adapting to the "Southern Hospitality" mindset? I would love to hear from transplants as well as natives. Any input would be appreciated!
Let me start off by saying that I am speaking in generalities. Housing costs will not be that far off from what you quoted. 4 bedroom houses can easily go for $500k in a good school district. There are a few areas around town where 500k will barely buy you a 2 bedroom (I'm looking at you, Morningside-Lenox Park).
Cobb County in of itself as a destination is probably not the ideal target location if you are trying to avoid being annoyed or pestered by your neighbors or their attitudes. City government declining authorization for a mosque; attempts to get Harry Potter banned in public school; households being required to own a shotgun - I believe that these are all phenomena originating in Cobb County.
Having said that, it is completely possible to live in Cobb County without running into social, political, or other anthropological annoyances... but it would be a mistake to characterize it as some kind of shangri-la compared to Boston. We have Baptists instead of Catholics (check the liquor laws), and UGA Bulldawg fans instead of Southies (lol).
The very best way to avoid road rage or the stresses of commuting is to live near where you work. There is less arrogance among Atlantans than New England, but a lot of that depends on the circles that you run in.
The weather is certainly less severe in the winter, but warm climes bring their own challenges. Atlanta is on another level when it comes to pollen, and the summers can blaze pretty hot.
This is exactly why we want to make the move as well. I consider myself a "gets along with everybody" type of person, and my wife is the same way, if not more. But living here for so long, and dealing with nothing but (mostly) cold, arrogant people...I feel like I'm starting to build a wall and slowly turn into them! I definitely don't want that for me and my family. We are still young (31, wife 29, 1 year old daughter) so I feel like making the transition won't be as difficult.
That is very SAD, and it's sad that one feels that way about his or her hometown. I have encountered some very nice "yankee" transplants here in NC who were even nicer than some of the southerners. I had a real estate class with a lady from NJ who was EXTREMELY nice and friendly and would always wave and stop and chat. Provided that I raised my hand and spoke to her. Then she would talk your "leg off" as we say. If you didn't make the move on HER first though, she would walk by like she didn't know you. I guess Yankees are just making sure YOU really WANT to talk to them before they start. LOL!
This obviously would be a big concern since I have a little one and plan on having more. I mean, from the areas I looked at, schools seem to be top notch. Are they simply not getting funding for computers, new text books, etc?
As far as the traffic goes, I live in a pretty congested area, where traffic on our main highway starts at around 5:30-6:00am (I wish I was kidding) and if you add 6 feet of snow over the course of a month or two and nowhere to put it, its even worse. So that wouldn't bother me as much. And considering where I end up finding work, I think we would base our home search on that.
I consider myself to be a Moderate, and I don't mind other peoples opinion in regards to politics, just as long as it is not constantly being shoved down my throat. You'd be surprised how many bumper stickers you'll see on cars around here with "Obama is a commie/muslim", "illegal immigrant hunting permit" or "*******s suck" etc etc (you get the idea). and although we do have a MYOB mindset, people here can be blunt and loud mouth obnoxious and have no problem telling you whats on their mind. The city of Boston itself it very Liberal, but just drive 20-30 mins in either direction and it gets pretty conservative.
Schools in Cobb County have textbooks and funding for computers but for me, and I grew up in the inner city in a mid-sized Ohio city that was plagued with street gangs and such at the time, the quality of education in GA was much worse in the general public school system IMO. I actually have moved back to my hometown in Ohio and the move was about three things primarily, one of which was high school educational opportunities for my oldest as I didn't want him to go to high school in metro Atlanta. I felt if I got a superior education, basically in the ghetto lol, than what he could get in the burbs in Atlanta, I might as well move back to the ghetto lol. MA is a state with one of the highest standards in the country. I also believed that they opted out of Common Core in MA, not so in GA. FWIW, I felt Common Core was better than what they had before in GA and I don't view it as a horrible thing in general, but MA has always been one of the highly rated states when it comes to education and like I felt, your kid would more than likely have the same or a superior education in MA in an "average" school versus a "good school" in GA.
I remember some years ago in Cobb they put stickers in science books to tell students that "evolution is a theory, not a fact." So I think the poster was trying to warn you that they do get super-hyper-vigilant in some areas about uber conservative ideas and do their best to force them on school systems and other institutions as well.
I would also suggest you visit because even though people smile and speak more on the street in Atlanta than they do in Ohio where I moved back to, customer service is better in Ohio and people in customer service positions are not as likely to lie here as they are there, which was something that always got on my nerves over my 16 years in Atlanta. There is what I call a "pass the buck" culture in this regard that permeates most industries in the metro and government. I would take a sour look and the truth any day versus a smile and a lie.
This obviously would be a big concern since I have a little one and plan on having more. I mean, from the areas I looked at, schools seem to be top notch. Are they simply not getting funding for computers, new text books, etc?
As far as the traffic goes, I live in a pretty congested area, where traffic on our main highway starts at around 5:30-6:00am (I wish I was kidding) and if you add 6 feet of snow over the course of a month or two and nowhere to put it, its even worse. So that wouldn't bother me as much. And considering where I end up finding work, I think we would base our home search on that.
I consider myself to be a Moderate, and I don't mind other peoples opinion in regards to politics, just as long as it is not constantly being shoved down my throat. You'd be surprised how many bumper stickers you'll see on cars around here with "Obama is a commie/muslim", "illegal immigrant hunting permit" or "*******s suck" etc etc (you get the idea). and although we do have a MYOB mindset, people here can be blunt and loud mouth obnoxious and have no problem telling you whats on their mind. The city of Boston itself it very Liberal, but just drive 20-30 mins in either direction and it gets pretty conservative.
The hidden message behind atler's over-the-top comments are that liberalism is GOOD and conservatism is BAD. Hence his diatribe against Georgia for not being liberal enough. Some people see everything through a liberal tinted lens. The schools in the south are hurt by the lack of performance of black and Hispanic children. Too many of them do not want to go to school, do not want to learn, do not want to accept responsibility to do the work. The white students of Georgia (or white/Asian majority schools) perform about the same or even above the rest of the country. Whatever the reasons behind it are, it isn't the fault of the State of Georgia. It's a shame, but that is something that will never be resolved until they value education.
I am a right-leaning conservative with some libertarian and even "liberal" views person. I can accept some liberal views but a radical leftist would likely not be a relationship I could handle. You sound pretty moderate but if you are a straight Democratic Party voter, you will probably have difficulty being accepted in Atlanta's very conservative and very red suburbs.
The hidden message behind atler's over-the-top comments are that liberalism is GOOD and conservatism is BAD. Hence his diatribe against Georgia for not being liberal enough. Some people see everything through a liberal tinted lens. The schools in the south are hurt by the lack of performance of black and Hispanic children. Too many of them do not want to go to school, do not want to learn, do not want to accept responsibility to do the work. The white students of Georgia (or white/Asian majority schools) perform about the same or even above the rest of the country. Whatever the reasons behind it are, it isn't the fault of the State of Georgia. It's a shame, but that is something that will never be resolved until they value education.
I am a right-leaning conservative with some libertarian and even "liberal" views person. I can accept some liberal views but a radical leftist would likely not be a relationship I could handle. You sound pretty moderate but if you are a straight Democratic Party voter, you will probably have difficulty being accepted in Atlanta's very conservative and very red suburbs.
Good luck on your journey southward.
Oy vey.
This right here is the fundamental problem with Georgia.
I'm from Baltimore! I'm trying my hardest to get up out of this sewer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vtecluder617
So, just like the title implies, the wife and I are strongly considering a move to the Cobb County area of Atlanta. Both of us are born and raised Bostonians. But we are simply fed up with the harsh winters (we just had the snowiest season on record), the ridiculous prices on homes in areas with good schools ($500k+ for a decent, fairly updated 4bed 2 bath 2500-3000sqft home), and quite frankly, we are sick of the people (arrogant, self-centered, standoff-ish, not very friendly, road raging "tough guy" mentalities). Obviously, not all New Englanders are like this (like the wife and I! ) but living here our whole lives, we only have a very small group of friends (that we've known for along time) and people just don't seem too keen on bringing in new people to their "circle". Living here our whole lives, its honestly never felt like "home".
Since we were looking in the Cobb County area (which we hear is a northern transplant haven) are we simply moving to an area that has the same type of people and mentalities that we are trying to move away from? Do Northerners end up adapting to the "Southern Hospitality" mindset? I would love to hear from transplants as well as natives. Any input would be appreciated!
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) but living here our whole lives, we only have a very small group of friends (that we've known for along time) and people just don't seem too keen on bringing in new people to their "circle". Living here our whole lives, its honestly never felt like "home". 
