Is the Atlanta area a good place for me?

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by JeffSanDimas

Texas is defintely up there, and I was thinking that it might be a better transition for a lifelong westerner than going straight to somewhere totally east coast/Deep South like Atlanta. But at the same time, prices in Texas seem to be catching up to California, it's just as geographically isolated (unless I want to go to Tulsa or Juarez...again, no), and although it's gigantic state a lot of the cities aside from Houston are clustered in an area that doesn't have much seasonal variation/is just prairies and desert, and also the SW mega drought is affecting them as much as us out here in CA, which really concerns me.

Also, it has more Californians than Georgia, which is a point for GA! LOL

It's still a toss up, but I'm curious as to which parts of Atlanta and its suburbs you think would fit me the best?

After I graduate I was planning a trip down to Florida with some friends, I'm thinking I might wanna drive with some Pit Stops in Texas and Georgia.

I think you have the right ideas generally speaking.

You might also consider Nashville or Charlotte.

I hope I don't accidentally open a bag of worms, but I want to make a crude over-generalizations between Texas and Georgia to put an idea in your mind to differentiate the two.

Houston is the type of place you can fly into and actually see highway message boards throughout town directing you to the gun show. I literally cracked up when I saw this. It was so stereotypical.

Georgia is a bit more mellow about guns, in comparison. We tend to have a libertarian bent about guns, they are common in exurban and rural communities... but Texas flaunts it and it is more of a visible gun culture. People don't make a big deal about it here, with the exception of one idiot wanting to shock people in the airport a few months back.

Georgia also has a bit more colonial roots its history. We aren't as conservative as Texas and in my opinion that is a good thing. Texas takes things to the extremes with many pros and cons that come with that.

What I will say is Houston and Dallas has outpaced Atlanta in recent years. They will have a strong job market for you, but you might find more job opinions in Atlanta since out construction sector was hit so hard it is re-growing from the ground up now (ie. needs fresh employees).

Houston is more likely to have open zoning and frequent freeway development, whereas Atlanta had freeway revolts and much more historic neighborhood protection and zoning patterns.

I mention this not to say one is better than the other, but there is a difference in how the conservative ideologies play out locally. One of these might fit you better than the other.

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

There are also some good areas on the Southside in outer suburban South Metro Atlanta that should be mentioned because of their very high quality-of-life (most notably Peachtree City and Fayette County and parts of Coweta and Henry counties)....But those southern suburbs will not put you as close to the heavily wooded and mountainous areas north of the city as the aforementioned Northern outer suburbs will.

South metro will be closer to Atlanta Motor Speedway though. And if you are into racing, Friday Night Drags is where it's at. That's a long haul on a Friday night from any of the northern suburbs though.

O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags | Events/Tickets | Atlanta Motor Speedway

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by Tryska

South metro will be closer to Atlanta Motor Speedway though. And if you are into racing, Friday Night Drags is where it's at. That's a long haul on a Friday night from any of the northern suburbs though.

O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags | Events/Tickets | Atlanta Motor Speedway

I was going to say consider someplace like Hampton as well because it would put him near Atlanta Motor Speedway. I have a friend who lives there who is upside down in her mortgage because the prices dropped so dramatically. I don't know about apartments in the area, but you could probably rent a house if you desired. The area feels safe to me though it seems a little more rural than suburban.

i am sure there are many, but the only gun range I know of is in Marietta. I don't know of any racing up that way, but there may be something. Make sure you find a real one because those Cobb County traffic nazis will definitely give you a speeding ticket which seems like an anomally considering the traffic is usually so heavy you couldn't speed if you needed to.

You sounds like you should surely be able to find somewhere in Atlanta metro that would suit you. It seems like the majority of construction in the area right not iw going on Midtown and Buckhead. I realize that's not the same thing as being an estimator so in reality you may have to drive all over when you find work. I do think that there are more foreclosures on the south side (although I could be mistaken) so it makes Hampton seem like a better choice at least for your commute unless you mean estimator in the sense that you calculate the costs before something new is built. I'm not that familiar with the field.

Good luck!

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

I was going to say consider someplace like Hampton as well because it would put him near Atlanta Motor Speedway. I have a friend who lives there who is upside down in her mortgage because the prices dropped so dramatically. I don't know about apartments in the area, but you could probably rent a house if you desired. The area feels safe to me though it seems a little more rural than suburban.

i am sure there are many, but the only gun range I know of is in Marietta. I don't know of any racing up that way, but there may be something. Make sure you find a real one because those Cobb County traffic nazis will definitely give you a speeding ticket which seems like an anomally considering the traffic is usually so heavy you couldn't speed if you needed to.

You sounds like you should surely be able to find somewhere in Atlanta metro that would suit you. It seems like the majority of construction in the area right not iw going on Midtown and Buckhead. I realize that's not the same thing as being an estimator so in reality you may have to drive all over when you find work. I do think that there are more foreclosures on the south side (although I could be mistaken) so it makes Hampton seem like a better choice at least for your commute unless you mean estimator in the sense that you calculate the costs before something new is built. I'm not that familiar with the field.

Good luck!

There is a big gun range on the SouthSide in Forest Park too. But yeah - they are all over. One in Midtown as well, or coming soon as I understand it.