relocated people-what do you think of city of Atlanta? (Alpharetta: relocating, real estate)

[l12]

Originally Posted by mg83

I live intown, right where Buckhead meets Vinings.

I don't think this really qualifies as intown. In fact I find all of Buckhead to be pretty much a really dense suburb, built for cars and yuppies full of parking lots and chain restaurants.

I don't know where you lived in Florida that was less boring than Atlanta. Yes, in Florida there tends to be 1 downtown where everyone goes out at night. This is not necessarily a good thing.

The great thing about really big cities is you can find your own neighborhoods/mini-downtowns where just your kind of people go. There are plenty of them in Atlanta, maybe you just haven't found yours yet, I don't know what you are looking for. In Atlanta you can actually afford to live near your favorite neighborhood, unlike most big cities.

In Florida no one wants to live downtown but they all go there on the weekends so it's full of everyone, but mainly ghetto hip-hop/club people which are very annoying to others though it can be an entertaining zoo.

I live in FL currently and am looking forward to moving to Atlanta, let me know if you have any other reasons you think I'm making a mistake. But I pretty much hate everything about FL so I doubt it.

[l12]

Originally Posted by mg83

In Atlanta, there are outdoorsy things to do on the weekends (though NOT now, it's been cold since late November), but as a female, I wouldn't do them alone. I'd NEVER hike the Hooch trails alone, I'd never just hang out in one of the parks here. I dunno, I just don't feel comfortable here all by myself. I don't know what people do here on the weekends. I mean, how many times can you go to the aquarium? Or to the High? It really gets old and boring. Seems like the only thing to do is shop.

Hmm.. well, if you really love the beach that much, you obviously will never like Atlanta. However, I don't know why you'd be scared to hang out in say Piedmont Park or Grant Park, they are both beautiful and full of people in the daytime on weekends.

There are plenty of new restaurants to try, there are smaller more indie art galleries, there are often great concerts. I really can't imagine what they have in Florida that they don't in Atlanta except for the beach. And they certainly have a better arts/music/restaurant scene in atlanta compared to anywhere in FL except for Miami. I couldn't imagine living there because it's just hot and humid as hell 365 days/year but if you like that weather then by all means, that's your place. Expensive too.

I think I prefer people who like to shop to people who just hang out on the beach all day, seems awfully boring to me, not to mention unhealthy, but hey, that's me. And I don't like to shop really, but at least you see a lot of different people and places.

[l12]

Originally Posted by Timmo

I'm new here, but overall I like Atlanta. It seems to me like a young New York, what NY would have been, if build today instead of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. That said, only the downtown areas are like NY, and downtown is pretty lame compared to NY. Similar neighborhoods? Not many. It's more like northern NJ in feel.

Like the other poster said (plessthanpointtohfive) Atlanta is quite different from New Orleans. Actually, I think the Faubourg Marigny is very much like Greenwich Village, not this little 5P. What is Little 5P like? Hmm. Maybe a little like Haight-Ashbury. Definitely not Greenwich Village, not the whole village. I saw the post about New Orleans culture vs Atlanta. I've always thought that it wasn't the culture we liked, but the lifestyle. Think about it. We like N'awlins for the libertine, party till you drop lifestyle. Honestly, the culture was very tourist-driven and low level. There's just enough of Maple Leaf bar, Mardi Gras, "Brass Bands", Le Bon Ton, etc. that one can take. New Orleans needed good schools, not more parties.

Of course, I don't like the traffic here, but overall Atlanta is alright. Give downtown more life.

I really agree with everything you said, very good analysis. It's true that you can't compare Atlanta to anything in New York, mass transit is just too bad so everyone needs a car and won't live in such a density.

It's true, it is a lot like Haight-Ashbury, both L5P and East Atlanta Village, that's a very good comparison and one that I like.

In fact, I feel all of Atlanta is a bit like SF, midtown as well. Very hilly and pretty houses with small gardens/trees, nothing like nyc.

Of course the culture is very different, and the weather/natural beauty is a lot less of an attraction. Though for the east perhaps it is among the best in weather at least.

As for a young New York, of course, the entrenched Southern culture may fight that. Not being near the water kills it for some people. And of course, if New York was built in the late 20th century instead of 19th and early 20th, it would be very different! The invention of the cheap car and suburbs changed this entire nation, much for the worse IMO.

And Atlanta may be emblematic of that but hopefully the urban development it is seeing now will continue even faster than in other cities because of the horrible traffic, and it may very well be a truly great city in 50 years or less.

And I also agree with you a lot about New Orleans. I really want to love it and live there for it's attitude to life, rich history, beautiful architecture, but actually living there it is just too poor and tourist-oriented, not a real city anymore, just a dying disneyworld for drunks.

[l12]

Originally Posted by minyalee

My biggest complaint is the air quality and allergies. Since we have been here, my son has been sick. He was just diagnosed with Asthma which totally shocked me. My allergies have gone crazy, actually worse than Florida, which I thought had some of the worst allergies in the country. Apparently Atlanta is one of the worst places for people with allergies and/or asthma. But so are the other very large cities in the south.

This is one of my biggest fears about moving to Atlanta. I have pretty bad allergies in Florida, that completely disappear if I go to DC or north of there.

I expected Atlanta would be a little better than Florida.

But the few times I have been there I have been more miserable than ever before in my life (in the winter).

I will have to test it more but I'd love to hear any experiences about this.

What are the best and worst times of year for you?

Any idea why it's so bad in ATL?

Thanks

[plessthanpointohfive]

Being raised in the NEw Orleans area I don't ahve a problem with mold or pollen.

BTW, I totally disagree with everyone's assesment of NOLA as a place to live (on this thread). It's obvious to me these observations come from someone who is not familiar with the real NOLA. To imply that it's all about the party or "Maple Leaf bar, Mardi Gras, "Brass Bands", Le Bon Ton, etc." is absurd.

Can I tell you that one of the things that attracted me to Candler Park was how much it reminded me of NOLA?

Native NOLAns aren't about "Maple Leaf bar, Mardi Gras, "Brass Bands", Le Bon Ton, etc.".[SIZE=2]
[/SIZE]

[l12]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Native NOLAns aren't about "Maple Leaf bar, Mardi Gras, "Brass Bands", Le Bon Ton, etc.".[SIZE=2][/SIZE]

I agree with you there, I didn't really mean that all that stuff was the bad part. The bad part is that the economy is so geared to tourist trade. I went to Nola not long ago and experienced I believe the 'real nola' going to local places recommended by locals and it was very cool and cosmopolitan and similar to cool neighborhoods in Atlanta, I agree. In fact, it probably had even more of those places than Atlanta, and they looked a lot cooler with all of the old beautiful buildings.

However the people I met were mostly in the tourist trade, restaurant workers etc.

That said, I do really like Nola though I'd be scared of the flooding to live there as well as hating the heat.

What made you leave for Atlanta and what do you miss about Nola?

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by l12

This is one of my biggest fears about moving to Atlanta. I have pretty bad allergies in Florida, that completely disappear if I go to DC or north of there.

I expected Atlanta would be a little better than Florida.

But the few times I have been there I have been more miserable than ever before in my life (in the winter).

I will have to test it more but I'd love to hear any experiences about this.

What are the best and worst times of year for you?

Any idea why it's so bad in ATL?

Thanks

There are many trees and plants. Lots of pollen in the Spring. 3-4 weeks at peak.
The 5,000,000 commuters/consumers = significant toll on the environment.

Go Here>>>
Air Quality Index | ajc.com
and
Atlanta Air Quality Hits Danger Zone
bhs

[plessthanpointohfive]

I moved here for the main reason others do - work! Actually, we moved to Athens so my husband could go to UGA for grad school. Then we moved to Larryville (burbs) while he went to school and I worked in the city. After he graduated we moved into the city.

When we moved to Georgia, back in 2002, I didn't think we'd be staying. But, it's home now. I've sort of made a second family here, not just with my husband and son, but with good friends we've made. And I really LOVE the weather here (esp. compared to NOLA). And I just really enjoy living in this city.

You're right in that NOLA has a heavy tourist thing going on. And Atlanta wants that. Personally, I don't think Atlanta is such a great tourist town but I think it's a really great place to actually live. That's no small thing since most of the revenue comes from business. I mean, I understand trying to get tourism revenue but...so far, Atlanta hasn't really done a convincing job of showing America why it should vacation here....

What Atlanta really needs to do is advertise it's festivals....especially to the conventioneers....that coudl get the word out.

Oh, back when I said somethign about L5P being like Greenwich Village - only going by here-say. I've only been to GW at night, in a cab going to a bar, and I was drunk...don't really remember what it looked like! LOL!

[Vantanna]

[quote=Northman; As I said, I lived in Detroit also, and Atlanta's crime is worse, I don't care what the "statistics" say. Both inner cities have serious issues obviously, but Atlanta has 10 times the suburban crime problem that Detroit does. I lived it, so I know it.


I just left Detroit. Atlanta has nowhere near the crime, paranoia, grime and overall depression of DET. And I love Detroit, but c'mon man Please. NO WAY is it comparable.

[l12]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Oh, back when I said somethign about L5P being like Greenwich Village - only going by here-say. I've only been to GW at night, in a cab going to a bar, and I was drunk...don't really remember what it looked like! LOL!

Yeah, I understand. "Like Greenwich Village" is the cliche always used to describe any city's 'cool, hip, young, up and coming, artsy' neighborhood. Despite the fact that the actual village was that about 50 years ago and is now mainly a playland for ultra-rich older hip people and not home to many music venues, artsy things etc., because it is too expensive.

The comparison is accurate in terms of the ideal and zeitgeist of the place (-50 years) however the difference is that greenwich village is huge, 120+ square blocks of very dense urban architecture, whereas L5p is like 5 urban shopping blocks with almost suburban houses behind. So it's pretty darn different. Nicer to live in perhaps, but also more boring and underwhelming.

The Haight-Ashbury comparison is much better as that is also a place that's smaller and you can actually have a house near there.

The main differences though that I notice between L5P & both the Haight and the Village is

a. those latter 2 places are FULL of gay people openly kissing and walking hand in hand, I haven't seen this much in Atlanta! Is there some kind of prejudice there? I found the races pretty mixed in Atlanta and progressive, but not so sure about the gay scene being mixed with straight..

b. Constant smell of marijuana and lots of questionable/homeless people in the latter 2 places, don't see that much in L5P either, which is good I guess, though not sure what it says about the liberalness of ATL.