Is Perception of Atlanta as Place to Live Going Downhill? (Fayetteville: transplants, real estate)

[isawooty]

Originally Posted by hautemomma

Atlanta ranks no. 61 in U.S. News list of Best Places to Live | www.ajc.com

Is Atlanta one of the best places to live in the U.S.? Um, not exactly, according to U.S. News & World Report's inaugural ranking of the best places to live among the nation's 100 most populous metro areas.

Some articles are so stupid, they don't even deserve a response.

The best places to live are the ones that people are moving to. The best places to avoid are the ones that are stagnant and losing population.

That being said, nearly 100k people chose Atlanta last year so...

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cabasse

not compared to plenty of other places. the air quality here is considerably worse in my experience. i read some statistic recently that natural gas drilling contributes half of the air pollution in the dfw area - and there are more cars and people driving here than back home. you can smell the petroleum in the air here frequently. there are fewer and shorter trees as well so less of a natural filter...

Statistics tell otherwise. On ozone and particulate matter, Atlanta is one of the worst in the country (when you exclude the California cities that lead every list). On ozone Denver (Rocky Mountains) and Houston (1/4 nation's refining capacity) are worse. But Atlanta for some reason, without any heavy industry, is bad on just about every air pollution list. The haze exists almost all the time. That doesn't happen too many other places. Not in Dallas. Not in Houston. Not in San Francisco.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by isawooty

Some articles are so stupid, they don't even deserve a response.

The best places to live are the ones that people are moving to. The best places to avoid are the ones that are stagnant and losing population.

That being said, nearly 100k people chose Atlanta last year so...

So...you must think Houston and Dallas are even better as they have grown more.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

So...you must think Houston and Dallas are even better as they have grown more.

In the sense that they have strong economies combined with relatively low cost of living, yeah. Draws.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by primaltech

In the sense that they have strong economies combined with relatively low cost of living, yeah. Draws.

Ok, so the best measure of the best places to live is "most disposable income"? Air/water quality, cultural and recreational attractions be damned?

[residinghere2007]

I thought it interesting that Fayetteville, AR was so high on the list. We have relatives in AR near Fayetteville but have never been there. I think I will visit next time we are in the area.

I was also surprised my hometown (Toledo, OH) made the top 100. A large amount of people who live in Toledo hate it and they get mad at me when I say that it is a decent city lol. Mostly due to cost of living. I have over $1k more left over every month living here than I did in Atlanta.

But I agree that these "lists" really don't mean much. I agree with primaltech that desirability is more measured by how many people are moving to an area and the economic condition along with a few other minor factors. That said, I do understand that just because someone is moving for a job, it doesn't mean it is the "best" place for a person to live, which is why you will always hear people complaining about a move or where they live no matter which city/town they reside.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I thought it interesting that Fayetteville, AR was so high on the list. We have relatives in AR near Fayetteville but have never been there. I think I will visit next time we are in the area.

Walmart HQ is located in nearby Bentonville.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I thought it interesting that Fayetteville, AR was so high on the list. We have relatives in AR near Fayetteville but have never been there. I think I will visit next time we are in the area.

I hear good things about that area (NWA). People seem to like it. The university is also there and jokes aside about the academic standards, it generally helps to have a large state university in the area. Adds to the economy and often stabilizes it.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I thought it interesting that Fayetteville, AR was so high on the list. We have relatives in AR near Fayetteville but have never been there. I think I will visit next time we are in the area.

I was also surprised my hometown (Toledo, OH) made the top 100. A large amount of people who live in Toledo hate it and they get mad at me when I say that it is a decent city lol. Mostly due to cost of living. I have over $1k more left over every month living here than I did in Atlanta.

But I agree that these "lists" really don't mean much. I agree with primaltech that desirability is more measured by how many people are moving to an area and the economic condition along with a few other minor factors. That said, I do understand that just because someone is moving for a job, it doesn't mean it is the "best" place for a person to live, which is why you will always hear people complaining about a move or where they live no matter which city/town they reside.

This list ranked only the 100 most populous metros in the country.

[isawooty]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

So...you must think Houston and Dallas are even better as they have grown more.

This comment is about as stupid as this article. Both could have been saved, but whatever.