CA woman possibly relocating to Atlanta (Sandy Springs, Alpharetta: transplants, insurance, condo) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

flyteacher · 12-09-2006, 05:36 PM

I am a teacher who wants to own a home. I need a guide and will possibly come to Atlanta in January to find neighborhoods and interview for jobs. Can anyone help? If you have information about neighborhoods and schools I would appreciate some information.

Cobb · 12-09-2006, 05:54 PM

Hi my name is gwen. I'm here is los angeles. I just bought a home in a suburb of atl. I'll be moving in feb. I have plenty info for you.

e-mail me at pvbs52@dslextreme.com

merlin70 · 12-09-2006, 06:18 PM

You should try to narrow down where you will be working first and then look at places to live somewhat nearby. Atlanta is a big place, 5 million people and quite spread out.

Loiyan · 12-10-2006, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyteacher

I am a teacher who wants to own a home. I need a guide and will possibly come to Atlanta in January to find neighborhoods and interview for jobs. Can anyone help? If you have information about neighborhoods and schools I would appreciate some information.

I will also be moving to the Atlanta area and searching for teaching jobs. Atlanta Public schools pays the most, Dekalb next. I did know people who worked for APS, but they have all since quit and now work for Dekalb and Gwinnett. Depending on elementary, middle and high, and if you mind dealing with behavior problems or not will drastically narrow your search. In Dekalb, only a few middle and high schools even made AYP which is the basic goal all schools want to make. I cross referenced schools that have passed AYP for three or more years, I also looked at free/reduced lunch, zip code and I checked out school websites. I was able to narrow it down to 3 middle schools, one high school and several elementary schools....in Dekalb county. I also hear they have the best benefit package in terms of insurance, retirement, etc. They have tons of positions and the easiest application, all on-line. They will be having a job fair in March. Fulton is also an option, but there benefits aren't as great. There is also Cobb. All the rest of the counties pay less and start getting far away from Atlanta. I would consider Dekalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Fulton...in that order. If you are a city girl and can deal with a true "urban" setting, check out APS, pay is the best.

West Coast Forever · 12-18-2006, 01:32 PM

I moved here from the Bay Area...have a beautiful home and ABSOLUTELY HATE ATLANTA. It is not worth moving here to buy a house. The people are not friendly at all, and there is NO SOUTHERN hospitality. They are so focused on keeping everything racially devided and maintaining their "old thinking patterns". Everyone that I meet here from Cali, cannot adjust to the South. I'm trying to move back to the Bay....It's worth it!!! I'll just get a condo oppose to a house there.

merlin70 · 12-18-2006, 08:31 PM

I'm going to disagree W. Coast Forever. I'm from "Cali" and so is my wife, and we both loved Atlanta. Further, I met a bunch of other California refugees and most people's experience was positive. As near as I can tell, somewhere about 30% didn't like it, mostly due to the weather change not the people.

Not sure where you were from in the bay area, but I can tell you the people in Atlanta are far more friendly than San Diego. When we moved back we really noticed the change in the rudeness of people here.

Personally, I would stick with the big house in Atlanta rather than a crackerbox shack in Cali. Just my take of course.

backfist · 12-20-2006, 12:50 PM

Although I don't hate it here, I understand where WestCoastForever is coming from. There's a line of division in Atlanta, and for the most part, its a given. Too few people challenge it. But true Californians would.

One dirty little secret is that some folks from "enlightened" areas like New York, New England or Chicago actually like the idea of those old dividing lines.

But thankfully, that's changing.

stvincent · 12-20-2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Coast Forever

I moved here from the Bay Area...have a beautiful home and ABSOLUTELY HATE ATLANTA. It is not worth moving here to buy a house. The people are not friendly at all, and there is NO SOUTHERN hospitality. They are so focused on keeping everything racially devided and maintaining their "old thinking patterns". Everyone that I meet here from Cali, cannot adjust to the South. I'm trying to move back to the Bay....It's worth it!!! I'll just get a condo oppose to a house there.

Alot of people come to Atlanta and think it's some sort of paridise. I have lived here almost all my life, so I don't know how these rumors get started. I have visited many cities in the U.S. and would have to say it is the most class-concious city in America. Most people can't stand the idea of those not in their class. The middle class doesn't want to be near the lower class immigrants. The upper-middle class wants nothing to do with the middle class and so on.

As for racial diversity, you can't force that. Too many Blacks chose not to integrate white neighborhoods and the same is true for whites. But, with such a large population in Atlanta being from somewhere else, I don't think you can blame this separation on Southern ideals. Northerners and Westerners happily fall in step with the divided way of life Atlanta offers. Hardly anyone challenges this lifestyle with anything other than words. Most affluent White families are not going to consider moving to Cascade and since Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody are still lily white for the most part, not enough affluent Black families are moving to integrate Atlanta's white neighborghoods. I have gotten used to this myself, and just accept that Atlantan's want to be around those most like them, even the transplants. It's just as the way things are here.

LLD · 12-20-2006, 05:21 PM

I realy find the variety of perspectives across different forums about different locations to be quite fascinating. The perceptioins are just all over the map.

In my travels to Atlanta and Athens, GA I've always felt welcome and that people were generally very friendly. I'm originally from Texas and people are very open and friendly there too IMO. I remember being in the breast cancer walk in Atlanta in 2001 and everyone was so incredibly supportive and nice and friendly, even the policemen who helped direct traffic telling all us tired and sweaty women that we looked like the flowers that were blooming in the morning.

I've traveled lots to California on business and generally people are nice but once in a while I run into a Californian that thinks they are better than people from other states, just like we have some really loud and obnoxious Texans that think Texas is its own country! LOL And neither of these types seem particularly welcoming to newcomers.

When I first moved to DC, I thought everyone was cold and stuck up and then eventually realized they were more formal but once I got to know them they were nice too and I have some friendships from there that will last a lifetime. I completely agree that it usually takes 1 to 2 years to acclimate to the culture of a place and start to feel like you are part of things to some degree.

jaeidiaz · 12-31-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backfist

Although I don't hate it here, I understand where WestCoastForever is coming from. There's a line of division in Atlanta, and for the most part, its a given. Too few people challenge it. But true Californians would.

Would you care to elaborate? I am thinking of moving from L.A. and I am just trying to get a feel for what people are saying.

Granted, to each is own. Some people like ATL and some don't - it's the way of the world.