Anyone here ever lived in Atlanta and Chicago? (place, life, highest)

[atler8]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

Yes, been to the dells a few times, very kitschy/ road side attractiony. Nothing to write home about. It's where the family's that can't afford to fly go on vacation in IL, WI, and MN

Yes, it's true that there is plenty of "kitsch" found in The Dells but then there's also the awesome natural beauty of the area.
I'd suggest taking the boat ride that goes up the beautiful Wisconsin River and see the cliffs that are the actual "Dells" at the heart of the reason to visit there.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

^ Dude, you're nuts! There are far more hardwoods and towering trees in the Chicago area. Atlanta is infested with pine trees that choke out the majestic hardwoods. Give it up, it's the wrong argument!

Somebody tell that to those trees that put out all that Oak pollen in April.

Houston Mill Road, northeast Atlanta. The pines? They're here, but hardly dominant.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8029...7i13312!8i6656

[Otakumaster]

Y’all arguing over trees. Lol.

[flamadiddle]

Originally Posted by Otakumaster

Y’all arguing over trees. Lol.

I know, it's crazy, but does remind me of one of my favorite songs.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_D0wkLyCXE

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Otakumaster

Y’all arguing over trees. Lol.

This is the City In A Forest, so it's difficult to avoid.

Old growth forest in north Georgia is usually dominated by Red and White Oak. The Lobolly pines serve their purpose, but they're usually the first saplings to appear on clearcut land, and tend to recede back into the population once the oaks and other hardwoods (Sourwood, Hickory, Poplar) reassert themselves. Besides, when the late 19th/early 20th Century neighborhoods were being developed, it wasn't pines they were planting.

[Clayton white guy]

Right on Iconographer! I also feel like our lovely city is under rated as far as fall color, too. It comes later (more like November instead of October like the North Georgia Mountains) but it is spectacular golds, oranges, and reds here, too, and I am on the southside. Tried to post pictures of "autumn glory" ironically from the woods behind the Walmart on Hudson Bridge Road last year, but could not figure it out (my beautiful tech savvy wife refused to help me, she said it was "nerdy" to post pictures of woods behind Walmart, LOL)

[Forhall]

I actually lived in Chicago for a very short period with a family member. Food wins hands down. Some of the ebst restaraunts in the world. Atlanta, for some reason, has very little "fine dining". We have almost no interesting "edgy" high end restaraunts and very few tasting menus.

Crime felt the same. Avoid X area and you're fine, just like here.

The winter is brtual. Actually, even fall and spring can be brtual. I remember having some frigid days where the wind chill was making my face numb in MAY.

I do love Chicago though, it's a great city.

[Atlanta_BD]

I have lived in both. Lived in Atlanta for several years, then Dallas for 3. Moved back to Chicago in 2017.

Chicago, even with all it's problems is still the best city hands-down. Atlanta has some cool things about it and it does have some nice restaurants but it just doesn't compare to Chicago in terms of things to do (so much great, free things to do in the summer too), public transit, parks, amount of bike lanes and cultural offerings. Chicago is extremely walkable whereas Atlanta is not. There is no such thing as no sidewalks here and there are no subdivisions. Even Chicago's inner-burbs are walkable, have transit and no subdivsions. They are still look very urban, and if you were driving around and ended up in one of them, you wouldn't you weren't still in Chicago if no one told you. Also, Atlanta's downtown has absolutely nothing on Chicago's.

People constantly bring up Chicago's crime because of the shootings, but Chicago for the most part is safe and has a lower crime rate than Atlanta, despite having way more people:

Atlanta population: 472,522. Crime per 1,000 residents: 67.85

Chicago population:2,704,958. Crime per 1,000 residents: 43.71

Though I have a car, I choose to take public transportation to work. Since everything I need is contained within a 1/2 - 2 block radius of my apartment, I walk everywhere because everything is literally too close to drive to. I don't even live in the city center, just a regular neighborhood. I also live on Lake Michigan and can walk to the beach, something Atlanta doesn't offer. With all that being said, I walk everywhere and take public transit as late is midnight and beyond and I have never felt unsafe in Chicago--and I am female. It's also much easier to get a cab here of you are out and about, especially early in the morning or very late at night; and the two main CTA lines (red and blue) run 24 hours a day. You really can do away with your car in Chicago.

While Atlanta is in close proximity to other cities, Chicago has two airports, so you can fly anywhere and you can drive to Canada if you want. I also found that international flights out of Chicago are cheaper. In the summer, there's no need in Chicago to drive hours to get to a beach because we have plenty of beach, and they are beautiful and kept clean (Chicago is for the most part, very clean, by the way). And while Atlanta does have natural beauty in terms of trees, Chicago is an architectural wonder and is absolutely gorgeous. Chicago is also affordable for a city of its scale. After moving back to Chicago, I really don't think there's anywhere else in the U.S. I would want to live because the city has it all and is cheaper than the coastal cities. I personally thought Atlanta was too expensive in terms of housing for what the city offered. But it really depends on what type of lifestyle you are looking for and what you consider a good quality of life. Atlanta is suburban-like, Chicago is very urban and gritty so again, it depends on what you prefer.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Forhall

I actually lived in Chicago for a very short period with a family member. Food wins hands down. Some of the ebst restaraunts in the world. Atlanta, for some reason, has very little "fine dining". We have almost no interesting "edgy" high end restaraunts and very few tasting menus.

Sorry, but hell to the no on that one. All it takes is a little exploration to find a multitude of what you're describing here.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/d...staurants.html

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

^ Dude, you're nuts! There are far more hardwoods and towering trees in the Chicago area. Atlanta is infested with pine trees that choke out the majestic hardwoods. Give it up, it's the wrong argument!

What is it like being so wrong, so often?

Originally Posted by Forhall

I actually lived in Chicago for a very short period with a family member. Food wins hands down. Some of the ebst restaraunts in the world. Atlanta, for some reason, has very little "fine dining". We have almost no interesting "edgy" high end restaraunts and very few tasting menus.

How many people actually search out high-end dining and tasting menus? Those "tasting menu" places appear to me to be places where you go and pay a very high price for miniature food. Simply not the scene most people are looking for.

I do love Chicago though, it's a great city.

I did enjoy the downtown there. Like the lake and the river. I wouldn't mind living in that type of area, even though it's a little busy for my tastes. But I can't live up there.