Moving in June

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

For $650K in a "good neighborhood" here still doesn't get you much. But $650K in GA is a lot of money.

A $650K house in the Bay Area suburbs is like a $130K house in the Atlanta suburbs.

650K SAN RAMON, CA

130K SUWANEE, GA

The 5:1 price differential is maintained at higher prices too.

900K SAN RAMON, CA

180K GRAYSON, GA

[Thank You]

Thanks for the visual Capoeira; that may give some a better idea of what we Bay Area women are talking about.
Going back to the insurance question- Is it standard for a company to pay insurance for the whole family or just the employee in the Atlanta area? My husband's company covers just him, we pay another 1k a month to add on me and out 2 kids.

[bayarea-girl]

Thank you, I'll start a new thread asking the same question.

[bayarea-girl]

Update:

I've been here for little less than a week and am really enjoying it. Thank you all for your advice. My experience so far:

Driving
Driving here is truley an experience that freaked me out when I first got here. I was driving 65/MPH in the slow lane and that was still too slow for GA drivers. But I'm getting the hang of it now.

Areas I love
I love Roswell and Alpharetta. They are really close to everything. Was a bit disappointed with Marietta. It is really nice but noticeably different than Roswell and Alpharetta. I was told that Marietta is taking steps to redevelop the area and the Square. In my opinion Marietta is older. Some people don't like newer developments so Marietta is for that type of person. So now I know the difference. E/W Cobb weren't vastly different like I thought from what was being described to me. But it seems like you get more land in W. Cobb. The people in Marietta are hands down friendlier and more approachable then Alpharetta and Marietta (not sure why). Oh and the other thing I wanted to mention about Alpharetta and all of these new developments is that while they look very nice, what is the plan to bring businesses into all of the vacant spaces? It doesn't look like there was good City Planning on the Developers side, when places stay idle too long it can depress and lower values.

Atlantic Station I really, really loved. I wouldn't live there (my husband would) but I love that place. It is so good for the area and just well done.

Development/Buckhead
Georgia has really changed from the 7 years since I've been here. There is a lot of building going on. Who knows what GA will look like year after. I am really disappointed with Buckhead, there was a huge hole where restaurants and bars use to be and Donald Trump has highrise buildboards plastard every where. I've never been a party person but I miss how lively the area used to be. But from what I hear from the locals the residents won't miss the problems the nightlife brought to the area.

5 Points/ Lil 5 Points
Some one told me to go to Lil 5 Points. I put in 5 Points in my GPS and thought some one was playing a joke on me. It was really depressing and scary. What is the Mayor doing about the homelessness in the area, the drugs, and the crime?

Once I went to Lil 5 Points it reminded me of Berkeley. The way the homes are, the people, the stores, etc.

Transportation
If there is anything GA is lacking and can improve on is the transportation. While areas are being development many times over it doesn't look like there is a plan to improve transportation. This is not the Green way of living, something really needs to be done. Traffic isn't as bad as CA (just my opinion). But At least people ride their bikes and jog which is really nice to see.

Sidewalks
There use to be none and now I see so many.

Melting Pot
GA is becoming more and more diverse. It use to be rare to see anything other than Black or White in GA. Now I see a lot of African, Asian, Carribean, Hispanics (did GA steall all the Hispanics from CA cause there are so many in GA), Europeans, etc.

Children in GA
There are some many things to do for the kids, I am confident about my move. I love seeing kids outside and just being able to be kids. Well groomed kids too.

GA Men
Ladies I'm married but have to tell you I love GA men. The older men are very charming and have a lot of game and aren't affraid to show it. Southern men old or young are very charming and carismatic. So I'm not sure how women are single here (I was approached from all types of men since I've been here). And, the southern accent is really really attractive. Men are men here.

GA Women
Are ever so polite, beautiful, and just well put together. Their natural beauty can give Californians a run for their money. Their taste level is really, really good.

While things change some things stay the same:
-The Waffle House is never going out of business in GA
-GA/South will remain a Bible belt state (if one more person asks me to join their church or if I believe in the Lord, I'm going to scream)
-Gay Mecca (CA no longer holds the title)
-Homes are built very nice and are well planned and spacious
-The food is amazing and portions are not for dieters
-People are warm and friendly

[bayarea-girl]

Forgot to mention,

The weather is fabulous, the trees are to die for, and the Eucalyptus smell in the air is priceless.

[chip1980]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Forgot to mention,

The weather is fabulous, the trees are to die for, and the Eucalyptus smell in the air is priceless.

"Development/Buckhead
Georgia has really changed from the 7 years since I've been here. There is a lot of building going on. Who knows what GA will look like year after. I am really disappointed with Buckhead, there was a huge hole where restaurants and bars use to be and Donald Trump has highrise buildboards plastard every where. I've never been a party person but I miss how lively the area used to be. But from what I hear from the locals the residents won't miss the problems the nightlife brought to the area."


That area is going to be the Rodeo Drive of the south. It should open next year during the Fall of 2009. It will be over 80 upscale stores and restaurants. Buckhead: The New Name in Luxury

A lot of the clubs close last year because a lot of the land the clubs where on have been bought up by developers. Most of those clubs plan on opening back up by the end of the year

[Jomaark]

Welcome to GA! This is a perfect weather time to tool around. I laughed at your driving 65. We learned early on 65 is 80 on the highways.

Alpharetta is also taking steps to redevelop the downtown. It's a shame it's taking so long but with the new mall and amphitheatre it will probably happen sooner rather than later. If you have any questions about Alpharetta ask away. One thing we love is the wonderful library system.

We just put our house for sale or rent in Alpharetta NF so if you are looking West of 400 by exit 9 and want to see it PM me.

Atlantic Station is a cool place to go. The times I've been it's been fun but I think there are better intown places to live which are walkable. The Little makes a big difference
in the 5 Points. It took me a while to realize taking Marta to 5 Points was not Lil 5 Points. Lil 5 Points is the closest to the E and W Village we have.

Transportation is a shame. We can go out of our subdivision and there is a bus stop so we can use it
to get to Marta but it takes a long time. It would be wonderful if Marta would come north of Sandy Springs!

You hit the nail on the head about what will never change. Good observations for only being here a week.

[SynMelRN2007]

Now what part of Atlanta did you move to? We have been looking for an intown area that is close to all the activities that ATL has to offer. We originally planned on moving to ATL this summer in June but have decided to wait until next summer so we can get specific hospital training here which makes us more marketable there.

[bayarea-girl]

SynMeIRN2007, just move there are a lot of opportunities. We haven't officially moved yet, but was in town to look at some places and make sure the move is right for me and my family. Like I mentioned above it is much different from when I use to live in GA 7 years ago. I really love the city but am not sure it is right for my little ones (but it suits a lot of people). So look at your family needs and size, others on this site should be able to give you more insight on where to move in the city.

We most likely will be moving to Roswell (renting) until we figure GA out more and where we want to be before we buy. I've been is some of the fealthiest places (the pictures look nice but when you go to the actual place, just dirty). Some people are trying to rent but are asking for too much money. So what I found out is that you can negotiate on the price. Be prepared to have income verifications, credit and background checks. It is pretty funny to me that there is so much information asked for when all one needs is funds verification and a background check (mainly a background check because they wouldn't be renting if they didn't have perfect credit). One of my properties in CA I rent out and could care less about someone's credit, just as long as they can pay the rent.

Renters need to do their homework on the owners because I met a couple of landlords/owners that are in foreclosure. One lady didn't even have her utilities on and was renting down the street from her house. I was so surprised at some of the areas that were considered to be good in East Cobb. The area needed a lot of help, just depressed areas, just couldn't believe they were in E. Cobb and or that some one was trying to rent to people. People are really desperate to rent their places out though. Also, please be very careful if you have a Real Estate agent working with you to find a place. Some people are just scam artist. Some agents will ask you to sign a contract that they are your only agent and or will not give you things in your price range because they make money off of you when they find you your place. But you will need an agent when you are looking for a place because most of the stuff on craigslist is just crap. The other situation I found myself in was a guy who wanted to rent his place, which he didn't have access to until June 18th because his wife would still be residing in the place. He went on and on about his 2 & 1/2 years divorce and finally told me that he and his kids would be residing in the downstairs portion of the house. Was I suppose to be ok with that?

Not to sound negative but I've had some interesting experiences since I was in GA. But I did find a really wonderful agent and when I buy my home I will go with her. She is straight up and honest.

[MariaY]

From one ex-Californian to one soon-to-be ex-Californian, the weather here is ok, but the winters are cold (for anyone from Southern California) Someone from New York, Chicago or Cleaveland would disagree.

Even though the seasons are even (3-months each season) and autumn is beautiful, winter is cold to me. I've been here 12 years and its still cold to me.

Spring is wet, but the weather is warm. Its probably the best because its not too hot and not cold (but it is definately wet).

The Summer is HOT even when it rains its hot. An airconditioner is a MUST during this season.