Don't Move to Atlanta (Decatur, Washington: college, gated, live)

[masonbarge]

Originally Posted by guiltypleasure

You are an idiot. "Georgia as a rule are also very tolerant people that do not value education" are you serious...that is why we have 5 out of the top 10 colleges in the country...really....go get an education yourself.

Good grief, this is so ridiculous I'm afraid my brain will melt just from reading it.

We have -- maybe -- two or three colleges in the top 100 nationally and none in the top ten. The only states I can think of that, arguably, have more than one of the top 10 colleges in the country are Mass. (Harvard and MIT) and California (Cal Tech, Stanford, USC maybe?).

Of course talking about "top ten colleges" is difficult because there are different varieties. We do have one claim to fame. IMO, Georgia Tech would make two more limited top ten lists: ten best state universities and ten best technical universities.

[masonbarge]

Originally Posted by Atlnot

I wanted to express my opinion of living in Atlanta. . . .

I could go on but I think you can get an overall impression of HOTlanta. Consider other areas of the country if your deciding to move here. . . .

I don't know what your problem is, exactly. Sorry you had such a bad experience. But for a more objective viewpoint, Atlanta placed 7th on Sperling's "Best Places to Live". here's what they had to say:

7. Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is the largest city in our Top 10 Best Places to Live, having recently experienced a huge population boom. The crossroads of the South has become especially popular with young people looking for a sunny and exciting urban center that is easy on the checkbook, with its reasonable cost of living. Indeed, the city's affordable homes (median home price $164,100) and robust economy (high per-capita income) make Atlanta an excellent choice for young people concerned with value.


The South has a reputation for oppressive heat and humidity, but statistically Atlanta has a warm and pleasant climate. Throw in four pro sports teams, great restaurants, and a diverse arts scene and Atlanta emerges a sizzling city on the move.

[masonbarge]

Originally Posted by Georgia Grace

The weather agrees with almost everybody, minus the smog, but what urban area isn't polluted these days?

I agree with most of what you say -- and I'm definitely not anti-Atlanta, LOL -- but air pollution in Atlanta is, IMO, unacceptable even by national standards for a city its size.

There are actually a few urban areas (and a number of smaller ones) that have such clean air that I would call them "not polluted". One of them is a big city -- San Francisco. Also Vancouver, if you include Canada.

I'd say Miami, Seattle, Minneapolis and Denver would be very good for air quality. And actually, Boston is not bad for such a large old city.

Sunny southern states have a natural problem from ozone. But I'm not making excuses, Atlanta is very backwards in air pollution control. Poor public transportation, poor housing density (long commutes), a lot of coal-fired electric plants. We aren't even trying. At least Los Angeles has the California auto emissions policy.

[martarider]

Originally Posted by masonbarge

Good grief, this is so ridiculous I'm afraid my brain will melt just from reading it.

We have -- maybe -- two or three colleges in the top 100 nationally and none in the top ten. The only states I can think of that, arguably, have more than one of the top 10 colleges in the country are Mass. (Harvard and MIT) and California (Cal Tech, Stanford, USC maybe?).

Of course talking about "top ten colleges" is difficult because there are different varieties. We do have one claim to fame. IMO, Georgia Tech would make two more limited top ten lists: ten best state universities and ten best technical universities.

I agree the original assertion was absurd (maybe he meant top 10 black colleges), but in fairness I think you forgot about Emory.

[MDDCtoATL]

Originally Posted by anadyr21

The is an edited quote out of a recent thread asking for a place in ATL that is "reminiscent of Miami Beach". This is exactly part of my complaint about people moving to ATL; wanting a replica of their hometown. People say they want a change or a new experience, yet they want the exact same amenities, lifestyle, and culture of their hometown (and of course, they want it to be cheaper too). People ask for a "suburban lifestyle" but near the trendiest clubs with a view of the city skyline!?! This is complete contradiction of each other. You can't have it both ways! Either you live in the burbs and commute for the nightlife or you live in the city and possibly accept less space for the money but have an active nightlife. Then people, especially those with families, will chose the burbs and complain about boredom because they can't walk to "hip" places. I just don't get this.

Again, I'm not referring to all transplants.

Wow, that was awesome, I 'couldn't have said it any better.

And I'm sorry but Miami is overhyped. Whatever action is in that territory is in the City of Miami Beach and that was dead like after 2am and it's just not a diverse place. The City of Miami was kind of creepy to me while I drove around and road the rail, it seemed like a ghost town. Not very many people on the street!

The only city I've been to that's lived up to the hype is Las Vegas.

[masonbarge]

Originally Posted by martarider

I agree the original assertion was absurd (maybe he meant top 10 black colleges), but in fairness I think you forgot about Emory.

I have a degree from Emory. It's a fine school but there's no way it's in the top ten, nationally.

[sweetprisb4]

can't we all just get along

[Ga.Peach]

Originally Posted by Natali26

I have lived here in a NW suburb of ATL for 15 years.

My Opinion:

1. Southern Hospitality: Fake. The sad truth about Southern Hospitality is that the natives here do tend to be very clique-ish, lots of fake smiles with backstabbing judgementalism disguised by "sugar." There is a definate "culture" here where people expend copious amounts of energy hiding/repressing displays of anger and strong emotion that could be frowned upon as "socially negative." As a woman who grow up in the northeast U.S., I find it very difficult to be accepted into Southern cliques of females because my culture encourages displayes of true emotion as being REAL. Very, Very Difficult to truly discover who the REAL person is here in the South because they are EXPERTS at maintaining well-mannered MASKS. They genuinely believe that these masks are demonstrations of good Christian values defined as manners. V. difficult to chip away at the perfect facade to really get to know them and care deepley about them as true friends. Unfortunately.

2. Social Life in ATL Suburbs: Church, Church, Church. You better believe the Bible and display no outward sins or you will spend A LOT of time alone. Family, Family, Family. You better have kids and heavily involved in soccer/football/cheerleading teams. Disconnection. It's hard to maintain friends because of extremely long commutes.

3. Exceptions: African-American people here are REAL with a rich culture and lots of genuine displays of sincere emotion. Many of the black people here are HIGHLY educated with great family values and class. Unfortunately, discrimmination is still rampant here in the South, so a lot of great black people are hesitant to quickly jump into friendships with whites.

I'm sure you and Atlanta will be much better off if you get enough of the southern 'masks' and leave . It was lying liberals who destroyed it to begin with ,imo.

Northerners are complete fakes . Who watch their fellow citizens jump ,burn and be crushed in sky scrappers by radicals ,then walk by like nothing is going on when the radicals stand in the streets of downtown NYC in broad daylight and threaten to do it again . It was on vidio showing a few muslim men stomping our flag while displaying the jihad muslim flag , cursing America and screaming , 'allah ackbar like they did before they flew into the buildings ' and making threats . Like you yankees were invaded by the body snatchers or something. No emotions, no honor for their dead, just walking on by .

I don't like Atlanta because of what it has become, but it wasn't always that way . Blacks and whites were safer even in Jim Crow days than they are walking down the street there now . This idea of turning cities into ghettos is not what MLKs dream was about . It's the race hustlers ,immoral diviants ,hypocrits and liars who keep us seperate .

United we stand one language, culture and locked borders or divided we fall . We have all chosen to fall .

[rswlguy]

Originally Posted by Ga.Peach

I'm sure you and Atlanta will be much better off if you get enough of the southern 'masks' and leave . It was lying liberals who destroyed it to begin with ,imo.

Northerners are complete fakes . Who watch their fellow citizens jump ,burn and be crushed in sky scrappers by radicals ,then walk by like nothing is going on when the radicals stand in the streets of downtown NYC in broad daylight and threaten to do it again . It was on vidio showing a few muslim men stomping our flag while displaying the jihad muslim flag , cursing America and screaming , 'allah ackbar like they did before they flew into the buildings ' and making threats . Like you yankees were invaded by the body snatchers or something. No emotions, no honor for their dead, just walking on by .

I don't like Atlanta because of what it has become, but it wasn't always that way . Blacks and whites were safer even in Jim Crow days than they are walking down the street there now . This idea of turning cities into ghettos is not what MLKs dream was about . It's the race hustlers ,immoral diviants ,hypocrits and liars who keep us seperate .

United we stand one language, culture and locked borders or divided we fall . We have all chosen to fall .

Dear Lord ... well, well, well. Welcome everyone to Georgia (or should I say 'JawJa')? The illustrious and indigenous has spoken! Glory hallelujah! God please give me the courage to [make better] and change what I can, the strength to when to know when I cannot ... and the wisdom (oh, please, please...Lord thank you for making me the person I am) to know [that I know] the difference!

Amen.

[RainyRainyDay]

This kind of thing is why my family plans to just leave. If we were from the south ourselves, it would be different. I hope for liberal-minded southern natives, like some of the admirable regulars on the Atlanta board here, to thrive and multiply. But for ourselves, this population of people whose ideology is repugnant to us - and to whom are repugnant foreigners - well, we've no interest in tangling with them. None at all. They can have their little subdivision empires, or their confederate battle flags, or their lack of public transit or public schools or any other public good, or their nostalgia for the good old days around here - whatever their favorites are - and enjoy it all for themselves.