Don't Move to Atlanta (Jackson, Franklin: unemployment, bankruptcy, school districts)

[matt8325]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I might agree with you if you compare urban centers like Boston with rural areas in GA or Alabama, but that's not an apples to apples comparison. If you compare Atlanta with another urban area like Boston, I'm here to tell you that Boston is overwhelmingly white and segregated, and I saw more overt racism than I've ever seen in Atlanta, even 25 years ago.

Heard of Howard Beach, Bensonhurst, or Crown Heights, NY? South Boston, Charlestown, MA?

I love NYC and enjoyed my time in New England, but to read some of the comments where people who may have lived there for a couple of years in college think it's a paradise of social tolerance, while they trash Atlanta as being some redneck backwater makes me shake my head.

The Atlanta metro seems to be pretty segregated to me. For example, some counties north of Atlanta are nearly 100% white.

[jpowalowski]

Atlanta is not the "perfect place to live" anymore like it used to be back in the eighties - but there are alot of worse places. I lived in Alabama, California, Germany, Canada and I have to say that Alabama was terrible! I have moved away from Atlanta and have come back the last 3 times. I wouldn't do it again unless it was somewhere in the Carribean with turquoise blue water :-)

[blondandfun]

I have lived in Atlanta for the past 5 years and have spent time in Chicago and my opinion is as follows.

Chicago is a better place than Atlanta.. DUH!... so is NYC and SF, nobody cares.

I had some guy in a bar in Chicago ask me when I visited there this:

"Out of all the places, why would you live in Atlanta?"

I told him that I'm here because I have a great job and thrive here off the entrepreneurial atmosphere. I told him I know that everybody knows that Chicago is a great city. This guy was a complete turn off, so basically all he has going for him is that he lives in such a great place? I'd rather be judged by what's inside me, not where I live.

It's so sad to see flocks of people moving into big cities because it's where all the cool "hipsters" live, and then they later become sad, soulless, and lonely people who are trapped. That's what happens when you move somewhere because you think you'll meet other cool people and live a more laid-back life. In reality though, you move to this big cities and find that you are surrounded by people who chose the easy way in life. All you will find in these places are young educated professionals trying to wash themselves from their suburban childhood. They eventually grow up and look around and notice all the trashy people they are surrounded by and eventually they leave the city and go buy a home...

I'm not saying I'm happy with this scenario... It's reality. Reality sucks, so does life... Wake up.

Everybody moronically only looks at only like 5 big cities when determining where to live... But they ignore all the great medium sized cities which usually have higher PER CAPITA education and income.

[missingny!]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

No. You're actually stuck in Gwinnett. If you came into town more often and hung out in the actual neighborhoods outside of Downtown, you would see people walking and hanging out. If you go to Piedmont Park on the weekends, you would see how crowded it gets. If you took a stroll down Highland, you would see a lot of sidewalk restaurants, bars, and cafes. It's far from being NYC, but Atlanta does has its urban neighborhoods that are very active.

Well, sounds good in theory but my daughter and I tried to do that exact thing. We drove to Piedmont Park on a Saturday.... couldn't find a place to park... unfortunately, had to leave. Marta.... what a joke... I would have to DRIVE over 20 miles to get to a Marta station... leave my car there to travel to the city. Then I have to start the whole process all over again to go home. Not worth it to me. I tried "little five points"... they discribe it as "similar to Greenich Village"...please no comparison.. we walked around 5 little blocks (if that much) and that was it.... we were done. Why didn't I move to the city you ask! Lousy schools. Lousy schools in Gwinnett now too... but it's the better of the two counties. By the way my daughter and I both got called "nigg....s in Gwinnett and I'm not even African American. I froze when I heard that... my daughter was 12 at the time... never in my wildest dreams did I think she would hear that in her lifetime. Growining up in Brooklyn wasn't perfect but I was never discriminated against. You just know what neighborhoods to stay out of and you just do... I would rather someone tell me straight to my face then have people pretend to like you and be fake. Give me a New Yorker anytime then someone who smiles and saids "sweety and honey & sugar" but really doesn't mean it.
So no, if you are used to a city with lots of cultural stimulation and high energy,then no.... don't move here unless you are ready to retire and just want to rock all day on the porch.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by missingny!

Well, sounds good in theory but my daughter and I tried to do that exact thing. We drove to Piedmont Park on a Saturday.... couldn't find a place to park... unfortunately, had to leave. Marta.... what a joke... I would have to DRIVE over 20 miles to get to a Marta station... leave my car there to travel to the city. Then I have to start the whole process all over again to go home. Not worth it to me. I tried "little five points"... they discribe it as "similar to Greenich Village"...please no comparison.. we walked around 5 little blocks (if that much) and that was it.... we were done. Why didn't I move to the city you ask! Lousy schools. Lousy schools in Gwinnett now too... but it's the better of the two counties. By the way my daughter and I both got called "nigg....s in Gwinnett and I'm not even African American. I froze when I heard that... my daughter was 12 at the time... never in my wildest dreams did I think she would hear that in her lifetime. Growining up in Brooklyn wasn't perfect but I was never discriminated against. You just know what neighborhoods to stay out of and you just do... I would rather someone tell me straight to my face then have people pretend to like you and be fake. Give me a New Yorker anytime then someone who smiles and saids "sweety and honey & sugar" but really doesn't mean it.
So no, if you are used to a city with lots of cultural stimulation and high energy,then no.... don't move here unless you are ready to retire and just want to rock all day on the porch.

Wow, an ex-NY'er dumping on life in Atlanta. Never seen that before on this forum.

[martarider]

Yes indeed, an ex-NY'er who chooses to live here dumping on life in Atlanta. How original.

[kentish06]

Originally Posted by guiltypleasure

You guys ***** about everything....hane you not lived anywhere else...ive lived in l.a.,san fran, nyc, the deep south and atlanta and everything you said about atl is everywhere else....you arent going to be running from it if you go to another city you best go to Connecticut.......idiot

I am from CT (born and raised) moving to Atlanta soon and would have to say there's much more going on in Atlanta than in New England. The cost of living is ridiculous....there's not much to do but shop, drink/eat downtown, go into NYC for the day where you face the congestion and high prices,etc.... and often think about and discuss how and when to "get the heck out of dodge".

There are so many complaints about the jobs there but try dealing with constant downfalls of the insurance industry and extreme competitiveness. If you don't know the right person or you don't have a family connect a good job is hard to come by for many. And crime is terrible!!! The Northeast is certainly not as great as portrayed by transplants....if it was they wouldn't be fleeing the masses.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by missingny!

By the way my daughter and I both got called "nigg....s in Gwinnett and I'm not even African American. I froze when I heard that... my daughter was 12 at the time... never in my wildest dreams did I think she would hear that in her lifetime.

And what were the exact circumstances in which this happened?

I've lived in the Atlanta area for more than 24 years. I've lived intown around Lindbergh, Brookhaven, and Virginia Highlands, and I've lived in the burbs such as Vinings and now, West Cobb County. Believe me, I've worked and lived around some real doozie characters in that time, too. In all those 24 years, as bad as some of those folks have been, I have never seen or heard someone here call a woman and a young daughter a "N" when they walked by... even some of the most racist people I've had to deal with.

So, what if I may ask, exactly was happening that day when this happened to you?

[JasonPaul]

Originally Posted by missingny!

Well, sounds good in theory but my daughter and I tried to do that exact thing. We drove to Piedmont Park on a Saturday.... couldn't find a place to park... unfortunately, had to leave. Marta.... what a joke... I would have to DRIVE over 20 miles to get to a Marta station... leave my car there to travel to the city. Then I have to start the whole process all over again to go home. Not worth it to me. I tried "little five points"... they discribe it as "similar to Greenich Village"...please no comparison.. we walked around 5 little blocks (if that much) and that was it.... we were done. Why didn't I move to the city you ask! Lousy schools. Lousy schools in Gwinnett now too... but it's the better of the two counties. By the way my daughter and I both got called "nigg....s in Gwinnett and I'm not even African American. I froze when I heard that... my daughter was 12 at the time... never in my wildest dreams did I think she would hear that in her lifetime. Growining up in Brooklyn wasn't perfect but I was never discriminated against. You just know what neighborhoods to stay out of and you just do... I would rather someone tell me straight to my face then have people pretend to like you and be fake. Give me a New Yorker anytime then someone who smiles and saids "sweety and honey & sugar" but really doesn't mean it.
So no, if you are used to a city with lots of cultural stimulation and high energy,then no.... don't move here unless you are ready to retire and just want to rock all day on the porch.

Hmmm?

[johnatl]

I'm calling pure BS on this one.......I don't believe a word of missingny's post.

Not a word.