Don't Move to Atlanta (Jackson, Pitts: luxury, calculator, camp)

[DATL]

What? You can loose anything anywhere? We cant play the blame ATL card. Sorry.

[mceis]

I met a guy from Central America a few weeks ago and asked him if he liked Atlanta. He replied that he had been here about a year and that it was tough at first, but he's really beginning to like it.

He then said something really profound. He said that "Atlanta slowly reveals itself to you." He went on to say essentially that many big cities hit you over the head with what they have to offer - that it's really obvious. But with Atlanta, you discover it.

After thinking about it a while, I think that guy's right. I believe that a lot of people move here expecting something (exactly what, I'm not sure), and when they don't see it immediately their views are permanently tainted. With Atlanta you need to be patient and you have to put in some effort. Atlanta certainly isn't perfect, but unlike many cities, at least when you put in some effort it can be rewarded here.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by mceis

He then said something really profound. He said that "Atlanta slowly reveals itself to you." He went on to say essentially that many big cities hit you over the head with what they have to offer - that it's really obvious. But with Atlanta, you discover it.

That IS interesting. Never heard it put quite that way. Makes perfect sense, too. Cities can be like wines. Some have more subtle and complex flavors.

[LoveMiami]

do not ask what Atlanta can do for you. Ask yourself what you can do for Atlanta my friend.
many people wanna just to take it without to put anything in

[Ria Rhodes]

"He then said something really profound. He said that "Atlanta slowly reveals itself to you." He went on to say essentially that many big cities hit you over the head with what they have to offer - that it's really obvious. But with Atlanta, you discover it."

Atlanta and areas around the Perimeter revealed to me: (that) my lungs and respiratory health matter more than good food and shopping choices. I don't need to "get hit over the head" to realize that. Regardless what season, every visit back/every long distance phone call I notice old Atlanta friends/family are coughing and coughing like they never did before.

[bhoffman]

Seriously, I would not reccommend Atlanta to anyone. It's a huge failure of a city.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by bhoffman

Seriously, I would not reccommend Atlanta to anyone. It's a huge failure of a city.

Then don't live there. I don't. Atlanta is a resource I can tap, of course, but it's not something I depend on directly.

[hindsight2020]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Many of the transplants who still attempt to relocate to Atlanta are looking for the late 90s/2000 Atlanta. That place is long gone. It was a decent manageable city, but it just grew too sprawled out and overpopulated. The law of diminishing returns ensures that as more and more people attempted to relocate there, seeking the same praises those before them boasted about, everybody began enjoying less and less of said 'benefits'. I don't understand why people are so thick to the notion that as more people attempt to take advantage of what you have taken advantage of in the past, the net effect is that everybody gets to enjoy less of said quality, to include the first settler.

I wouldn't even regard present day Atlanta as affordable for the southeast region (the original mythical reason so many transplants flocked the city in the first place, in the last decade) . It has become a refugee camp for New England and West Coast equity transplants. Might as well put a Donkin Donuts in every corner and call it Massachusetts already. Traffic is out of control, sprawl is out of control and real estate is expensive when compared to any city east or west through the bible belt. It is a perfect exemplification of the idea that growth is NOT universally good for a region, as opposed to what the peanut gallery believes. There is such a thing as a bell curve distribution to maximizing quality of life for the median, and that point was right around 2001 population level, after that it just got spoiled.

[glastron_79]

Had to chime in...I usually lurk. I'm fascinated with ATL (and Knoxville) for some reason. If my husband and/or I could only find a job in either area, we'd pack up and leave Tampa in three weeks. We have the means, just need jobs lined up since we have two small kids.

Anyway...much of what you said goes on all over the place. It's definitely time for you to move on. This is exactly how I feel about Tampa with the exception of the traffic and discrimination.

[adio]

Originally Posted by Atlnot

I wanted to express my opinion of living in Atlanta and the surrounding areas for over 7 years. If you are considering moving to Atlanta metro area for better job opportunities and lifestyle, my recommendation is look elsewhere.

I'll list what I found to be the positives and negatives of living in the good ol Peachtree State.

Positives:

Overall decent climate
Reasonable airfares to get out of town
A lot of trees
Somewhat international feel- nothing great nothing horrible

Negatives:

Traffic is awful. Public transportation sucks. Long Commutes with rude ignorant drivers.
Low Paying Jobs.
High rent in decent areas.
Discrimination against anyone that is not African-American is "thick" down here.

Bosses at work don't control themselves when speaking to workers. A lot of the supervisors are rude, arrogant, and ignorant. I don't care if there are a lot of Fortune 500 companies here. Many sources say move to Atl. lots more businesses there hiring. Do you know why a lot of businesses move to atlanta? Because there are a lack of unions down here. They can fire at will and harrass their workers and there isn't much you can do.
The GA dept of labor is backwards. Trying to collect unemployment in this state is a major challenge. Your lucky if you can get assistance looking for a job from this agency. I tried more than once and it was like they wanted me to continue to be unemployed. It's pathetic.

Taxes are outrageous for what you get. Park and Recreation system is sorely lacking. There aren't many decent parks in the metro area to hike and get away from the rude people. There have been a series of crimes on the "better" biking trails.

Education quality is horrible. Both in the schools and universities. If you want quality head North. If you are highly educated you may feel out of place in Atlanta.

Restaurants do a lot of microwaving. People here think that since they getting a lot of food that the food is great. Sorry, but when did quantity replace quality when it came to great tasting food. Restaurants use a lot of sugar, salt, and fat in their dishes. That's why there are so many overweight people in Georgia.

Many people here are phoney. They smile to your face and backstab you the next minute. When you really need help, they are nowhere to be found. Someone is always trying to scam you out of your money. Yes, this includes the doctors and lawyers down here. No wonder bankruptcy is prevelant. It's not uncommon to see people yelling and screaming in public like they are going to be rewarded by who can shout the loudest. Respect is unheard of in the ATL. Your not rewarded by your hard work, down here, your rewarded by how lazy you can be.

Crime is rampant. Shootings on the streets and in the courthouses. Incredible!

Smog alerts are common. Georgia is not known for being environmentally friendly.

Houses are poorely constructed. They look nice from the outside but the building material is poor and weak. The houses are like disposable plates.

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. Other parts of the U.S. may not have as many job opportunities but I think they would have a better quality of life. As soon as I can get enough money from the minimal paying jobs-I moving from the Peachtree State.

After living here for a long time I now know why they call it HOTlanta. It's not because of the weather. It's because it's filled with a lot of HOTHEADS.

if u think atl is bad, try livin in pittsburgh