Moving from Maryland/DC to ATL area

[cautious-mom]

I've lived in both cities too. The only place in the DC area that I found to be truly diverse and family friendly was Silver Spring, MD. It is also home to a racially diverse and excellent high school: Montgomery Blair HS.

I have yet to really find anything similar to Silver Spring in or around Atlanta. That is, I've never really found a seriously integrated area here where whites, blacks, jews, gentiles, liberals, and conservatives live and raise kids in the same neighborhood.

Initially, I thought the City of Decatur was similar to Silver Spring. But after spending time in CoD, I'm not so sure.

North of the railroad tracks, CoD is more like Chevy Chase, MD. I mostly see well-off whites living in expensive quaint homes with way more McCain/Palin signs than Obama/Biden signs.

I actually think it's good to know that CoD is more politically diverse than it's rumored to be. People often think folks looking for diversity are only looking for racial diversity.

South of the tracks, CoD seems more like Takoma Park, MD. Thenre I see well-off liberal whites living in close proximity with poor blacks. Not quite the utopian society I'd hoped for.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by cautious-mom

I've lived in both cities too. The only place in the DC area that I found to be truly diverse and family friendly was Silver Spring, MD. It is also home to a racially diverse and excellent high school: Montgomery Blair HS.

I have yet to really find anything similar to Silver Spring in or around Atlanta. That is, I've never really found a seriously integrated area here where whites, blacks, jews, gentiles, liberals, and conservatives live and raise kids in the same neighborhood.

Initially, I thought the City of Decatur was similar to Silver Spring. But after spending time in CoD, I'm not so sure.

North of the railroad tracks, CoD is more like Chevy Chase, MD. I mostly see well-off whites living in expensive quaint homes with way more McCain/Palin signs than Obama/Biden signs.

I actually think it's good to know that CoD is more politically diverse than it's rumored to be. People often think folks looking for diversity are only looking for racial diversity.

South of the tracks, CoD seems more like Takoma Park, MD. Thenre I see well-off liberal whites living in close proximity with poor blacks. Not quite the utopian society I'd hoped for.

That is a total revelation to me, and I live there. But I agree with everything else.

[DC's Finest]

LovinDecatur,

Thanks for the compliment! Chip and I have a little grudge match that we play. He says ridiculous statements and I swoop in and correct him. It's therapeutic. Anyway - I live in NW (Columbia Heights) DC. On my block, there are rowhomes filled with blacks, ethopians, hispanics and whites. There are a bunch of condo developments going on in my neighborhood that are bringing in diverse groups of people. I really can't understand how anyone can make a blanket generalization by saying NW DC is all white or SE DC is all black. It's infantile. Capitol Hill sits in SE DC, there are million dollar rowhomes there. BTW -Cautious-mom, there isn't anything in SS that remotely resembles CC.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Merin

Depends on your budget. Gwinnett kind of reminds me of Frederick county of one of the counties closer to Baltimore. If I had kids and were looking for a Fairfax or Montgomery County type school system I would go to East Cobb and North Fulton. Neither is as diverse as any of the DC counties though. Things are a lot more segregated down here.

Originally Posted by DC's Finest

LovinDecatur,

Thanks for the compliment! Chip and I have a little grudge match that we play. He says ridiculous statements and I swoop in and correct him. It's therapeutic. Anyway - I live in NW (Columbia Heights) DC. On my block, there are rowhomes filled with blacks, ethopians, hispanics and whites. There are a bunch of condo developments going on in my neighborhood that are bringing in diverse groups of people. I really can't understand how anyone can make a blanket generalization by saying NW DC is all white or SE DC is all black. It's infantile. Capitol Hill sits in SE DC, there are million dollar rowhomes there. BTW -Cautious-mom, there isn't anything in SS that remotely resembles CC.

False, DC is just as segregated as Atlanta. SE DC/PG COunty=Mostly black, Takoma Park/Langley Park=mostly hispanics, most of Norva is white with a few hispanics in certain area's, sure their are other races living in those area's but its mostly segregated....looks like segregation to me

if u dont thick dc is segregated try walking in gtown or potomac at 2am in the morning, see how quickly the police come

Capitol Hills is right near the most dangerous area in DC....I bet those people will Capital Hills will not walk a few blocks south of Capital Hill at night...The homes that were burned down in charles county plus the bill to get rid of the hispanics right outside of DC makes that region one of the most racist regions in America

[cautious-mom]

If you re-read my post, you'll see I never said this. I said parts of CoD reminded me of CC.

And I do think you're right about Columbia Heights being pretty multi-culti. But I thought the original poster was looking for a family-friendly area. Although kids live there, I don't recall seeing them playing outside there except on a school playground. It's too congested with cars, city buses, taxis, etc.

Originally Posted by DC's Finest

LovinDecatur,

Thanks for the compliment! Chip and I have a little grudge match that we play. He says ridiculous statements and I swoop in and correct him. It's therapeutic. Anyway - I live in NW (Columbia Heights) DC. On my block, there are rowhomes filled with blacks, ethopians, hispanics and whites. There are a bunch of condo developments going on in my neighborhood that are bringing in diverse groups of people. I really can't understand how anyone can make a blanket generalization by saying NW DC is all white or SE DC is all black. It's infantile. Capitol Hill sits in SE DC, there are million dollar rowhomes there. BTW -Cautious-mom, there isn't anything in SS that remotely resembles CC.

[cautious-mom]

Of course, the original poster was looking for a "family-oriented" place in the Atlanta area, not DC (and wanted to know about commutes).

Originally Posted by cautious-mom

If you re-read my post, you'll see I never said this. I said parts of CoD reminded me of CC.

And I do think you're right about Columbia Heights being pretty multi-culti. But I thought the original poster was looking for a family-friendly area. Although kids live there, I don't recall seeing them playing outside there except on a school playground. It's too congested with cars, city buses, taxis, etc.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by dc's finest

chip,

you are an idiot if you can even fathom that dc is segragated like alanta. Nw dc by far is mix of everything. Pg is majority black but only by 60%. Nova is also a mix of everything. Your hatred and jealousy of dc is so evident. Put your confederate flag away and go play until i call you for dinner.

amen.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by joe2000

if u dont thick dc is segregated try walking in gtown or potomac at 2am in the morning, see how quickly the police come

Capitol Hills is right near the most dangerous area in DC....I bet those people will Capital Hills will not walk a few blocks south of Capital Hill at night...The homes that were burned down in charles county plus the bill to get rid of the hispanics right outside of DC makes that region one of the most racist regions in America

For the most part the DC area is a lot more diverse then Atlanta , cherry picking the segregated parts of the Metro area does not change this fact.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by cautious-mom

I've lived in both cities too. The only place in the DC area that I found to be truly diverse and family friendly was Silver Spring, MD. It is also home to a racially diverse and excellent high school: Montgomery Blair HS.

I have yet to really find anything similar to Silver Spring in or around Atlanta. That is, I've never really found a seriously integrated area here where whites, blacks, jews, gentiles, liberals, and conservatives live and raise kids in the same neighborhood.

Initially, I thought the City of Decatur was similar to Silver Spring. But after spending time in CoD, I'm not so sure.

North of the railroad tracks, CoD is more like Chevy Chase, MD. I mostly see well-off whites living in expensive quaint homes with way more McCain/Palin signs than Obama/Biden signs.

I actually think it's good to know that CoD is more politically diverse than it's rumored to be. People often think folks looking for diversity are only looking for racial diversity.

South of the tracks, CoD seems more like Takoma Park, MD. Thenre I see well-off liberal whites living in close proximity with poor blacks. Not quite the utopian society I'd hoped for.

Having lived in both areas, I find your analogies quite accurate.