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I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about here. Atlanta has long been known as a cultural hub for African Americans because of its relatively progressive race relations. There can be racial tensions at times, particularly for a city rapidly undergoing gentrification that has been under Black leadership since the 70's, but the "civil war" characterization is extremely inaccurate--unless you're talking about the far-flung suburbs. Within the Perimeter, you'd be very hard pressed to find anything hinting at that (outside of the Cyclorama). You're making Atlanta sound like Birmingham or Jackson here.
And yes, traffic can be bad but will be more manageable if you live and work within the Perimeter, especially close to a MARTA line.
I absolutely disagree with you. Maybe civil war is harsh but I don't care for the vibe of what seemed like a city still divided by race. Sorry to disagree. I do however respect your opinion.
California is the most prejudice with the Rodney King riots, the Watts riots, the Mexican LA gangs approval of the killings of African Americans in LA, the whites are prejudice against the Mexicans in LA, etc. Btw no traffic is worse than LA
I didn't realize that LA WAS California. Are you going to throw the whole state out because of one city. Everyone knows LA has issues. But I was referring to California... there is a HUGE state outside of LA! And the south has some MAJOR issues comparatively.
I didn't realize that LA WAS California. Are you going to throw the whole state out because of one city. Everyone knows LA has issues. But I was referring to California... there is a HUGE state outside of LA! And the south has some MAJOR issues comparatively.
California is prejudice against Mexicans since their taxes dollars goes to help illegal immigrants, Cali has some of the highest taxes in America, the poor are prejudice against the rich, there is always the threat if the next earthquake, etc. LA is divided by race and economics
California is prejudice against Mexicans since their taxes dollars goes to help illegal immigrants, Cali has some of the highest taxes in America, the poor are prejudice against the rich, there is always the threat if the next earthquake, etc. LA is divided by race and economics
I respect your position and thoughts but out of curiosity... have you ever lived anywhere in the state?? And if so... where?
I was raised in California. Which has it's own laid back and non racial feel to it. I then moved to and lived in Savannah for MANY years and honestly HATED being in the south. It was a HUGE CULTURE SHOCK! The hate amongst the south sickens me. Nashville is definitely southern and you will still get a little bit of that but it is different... It has a quint little town feel in the big city. And I would venture to say you could find any "feel" you were looking for... there are sections that are "college town," we have the "wealthy" with Williamson county being the wealthiest county in the country, we have the "rednecks," we have the "famous," and we have a bit of the "gang banger" or/and "low income"... It just depends on where you are but mostly these cultures all come together and live in peace for the most part. Don't get me wrong we have crime just like everyone does but I can say that you won't usually go into any part of town and be looked upon as being a certain "type" where as you will find such prejudices normally in the south. Also on the other end of the spectrum the wealthy music scene people love living here because they aren't harassed in their daily routine. It is nothing to see Nicole Kidman at the local Whole foods market. We let them live and do their thing. I would say it is kind of that way across the board... we all live together in peace without too much backbiting and drama that you will find in some other bigger cities.
So vibe... You have a HUGE music scene here. And not just country music. All sorts of music. And we are a regular stop on most tour schedules. We also have a huge sports following... crazy so in my opinion but I am just not really into professional or college sports. We also have a massive college scene being as we have a gazzillion colleges in town. Most of which are PRIVATE so you don't get a ton of college rif raf. These kids have wealthy parents to be getting to attend places like Belmont or Vanderbilt. Regardless if you go downtown you are on the Vanderbilt campus.
We also have fantastic medical care since we do have Vanderbilt here.
In addition to it being so eclectic I would say that the amenities in the different areas of town are INCREDIBLE! You can find most anything you are into here! Sports, arts, music, shopping...
Savannah does not represent the entire South, and your experience doesn't either. Every city has it's certain areas; one with the most crime, one with the most money. Oh, and FYI, Williamson County is not the wealthiest county in the United States.
Nashville has a huge musical presence, majority of which is country music. For country artists, it's the hot spot. It isn't some music haven for Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Rock, ect. you're making it out to be. You wouldn't catch Lady Gaga or Beyonce dead in Nashville, unless the crime, which seems to be more frequent in Tennessee cities, got to them. Atlanta and Charlotte have Nashville beat when it comes to sports, and Raleigh-Durham have Nashville beat when it comes to college sports (and colleges). Nashville is however showing healthy growth numbers, and is doing great things with healthcare.
Atlanta is without a doubt an African American hub, as well as Charlotte to a smaller extent. This isn't the 1980s South, and both Atlanta and Charlotte are two of hottest cities for people and companies to move to. You can't even bring racial separation, ect. into this conversation when you're living in a state that's fairly conservative against it's racial views.
Nashville can be great all it wants, but it hasn't worked it's way up to be "better" than Atlanta or Charlotte at the things you're mentioning.
Last edited by Austincool; 11-21-2013 at 12:15 AM..
I am a mid-twenties young professional currently living in Richmond, VA who is looking to relocate somewhere in the next couple of years and would love some input/suggestions about where to go next. I'm trying to stay open minded and my only real requirement would be staying in the south. I always thought I wanted to live in a major bustling northern hub like NYC... but after living in Richmond and enjoying it way more than I thought I would, I think my sights are set on somewhere a little smaller or at least just slightly less intense.
There are so many things I love about Richmond. I love the accessibility, the ease of getting around (very walkable within your own neighborhood), the vibrant art/music/dining scene, the rich history, the casual, laid back feel of the city (including the bars/nightlife), all the greenery, etc. My ONLY thing is that it's starting to feel a little small, and I would love to go somewhere bigger while I'm young. Really, in an ideal world, I'd love to go somewhere with a similar feel to Richmond, only on a larger scale!
Cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Raleigh, and Austin have been on my radar as I've heard these are all great places for young people. I know this is a very broad topic, but any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by klm825
Hi! I guess I'd love to replicate some of the things I love about Richmond just in a bigger place (see above). Not sure if you've ever been to Richmond, but it is kind of "funky" along with the Old South feel (I've heard Nashville and Austin are similar, but have never been!). I also really enjoy the bar scene... not too into clubs, but there are a lot of fun, more laid back type bars for young people, and I feel like everyone is always really friendly for the most part/it's easy to meet people (which I feel like a lot of Northern cities lack in my personal experience). I also really love the history and the "look" it gives Richmond... there's a lot of beautiful antebellum architecture and tons of greenery and I'd hate to lose that completely (for example, I've heard Charlotte is very new). The city proper is also pretty dense and even though you do have to drive to get from one side of town to the other, it is very walkable and "city" feeling within individual neighborhoods (I live in the Fan, if you're familiar, and love the feel of that place!). I don't want anywhere TOO sprawly--like L.A. for example... not a fan!
I guess if I had to sum it up, I just want somewhere that, though bigger than Richmond, still feels small enough that it feels neighborhood-y and has a very friendly, community type feel. Somewhere with a good culture/nightlife/dating scene is definitely be a must. I worry somewhere like Atlanta or Charlotte might feel TOO big, but I realize the bigger cities tend to be better in the aforementioned departments. I guess somewhere with a nice balance of all of the above would be ideal. If it gives any context, I used to live in DC and just found that people weren't that friendly and the traffic was miserable and I didn't like the general feel of the place. I hope that all maybe helps a little? Thanks!
Well back on topic, I guess I never provided any reasoning for my suggestion of Baltimore, but I do think it is the best example I've seen that is similar to Richmond on a larger scale, yet still not as large as places like NYC/DC/Philly (although I've never been to Nashville or Austin so can't really comment on those).
The only criteria that it doesn't really fit is that most people probably don't consider it Southern, but it does have some southern qualities to it and a lot of the people do have more of a laid back feel IMO (especially compared to it's neighbor DC). It is also only about a 2.5 hour drive to Richmond (outside of rush hour) in case you still want to visit any family/friends in Richmond (and if weather is a factor it isn't a whole lot different than Richmond, although you will get more snow than the other cities mentioned if that matters).
The biggest complaint about Baltimore is usually the crime, but Richmond has some of the same problems so I don't think it'd be that much of a culture shock to you, and as everyone always says as long as you don't do things like leave valuables in your car and always be aware of your surroundings you'll usually be okay. And of course some neighborhoods are better than others, and like Richmond, a lot of the nicer neighborhoods are very walkable with many dining/bar options. It can be a bit of a concrete jungle with a lot of rowhouses that look similar, but there are quite a few neighborhoods with more unique architecture as well as some really nice parks.
The traffic getting to the city can be bad (once again not as bad as DC), but if you live/work in the city it isn't bad at all.
California is prejudice against Mexicans since their taxes dollars goes to help illegal immigrants, Cali has some of the highest taxes in America, the poor are prejudice against the rich, there is always the threat if the next earthquake, etc. LA is divided by race and economics
I absolutely disagree with you. Maybe civil war is harsh but I don't care for the vibe of what seemed like a city still divided by race. Sorry to disagree. I do however respect your opinion.
I don't disagree that there's some racial polarization in metro Atlanta, if that's what you were getting at. But the "fighting the Civil War" characterization simply isn't an accurate descriptor of that dynamic at all.
Been to Richmond--you want funky south? ATL has what you're looking for(active night life), Nashville to me has that "its not really a big city feel". Now Texas I don't really consider it "south" in regards to places like Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis(ooh another place to check out) etc. Its a place you have to visit before moving. Now in my opinion... Austin is a funky cool city! Austin has that techy, artistic vibe. Want to stay in the south I agree that perhaps New Orleans, or Charleston. I can't fully comment on living in Charlotte as I haven't moved there yet. I think Atlanta is more your speed for a southern city. It'll have all that you're looking for. Its one of the hotspots of the south. I don't know I always called it the city version of "Cheers" everybody knows someone you know that knows you. Its weird, but every time I visit ATL I always run into someone I know or they know someone that knows me.
Hi! I guess I'd love to replicate some of the things I love about Richmond just in a bigger place (see above). Not sure if you've ever been to Richmond, but it is kind of "funky" along with the Old South feel (I've heard Nashville and Austin are similar, but have never been!). I also really enjoy the bar scene... not too into clubs, but there are a lot of fun, more laid back type bars for young people, and I feel like everyone is always really friendly for the most part/it's easy to meet people (which I feel like a lot of Northern cities lack in my personal experience). I also really love the history and the "look" it gives Richmond... there's a lot of beautiful antebellum architecture and tons of greenery and I'd hate to lose that completely (for example, I've heard Charlotte is very new). The city proper is also pretty dense and even though you do have to drive to get from one side of town to the other, it is very walkable and "city" feeling within individual neighborhoods (I live in the Fan, if you're familiar, and love the feel of that place!). I don't want anywhere TOO sprawly--like L.A. for example... not a fan!
I guess if I had to sum it up, I just want somewhere that, though bigger than Richmond, still feels small enough that it feels neighborhood-y and has a very friendly, community type feel. Somewhere with a good culture/nightlife/dating scene is definitely be a must. I worry somewhere like Atlanta or Charlotte might feel TOO big, but I realize the bigger cities tend to be better in the aforementioned departments. I guess somewhere with a nice balance of all of the above would be ideal. If it gives any context, I used to live in DC and just found that people weren't that friendly and the traffic was miserable and I didn't like the general feel of the place. I hope that all maybe helps a little? Thanks!
Trust me, Charlotte won't feel "too big" for you. The "downtown" might remind you a little bit of Short Pump town center.
I get exactly what you are saying and feel similarly. I'd say your best choices are Austin, Nashville and New Orleans. All are bigger than Richmond and have more hustle and bustle. Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh don't have the urban character you're referring too.
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