Single white guy: Houston or Atlanta? (best, America, metropolitan, Chicago)

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by diablo234

Then you obviously never been to any cities with "real" public transit.

Come on dude even for a complete homer such as yourself it's completely obvious that once you leave the 610 loop the buse service gets more sparse. And I say this as someone who actually used the bus system.

Don't know how much "realer" you could get than Manhattan.

[west336]

Originally Posted by eek

if you just be yourself (and hopefully you aren't a bigot and are not prejudiced), you should be fine.
i'm not from atl, nor do i live there but for the most part, black ppl tend to keep to themselves and leave a person alone...there are bigger things to worry about than a white person moving down the block, lol. the unemployment rate has a lot of ppl frustrated and black ppl are among the highest unemployed ppl in the country when you break it down by race so maybe thats part of the fuel being added to the fire that is being black in the u.s. and why SOME black ppl in cleveland may resent and take their feelings out on white ppl?

I actually think it has more to do with Cleveland being a sort of hopeless-feeling place at times and some of the natives who've lived there lack positive energy. I also have had amazing positive experiences with Cleveland-area blacks. I take part in a local group and when I was scouting for locations I came upon two places near where we live that WERE 100% black......until I arrived. I didn't really care that I was a 50-1 minority, to be honest, but I thought they might. NOT AT ALL! In fact, they were so openly friendly and courteous that I was floored (having never been in a place so friendly before)!

There is no one generalization that applies to an entire race of people....something everyone should remember!

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by Queen Palm

Brent you don't have to tear Houston down, just to build Atlanta up. It's not necessary. Both are great cities with their own unique vibe.

good luck on that one

Originally Posted by west336

There is no one generalization that applies to an entire race of people....something everyone should remember!

Not even the ones about Fried Chicken, Kool-Aid or WaterMelon???

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by brent6969

You hit the nail on the proverbial head, they are both very different. Thank you. I do not mean to tear any city down, but is this forum immune to not expressing your opinion of a place?

I don't even think anyone could conceive of a smiley that would convey the utter craziness of this statement based on your posting history towards just about any other city that's not Atlanta or in Georgia--especially if it's being compared to Atlanta. That was my very good laugh for today and should last me until the day summer officially ends.

[qc dreamin]

Originally Posted by brent6969

LOL, I did say the job market sucked. I have seen friends of mine go for interviews not to ever hear a word even though they are perfectly qualified for the respective job. But the whole country is in a mess not just us. I just do not like anything about Texas, that is my prerogative, especially Houston and Dallas. I know many lovely people who live there though.

I mean just lame!

[Shakeesha]

You're a single white guy. Either city is tremendously diverse, Houston much more so. What kind of things are you looking for? Are you gay? str8? Looking to remain single or start a family? These may be personal questions to you but are important when considering a city to live in.

Houston Pros:

Healthcare industry is huge
Liberal and accepting of most people (Easier to get a job if noone knows you)
Weather
Close to the beach and New Orleans
Growing economy
Much better interstate system than Atlanta

Houston Cons

Susceptible to hurricanes
Flat topography
Big Oil Culture
Crime

Atlanta

Beautiful Architecture
Employment opportunities (corporate and small business)
Amazing shopping opportunities
Singles Scene
Mild Winter but all four seasons
Affluence

Atlanta Cons

Snooty tooty attitudes if not in the social circles
Poorly Designed transportation (road network and light rail are not enough for a city this size)
Hagglers and Panhandling issues
Walkability
Sprawl, strip mall neighborhoods

[R1070]

Originally Posted by brent6969

Just my opinion, which you have as well. I am not saying Atlanta is the greatest place on earth, but you Houston people think you hung the moon.

No, "Houston" was just the first word spoken from the Moon.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

Poorly Designed transportation (road network and light rail are not enough for a city this size)

A correction: MARTA is heavy rail, not light rail. But I do agree that it's not extensive as it should be.

[justme02]

Based on your criteria, it's probably a wash. Atlanta job market has more tech related jobs, but Houston is cheaper.

You'll be fine either place.

[bu2]

[quote=mark7;20712907]Hi everyone,

I am a single white guy, a graduate. I'm contemplating a move to either Houston or Atlanta and have a few questions that need answer:

1. I've heard some stories and rumors about Atlanta still having some racial tensions, which can sometimes escalate. Is that true? I'm asking since I'd be a white guy in a predominately black city if I moved there.
Atlanta is a very friendly city one-on-one. The tensions are there, but its mainly at the political level.



2. Which city has more technology jobs, or which city is easier to find a job in general? Being a graduate, I'm looking primarily for entry-level jobs.

Houston's job market is vastly better right now. Atlanta's unemployment is much higher than the national average.


3. I know both cities have similar weather all-year round, so which city is more prone to extreme weather?

Houston has hotter summers. Atlanta has colder winters. But if you are from Cleveland, they will both seem hot and both relatively mild in the winter.

4. And finally, which city has lower cost of living (lower rents etc.)?

When we moved from Houston to Atlanta 3 years ago, the cost of living in Houston was about 10% lower. The recession has hit harder in Atlanta, so I would guess that has narrowed, but Houston still has a lower cost of living. And it has no state income tax.

A lot of questions, I know, but getting an answer to at least some of them would help me make my decision a lot.

Not sure if the w/o a car question was yours. Atlanta was rated lower than Houston in transit access in a recent study. The suburbs of Atlanta are poorly served. Its street grid makes it harder to serve many in-town neighborhoods. Houston does a much better job with its bus and express bus services. But Atlanta does have a mass of things around their heavy rail lines, so if your job is served by rail, you aren't as limited in Atlanta w/o a car as you would be in Houston.