Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My wife and I have narrowed down our list to the above 3 cities. I am in financial services, she is in medicine. We are looking for pleasant weather, a city that is diverse, a city where we can build wealth, i.e. put away some money, and a safe place to raise a family, no natural disasters, etc. We are currently in the metro DC area. Please suggest where you think we should go with top reasons why. Thanks!
I lived in Charlotte for 12 years, in the City, and also on Lake Wylie and Lake Norman. You can have the place, dirty lakes, phony people, keep up with the Jones's....typical YuppieVille. Every TV is tuned to fauxNoise. Get the picture... Charlotte is a wanna be Atlanta, and always has been. Traffic is terrible also for the size of City it is. Atlanta is crowded, but more diverse, and every corner of Atlanta has great neighborhoods. Atlanta isn't the place it used to be 10 years ago, but still beats any City I've ever lived in, in the South.
Out of those choices- I would say Atlanta. The Metro area of Atlanta is actually identical to that of DC. You will feel at home there. Charlotte is too plastic for my tastes I dont know much about San Diego. But if you dont speak Spanglish, then I dont think it would be for you either, lol
Atlanta suburbs on the north side are very wealthy and nice, like DC suburbs. Atlanta also also a great financial center and an even better medical center. The Perimeter Medical Center in Sandy Springs (just north of Atlanta) is home to 3 highly ranked hospitals, then there's Emory University and the CDC, and strong medical presence all over the metro area.
Charlotte is great on paper and does have a big financial presence, but the area itself is not as nice or pleasant as Atlanta.
I would look at northern Atlanta area - Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, East Cobb, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton. These are all wealthy and visually appealing (forested neighborhoods) areas and are great for families. Most of these areas, unlike the rest of GA, have top-notch schools, every single high school in these cities is ranked in the top 5% in the country and some of them are in the top 1%. Average household income for all of these areas combined is about $120,000 (this area is basically like Fairfax or Loudoun County) and have large transplant populations from all over the country.
Out of what you're looking for, San Diego fits your needs as far as pleasant weather and diversity. However, not for building wealth or saving money. The jobs are scarce right now, but thats pretty much nationwide. San Diego does offer plenty of jobs in financial service and medicine, but I'm not sure how the salaries are there for the cost of living. Buying a house has become cheaper than 3 years ago, but it's not supposed to bottom out for at least another year. For natural disasters, the only thing you have to worry about is wildfires like last October. S.D. doesn't get as many earthquakes like L.A. or S.F. Also the crime rate is low so it's a good place to raise kids.
Atlanta is good too since you can get more for your money out there. You can still get a nice house in a nice area for less than what you'll find in San Diego. Atlanta has 4 seasons, but the winters aren't brutal like the midwest or northeast. It rarely snows and when it does even an inch, schools and everything are shut down. Atlanta is still a growing city with a healthy economy, so it's not hit as hard by the recession as other cities. There are plenty of new developments over the next few years to look forward to. The thing about Atlanta that's unique and that I like is that rather than being like a single city, it feels more like a cluster of many small cities and towns. There are many different areas where you and your family can enjoy. The disadvantage of Atlanta is the crime rate but as long as you stay in a nice area you don't have to worry. If you don't watch the local news, you'll feel a lot safer. The traffic is bad too, but the MARTA is navigable and better than many will say. It may not be NYC, Chicago, S.F., or D.C., but it's usable. You can access many areas by train, and if not there is a bus. You just have to reasearch MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority for the info.
I'm not too familiar with Charlotte, but I heard it's like a smaller version of Atlanta. You may like it better if you want a smaller and a slower paced city than a metropolis. The traffic and crime rate is not as bad as Atlanta.
How about allergies in these 3 cities? I have been told that Atlanta is really bad with allergies. Anyone live in one or more cities have a view?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
