Attn: Northerners Moving South (Atlanta, Stockbridge: renting, houses, high school)

[larryb]

What is a "racial friendly neighborhood"? Get race off your mind and enjoy life.

[stvincent]

I wouldnt focus on race as an issue down here. If you choose to mix and have a diverse group of friends , no one is going to judge you or think you actions to be strange, LOL! Pick a neighborhood on things like location, schools, and what you can afford. Race relations in most of Metro Atlanta is a non issue. I think its safe to say you should focus your anxieties elsewhere.

[rcsteiner]

My wife and I moved down here two years ago from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area (Eden Prairie), and while there are some things up there I like a lot better (like the schools!), we've really enjoyed living and exploring the NW suburbs of Atlanta just OTP (Vinings/Smyrna/Mableton/Marietta).

The summer is longer (a LOT longer) down here, but the landscaping is a lot nicer because the winter doesn't kill everything off, and while I miss the snow and the cold, I like the fact that I can wear shorts and a tee shirt all year round down here (as long as I don't have to stand outside for an hour <g>). And houses are inexpensive down here compared to the Minneapolis suburbs (we paid about the same for a 2500sqft house here with on a decent-sized lot with a backyard full of mature trees as we paid for a 1500sqft townhouse in Eden Prairie with no trees or yard to speak of).

Oh, yeah, and Atlanta traffic sucks. But you all knew that. :-)

[jax4]

I live in Jacksonville, FL. I am a northerner. I spent plenty of time in GA, especially northern GA. Let me tell you that most Southern cities are not as segregated as many northern cities. One thing that is annoying is that every forum I visit in the South from FL,GA, NC, TN, AR, AL, etc... talk heavily about religious bias and racism. I do not see these issues being discussed in the NY,NJ,PA forums. The very strong conservative bible-thumpers who say everyone is going to hell for having a beer, playing the lotto, or being gay are annoying. However, mostly everyone that I met in the South have been very warm and friendly. Believe me I have been in every corner of the South from rural Arkansas to South Florida, to Mississippi to Virginia, and overall have been very friendly, supportive, and have not felt prejudice toward me for being a Northern, multi-cultural Catholic. Yes, there are some pockets of hatred. Look up north as well like in Boston, very beautiful city that I love. However, Boston is one of the most segregated cities in America, the same as Chicago, Detroit (Mostly all minorities in cities almost all white suburbs), and New England. However, it is much more racist and segregated in Boston than Atlanta. Alpharetta, north of Atlanta, is full of Northerners. Many areas of Atlanta (especially north Fulton and Dekalb have many non-Southerners. Jacksonville, even though more southern than central and south Florida is over 60% Northerners. Although, I do miss Snow, 4-seasons, and the NY food. Nothing beats NY foods. I don't think FL or GA is a hell hole either. I would like to move up North again someday especially New England. NYC and Boston I love, but are too expensive. I also like Atlanta and Savannah. I hear quite of few comments on how Savannah is a ghetto. I think it is a very beautiful charming small city. Although, I was walking around downtown Savannah dark I did feel a bit unsafe. No more unsafe than in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Bronx, etc. By the way Jacksonville is the murder capital of Florida, however there are some very nice areas of JAX. I am still looking to move out because there are no good paying jobs and housing cost is shooting through the roof. GA has a nicer lifestyle or maybe upstate NY, PA, NH where it is a little more affordable and colder weather. There is only one major complaint I have about the south other than hot summers. Education- Florida does not focus on education and the south still lags way behind the North. While many areas of the North are losing jobs and becoming depressed economically, the education system overall is strong especially in NY,PA, MA,MI,MN,IA,NJ, CT, etc. Northern states have higher SAT scores and treat teachers better by paying more. Although, Georgia actually is among the most educated states in the South. Atlanta is in the top 10 cities in U.S. for college graduates. Other very educated cities in the South include Huntsville, AL, Charlottesville, VA, and Raleigh-Durham,NC. Yes, there are poorly educated cities is the north as well.. like Camden,NJ and Newark,NJ. At least many of the areas of the South try to improve inner city schools by allocating just as much money to poor minority schools than rich suburban schools. Where as in the North the state allocates more money to Rich Westchester County than Harlem where they need it.There are Positives and negatives for everyplace.

[heliamphora]

My two cents was too long. If anyone would like to read it, they can do so at this web address:

http://arthurnme.blogspot.com/2006/1...ing-south.html

[tech30528]

Originally Posted by jax4

I live in Jacksonville, FL. I am a northerner. I spent plenty of time in GA, especially northern GA. Let me tell you that most Southern cities are not as segregated as many northern cities. One thing that is annoying is that every forum I visit in the South from FL,GA, NC, TN, AR, AL, etc... talk heavily about religious bias and racism. I do not see these issues being discussed in the NY,NJ,PA forums. The very strong conservative bible-thumpers who say everyone is going to hell for having a beer, playing the lotto, or being gay are annoying. However, mostly everyone that I met in the South have been very warm and friendly. Believe me I have been in every corner of the South from rural Arkansas to South Florida, to Mississippi to Virginia, and overall have been very friendly, supportive, and have not felt prejudice toward me for being a Northern, multi-cultural Catholic. Yes, there are some pockets of hatred. Look up north as well like in Boston, very beautiful city that I love. However, Boston is one of the most segregated cities in America, the same as Chicago, Detroit (Mostly all minorities in cities almost all white suburbs), and New England. However, it is much more racist and segregated in Boston than Atlanta. Alpharetta, north of Atlanta, is full of Northerners. Many areas of Atlanta (especially north Fulton and Dekalb have many non-Southerners. Jacksonville, even though more southern than central and south Florida is over 60% Northerners. Although, I do miss Snow, 4-seasons, and the NY food. Nothing beats NY foods. I don't think FL or GA is a hell hole either. I would like to move up North again someday especially New England. NYC and Boston I love, but are too expensive. I also like Atlanta and Savannah. I hear quite of few comments on how Savannah is a ghetto. I think it is a very beautiful charming small city. Although, I was walking around downtown Savannah dark I did feel a bit unsafe. No more unsafe than in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Bronx, etc. By the way Jacksonville is the murder capital of Florida, however there are some very nice areas of JAX. I am still looking to move out because there are no good paying jobs and housing cost is shooting through the roof. GA has a nicer lifestyle or maybe upstate NY, PA, NH where it is a little more affordable and colder weather. There is only one major complaint I have about the south other than hot summers. Education- Florida does not focus on education and the south still lags way behind the North. While many areas of the North are losing jobs and becoming depressed economically, the education system overall is strong especially in NY,PA, MA,MI,MN,IA,NJ, CT, etc. Northern states have higher SAT scores and treat teachers better by paying more. Although, Georgia actually is among the most educated states in the South. Atlanta is in the top 10 cities in U.S. for college graduates. Other very educated cities in the South include Huntsville, AL, Charlottesville, VA, and Raleigh-Durham,NC. Yes, there are poorly educated cities is the north as well.. like Camden,NJ and Newark,NJ. At least many of the areas of the South try to improve inner city schools by allocating just as much money to poor minority schools than rich suburban schools. Where as in the North the state allocates more money to Rich Westchester County than Harlem where they need it.There are Positives and negatives for everyplace.

Great post. You are correct, these days Georgia simply does not fit the stereotypes. As a transplant from the Chicago burbs, I have to disagree with one point. That would be the food. NY has great delis, and I love a good deli. But Chicago has much better pizza, and there is simply no comparison between a Chicago dog and Sibrets (sp?). As luck would have it, the northern transplants have brought great businesses with them. I can drive to Clarksville, 20 minutes away, and get a real Italian beef with cheese and giardineria. Outstanding. You've got us beat for bagels, though, and Wawa coffee!

[ready2move]

Originally Posted by indiansprings

i'am formally a new yorker, i lived in florida for 10 years, i have travled alot in my younger days, met alot of wonderfull people, and wished i knew about this web site before i moved to gerogia ! this state has some serious problems, and it not only race, and redneck, they live way back in the 50's and cut threw all the red tap, they dont like northerns, i wish i could say more, but use your imagination, of the worst night mare you could have, think twice before moving here, and dont let the good schools and cheep taxes fool you !

Where in GA are you living, that you hate it that much?

[LLD]

Wow... heliamorpha and indiansprings have some pretty strong negative things to say about Atlanta and Georgia. And I'm sorry to hear their experiences are unhappy ones. Every place has its good and bad and sometimes a different place might be a better fit.

I remember as a Texan, when I first moved to DC, I was in culture shock. I was used to talking to people in line at the grocery store and when I did it in Maryland -- people looked at me like I was crazy! LOL And I thought people were more rude and cold too -- until I realized they were just more formal than Texans and Southerners. It took me about 2 years to adjust to the different interaction styles in the DC area but once I did I realized most people were pretty nice, they just took a bit longer to get to know.

Being from Texas I know about racism and rednecks and I can tell you that kind of stuff exists almost every place I've lived and every place I've visited, including Europe too.

I was on a business trip recently to Athens, GA and talking with a guy on the airport shuttle -- they were white and had adopted two black children and were originally from the Midwest where they just felt their children were being treated differently because of their skin color -- so they chose to move to Athens because of its liberal and tolerant attitude. They liked Atlanta too but said it was just too big for them.

Here is a little anecdote from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- that this gentleman on the shuttle related -- to explain Georgia to others. In Macon, they ask you what church you go too.... in Atlanta they ask you what business you are in.... in Savannah they ask you what bar you go to. ;-)

BTW, politically, GA voted more Republican this time than the last major election. And the supposedly liberal sections of GA are Atlanta and the east corridor to Athens, including Athens, and Savannah.

[pjacksone]

JAX4, I totally agree. I'm new to the south (moved here from Cleveland, OH) in June, but my husband is from Ala. we are in Stockbridge, GA (about 1 1/2 from his home in Alabama). He's told me for years that the North is more prejudiced than the south by far. He said that "down here, people will let you know up front if they don't like you and go one about there business. In the North, is where people will invite you to dinner and stab you in the back with the steak knife" and he's right. During the 10 plus years of visiting with him twice and year and now living down here, I've encountered no signs of racism. People are friendly and nice.

[outdoorman]

I am 51 yr old black man who grew up in San Francisco, lived in the midwest for several years before moving to Georgia 13 yrs ago.
What I appreciate most about georgia is the beauty of it's natural communities. This is truly an outdoorsman paradise.
I work but from my experiences, could not live in Cumming.
Too bad because I would love too. Once on my job a little white boy spit at me because another boy had dared him. I 've been asked personal questions by customers who just seemed either curious about me or wanted to know if I knew about cummings history of racial tensions (which I didnt until their probing),finally on the job there are some real jerks who act differentially towards me.
I guess I've started to become bitter and tired of it all and sometimes even imagine doing unimaginable things that I know are wrong. Just get tired of it all.