Considering relocation to Dahlonega (Atlanta, Gainesville: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[crae]

My husband and I are considering a move to Dahlonega. My husband is semi-retired structural engineer, and I am an xray tech. I plan to continue working and am wondering what job outlook might be for me at area clinics/hospitals. Also, we're wondering about the climate there. What are the seasons like? We currently live in Colo Springs, CO and are looking for a place with 4 seasons, just milder than what we have here in Colorado. Is there much snow there? Are the summers horrendously humid? We are planning a research trip there this coming July, so we will get a taste of what the summer is like.

My husband's brother lives around the Winder area now. We visit there every November and then take off and go hiking in the north GA mountains. We love the trees, the hiking, the rural feel of it up there. I'm wondering about snakes as well. Are there a lot of them? My husband used to be an avid kayaker when he lived in GA, but that was 20 years ago. He's hoping to start canoeing again. The water there is so much warmer than it is in Colorado.

Any information you can give me about Dahlonega would be helpful. Thank you -- I appreciate it.

[atlantagreg30127]

It's a nice little town with a touristy town square that has some artists galleries and shops there. Not a huge town by any means, but the word "quaint" would fit it.

Just South of Dahlonega is a shopping area along GA. 400 with a large outlet mall and some other basic stuff typical to this area - Walmart, etc. About an hour or slightly less South you enter the greater Atlanta metro area and the Northpoint Mall shopping area (along with the traffic).

You have four distinct seasons in the mountains. Yes, some snow each Winter but not tons of it usually. Still, you do get an occasional ice storm, so it's best to have some firewood stocked up in case the power goes out for a day or two. The North Ga. mountains CAN on rare times get powerful thunderstorms or even a tornado warning or two (as in during the recent storms), so "be prepared" are the words of the day. Summers can get a little humid and mosquitoes do exist, but it's not like Miami or anything.

The most common snakes here that are poisonous are Copperheads and Cottonmouths (around water usually). In that area Timber Rattlers can be found, but not an everyday thing. Are there "lots"? Well, depends on what you call lots. Some folks hike for days and days and never see one - others can spot them point-blank every time they go out. They do their best to avoid you.

Overall it's a very nice little area, and if I could figure out a way to live up there due to my job I'd do it myself in a heartbeat. I really can't comment on the xray tech job market up there, but there are numerous clinics and health care places around that area - maybe someone else who replies will have a better set of info in that area.

Links:

City of Dahlonega: City of Dahlonega
Generic Dahlonega page: :: Dahlonega Merchants Association - Dahlonega, GA::

Here's my Flickr photos of Dahlonega (and Helen nearby) - sorry, it was a cold crappy day when I took them: North Georgia Mountain Towns - a photoset on Flickr

Finally, the North Georgia outlet mall South of Dahlonega: North Georgia Premium Outlets

[LovinDecatur]

atlantagreg summed it up very well...I'll add my 2 cents and say IMO Dahlonega is one of the most delightful towns in the state.

[crae]

Thank you both for your input. It is helpful. I'm looking out my window here in Colo Spgs and it's snowy and cold. We rec'd about 4" of snow yesterday. The good thing here is the sun usually comes out and melts everything off within a day or two. What's it doing there? On an average, how much snow would you say Dahlonega gets per year? Also, can you hike there pretty much year-round?

Thanks again.

Brrrrr in Colorado

[SDotson]

Right now, the sun is shining and getting warmer. My wife and I are planning on moving there too. We just looked at a few houses over there. We are in Gainesville now, which is probably where you would find the xray tech jobs. The commute is about 30 minutes from Dahlonega to here, but its worth it knowing what you get to drive home to and be around on the weekend. We fell in love with dahlonega the first time we visited and always knew thats where we'd end up. Just chose Gainesville, to start since thats where the jobs we had were. My wife now works in Cumming and Dahlonega is a perfect fit.

[crae]

SDotson,
Hmmmm, 64 sure sounds good. The high here today is supposed to be about 40! Thanks for the info. We're going to be visiting Dahlonega the middle two wks of July. We want to check out the town, housing, hiking, jobs. We're familiar with where Gainesville is, and that commute wouldn't be too bad. What are the winters like there (Gainesville & Dahlonega)?

Many thanks.

[SDotson]

With us being from Florida. it was wonderful up here. We had maybe 3 days with snow. No more than a couple inches here each time. They say that Dahlonega can get a few more since they are closer to the mountains. But we have a great time with the changes. Just enough to make things exciting each season. I think you would love it. We sure do. We should be making an offer on a house over there within the week

[sand0408]

SDotson, what part of Florida are you from? Are you now living in Dahlonega full time? We are from Port Charlotte and are planning a full time move to Ellijay, Ga in early June. We have been visiting that area for about 3 years and love it. Tell me the good and the bad about leaving Florida and moving to Georgia. Thanks so much.

[SDotson]

Hey,

We're originally from Melbourne, Fl. Both born and raised there. 36 long years. We just wanted to get away like everyone else. We have no kids and sold our house in FL when the selling was better than now. We just wanted the seasons, the mountains, the city if you want to Atlanta you can.
Like it says, we originally came up to start our search in Gainesville.
I transfered with my job and its about as far north in Georgia as they had stations. We really wanted Blue Ridge after staying at some real nice cabins up there, but no jobs. But Dahlonega has just enough. Close to Dawsonville, wiuth all the shopping and ammenities, but far enough away to not have the traffic and all. And it has the neatest little old square. At Christmas, the whole place is strung with lights and they have carolers walking around singing. Its the perfect place to live and enjoy all the surrounding areas.
We've been thru Elijay a time or two and its very nice too. We don't know much about it though so I can't give much insight on how it will be. But I'm sure if you come with an open mind and just fit in with everyone, you'll be pleasently surprised.

[gainesvillegeorgia]

We have lived in Gainesville for 4 yrs and we love it. We live right off of 60 and we can get to Dahlonega in about 15 minutes. We unfortunately have to move back to FL as our parents are aging but we have loved it here and found it to be one of our favorite places we have lived. Dahlonega is a great place to have so close to be able to go to dinner and just walk around the square. For me, I would not want to drive into work so I would prefer to live in Gainesville and visit Dahlonega on the weekends.

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