Blue Ridge, GA - Progressive? (Atlanta, Marietta: relocate, property taxes, transplants)

[worldaway]

We are considering moving to the Blue Ridge, GA area from N. California (San Jose/Silicon Valley area). I own my own technology-based business and should be able to work from home/online and commute the 90 minutes or so to the Atlanta airport when I have to go visit customers worldwide. We have visited the area several times, like it and have had fun and have family and friends in Atlanta area and in N. Georgia area as well.

My wife and I are both in our early 40s with no children. It seems like there are some retirees in the area there, but I am wondering if there are many younger people as well. I know the area also was traditionally conservative, but is that changing any? We're not tie-dyed tee shirt, birkenstock-wearing liberals by any means, but do appreciate diversity, progressive thinking and some "artsy" things. Blue Ridge seems to have a growing arts scene and the outdoor activities seem really great to be fairly close to Atlanta (and to a lesser degree, Chattanooga). Anyone else have any thoughts or experience with Blue Ridge?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by worldaway

and commute the 90 minutes or so to the Atlanta airport when I have to go visit customers worldwide.

I'm not too sure about that one. I just rented a cabin up in Blue Ridge and the drive from my house in Marietta via I-575 and GA-515 took just about 90 mph during evening off hours. It takes me at least 30 - 40 minutes to the airport from my house during off hours and more during rush hour.

In rush hour, when I-575 and I-75 are crowded southbound (and even with just the extra mileage to the airport duing off hours), you will need at least 2 hours and probably more to get to Atlanta airport.

[LovinDecatur]

Blue Ridge is a very conservative community...church is at the center of the average family's life there. There are basically three groups that dominate the populace in BR...the locals, that have been there forever; the retirees, some from Atlanta, some from FL; and the tourists and second home crowd.
There is a small arts community, generally supported by local tourism.
Folks in that area are definitely all about "God, Mother and Country".
If you're looking for a more progressive community up there, perhaps a college town like Dahlonega or a mountain city like Asheville would suit you better.

[Robds]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Blue Ridge is a very conservative community...church is at the center of the average family's life there. There are basically three groups that dominate the populace in BR...the locals, that have been there forever; the retirees, some from Atlanta, some from FL; and the tourists and second home crowd.
There is a small arts community, generally supported by local tourism.
Folks in that area are definitely all about "God, Mother and Country".
If you're looking for a more progressive community up there, perhaps a college town like Dahlonega or a mountain city like Asheville would suit you better.

When I read this thread title I laughed....I think it was the first time in history that the words "Blue Ridge GA" and "progressive" were ever found in the same sentence!

[worldaway]

What about the other towns by Blue Ridge? Ellijay and/or Blairsville specifically? I agree about Dahlonega - seems like a good place, but seems like it has already been discovered more than Blue Ridge. And I like whitewater paddling and the Ocoee and/or Nantahala are much closer to Blue Ridge than Dahlonega or points south, without being too far from the Atlanta metro area time or distance-wise.

Why is this town so conservative when it seems like some of the others surrounding it are not? Has it changed any at all in recent years? It seems from visiting like there are a lot of newcomers from all over the place (especially Florida) moving in around Blue Ridge. Or am I just missing something? Plus aren't there a lot of Atlanta people living and working up in the North Georgia mountains these days?

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by worldaway

What about the other towns by Blue Ridge? Ellijay and/or Blairsville specifically? I agree about Dahlonega - seems like a good place, but seems like it has already been discovered more than Blue Ridge. And I like whitewater paddling and the Ocoee and/or Nantahala are much closer to Blue Ridge than Dahlonega or points south, without being too far from the Atlanta metro area time or distance-wise.

Why is this town so conservative when it seems like some of the others surrounding it are not? Has it changed any at all in recent years? It seems from visiting like there are a lot of newcomers from all over the place (especially Florida) moving in around Blue Ridge. Or am I just missing something? Plus aren't there a lot of Atlanta people living and working up in the North Georgia mountains these days?

First off, why do you think any part of N. GA is progressive? The only parts of Metro Atlanta that are progressive are parts (well most of DeKalb and some parts of Fulton). Georgia is probably the REDDEST state in the nation at this point. Frankly, while there are progressive pockets here and there, most of the south is downright conservative if you ask me. Even our democrats (and I am one) aren't that progressive.

Second, if you don't mind some connecting flights, you might consider Ashville, NC.

Third, as someone else wrote, I think you are probably a good two hours from the airport not 90 minutes in Blue Ridge.

[worldaway]

OK - let me try putting this another way

If y'all (already becoming Southern, see!) had to pick a town in the North Georgia Mountain area that was going to have some elements of a great intown Atlanta neighborhood like Virginia-Highland or Candler Park or East Atlanta in a few years, which town would it be? We're looking for a place where there's a happy mix of native "reds", transplants (like us) and a good mix of people who appreciate a little bit of some of the better things in life when it comes to food, shopping, dining, drink, entertainment, scenery, etc.

So 5 years from now which of these North Georgia mountain towns will have the all-around best vibe do you think - which ones are setting themselves up the best for the future? I always thought Blue Ridge was doing these things. Dahlonega seems fine from the time or two we've been there, but it seems like it is almost a far suburb of Atlanta now. I have visited customers in Alpharetta and that seems very close to Dahlonega and the traffic on Georgia 400 seems worse that it does on 575 from what I read and see on the Georgia traffic websites.

Asheville is an OK city, but is a bit too far away from our family in Atlanta area - it also seems like it is more overpriced for what you get housing-wise. WE'd probably move to Chattanooga versus Asheville, as TN has no state income tax and NC does - as well as the property taxes are higher in NC. Plus I think we're ready to take a chance and try living in a smaller town for a bit and see how it goes. And the 2 hours to ATL airport vs. 1.5 is OK - most of my trips down should be in off hours anyway, so I'm hoping I can make up some time that way

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by worldaway

OK - let me try putting this another way

If y'all (already becoming Southern, see!) had to pick a town in the North Georgia Mountain area that was going to have some elements of a great intown Atlanta neighborhood like Virginia-Highland or Candler Park or East Atlanta in a few years, which town would it be? We're looking for a place where there's a happy mix of native "reds", transplants (like us) and a good mix of people who appreciate a little bit of some of the better things in life when it comes to food, shopping, dining, drink, entertainment, scenery, etc.

As others have said, it doesn't exist! We have a cabin that my Dad built in the 80's in Ellijay, and Ellijay and Blue Ridge have grown quite a bit, but it's not a 'mix' of people that you're wanting.

The only place you're going to find the things you want, are the n-hoods you mentioned. Plain and simple.

Originally Posted by worldaway

which ones are setting themselves up the best for the future?

They don't need to be setting themselves up for anything. They're fine just the way they are and they're not trying to be 'progressive'. If anything too many people have already moved there.

[lastminutemom]

I think I have read that some of the mountain communities of Northern California are like you describe -- unfortunately our mountain communities aren't. Most Atlanta folks who own homes up there own second homes-- not first and if they ever plan on living there permanently, it is when they retire. Ashville (which you listed its negatives for us and I can totally appreciate) is really what you are describing.

Most of these towns you mentioned won't ever be hip little havens -- they just won't. It isn't in the cards for them and most of their citizens (including the relocated, the retired and the second home owners) don't want them to be.

Even as it relates to second homes, my friends who are looking for what you describe buy in NC, not GA.

I have a non-mountain suggestion for you though -- how about Athens or Oconee County? Because of the university, you have more progressives than most other places and both Athens/Clark County and Oconee are growing. Lots of newcomers as well.

[BobKovacs]

I work with a guy who lives in Blue Ridge, and from what he's said, the area has no interest in "becoming progressive"- if anything, the folks up there would love to stay just the way they are, and aren't thrilled with the influx of newcomers. Any "progressive movement" will be a forced movement, and you'll always feel resistance from the locals. 5 years isn't going to be enough time to see any noticable change up there- 15 maybe is more like it. Even the area that I'm in up in Cherokee County (45 minutes south of Blue Ridge/Elijay) still has a good amount of conservative attitude, and it's been growing far longer than the area you're talking about.

If it was me, I'd look at buying a place in/around the northern burbs of Atlanta, which would make your trips to/from the airport less painful, and maybe pick up a small cabin or something futher north so you've got a base of operations up there to scout out the area and get a better feel for whether it's going to work for you.

I'm also not sure how you're trying to compare Blue Ridge to places like Candler Park or East Atlanta- there's not the density up there that exists in those places, so it's not really an apples-to-apples comparison- regardless of the progressive/conservative thing.

Lastly, if you "appreciate diversity" as you mentioned in your original post, you're definitely looking in the wrong place- you'd have to search pretty hard to find a more lily-white area than the North Georgia mountain towns......