North East Georgia (Gainesville: high crime, house, to buy)

[Beanurse]

Hi there..

I'm considering moving to the Gainesville area or a nice & safe surrounding area close to Gainesville. I will be working in Gainesville and was curious if anyone can offer me some advice on the area. Is this a family area? Is it a high crime area? What's the average age in this area? Is it a fun area to live? Would you live there? Why/why not? I'm single with no children and looking to live somewhere nice, safe, artsy (if possible), with low to NO crime and in an area with older style homes. Is this possible in this area?

Any feedback would be great.
Thanks

[OhioNative]

If you are looking for artsy you might want to commute from Athens, which is a university town. I work in Gainesville - it seems pretty conservative, although there are a few cool restaurants in the little downtown area. Parts of Gainesville are not very safe, as there is a large illegal immigrant population - about 50% in the city. Other parts seem pretty nice, but then again I don't live there, I commute from Gwinnett.

[brodave1916]

Originally Posted by Beanurse

Hi there..

I'm considering moving to the Gainesville area or a nice & safe surrounding area close to Gainesville. I will be working in Gainesville and was curious if anyone can offer me some advice on the area. Is this a family area? Is it a high crime area? What's the average age in this area? Is it a fun area to live? Would you live there? Why/why not? I'm single with no children and looking to live somewhere nice, safe, artsy (if possible), with low to NO crime and in an area with older style homes. Is this possible in this area?

Any feedback would be great.
Thanks

I can't think of many nicer places to live in Georgia. Green countryside, friendly people, safer than most places, quiet. If you like those characteristics you might like Gainesville. If you like being near higher elevations, Gainesville is a good spot. I didn't say "mountainous area" purposely because though the elevation is referred to as the North Georgia Mountians, they are not--by most standards--mountains at all, but nice hills. I'm thinking about 3800ft tops. That's a lower elevation that Denver and it's not in the mountains!

Are you from the south? This is a very southern area with limited understanding of the outside, I think, and a lower-than-average level of educational attainment.

All of Georgia is very conservative socially, politically, and religiously. If you like that, you're in like Flint (you probably don't remember the 60's movie staring James Coburn who played an spy named Flint).

My wife are very liberal by Georgia standards, and we have to hold our tongues lest even our best friends threaten to burn crosses in our yard! And we just consider ourselves good Christian folks who believe in peace and freedom.

I hope you will do well--and fee certain you will. Gainesville is a lovely place to live from our perspective. Let me know if you have questions that either of us can try to answer. Although we live several hours south of Gainesville, we visit the area as often as we can.

Best wishes

brodave

[Beanurse]

I'm not from the south and have never lived in the south. I'm from San Francisco, but live in NYC right now. A HUGE change for me, but I'm looking to leave the city life for awhile. I'm not sure how I would fair in an ultra conservative political area though. Are you serious when you say "crosses burning in the front yard"?? In literal terms?? That can be a little scary. Maybe I should reconsider my thoughts on this area?

[brodave1916]

Originally Posted by Beanurse

Are you serious when you say "crosses burning in the front yard"?? In literal terms?? That can be a little scary. Maybe I should reconsider my thoughts on this area?

No, not at all. Nearly everyone I meet is friendly, no matter where in Georgia I visit. What I intended to say yesterday is that the part of Georgia in which I live, SouthWest Georgia, the people are very conservative. My wife and I are professionals with mostly upper middle class friends, and we find them generally unwilling to entertain moderate-to-liberal political views. The people we know, the newspaper editorials, and the focus of news programs reflect ideas more akin to neo-conservative than anywhere we have lived. But then, from our friends' perspective, my wife and I are ultra-liberal.

Maybe our disappointment in the political climate here stems from the fact that we have lived in college towns for the past 30 years, where free and open expression is not threatening either intellectually or emotionally. We now live in a small town where there is little migration of ideas from outside the SWGA perspective.

Please don't take the cross-burning seriously. Even the imagery was a little strong for the subject.

bro

[Prichard]

Well, the Klan is still active in some rural areas of Georgia, but I don't blieve they engage in cross-burning all that much anymore. Also, you will find more Klan activity in rural southern Georgia than in the Georgia foothills of the north.

Liberal political views are not readily accepted in Northern Georgia - you might as well start studying up on Gingrich and Falwell, and forget about even mentioning Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, etc. Mention Chuck Schummer or Ted Kennedy in a positive light, and you might as well yell "hey rednecks which bunch of you thinks you can whoop me?"

You may be approached by someone and asked what church you go to, or asked to visit their church if you don't belong to one. This is considered a friendly gesture, but some outsiders sometimes find this offensive if they aren't Christian or religious. First of all, you aught to belong to a church. But, if you don't the nice thing to do is accept the invite.

You might want to remember that local politics are for locals only - you won't have much to say or do about that. The local people in the rural NE counties of Georgia pretty much have a lock on local politics. You will also find out that good jobs go to members of the local established familes first. Basically, you need to remember that some of these families go back pre-civil war.

The people of North Georgia are very nice. But, if you go in there trying to do things the San Franciscan way, and not the NE Georgian way, you will be considered the "obnoxious outsider". No one is going to do anything bad to you, you just won't have any meaningful interaction with the towns people.

[Beanurse]

I understand all of that. Actually, I have faith in God above. BUT, I don't attend church because of my personal views. I'm nice enough to accept an invite to someones church or their church event. As far as liberal views, I am of course liberal and I do get involved with politics to an extent, especially if it directly affects me and the health of people where I live. I try to do my part for the world around me in what I feel is right. I understand going into a new surrounding and all of that. I know people will more than likely be a little surprised with me, but hopefully in a good, refreshing way. I'm not pushy or bossy about anything. However, I like to talk about things I like if people ask me. I'm sure they may get offended at some of my viewpoints, but it is what it is, a viewpoint. I always mind my own business and am accepting of most things. I am considering living in Athens, Ga, as well.

Thanks for all the information

[palagal2]

My husband wants to buy a house near a river or lake or stream somewhere in south east tenn., or north carolina (west) or northeast Georgia. I am fearful of floods and tornadoes. Where would be the safest around those areas??????

[Shagbark Hickory]

Deleted. Didn't realize this post was bumped up from 2007.
Palagal, start a new thread.