New York City or Atlanta

[jonathan_the_swift]

I live in Atlanta and I've visited New York many times. I'm originally from Boston. If I didn't have children and weren't married with two kinds and at least 10 years younger, I would have probably chosen New York over Atlanta. As you might guess, New York is no where to raise a family or grow old.

Atlanta is growing rapidly and the more time goes by the less I miss the North and its amenities. Atlantans are some of the most polite, considerate and friendly people you'll ever encounter anywhere in the country. I will say, however, that Atlantans aren't as savvy or as worldly as folks up North. Politically, people tend to be more conservative and you get blank stares if you engage in any kind of intellectual discourse. However bad this may seem, there are worst places in the country and I'm guessing Texas would be such a place.

What I miss most about the North are the restaurants and take out food. The food in Atlanta is horrible on average. The chinese food, for instance, is some of the worst I've eaten, but I've discovered some places that come close (but no cigar) to what you can get up North. If you're going to move down here, move into a home with a nice Kitchen because you're going to have to learn to cook. I've mastered the art of Fried Rice and now I don't miss the North so much anymore.

As far as places to live, I would choose City of Decatur, Midtown, Virginia Highlands, or Buckhead. Of the three, City of Decatur is my top choice. It is a highly educated community and very diverse with low crime. It has an interesting feel of a suburb, small town and big city neighborhood. The schools are excellent, some of the top schools in the entire state.

[zdg]

You all know this thread is from 3 years ago, right?

[BKATL]

To each its own. Atlanta, well Georgia has been home for me for the past six years and I'm gone. I am back in NYC starting my new job tomorrow finally. Not an easy transition but it has to be done. The Georgia suburbs are beautiful, but IMO not for a young fast pace individual like myself. Don't feel like there is any growth out there, but I as said....to each its own.

[Creamsicle]

I live south of Atlanta now. I think it's a good city, but I prefer the Big Apple by a long shot not because I grew up there, but it is a true melting pot, not to mention you can't beat the pizza LOL. For some weird reason, the only stuff I find interesting about Atlanta is the MARTA (although it doesn't compare to the NYCTA), the CNN Center, and the Southern hospitality. I still adore my Yankees, so I don't go to any Braves games. The reason why I wouldn't want to move back to NYC is because the colder it gets, the worse my cold/flu symptoms become (I used to miss weeks of school as a child), and here in the South it only happens once a winter. If I would prefer anywhere in the South for me to live, it would be somewhere in the Emerald Coast of Florida (Panama City, Pensacola, Destin, Ft. Walton), Jacksonville, any Orlando suburb close to the theme parks, and Savannah, which I like better than Atlanta. I considered Mobile, but the Heart of Dixie is way too conservative than the Peach and Sunshine States.

So my vote goes to NYC without a doubt. As the saying goes, you can take someone out of NY, but you can't take the NY out of them.

[BKGirl34]

It's interesting to see a thread over a 3 year period and see how people's viewpoints with these two popular cities have changed (or not). I've been thinking for more than three years whether or not to move to Atlanta, but I see more and more that it's just not a wise move right now. So I'll stay in NYC for now.

[NooYowkur81]

From what I've gathered atlanta vs NYC is quite the apples vs oranges discussion. I've never been to ATL outside of an unpleasant layover at the ATL airport about 3 years ago, but from what I've read it's completely different from NYC. One thing that disturbs me about ATL is how I've read that people down there have been completely against expanding the public transportation, and that type of thing makes me want to run in the opposite direction.