[AsyaMoonNate]

Hi to all...My girlfriend has just been accepted to Medical school in Atlanta as well as UVM and we're doing our research now to decide where to go. We live in the Boston area now, and i'm from Boston while she's from New York City.
I guess I have been surprised by reading so many negative threads here, as I sort of had a vision of Vermont that fit into my lefty utopian dreams(the state pays dairy farmers for their Biogas, that rocks!). But one of our biggest concerns is the high cost of living and the crazy tuition at UVM. We have a 3yr old child, so I feel our options are very limited. I've been working as a High-end residential house painter here in the Boston area for the past 4 years, but am not thrilled about continuing that. I'm an artist at heart, and would love to go back to school to get a Masters so I could teach, or to study filmmaking, which I've seen there is a bit of a community for in Burlington. So I would really prefer working part time, to free up time to take care of our son as well as pursuing my own interests. So we would largely be relying on my girlfriend's financial aid from the school. But is this even possible?! The high cost of living really scares me. As it is, we struggle month to month here in Boston, and that gets old fast.
Atlanta, on the other hand, is SOOOOO cheap comparatively!! I never envisioned myself living in the South, but the affordability is really enticing. As well as the Southern hospitality and friendliness I hear so much about. I've grown up in New England and am well aware of the Northeast's attitude problem(it's not just a rumor, it's very real). I was in the Peace Corps in Tanzania(East Africa) where I experienced a real sense of community, like the kind I see and envy in the Brazilians living around me. So this is also an attractive quality of the South. But i've never been to Atlanta, and the images i've seen of it screams GHETTO! We're a biracial couple, so we're concerned about our son being accepted wherever we go. When we visited Burlington this past winter(wow it was cold and windy!), I found it to be very friendly. I easily struck up conversations while waiting for the bus, and was surprised to see the diversity downtown. But I guess what i'm asking is, "For the price, is Vermont really worth it?" Or would we be happier and have more freedom(financially and otherwise) in Atlanta?
Thanks for reading...

[negreenUSF]

I think you should go to Atlanta. I used to live in Burlington and it was awesome BUT it's very difficult to sustain a good lifestyle. So I moved to FL...FL is more expensive than GA but it's the same basics and I love it. It's a nice change, cheap and more importantly THE WEATHER. I've never been to Atlanta but everything I have heard is crime and traffic....but that's the same in every city. (Crime more so in Atlanta.) You just have to do you research on what areas to stay away from and what are the best, try the GA forum for that. Trying to maintain a good life while having one of you in school is already difficult enough especially MED SCHOOL. You could check out Athlens, GA...it's suppose to be beautiful but maybe more expensive? I don't know I'm out of my league though. I wish you the best of luck!! Let me know if you have any more questions about Burlington...I lived there for 10yrs and struggled until I moved last year!

[lukedaddy]

You have "Atlanta".......then you have Atlanta. It is compromised of a metro area and alot of the cities just north of atlanta are very nice. Check out Roswell, Alpharetta....around that area. Compared to Burlington it is way cheap....compared to othe parts of GA, it's more expensive.
Atlanta is a huge melting pot with over 5 million people.......that whole thing about southern hospitality is pretty much over, especially in the bigger cities.
My wife moved down here to GA (from NE)and was expecting the southern hospitality as well, she was pretty disappointed.
Ironically enough we may be relocating to VT! Go figure

[pucabear]

I have friends in Burlington that happen to be a biracial couple, who were transferred here from Atlanta. They are counting down the days for the transfer back. The conversations we have had concern the cost of living mostly, but also their comfort level of the diversity factor.

[vter]

Never been to Atlanta, so can't compare for you. BUT, the UVM Medical School was just ranked #7 in the country for primary care (according to US News & World Report).

[AsyaMoonNate]

Thank you all for your input into choosing VT or GA. We are still so conflicted. VT is close to family and friends, but expensive. We think the school systems would be better than GA, but are concerned about our biracial son not seeing more of "his" kind around. We are pretty colorblind people but I don't think the rest of the world is and don't want his formative years to be raised in an environment of non-diversity.

Another factor is being able to purchase a home. Atlanta is soooo much cheaper than Burlington. You can't find a decent 2 bedroom single family in/near Burlington for under 200k/225k. That amont in Atlanta could buy a darned mansion. *Sigh*

It seems everyone is point to Atlanta. However, school wise, I LOOOOOVE UVM. Morehouse is amazing as well, but I think the curriculum and resources might be more improved at UVM. There's still so much to consider.

Thanks for all the advice and opinions.

[organica]

I'd have to second Atlanta for you. But you need to know the conditions there first. I grew up in Smyrna in the '80's and '90's. Smyrna was a small suburb of ATL that has become swallowed by the now Metropolis of ATL. The housing there went from the mid $100's to now the mid $300's. Its crazy. The houses are all crammed together in themed neighborhoods with rather cheap construction. BUT, if you don't mind driving in traffic for an hour to get about 30 miles to Morehouse (GREAT school by the way!!) then ATL is for you. Yet, you may have the income to live in-town, the Peidmont Park area is very nice.

Regardless, I was pretty sheltered from the crime while I grew up and I felt pretty safe downtown. So I can't comment on that aspect.

[chiefs fan]

Originally Posted by AsyaMoonNate

Thank you all for your input into choosing VT or GA. We are still so conflicted. VT is close to family and friends, but expensive. We think the school systems would be better than GA, but are concerned about our biracial son not seeing more of "his" kind around. We are pretty colorblind people but I don't think the rest of the world is and don't want his formative years to be raised in an environment of non-diversity.

Another factor is being able to purchase a home. Atlanta is soooo much cheaper than Burlington. You can't find a decent 2 bedroom single family in/near Burlington for under 200k/225k. That amont in Atlanta could buy a darned mansion. *Sigh*

It seems everyone is point to Atlanta. However, school wise, I LOOOOOVE UVM. Morehouse is amazing as well, but I think the curriculum and resources might be more improved at UVM. There's still so much to consider.

Thanks for all the advice and opinions.

If you haven't already, definitely take a look at the Atlanta board on here. I've never been to Vermont so I can't really make a comparison, but I have lived in the suburbs of Atlanta for over a year now. You mentioned school systems; do you plan to send your child to public or private school? Private schools are very popular around here for a reason; a lot of the public school systems in the area are not that great. There are some decent public school systems, but they are going to be a bit of a drive to Morehouse for your girlfriend. Are there particular areas of Atlanta you are looking at?

I would also think about the distance you will be from extended family. My husband and I lived in Boise, ID for 5 years where we had no family nearby. Part of the reason we ended up leaving the area for Atlanta after we had kids was to be closer to some family that ended up here (cost of living was the other factor).

That being said, Atlanta has been nice for us, cost of living wise. Our money stretches pretty far here and we were able to buy a nice home for under $200k with a huge yard. However we are pretty far out from downtown Atlanta! The climate is very nice here, at least to us. My sis-in-law is in a interracial relationship and I don't think she has had any problems because of this.

[agl48]

Well here is my opionion. I am an adult woman who is biracial and was raised in Vt( Burlington, Brattleboro, Bellow Falls and college in Montpelier) and love Vt. Vt is very laid back and an old hippie, liberal state. I never experienced racism until I moved out of state in my older years. I also live in MA now and am looking at spending my winters in Atlanta. I have also lived in NM,AZ,WI,NH,FL,NC and Europe. I have driven by myself to Cal x3 and to FL x3 so I've seen a bit.
I don't live in VT now because the jobs are certainly not plentiful and wages aren't that great but the people are wonderful. My own daughter did all of her schooling there.
Atlanta doesn't have very good public schools but private schools abound and the cost of living is cheaper. However your are going to see a pay hit compared to Boston. You mentioned you enjoy the arts and entertainment. I am amazed at how big this area is in Atlanta
There are many groups also for interracial families, playgroups etc.
Check out craigslist.com and meetup.com for info on these groups.

Good luck

April

[harry chickpea]

Grew up in Vermont, lived in Burlington and later lived in Atlanta. You have some good advice above, particularly from organica.

In Atlanta, you will consider sending your child to private school. In Atlanta, you will experience horrible traffic. Atlanta is no longer a "southern" city as much as an east coast megalopolis. Forget southern charm and politeness unless you go at least 50 miles outside the city. Cost of living varies by neighborhood.

Burlington is cold and the wind off the lake in the winter can be cutting. It is expensive all over the small city. The arts are touted, but Atlanta is the place with the world famous art museum, shows, etc, so take that with a grain of salt.

In your situation, my choice would probably be Atlanta, but I'd also be looking at how much graduates make comparatively after leaving med school. That is a good indicator of the demand. Now if your girlfriend could get into McGill (sp?) in Montreal, that would be outstanding. Even if you have to live underground in the winter, the school is fantastic, and it is closer to a world city than either Atlanta or Burlington.