So Confused??? (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta: buying, construction, schools)

[OhioNative]

One thing to remember about metro Atlanta is that it is an area of "pockets," in that you might have a Korean area (e.g. the Gwinnett Place Mall area) just around the corner from a predominantly white, Hispanic, or African-American area. For example, in Duluth, there is an area around downtown with a large Hispanic population in some low end apartments - just a couple miles up the road is Sugarloaf Country club, an affluent, predominantly Caucasian area. In Norcross, you have the area around Buford Highway that is largely Hispanic, while Peachtree Corners on the other side of Peachtree Industrial is majority cacuasian and fairly affluent with some of the best schools in Gwinnett county, even though it has the "dreaded" Norcross address. Another thing that you will find here is that there really is no area that is 100% caucasian - even the "whitest" suburbs are fairly diverse by the standards of many coming from up north - this is different from where I grew up in Ohio where even in large suburbs you have to drive 20 or 30 miles to see anyone whe does not look like you).

[raygabs]

Georgia is changing.... the signs in asian really bother me. I understand diversity but that is rediculous. More and more New Yorkers are moving here and while I am a transplanted New Yorker myself, the southern manners might be diminished in certain areas. I love NY and the people but the manners do leave something to be desired(as a whole, no not everyone in NY is like this) . It also seems that if you are a tree here...better watch out....a subdivision or shopping center is coming your way. It's a little nauseating to watch them knock down forest after forest for more homes on roads that are already too congested. However because of the cost of living and how new and clean this state keeps it's roads and such...it is still better than living up in the tri-state area(for a family).

[forresthills]

hey cl what part of the state did/do you live in? Its just the areas in/around atlanta that are on the rude side in my experience of living here.

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by raygabs

Georgia is changing.... the signs in asian really bother me. I understand diversity but that is rediculous.

Whether you are into diversity or not, this is the demographic future of the United States, not just Georgia, and it is something that is not going away anytime soon.

[gt6974a]

Well, my buddies in Savannah refere to us in Atlanta as Yankee's. That's how much metro-Atlanta has changed. When I visit South Georgia, Alabama, and Northern Florida areas where I have friends, it reminds me of how Acworth was growing up. Now it's just completely different and that's 30 miles NW of downtown.

[NorthmeetsSouth]

Originally Posted by NYtoGA

Honestly, I didnt experience any southern hospitality other than the staff at restaurants. They were always wonderful. The other people I encountered in stores, etc were borderline rude. They didnt hold doors going into restaurants or say thank you if you held it for them. Was it a just a bad weekend or is Georgia changing?????

I moved here from NY 14 years ago. I remember it as being much friendlier back then. I was just in NY a few weeks ago and I found that the people THERE were friendlier than here. How times have changed!
If you are looking for a nice area to live that has all of the conveniences but is not (yet) as mean as some of the Atlanta area has become, look in Marietta, Powder Springs, Kennesaw.
It also makes a difference how things seem to you depending on where you are coming from... coming from Brooklyn or Mount Kisco will have two completely different perspectives.

[BobKovacs]

We've been in Canton for a little over a month now, and in general we find the people that you just encounter on the street to about the same on the pleasantness scale as what we left in NJ. I have noticed that they're less likely to thank you for holding the door, though, and even less likely to hold one open for you (so you're not imagining that....lol). Once you actually get to talking to someone, though- a neighbor, work associate, etc., people seem far more willing to actually spend the time to enjoy a conversation, rather than being hurried like so frequently happens up north.

Bob

[ready2move]

Originally Posted by raygabs

Georgia is changing.... the signs in asian really bother me.

Try the signs, and the actual communication in South Florida in total spanish. Most employees in stores speak broken english at best and I was actually approached in spanish in the mall asking if I needed help. The area that I was in can be compared to Alpharetta. Talk about infuriating

[greg_atlanta]

As they say, "Atlantans are nice -- until they get behind the wheel." I think the frustration of being stuck in suburban traffic spills over into time spent in public.

I've always found that people are nicer intown. There's less traffic on sidestreets, so people can get around and do what they need to do without all that tension building up.

The suburban road warriors who spend 3-4 hours a day in their car are probably sleep-deprived. I'd be grumpy too.

[BillWagner]

The more I read peoples blogs the more it seems that they get a crazy view of things here. I've read about crack houses, high crime, etc. I am surprised by there reactions just going through certain areas and what they notice. I have lived here 50 years and I have seen a lot of growth and change,but for this NY guy to say he is having second thoughts about moving from NY to Georgia because of diversity is kinda funny.
I think the area you are talking about is Chambodia ( the area between I285 and Duluth going up Buford Highway area. it has been oriental for about two decades and is converting over to a high Latino area on the south end). The area to the west of Gwinnett Mall is going to change big time. The area around Buford Highway to Peachtree Industrial is slowly being bought up and transformed into high Chinese population area. A developer has been buying up and rezoning property even parks for a tourist area similar to Chinatown in San Francisco. This has been a ongoing project that I don't hear a whole lot about anymore. They were pretty serious about it a couple of years ago.
I think the Dacula area would be an excellent choice. The new schools and subdivisions are good and that area is still close for the commute to the Atlanta area.
As far as the people here being nice, with all the transplants from everywhere, I agree with Atlanta Greg. I find that if you are nice to most of the people they return the gesture.
The Atlanta area is going to sprawl even more. Just a couple of years ago there were only 10 counties considered to be the metro area, now it is 13. They predict that in 20 years the Atlanta sprawl will go as far as Chattanooga, Augusta to Macon. The planning commisions for Atlanta are already looking to have rail systems from Atlanta to Chattanooga and Henry County to Macon. With no natural boundaries Atlanta can spread out everywhere. For years Atlanta leaders have looked at the Highway 316 corridor to Athens would probably be the business hub of the future. North Georgia even in the lower Blue Ridge area is seeing incredible growth. It is not like NY or LA.
I would just pick a good area through a Realtor, someone who can tell you about the demographics and plans for the future of the area and move there. Most people only live in the same house about 5 to 7 years and keep the same job about 3 to 5 years. By the time you are ready to move you will have fiqured out where you want to move to.
Georgia is a good place to live....Bill