Moved away from Atlanta...only to come back? Your story. (Marietta: crime, house)

[Newsboy]

There is a common saying down here in Savannah that goes, "You may leave the city, but the city never leaves you." I feel the same way about Atlanta. It's where I was born (Ga Baptist/ATL Medical Center), grew up (Fayette County), went to college (UGA), came out (Backstreet), and worked for 10+ years (AJC, etc) until moving back to the coast for the second time 5 years ago. For now, this is where I want and NEED to be. But for very personal reasons (finances, family, etc) I will one day return to Metro Atlanta permanently. It is where I will be buried.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

I moved to the DC area. Nice place to visit but a horrible place to live.

the extreme high cost of living, spending close to $15 a day on the Metro,

I never liked it. I've visited it twice. I have relatives in the Virginia suburbs. Their Metro IS expensive. (BART would be about that if you rode in from a far out suburb). Never understood why it is so expensive. You'd think you'd have more reasonable prices for being in such a boring location. It must be all the salaries they pay in that area. Yeah, I would have to say Atlanta is more livable and reasonable all the way around.

[GaBison2007]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

I'm rewriting what I said earlier because I was typing on my phone.


I moved to the DC area. Nice place to visit but a horrible place to live. I really enjoyed the free museums, being close to NYC, jobs everywhere, etc but on the flip side I did not like the cold weather, the extreme high cost of living, spending close to $15 a day on the Metro, few direct flights, boring nightlife, DC women dont cook, etc. And the traffic is horrible compared to our traffic here. They have fixed the WW Bridge so that traffic is flowing again but try riding on 95 on Va on a Saturday afternoon, Interstate 66, etc. Thing is both cities are the same size but we have larger interstates and DC has fewer interstate lanes but the rail system is DC is better than ours because of the federal funding. I enjoyed DC and DC has a lot to offer but I like being here more

I didn't know you lived in DC Tony! No wonder I like your posts so much lol. I agree wholeheartedly with this description of DC. I was raised in a different part of GA but came back after 8 years to ATL (didn't want to completely escape the big city living lol) because I had enough. Free museums, fantastic Ethiopian food, and easy access to NYC/Philly/Boston etc couldn't supersede the fact that my quality of life in ATL has improved exponentially.

[easyjett]

Moved off to Albuquerque, New Mexico after the economy went south in 2009. After being unemployed for almost a year from construction management I had swore I'd never work in that industry again.

Fast forward to 2011 was offered a well paying management position back in the Atl. from a colleague I had advised previously.

Though he changed his business model from working with developers to government work....the economy eventually caught up with his business and I was voluntarily laid off.

I am again looking to move out of Atl. and this time I will NEVER work in the construction industry again. I'm burned out and am learning a new industry to eventually start my own company in a state that is more business friendly...Texas.

[architect77]

After growing up in Raleigh/Durham, NC, I lived in Atlanta from 1991-1996. I then spent 4 years in Los Angeles, followed by 10 years in NYC.

I returned to Atlanta in May of 2010 and won't ever leave again. While Georgia as a state remains one of the least advanced and progressive, Metro Atlanta is a great compromise of beautiful scenery (suburban, gorgeous trees everywhere), affordability and great weather (well, better than the Northeast).

It's an enjoyable city for car enthusiasts to drive in (though I don't own a car), and it sure seems to be sunny almost all the time. Atlantans live with a big-city mentality which can't be found anywhere else in the southeastern states except for Florida.

Winter is now my favorite season where as in NYC I got depressed every September knowing that 7 cold months were ahead.

For me, Atlanta is about as good as it gets. I just wish the city and state held themselves to a much higher standard (like nearby NC does.)

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by GaBison2007

I didn't know you lived in DC Tony! No wonder I like your posts so much lol. I agree wholeheartedly with this description of DC. I was raised in a different part of GA but came back after 8 years to ATL (didn't want to completely escape the big city living lol) because I had enough. Free museums, fantastic Ethiopian food, and easy access to NYC/Philly/Boston etc couldn't supersede the fact that my quality of life in ATL has improved exponentially.

+1

It's a cool city to live in for a few years but I had to come back here

[Caltovegas]

I don't want to do it but I know at some point it's back to ATL. The cost of living and quality of life is a main factor.

[Iconographer]

Left my native city in 1973 to attend college. Lived in Orlando (liked it), DC (hated it), NYC (liked it), Miami (the absolute worst) before returning to Atlanta in 1989. I came back with a much deeper appreciation for this city.

[Dymediva21]

Originally Posted by cittic10

Been there, done that.

Twice.

May do it again.

I might never learn.

It's easy to overlook the positives.

Exactly!! That is how I feel; I'm an NC native and moved to Georgia (Stone Mountain) area in 2009; left in July of 2011 because I was living with my sister and we started to not get along so I just up and left and came back to NC; currently looking to move back to GA, I just realized why I left this place and will be glad when I leave to come back...missing the diversity and just being able to go downtown and look at all of the different things going on. I'm looking to transfer my job down there b/c honestly, that is the ONLY thing I would advise anyone whose planning on moving to the Atlanta area either for the first time or moving back...everything else you can work around, even some modes of transportation. I know people talk and complain about MARTA but think about those folks who live somewhere where public transportation stops at like 5 or 6pm...and it not running on holidays or Sunday...yeah, ok...So if anyone knows any open positions with any Walgreens stores in the Atlanta area, please let me know! Thanks :-)

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by architect77

After growing up in Raleigh/Durham, NC, I lived in Atlanta from 1991-1996. I then spent 4 years in Los Angeles, followed by 10 years in NYC.

I returned to Atlanta in May of 2010 and won't ever leave again. While Georgia as a state remains one of the least advanced and progressive, Metro Atlanta is a great compromise of beautiful scenery (suburban, gorgeous trees everywhere), affordability and great weather (well, better than the Northeast).

It's an enjoyable city for car enthusiasts to drive in (though I don't own a car), and it sure seems to be sunny almost all the time. Atlantans live with a big-city mentality which can't be found anywhere else in the southeastern states except for Florida.

Winter is now my favorite season where as in NYC I got depressed every September knowing that 7 cold months were ahead.

For me, Atlanta is about as good as it gets. I just wish the city and state held themselves to a much higher standard (like nearby NC does.)

Great quote. Just curious...how did you like LA? I think LA and Atlanta have more in common than NYC and Atlanta.