Prospective Los Angeles Transplant (Atlanta, Lawrenceville: crime, motel, living in) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

mooseman1 · 09-26-2007, 02:11 PM

I've been lurking around here for a while, and we are seriously considering relocating from LA to Suwanee or somewhere in that vicinity. I've read a lot about two things that concern me: crime and traffic. We intend to work in the area we live, so, compared to LA, i.e., the 405 between the 10 and the 710, how bad will the traffic be? And, relative to crime in LA, how bad is crime, really, in Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Buford, Duluth, etc? I am concerned that relocating to the Atlanta area not be merely exchanging one unpleasant reality for another.

greg_atlanta · 09-26-2007, 04:55 PM

Crime is not an issue. Traffic is a problem if you have to use I85 to I285 stretch during normal commute hours..... but the interstates here have a lot more capacity than LA.

OhioNative · 09-26-2007, 05:06 PM

There is really not much crime in Suwanee. The police just had their first murder case in like 30 or 40 years, and that just happened to be a person from out of town that stopped at a motel off the interstate and had a domestic dispute that ended badly. I have never felt unsafe here.

irvm · 09-26-2007, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioNative

There is really not much crime in Suwanee. The police just had their first murder case in like 30 or 40 years, and that just happened to be a person from out of town that stopped at a motel off the interstate and had a domestic dispute that ended badly. I have never felt unsafe here.

Same here. If your spouse isn't trying to get rid of you, and you aren't involved in dealing drugs, the odds of having a problem go way down.

There are parts of LA I wouldn't drive thru (lived there),
there are parts of Atl I wouldn't walk thru,(ditto) but get outside the city and you're in far more danger of being run down by a big-haired lady in a big-a$$ed $UV talking on her cell phone while curling her eyelashes (seen that in person!)

sweettea1 · 09-26-2007, 07:09 PM

I think you'll be fine and probably very happy in the areas you're looking at. Traffic is bad but it really is contained w/in the rush 'hours' rather than all day long like in LA. You can actually drive the speed limit for a greater portion of the day on Atlanta highways. I don't think I've ever done that in LA!

SantaFeSisters · 09-26-2007, 07:34 PM

Think long and hard Mooseman. We spent 35 years in L.A.. When we finally got out we went to what was described to us as "paradise." In reality for us it turned out to be hell. The traffic was worse than L.A., there was just as much ,only they drive much faster and pay no attention to other drivers. What exactly is the appeal there for you?

atlantagreg30127 · 09-26-2007, 09:56 PM

Atlanta is called the "L.A. of the East" by some, and recently it was ranked as having the 2nd worst traffic overall right under L.A. in numerous articles, so if you're looking to get away from traffic and "smog days", sorry, this aint the place to do it.

Try Portland, Oregon. Not quite everyone from L.A. has moved up there yet and they're not as ticked with you guys as they used to be, plus they have better public transit and less crime.

Cobb · 09-28-2007, 09:53 PM

Traffic is bad here but not nearly a bad as LA. I retired here to ATL from LA. I used to commute from LA ( I worked for the Metro Transit) out to Riverside. That type of trip here would not take the 2 1/2- 3 hrs it would take in LA. I find the air to be much, much better than LA. Yes, there is smog but not like LA. Come down spend a month if you can and drive everywhere and see for yourself. That is the very best way to decide if you'll like it.

Westward · 09-29-2007, 01:17 AM

Yes, the air is better. However, if you are planning to get out of driving, forget it. You will drive just as much because everything is much farther apart than it is in LA. The freeways are not as bad, but they can be worse. There are many fewer work-arounds in Atlanta when the freeways are choked with an accident. In LA you can get around them fairly easily. Same for surface streets.

Imo, you should just remove traffic from the plate - it's even steven. Consider the other things you will get: a nice big (new) house, any size or shape, with trees and privacy from your n'bors, and several acres if that's what you want. If you choose the right spot, you can also have all the conveniences. Choose the wrong spot, and you'll find yourself driving 15 minutes just to get milk.

Don't need to worry about crime on the north side of Atlanta. However, the farther out from Atlanta you go, the more rednecks you will find, and the fewer people you will find to socialize with a person "of the world" from LA.

irvm · 09-29-2007, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westward

Don't need to worry about crime on the north side of Atlanta. However, the farther out from Atlanta you go, the more rednecks you will find, and the fewer people you will find to socialize with a person "of the world" from LA.

You'll be fine, once you realize being 'from LA' isn't something to brag about.
The vast majority of the US sees things that are happening in California, and decided long ago that Californians are living in their own strange, illogical little world, divorced from reality.
Unfair? Sure it is. Blame Hollywood for creating and reinforcing that image.