Why come to Atlanta? I just don't get it... (Washington: DMV, closing)

[noah]

On page three you'll see the top metros for year over year job growth -- Atlanta is #3

http://www.bls.gov/ro4/cesatl.pdf

[rorqual]

Originally Posted by A_Lexus

I don't know one person who wants to move to Atlanta. I personally would never entertain the idea of living in a city that is in the state of Georgia. Georgia remains a RED state, which indicates that it still contains more people who align themselves with the Klan than it does not. As a solid Conservative state, Georgia doesn't count in my eyes, and neither does Atlanta.

I have always felt that Atlanta was all marketing and no substance. No interest in the city whatsoever.

I hear what you are saying, and the recent attempt by the KKK to adopt a highway in North GA didn't do any good, but having recently moved to Atlanta I have been pleasantly surprised by the area. Metro Atlanta will, in most cases, provide a refreshing progressive respite from the general hardcore TeaParty phase that the the rest of the state is going through (birther rallies, etc.).

It could be worse.. GA could constantly be in the news for radical right-wing nonsense like Arizona, but thankfully its not.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by rorqual

I hear what you are saying, and the recent attempt by the KKK to adopt a highway in North GA didn't do any good

I don't see how that would reflect badly on Atlanta in particular though. Union County isn't in metro Atlanta and is probably a little closer to Chattanooga than Atlanta.

It could be worse.. GA could constantly be in the news for radical right-wing nonsense like Arizona, but thankfully its not.

Very true. State politics are definitely dysfunctional, but you don't see a lot of extreme stuff that makes national headlines for the most part.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

PolitiFact Georgia | Atlanta cost-of-living worse than advertised, group says

It’s not. Metro Atlanta is the 16th-most-expensive, according to H+T index data.

Sixteen out of 51 isn’t great. And it reinforces the group’s overall point that transportation costs significantly add to the cost of living in metro Atlanta.

But it’s not as bad as Citizens for Transportation Mobility said.

It earns a Half True.

Not only did this article not provide the method they used to calculate this nor the fact that many people suburbs or not don't commute, the metro is ranked 16 most expensive not 7th. I mean, sure it is more expensive to live in Atlanta then some small town in Alabama. That doesn't make Atlanta expensive.

[MDAllstar]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

That's a bit silly because the places that are growing faster post-recession are still Sunbelt cities with many of the same issues as Atlanta. I'm not saying these aren't challenges to be overcome, but we can't act as though Atlanta is the only one facing them.

The place I really fear for, that I think will eventually see a big downfall, is DC. Federal money can't keep flowing forever to keep that place propped up in light of an inadequately-sized private sector (that's actually self-sufficient and isn't feeding at the government teat) for its size.

You couldn't be more mistaken about DC's future than you are now! Life Sciences is growing faster in DC than anywhere else. Between DC and Baltimore job growth by 2020 which both rank in the top 10, DC will continue to prosper.

Where the Jobs Will Be in 2020 - Jobs & Economy - The Atlantic Cities

[alco89]

I just love it when people try to compare Atlanta to other large cities that were well established when Atlanta was still relatively small.

I wish they'd stop comparing Atlanta to DC (sure they're similar sizes, but federal spending, its location in the megalopolis, the fact its urban fabric was formed IN THE 1800s when walkability meant EVERYTHING, and the simple fact it's our nation's capitol). Two totally different scenarios if you really look at it. Atlanta was built with the almighty car in mind, so if people would stop and think about that, maybe they wouldn't be so surprised how spread out, less dense, and decentralized it is. And then folks complain when Atlanta can't afford to expand the transit system, yet in order to do that, some of the precious low cost-of-living would vaporize. That will then be something else for folks to complain about. Oh boy!

Same with Chicago. Until about 1990, Chicago ALONE had more people than Atlanta's entire metro area. That place had been a major player for 100 years by that point. OF COURSE they'd have more extensive transit, urban living, amenities, cultural offerings, diversity, etc.

Atlanta is NEW. Start comparing Atlanta to cities like Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, heck maybe even San Diego and Miami and you'd realize how much farther along it is (urban/transit, amenities) amongst other sunbelt cities THAT GREW UP AT THE SAME TIME. I just don't get why people don't get that. Give Atlanta some time. It's been trying this "big city" thing for only 40 years maybe. Of course there are some deficiencies when you add a million+ people a decade. We know what it's problems are, which is half the battle. Fixing them is easier said than done whether you're Republican- or Democratic-run.

Alright, rant over lol

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by MDAllstar

You couldn't be more mistaken about DC's future than you are now! Life Sciences is growing faster in DC than anywhere else. Between DC and Baltimore job growth by 2020 which both rank in the top 10, DC will continue to prosper.

Where the Jobs Will Be in 2020 - Jobs & Economy - The Atlantic Cities

Life sciences isn't going to be enough to sustain DC in light of reduced federal spending. Unless you're one of the big hubs of the industry (Boston, Silicon Valley, Raleigh-Durham, NJ, etc.), it's not going to make that much of a significant impact by itself.

And life sciences is actually growing faster in Indiana than anywhere else: Indiana leads U.S. in life sciences jobs and growth

[MDAllstar]

Originally Posted by back2dc

Will DC have a slowdown, perhaps, especially if the Republicans get their way.

Is there a diverse private sector economy separate from the Federal Government, much more than there was in the early 90s (the last time DC had a significant real estate slowdown). However, even the Republicans have their pockets lined with $$$ from the military-industrial complex. They love their weapons and they love to war-monger.

Regardless, DC's extensive public transportation, walkable neighborhoods, liberal/libertarian politics and intensive growth in the city limits, have set it up to be more vital than its suburbs. These are the factors young, educated people are looking for, and they won't find it in Atlanta at all.

Report: Area to add 1 million jobs by 2030 | WashingtonExaminer.com

George Mason just released a study saying that even with Federal Government cuts, DC will still add around 1 million jobs by 2030. The real problem in DC is the housing shortage. They are putting up high rises in the city and suburbs as fast as possible, but most analysts feel DC won't be able to add enough multi-family high rises to keep up with the population. Cranes dot ever corner of DC and its suburbs, but the region is behind the ball on inventory.

[MDAllstar]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Life sciences isn't going to be enough to sustain DC in light of reduced federal spending. Unless you're one of the big hubs of the industry (Boston, Silicon Valley, Raleigh-Durham, NJ, etc.), it's not going to make that much of a significant impact by itself.

And life sciences is actually growing faster in Indiana than anywhere else: Indiana leads U.S. in life sciences jobs and growth

Study: 270,000 healthcare jobs needed in D.C. area by 2020 - Washington Business Journal

Look, this isn't a competition, so I'm not going to go back and forth with you on what is happening in DC compared to other cities in the nation. Growth is about numbers and is relative to size. I'm talking about major cities. DC's CSA is close to 9 million people. Growth by percentage in Indianapolis can't be compared to an area like DC. We compete with Silicon Valley in San Fran and Route 128 in Boston, not Indianapolis.

Johns Hopkins University, Shady Grove Adventist Life Science Center, and countless bio tech firms are building the Great Seneca Life Science City in Montgomery County already under construction. It's adding 40,000 jobs to the 20,000 already there. It will be the first ever in the United States. Asia is the only place with these urban and densely built Science Cities built around transit and high rises. The development will have 17.5 million square feet of mixed use development anchored by the Corridor Cities Transitway.

Council approves ‘Science City'
http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto....html?page=all

[LexusNexus]

Originally Posted by rorqual

I hear what you are saying, and the recent attempt by the KKK to adopt a highway in North GA didn't do any good, but having recently moved to Atlanta I have been pleasantly surprised by the area. Metro Atlanta will, in most cases, provide a refreshing progressive respite from the general hardcore TeaParty phase that the the rest of the state is going through (birther rallies, etc.).

It could be worse.. GA could constantly be in the news for radical right-wing nonsense like Arizona, but thankfully its not.

I suppose as long as you stay in Atlanta, you don't have to be bothered with the state of Georgia.

Glad it works for you, and that's what really counts. With my comments, I mean no offense to anyone who loves Atlanta. All that matters is that it works for you.