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We are a south asian (indian) family (in mid 30's with 5 yo kid) presently living in OHIO. I have a job offer from Atlanta and Boston.
Our profession's -
myself - physician
wife - network programmer
We are in a dilemma as to what we do because of following -
Boston-
PROS-
We have lived there 2 years and know the town very well
Lots of friends up there with some distant family
Some of the best schools - public and private
Stable job with decent salary - but growth prospects are limited however good long term pension plan
In Boston with high cost of living will NOT be able to afford private schools
Just love the town ! - Public transport - great
Sports - awesome - (hate the celtics as they beat the cavs)
College opportunities awesome for kids
like the europeon feel of the place with smart people all around
CONS
Weather - hate the cold with all our heart !
HOusing sucks '- cannot find decent subdivision even for 700k !
We hate old houses
Traffic sucks -
It's crampy
ATLANTA
Pros -
Job in ATL has tremendous earning potential about 70% greater than bos long term
weather
good housing
will be able to afford private schools - if needed
not too many prep schools/pvt unis
CONS -
have zero friends in ATL !
daugheter has asthma - atlanta is asthma capital of usa !
public schools good but not the best
private school admisson - very tough
not sure how i would fit with the southerner's
Schooling is the most important thing for us but job in atl is better significantly - please HELP us..I have to decide in a week ! what should we do. !
Looking at your list of Pros and Cons, it seems as though your top priority is the best possible future for your child other than earnings. You have family and friends in Boston. Yes you will be making a sacrifice in earnings choosing Boston over Atlanta. You'll give your child the best position chance of getting into Ivory league schools going to top performing public/private schools in Boston, IMHO. Others might speak differently. Besides upon retirement you can always move to Atlanta.
Factor what is most important to you: your daughter's education, her health or having your money go further in GA for a bigger house. The weather is warm here. My leaning would be Boston for the best for daughter and her education, plus you have friends there. Those are huge pluses. Allergy problems are very real in Atlanta, asthma does get worse for people going to middle and South GA, that I do know. How asthma compares to Boston vs. Atlanta, I am not sure.
But something to consider ... and you really have no time to visit ATL to see, so I will add this:
Just so you know, many Asians (Indians, Chinese, Korean, etc) are flocking to the John's Creek area. That I do know from many Asians I know myself. You would make new friends in Atlanta and get a nice-sized newer house for 300K-500k in "great" school districts that have significant Asian populations if that is important to you. John's Creek is a new city, so if you go to greatschools.net and check out the schools in that are, use these zip codes: The zip code of Johns Creek, is (30022 and 30005), Suwanee zip codes (30024 and 30076), and one Duluth zip code (30097) - There are private schools in that area that have good reputations, too.
Here is an interesting piece about in-home day care in a John's Creek neighborhood:
Asian cultures spice up John's Creek neighborhood (http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/02/asian_subdivision.html - broken link)
I have only visited Boston and do not know it as you would, and the real estate there alone would make me shy away from it, even factoring in the good wages you and your wife appear to make.
Really a tough decision, I'd write all the pros and cons out and rate them and make your decision that way. I am sure there are more factors to list than the ones you have above.
There is usually a decent amount of IT work in Atlanta, too.
Location: Techified Blue (Collar)-Rooted Bastion-by-the-Sea
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Well, I have actually lived in both areas, but always as a single guy, so my perspective is a bit different however I will give my opinion:
If you have much more growth/salary potential in Atlanta versus in Boston, by all means go for it. You can then much more easily afford to live in a big house in an area in Atlanta with good school districts (such as East Cobb County) than you could in the Boston area (think Acton, Concord, Lexington, Newton etc.).
Smog over here in Atlanta is not nearly as bad as everyone talks about. Mainly it occurs on hot summer days. Just keep your daughter away from downtown and don't live close to the major freeways or arterials.
You will wish you always had "winters" like the ones in Atlanta.
If you don't have friends in the Atlanta area - make them - there are a lot of Indian people, although I don't know if they are exactly your "kind" if you know what I mean. Also the Indian restuarants here are much better than in Boston - hands down.
The city of Boston has a lot more going for it in terms of attractions, but I have found that when I need to escape Atlanta and visit, I can afford the $240 RT fare for a 2.25 hour flight up there and back.
I have found that moving to Atlanta from oter places depends on what area of the city you move to.This may sound small,but in the largest metro region in the country,this can be what determines how happy you would be here.Are you looking for a urban(intown) or suburban dwelling?If suburban how important is it to surround yourself with more people of your culture vs more diversity?How far are you willing to travel from home to work?
Im single,but if i was really wanting to move here based on your limited criteria you gave,I would move to the suburbs in the south of Atlanta.Like Fayettevile,Peachtree City,Eagles Landing in Henry County.Or maybe better,Austell,Mabelton which is very affordable with and close to the city.All these area have good schools.Especially Fayetteville.In the south you get good schools,More house for your money,a lot less traffic,and less overcrowding.
It is hard to give advice when someone else is balancing so many factors.
Ozone is a natural product of hot, sunny weather. That's your trade-off for the cold.
Certainly Atlanta tends to have more new houses than Boston and real estate costs are certainly lower. Also, do not expect the kind of intellectual and "European" areas that exist in Boston, especially in affordable areas for a family. I would say, find the best school district that is as close as possible to work, and look for houses in your price range.
It sounds to me, overall, like you would be happier in Atlanta except that you (rightfully) dislike the prospect of starting over in a new place.
Atlanta has a thriving South Asian population, and I think you would make a lot of friends and connections here. No way in the world would I live somewhere as cold as Boston (I have lived in the East).
Also, a child's educational progress depends in large part on how motivated her parents are - I have no doubt your child would do very well.
The transit system in Atlanta is no where near as extensive as Boston, so factor in the commute and the cost of fuel. I'm pretty sure there is no transit in the John's Creek area.
This is all good advice. I would think the kid would enjoy Atl more though. The asthma thing is tough though. It can be bad down here. If it wasn't for that I would recommend Atlanta all the way. Why do you think all those northerners are overloading us down here?
Well, Boston and Atlanta are two very different areas with different appeals as you noted. I lived in Massachusetts for a long time and worked in Waltham just outside Boston. I also have a family, so I approached the decision to relocate to Atlanta with the children as a high priority.
The facts are a little different than some of the FUD going around. In the end, it will come down to your preferences and where you feel more comfortable living.
As far as schools go, there are public schools in the Atlanta area that are every bit as good as those in Massachusetts and in many cases better. Cobb Co, north Fulton Co, and other areas have very good schools that compare with any in MA. You just have to read this forum and do your research.
As far as houses go...no contest. Atlanta wins hands down. We owned a 120 year old house in MA that cost us a ton to keep up and renovate. Most of the houses here are 20 years old or newer, much larger but with less land, the upkeep is less, and you don't have to make tradeoffs that are made for older houses. Some people criticize the quality of homes in Atlanta, but I haven't seen anything yet that alarms me.
Traffic in Atlanta can be bad on certain roads and at certain times, like any big city. I have not really seen anything here that is worse than traffic on Rte 128, Rte 2, Rte 24, etc in the Boston area. It's all relative and depends on where you come from and what your experience has been. Again, do your research when you buy your home and you'll be fine. If you can live and work near transit, even better. In Boston, except for expressways, most roads are still 2 lane. This can lead to monster backups on secondary roads. In Atlanta the roads are wider and more modern but more people live here and there are more vehicles on the road.
Cost of living...this is a toughie. Atlanta has gotten more expensive and the cost of living difference now is much less than 20 years ago. Except for housing and insurance, it's really a toss up with Boston. Utilities are about the same, with electricity here being a bit less, but natural gas being more expensive. Taxes work out about even when looked at on the whole.
Weather...this is also a no brainer. Atlanta wins. The long, cold, and snowy winter, followed by a cool, rainy, and dreary spring in Boston can just wear on you. The summers and falls in New England are great, but they don't last very long. In Atlanta, the summers are hot and humid, but it gets hot and humid in Boston too, and the rest of the year in Atlanta is fantastic. You get a New England summer to enjoy in Atlanta roughly 5 months a year, along with a mild winter and no real snow.
Sports...this one goes to Boston hands down. Great and loyal fans that pull together as a community. Some of the best teams in the US that are on a roll lately. In Atlanta, people really ignore their pro teams of all types and seem to only care about a few Saturdays a year when college football is played. Even if you dropped out of HS, people here get all hot and bothered about college teams.
Southerners...this one is also tough because you have to take people as individuals, but there are some common trends. The Atlanta metro has become much less "southern" as more people like me move in and "dilute" the culture. As you move further from Atlanta, you will see more southern influence again. The Protestant religion is the majority in the south, and some people are fanatical about it, almost to the exclusion of all other things in their lives. I had never heard someone tell me to "have a blessed day" until I came to Atlanta. You either live with it and ignore it or it will bother you. In Boston, there is a mix, and many people are Catholic, but there are plenty of Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Bhuddists, and others, and plenty of atheists who don't care about religion at all. Religion is not a factor in Boston. Other factors are more minor and a cultural adjustment is needed no matter where you go. New Englanders have their quirks too, believe me.
Politics...pretty simple. Boston is waaaay left liberal. If you support Moveon.org, then you'll love Boston. Atlanta is much more conservative and Republican, with inside the perimeter folks being relatively more Democrat and liberal than folks outside the perimeter. The criticism in Atlanta is that development has been rampant (and it has) but the opposite is true in Boston where you can't build anything without protests and long legal battles. Political correctness is huge in Boston but not as bad in Atlanta.
Jobs...hard to tell since I moved here with my same job. My gut is that this is about the same for IT jobs, but pay is better in Boston.
I have lived in both cities and I can say that, financial considerations aside, I prefer Boston as a city to live in and to visit. That said, Atlanta is a MUCH more affordable city in which to buy a house and the weather is superior to Boston weather. When you take the financial considerations into account, it becomes a much closer call and I would think a lot would depend on your family's financial situation.
Regarding traffic, I saw the OP mention something about $700k for a house. If that is the OP's price range, they could buy a house in ANY neighborhood in metro Atlanta. In contrast, $700k is not enough to buy into many of the pricier (and closer in) neighborhoods in Boston. Thus, in Atlanta you can avoid traffic by living close to where you work, while in Boston you may still have to face a heavy-traffic commute, depending where you can afford to buy and where you work.
Based on your familiarity with Boston and the fact you have friends there, it may be easier to get up and running in Boston. But I will say, I have found people in Atlanta to be friendlier overall than people in the northeast.
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