Irish person moving to Atlanta welcomes advice :)

[plessthanpointohfive]

Re: Drinking as a recreational activity...

People who drink as a recreational activity, and I say this as someone born and raised near New Orleans, usually have some sort of magnet inside of them that attracts them to OTHER people who drink recreationally.

However, drinking and driving in the United States is not socially okay. It really isn't. Don't get me wrong. People do it. But most people won't do it or won't admit they do. And the laws here are strict on people who do it and get caught.

But it shouldn't be a problem. Just live within walking distance of a pub and you're fine!

[IntownHomes247]

Originally Posted by didi_32

Hi,
My husband has been offered a job in Atlanta and we are contemplating a move there. We currently live in Ireland and are a bit apprehensive about uprooting ourselves to start a new life in Atlanta.
I've read in previous posts that traffic is a problem, my husband's job is located at 1400 Lake Hearn Drive, near Sandy Springs.
Would you recommend that we live in the suburbs to be close to his work?
Do you know any good areas in that location?
Would it be possible to live in the city and commute or would this mean traffic hell?
What is the public transport system like? Can you get from the suburbs to the city easily?

My husband will be working but i won't be working initially. I guess I am slightly concerned that I may become isolated if we live in the suburbs with little to do...

If you have any other insights that you would like to share, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

didi, the residential neighborhoods closest to his job are Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Chastain, and Brookhaven. All of these tend to be pricey. Since you don't mention the type or size of place you're looking for, or your price range, there's no way to advise on whether these areas would work for you.

If you prefer to live intown (Midtown, Virginia-Highland, Morningside, Candler Park, Decatur) I don't believe the commute would be that terrible (maybe 20-30 minutes not in rush hour and 30-45 in rush hour unless there's a wreck on GA400). He'd be going against traffic. It would take longer from Decatur because it's not on the N/S axis of the city but over to the east so you either have to go to the center of the city and take 400 or take I-285 (which has no particular direction so you're never going against traffic).

It's all going to depend on what you want to do. If nightlife is important to you, then you might want to look at Midtown or Virginia-Highland. If outdoor activities are important to you, you might want to be close to either Piedmont Park, Chastain Park, or the Chattahoochee River National Park. If shopping is important to you, there are malls in Buckhead and near your husband's office as well as boutique shopping in Buckhead, Virginia-Highland, Decatur, and Vinings.

What's your idea of the perfect place to live? What kind of home are you looking for -- detached single family, townhome, condo? How large a place are you looking for? Are there any special amenities you want (covered parking, swimming pool, fenced yard, etc.)? What price range are you looking for?

The more specific you can be, the more relevant you'll find the answers to your questions.

[10scoachrick]

For activities, don't forget Atlanta has the largest local tennis league in the universe...ALTA boasts around 75,000 active members...playing almost every week of the year. You will be near Sandy Springs Tennis Center(formerly North Fulton TC) on Abernathy RD, west of 400(24 public courts--4 'clay', all lighted) AND Blackburn Tennis Center(Ashford-Dunwoody Rd, inside the perimeter, Dekalb County park, 18 hard courts). Bring your sunscreen.

[Stormcrow73]

Originally Posted by didi_32

Hi,
My husband has been offered a job in Atlanta and we are contemplating a move there. We currently live in Ireland and are a bit apprehensive about uprooting ourselves to start a new life in Atlanta.
I've read in previous posts that traffic is a problem, my husband's job is located at 1400 Lake Hearn Drive, near Sandy Springs.
Would you recommend that we live in the suburbs to be close to his work?
Do you know any good areas in that location?
Would it be possible to live in the city and commute or would this mean traffic hell?
What is the public transport system like? Can you get from the suburbs to the city easily?

My husband will be working but i won't be working initially. I guess I am slightly concerned that I may become isolated if we live in the suburbs with little to do...

If you have any other insights that you would like to share, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

didi, this might help you guys feel somewhat at home: Clan Na nGael's web site, home to Gaelic Games and Irish Culture in Atlanta

[didi_32]

Well, we have lots of little weekend festivals all over the city...Inman Park Festival, Summerfest in Virginia-Highland, Decatur Art Festival, Atlanta Art Festival, Decatur Book Festival, Screen on the Green, Concerts on the Square in Decatur, Dogwood Festival...and many, many others. There's a lot of local music venues, local theater, and lots of good local restaurants.

I have to say, Atlanta sounds like a great place to live! I'm getting more excited than apprehensive as I learn more about the place I'm a fan of the Arts so all this is right up my alley!

folks don't quite um.. "drink as a recreational activity" like some of the lucky Irish do, though. So tell hubby to watch the bottle if he's going to drive here.

LOL - so subtly and diplomatically put Not to worry, things have changed in Ireland in recent years, we no longer live in a culture where drink driving is acceptable. It's heavily frowned upon in Ireland now...thankfully!
I think if people are as helpful as you guys we won’t do too badly. Not sure if you are aware of this but Americans have a fantastic reputation in Ireland as being very welcoming and friendly when Irish people visit. I have been to New York and Texas and found people to be so welcoming, they put us to shame!

Intownhomes247, sorry not ignoring you, I just don’t have the answer to those questions yet. I think I need to do some more research…

Thanks again everyone for the help J

[Edenlynn]

Hi didi_32! I'm an Atlanta native now living in England.

You may find these sites helpful. They are mostly aimed at Brits moving to or living in the US, but there are also plenty of folks from NI and Eire.

Dive Into America

British Expats forum

Another British Expats forum (http://forums.british-expats.com/index.php - broken link)

[plessthanpointohfive]

I'm telling you, Didi, it's because American is in love with all things Irish! I don't know how it started but everyone loves to celebrate St Paddy's Day.

So, I'm not surprised Irish visitors find people friendly here.

[IntownHomes247]

Originally Posted by didi_32

[color=black]Not sure if you are aware of this but Americans have a fantastic reputation in Ireland as being very welcoming and friendly when Irish people visit. I have been to New York and Texas and found people to be so welcoming, they put us to shame!

We're just suckers for an Irish accent! You'll find most Americans can't accurately identify accents, but in the south, particularly, we have a strong preference for an Irish accent.

FYI, if you're a history buff at all, you might find the book "Cracker Culture" interesting. It discusses Celtic influences on Southern culture:

http://www.amazon.com/Cracker-Cultur...0685017&sr=1-1

It's not so relevant to Atlanta, which is not considered particularly "Southern," but you might find it interesting anyway.

[lyukos]

It looks as though the workplace is walking distance from a MARTA station, a very unusual thing. Excellent! The location is good, too, if you were to buy near there, in terms of things to do. Border's Bookstore hosts a lot of guest speakers and Perimeter Mall is terrific for clothes shopping. Lots of nice little restaurants around there, too.
Atlanta has excellent infrastructure for newcomers wishing to make friends. People aren't that outgoing or friendly unless they meet you in a specialized context, like work or a club of some sort, but there are lots of great groups. Whether you like to paint or hike or read or build robots or fly remote control planes or practice your Spanish or go bird-watching, etc., there are some great groups. The Creative Loafing Atlanta website has an events calendar that will help out, to start with. I also hear Meetup.com is excellent for finding groups of like-minded types.
If you don't drive, you should really live near Sandy Springs Station, which will help. I just learned to drive a couple of years ago, after living in Atlanta for several years. It's easier to learn to drive than to deal with public transport here, which is really inefficient. If you need a referral to an excellent driving instructor I can get you one.