relocated people-what do you think of city of Atlanta? (Roswell: crime, home)

[loridean]

This is for anyone that has moved to Atlanta from another city.
How do you like the city overall compared to where you are from?
I am in NY, and I know there are a lot of comparisons to NY.
Do you go to the city of Atlanta? Is it clean? Fun?
Living here we are used to going into Manhattan to do a lot of things.

I was there once, and I didn't see a lot of the good areas. Where we were driving was a ghetto area and it was really run down and full of vagrants.
I did drive through Buckhead around dinner time, and it seemed pretty nice, but I didn't feel safe driving through there.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I moved here about 6 years ago from New Orleans. We've only lived in the city of Atlanta for the past 2 years, though. Before that we spent 3.5 years in Lawrenceville, and 1/2 year in Athens.

Atlanta is certainly different than New Orleans. It's hard to beat New Orleans, I have to tell you. And I don't think it has for me. But, there's a lot I really like about Atlanta and it's become home. This has a lot to do with establishing a pretty good network of friends who are like family. It's taken 6 years to do it but my husband and I don't think we could live anywhere else now.

Compared to New Orleans Atlanta is certainly lower in crime (I am not talking about post-Katrina since I was here when Katrina destroyed my home city). Culture-wise I have to say that New Orleans wins, however, it's not because Atlanta is devoid of culture as you hear many say. Atlanta has plenty of culture. The problem is that it's newer culture and it's not advertised. Atlanta has mistakenly spent too much time and money advertising it's corporate downtown, which isn't charming, interesting, or cultured. It's soulless. However, there are large parts of the city that have a great historic presence, with little neighborhoods that are like villages...with theaters, restaurants, bars, shops, music venues, festivals...that make it a really great place to LIVE, if not a tourist attraction.

As far as comparing to NYC...I know the area of Little 5 Points has been compared to Greenwich Village...but's that's the only one I've hears. I live in the neighborhood that borders L5P and one of my neighbors who grew up in NYC said this part of town is the one that feels most like home to her...but I can't speak for myself here. I've only been to Greenwich Village once but it was at night and I was drunk....don't remember the details...

As far as clean and fun...well, it's clean in that there's not a ton of litter in most of the city. However, the air quality isn't great, especially in the summer. If it's not a mold warning it's a smog warning. Luckily, I don't have mold allergies. A lot of NOLA natives don't, I find. Maybe it's just that we grow up drenched in mold that when we move here it's so much lower that our sinuses don't even notice it...

I would say it's fun. Re the village like neighborhoods and festivals. And, of course, there are plenty of clubs in Midtown and Buckhead for nightlife.

If you like Manhattan you'd like Midtown, and probably Buckhead. If you like Greenwich Village you'll like Candler Park, L5P, Virginia-Highland (VaHi), and probably Cabbagetown.

And of course, there's always Decatur. It's a whole different city but it's like a little city that Atlanta has slung it's arm affectionly around. It's fun and has lots of festivals and places to eat.

I think if you moved here you'd have a good time discovering what Atlanta REALLY has to offer...

[plessthanpointohfive]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/fa...rssnyt&emc=rss

By the way, L5P isn't named after Five Points, Manhattan (at least I don't think so...someone versed in Atlanta history could tell you otherwise, though it doesn't make sense). It's named that because it is the intersection of 5 roads, or it used to be. Atlanta also have a Five Points, which is sorta considered the center of the city. It's also an intersecion of 5 roads. It's also the central MARTA station. I am guessing they gave L5P the "Little" designation simply to distinguish it from 5 Points.

Little Five Points - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/fa...rssnyt&emc=rss

By the way, L5P isn't named after Five Points, Manhattan (at least I don't think so...someone versed in Atlanta history could tell you otherwise, though it doesn't make sense). It's named that because it is the intersection of 5 roads, or it used to be. Atlanta also have a Five Points, which is sorta considered the center of the city. It's also an intersecion of 5 roads. It's also the central MARTA station. I am guessing they gave L5P the "Little" designation simply to distinguish it from 5 Points.

Little Five Points - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You're right that the L5P and 5P of Atlanta were not named after the 5P in Manhattan.

And your reasons for their names is correct.

There is also a 5P in Athens, Georgia by the way...and probably many other towns/cities!

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by loridean

This is for anyone that has moved to Atlanta from another city.
How do you like the city overall compared to where you are from?

Maybe I've been here so long I don't qualify for this, but I'll comment.

I moved here 23 years ago (1984) from Charleston, West Virginia. Now, at that time, I really liked Atlanta. It was a completely different place then, though. The metro area has less than half the number of people it has now, there were no such things as "smog days", and on a typical day you could actually drive across the top end of the perimeter, during rush hour, in a few minutes.

Atlanta even then was about 10 times the size of my home town, and the economy was much stronger, with a lot more to do. So back then I really loved it. Today I'd have to say that no, I really don't like it anymore much at all, because I've been here long enough to see all of the negative things that the fast growth has caused. The traffic is multiple times worse than it was, crime is up in a more broad area, smog days, etc. If I were moving today, no, I would not move to Atlanta from my home town (though I'd still probably move somewhere different).

Of course, if someone is wise, they'll visit Atlanta before moving here to get a feel for the city. That way you can tell if it's for you or not the way it is NOW. Of course, you have to think ahead, too. If you plan on staying here long term, think, "What will Atlanta be like once there's 8 million people in the metro area? The smog, crime, climate?". Hmmmm... Some will like it, others won't. But think first.

[loridean]

Yeah, Greg, you are right. I would have to think long term in the future. 8 million or more. Geez-that is like NY's population in only 1/3 the size!

I am making another trip down. I know I didn't see a lot, so i'm not going to judge until I look around some more. Buckhead was interesting, but I only breezed through.

pless and aries- I will check out little five points. It sounds cool.
Although I will most likely live in the northern outskirts around Alpharetta or Roswell, I like going to an urban place. I guess it is the city girl in me. I just like to get out of suburbia one in a while, so having a nice city around is important to me.

[confused2007]

Me, my husband and my 3 year old daughter have just moved backed from Atlanta after being there for 7 months. The area we lived in (Lawrenceville) was very nice but you have to drive so far to get a good job and the traffic there is horrible. I could not find a job took me like 3 months. My husband was working for 11.79 an hour but with the distance he had to travel for that money and the gas prices he really only made 8.79 an hour. Atlanta has changed alot I lived there in 98 and I could get a job with my eyes closed. People are flocking there everyday but one thing was good was the school system my daughter learned alot and she did excellent that was the only thing that was going to stop me from moving back to my home town... If we could get state jobs like we had in NJ then we would move back but right now no there is no money there to be made. Also GA is like # 3 on the list for forecloures.

[kwr]

[SIZE=2]I've lived in Atlanta (Johns Creek) for 2+ years and love it. It is one of the cleanest large cities. This is the 5th state I've lived in (Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Detroit, MI, Coral Springs, FL). There are plenty of job opportunities here for degreed professionals. My background is in finance and I did not have any trouble finding a job unlike my experience in S. Fl. I moved from Indianapolis, IN to S. Fl in 2004 and it took me 8 months to find a comparable paying job. Salaries are really low in S. FL. Overall my ATL experience has been great!
[/SIZE]

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by confused2007

If we could get state jobs like we had in NJ then we would move back but right now no there is no money there to be made. Also GA is like # 3 on the list for forecloures.

There's plenty of money to be made here- just not in cushy "state jobs" like NJ has.

[lookinround]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

and on a typical day you could actually drive across the top end of the perimeter, during rush hour, in a few minutes.

I want to know what beginning and ending point and what manufacture of jet engine you were using to pull that off