What Do You Love/Hate About Atlanta? (Marietta, Kennesaw: house, middle school)

[MiriL]

Like:
great restaurants
diversity (in my part of the city, at least! All nationalities, languages, etc.)
DeKalb Farmer's Market
lots of parks
living close to MARTA and taking the train to restaurants
museums, family activities, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, etc.
festivals
weather
GREAT state parks very close to the city

Dislike:
traffic (duh)
can't buy alcohol on Sunday
in-your-face religion (just for reference, I go to church every week and teach Sunday school -- but it can be overwhelming here!)
economic segregation, distrust of unknown communities
elected officials seem to have oversized egos here compared to other places I've lived
wish it was closer to the ocean, and that we wouldn't be surrounded by Atlantans when we go.

[League54]

Originally Posted by Mamato3BB's

DISLIKE
- traffic (nothing worse than being at a stand still with a hungry, screaming toddler in the back)
- pametto bugs (aka roaches lol)

OMG theres palmetto bugs in Atlanta ?!?!?! I never saw them in Brunswick, Tons of them in Savannah, but I thought Atlanta was clear of giant flying roaches !! can any more people confirm or give details about there experience with palmeto's ????

Does Midtown or Buckhead have palmetto's ??

[MiriL]

I've never seen flying roaches here, unlike the monster ones that greeted me when I moved to Texas... but there are lots of the earthbound buggers.

[Biggiechri]

I am cutting and pasting it from another post...it isnt mine, but sums up this place really well. MG83 wrote it...while the comparison is to Florida, it still seems perfect!!!




"Pros:
-You can "buy a house" for cheap... though not really "in town".

-Cheaper home owners insurance.

-Cheaper property taxes than FL.

-There are some pretty good college sporting events that take place in Atlanta.

-Lots of trees.

-Probably a more stable job market... though teachers with Master's degrees are always needed...

-Some (NOT ALL, though) of the school systems here are better than the broken public education system in Florida.

Cons:
-The traffic is unlike anything you'll see in Florida. I mean that. It's unbearable, it's expansive, it goes for miles and miles and miles, it encompasses even what we Floridians would call the "back roads".

-Completely different mind set than a lot of places in Florida. Florida is a more laid back, go with the flow, welcome to Margaritaville type place... Atlanta is not. Atlanta is a business hub and it's very evident in the mind set here.

-Access to ONE horrible international airport. Man, I had no idea how spoiled I was in Florida in this regard. I love to travel both domestically and internationally and it was sooo cheap from Florida. I had access to FOUR international airports within 1.5-2 hours of me. They were all so cheap. Hartsfield Jackson here is not cheap, it is not easy to navigate, and if you want another choice, you have to drive to Birmingham, AL.

-No water. Anywhere. You can drive for quite a while and still not see any water here. If you AT ALL enjoy the coast, sunsets, the breeze, the beach way of life, etc... I'd think long and hard about moving 5 hours inland. And when I say 5 hours I mean with absolutely no traffic. Beach trips aren't day trips here. They're basically something you have to take time off work to do. That's one of the things I miss the most about home. It actually sometimes brings me to tears in the summer here...

-State tax.

-Materialism. Yes, I know this seems ironic coming from someone from Florida, but there is definitely a level of materialism here that I never saw back home. Can't explain it.

-Racial tension. In all sorts of ways. Just do a topic search for it on these forums and you can get opinions on this issue.

-There's winter here. Of course, the transplants from the Midwest, the Northeast, etc would laugh at this. But if you grew up with that thin Florida blood, be prepared for a BIG change. I'd consider it cold by FL standards here from November - March. No more sandals in December, no bathing suits or tank tops in February. You actually have to use the heat. I needed an entire new wardrobe when I moved here. I had no idea what kind of SHOES to wear in this weather... funny, but true.

-Now this one is a toss up and definitely very much MY OWN opinion. But I think Florida has more diverse and natural beauty than Georgia. Sure, Florida's flat. But I enjoy more of those pristine beach/state parks... there are tons of hidden treasures like that in Florida. There's the Everglades, and the springs (which kind of change the further North you go in Florida). I like all that stuff. People say they like Atlanta metro's proximity to the mountains. I agree, it's nice... but I wouldn't go from November - March if I wasn't skiing. And the mountains are still drivable from Florida.


Well, these are just my thought-out opinions, but of course Atlanta may be perfect for you. You just have to do a ton of research before you make a move so you dont end up in a place that you dislike... like I did."

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by League54

OMG theres palmetto bugs in Atlanta ?!?!?!

Right now they're mostly in hiding. Too cold.

I never saw them in Brunswick, Tons of them in Savannah, but I thought Atlanta was clear of giant flying roaches !! can any more people confirm or give details about there experience with palmeto's ????

I see one now and then on the driveway, but they aren't that numerous here.

[plessthanpointohfive]

We get a lot of them tree bugs (monster roaches) in the city because of all the trees...when I first moved into my house I couldn't go out on my porch without a mini-swarm scattering off into the dark corners. I very RARELY ever saw them inside the house...

But, effective pest control really helped.

They're still nothing in size and quantity to those from back home in Louisiana....

[Georgia]

PROS

* 4 Seasons of weather though not a big fan of July and August
* Lower home property taxes
* Gas cost less than 47 other states due to taxes
* Gwinnett Gladiators
* The Mall of Georgia location
* Close to the mountains

CONS

* An area by out of control developers ran by, out of control developers
* The blasted car tax
* Crime
* City of Atlanta - Dirty, dreary, badly ran, offers nothing
* Is there anyplace besides Waffle House and Huddle House for breakfast?
* And #1 of all #1's the absolute worst traffic location I have ever encountered outside the I-5 in LA rush hour.

[momof2kids]

I really love Atlanta, although the traffic is horrible.

House prices are great compared to other metro areas.
There is always something to do.
I have 2 children and it is easy to keep them entertained.
The weather is great.
It is also easy for us to get to the mountains or the beach.
I know there was a beach issue earlier in the thread, but we go to St. Simons at least 6 times a year.

[Biggiechri]

you must have really long weekends....

[momof2kids]

No, we just take advantage of our vacation days. Instead of week long vacations we will use a Friday and a Monday and voila... you have a nice beach weekend!