Moving from Seattle

[kika_03]

This was great information. Thank you! I will be visiting next week and now I have a better idea of what I should be looking for. My price ranges are the same as yours. I have a car, but I would much rather walk. I hate sitting in traffic, so I like areas with easy access to public transportation or some things within walking distance.

[SuperCityBoy]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Yes - it's called SEATTLE! Why are you moving here from there... seriously??

Ok, the hard-core truth of it. Atlanta has some small areas where you can walk to things (Midtown, Virginia Highlands, Atlantic Station). Not sure what you mean by areas with an "average income" (?). Moderate crime rates, well, Atlanta does have a very high crime rate compartively speaking for a city/metro of this size, so you're not moving to Mayberry in that regard.

You'll find traffic, crime, and smog all heavier here than in Seattle. Payscales are lower, but average cost of living and home prices are lower, too. No earthquakes, but tornadoes instead. Atlanta is more spread out with fewer "walkable" areas - it's more of suburban/sprawl/mall kind of place rather than neighborhoody sort of city. It is sometimes called the "L.A. of the East" for this reason. Seattle tends to be very much on the Liberal mentality side, Atlanta intown is a little mixed but conservative compared to that, but the suburbs can be very conservative/religious, etc (depending on area). Atlanta in a non-drought season actually gets about as much rain as Seattle believe it or not, but, we don't have days and days of "drizzle days" - we get what the weather people call "rain events", where you get large soakers for the whole day, then it moves out for a few days or longer before the next one. So we have fewer days when it does rain or drizzle here, it's just when it DOES rain, it's more a soaker type. It's not uncommon to have a couple of weeks of 90+ degree weather here with high humidity. You just learn to wear lighter clothes, use the A/C, and stay indoors more during those times. You may experience pollen/allergy symptoms in the Spring and Autumn like you may never have experienced before though - be ready with some allergy drugs just in case - a lot of newcomers get floored by it.

If someone tells me they're considering moving here from places like Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, or Milwaukie - I'll tell them to go ahead and pack up and give Atlanta a try. But when you're talking about places like Seattle, Portland, Denver, Vancouver.... no, you won't realize what it is you gave up until you've left and come here and later go, "Oh, what did I do??". Just my opinion.

Very good answer but when I compare cities and tell me if know where Iam coming from with this I start with the Godfather of cities NEW YORK CITY it is the blueprint and model for all cities in the U.S.A. cities that dont follow this city have failed to grow properly. When I moved from New York to and unplanned city like Orlando,Florida there was a huge culture shock what you would normally do to survive in New York will not work in Orlando. Now If someone lived on the West coast and moved to an older city on the east coast like Chicago,Philadelphia,Detroit or Washington D.C. they would have to think seriously about what their likes and dislikes are very Old cities have entrenched slums or urban areas surrounded by very upscale artistic and classy properties. Fairly new and unplanned cities are missing parts that are necessary ingredients to a successful city like a subway or monorail system or a amphitheater for plays and concerts or at least three Sports Stadiums for NFL,NBA and MLB teams. Established Real Metropolitan towns and such as Atlanta is much older than Seattle and it was well planned out with a New York City type infrastructure in place. Atlanta is a cross between New York and Jacksonville or Miami,FL in my opinion.The humidity is much higher in Florida than in Georgia because Florida is in the Tropical weather zone but Florida and Georgia are neighboring states in the southeast so the weather is going to be similar.As far as economy is concern Atlanta and Orlando are tourist areas with theme parks,hotels,resorts,restaurants and entertainment venues so if you can work in the tourist industry you will always have a job. I lived in Orlando for 19 yrs so a move for me from there to Atlanta is an easy transition especially since I grew up in New York as well. Comparing West Coast cities to East Coast cities is not a fair comparison because the east coast cities are American History Cities with Historical landmarks and events that are well documented in the city itself that newer cities on the west coast developed much later in Americans growth.