$145k in Atlanta vs. $110k in Birmingham? (Forest Park, Decatur: apartment, crime)

[brownhornet]

Lived in Birmingham for a year and its a total slum in my opinion. The entire city doesnt seem to have progressed at all from the civil rights era. Really the only parts of the city I would even consider living in are Hoover or Inverness which is basically where all of the doctors from UAB live.

And you think the crime in Atlanta is bad? Wait until you get a load of Birmingham. I lived in Homewood which was supposed to be a nice area but our complex had break ins pretty much on a very regular basis.


If you do move there all i will say is stay out of Bessemer, Fairfield, West End, Tarrant, and definitely stay out of Ensley. I didn't even believe Birmingham had gangs until i moved there. As a matter of fact it was voted one of the most dangerous places to live last year.

Night life is pretty non-existent. There's one little strip where they have a few bars over behind UAB that i cant remember the name of. Strip clubs are wack... there's only one decent mall which is in Hoover.

Birmingham is the only city i hated more than DC and i would never even consider living there again.

[SouthernBoy205]

All of that is not true! Yea, Birmingham has a high crime rate, but it has gone down a little bit. Like Atlanata, there are areas that are good in Birmingham. I've lived in ATL for 4 years and found out that Birmingham has the same thing Atlanta has but just short!

[meadgrad]

at 26...Atlanta all day...

pleanty of great places to live for young singles in midtown!

[brownhornet]

Originally Posted by KE111691

All of that is not true! Yea, Birmingham has a high crime rate, but it has gone down a little bit. Like Atlanata, there are areas that are good in Birmingham. I've lived in ATL for 4 years and found out that Birmingham has the same thing Atlanta has but just short!

Whats not true about it? There is nothin downtown except UAB and a bunch of dilapidated buildings. There is nothin to do on the weekend, and besides Hoover and Inverness what nice areas are there? Birmingham is only a place you could love if youre from there.

And for it to be smaller than Atlanta it has more crime. Just last year when i was there a dude killed a cop and wounded another one when they interrupted a robbery in Fairfield. A few weeks later a kid walks on Miles College campus and shot another kid in the face.

And im not even gonna mention how they sit at red lights and wait on cars to stop so they can rob you at night.

You can move to Hoover, Inverness and i forgot about Vestavia Hills but thats about it.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by IHeartIthaca

Thank you all for your replies. i am a single-26 year-old, so from what you say, ATL sounds better. If possible, I'd actually like to live fairly near where i work. I'm from NYC, and am used to walking everywhere (I know it's not completely possible to do that in the South, but I'd like to make as little use of my car as possible). Is there decent housing around the Peachtree/17th st. area? Even a small condo would fit my needs if it's safe, clean, etc.

Thanks again.

Your possible job could not be located in a more desireable area. With the salary you are being offered, you will have a wealth of choices within walking distance to your office.

This is actually the heart of our cultural center, with the High Museum, the Atlanta Symphony, several theatres, etc. clustered at Peachtree & 15th. This neighborhood has also evolved into the Legal hub of the South, with most of the largest Law firms clustered in the area. Many people now consider the corner of 14th & Peachtree to be our new "Main & Main."

Bottom line - welcome, and take advantage of a quality urban lifestyle not offered on this same level too many other places in this part of the country.

[SouthernBoy205]

To brownhornet, you can live in Helena, Alabaster, Calera, Mountainbrook, Trussville, Moody, Lakeview, Gardendale, and even some parts of south Bessemer! All these are good areas! And I'm still missing some!

[gumboula]

I think most of the posts about Atlanta over Birmingham in terms of ammenities are on target (especially for a 26 year old from NYC). I would suggest when comparing cost of living that you look for an online calculator that compares counties and NOT metropolitan areas. Compare Jefferson County (Bham) to Fulton County (ATL) for a more accurate assessment of the differences in cost of living. Because the Atlanta metropolitan area is so large, the cost of living for the metro area is not a good indicator of the cost of living in the city proper. That said, you will do just fine on 145k.

[Go Blue 99]

I think Atlanta is a no-brainer, especially considering you're coming from NYC.

[brownhornet]

Originally Posted by KE111691

To brownhornet, you can live in Helena, Alabaster, Calera, Mountainbrook, Trussville, Moody, Lakeview, Gardendale, and even some parts of south Bessemer! All these are good areas! And I'm still missing some!

None of those spots are nice to me. And Alabaster is damn near halfway to Montgomery. And i notice you didn't dispute anything else i said about the city. Bottom line this move is a no brainer. I dont think after visiting both cities anyone would prefer Birmingham.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

Birmingham and Atlanta's home prices are somewhat similar....I think Birmingham's is a little more reasonable.

Surprisingly, my experience leads me to believe that overall Atlanta might have slightly cheaper housing in the suburbs. Intown, I would say that they are very comparable.