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Hello. I need some assistance I have a last minute move and am having trouble deciding between ATL or the DMV area. I'm looking at the Cobb County area in ATL and either Germantown MD or Prince George County MD. I've never been to DC I've only been to ATL once when I was younger and stayed in the downtown area my whole visit so really doesn't help. Don't really have time to visit which is making it extremely hard. I know both places have traffic and a weather difference but other than that is there a reason why I should avoid one or the other completely? I'm a single mother need a diverse area with good schools with performing arts. I'm a hairdresser and work from home on the side so job location isn't an issue. Not into heavy traffic or crazy reckless drivers so a good safe suburb where I can avoid it most times while being close enough to major cities for entertainment. The biggest differences so far are distance and home prices. I'll be renting for now but do plan to buy a home in the future. Coming from one of the most inexpensive places to live in the world in Ohio home prices in the DMV area are unsettling and they're way less nice than ATL. I love that DC is centrally located and not a far drive from home if I ever miss it. Im introverted and like peace and quiet most times and I've read that in the DMV area it feels like people are on top of you.
I'm from Ohio. To me they're both the same. DC is more expensive, for obvious reasons, and you might make more money in DC. Atlanta can give you the feel of an incredibly large urban area and is technically "big enough" for the average person. It really depends on what you're asking for. The Atlanta metro is not really close to anything else so it is more insular than DC. DC is like a big metro that is really close to other big metros. Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk. Atlanta, maybe if you look at Birmingham.
Atlanta might seem cheap but it is the South, and affordable, in the South, does not mean that you pay less. It just means that you get a larger space for your money. If you can afford it I would not pinch pennies in the South. It might seem ideal at first and the neighborhood might not look that bad but things change quickly at night and they get sketchy. I've had my share of "cheap" here in Virginia I have no plans of going back because the inconveniences simply are not worth it in my opinion but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
DC is prohibitively expensive, to most people, but I think that depends on how you live in that city. There are more expensive places, like New York, California, etc. If you are living in a micro apartment in DC, why are you doing so? Would it be easier for you to get roommates or should you sacrifice a few things, like an automobile, to live there? Actual DC is a rather small city so getting around through public transportation might be feasible if you can do everything in that city.
If you're introverted you might be put off by the high population of DC proper. It is a lot of people in a small space. Atlanta not so much.
I would not look at both areas on price so much. I would focus in on what is it like to live in either city day in and day out, what type of neighborhood can I get, what type of sacrifices do I have to make to live in that neighborhood, do I really want a 45 minute commute, do I really want a two hour commute? Can I do everything I need to do in this suburb or should I find another one. It just depends on how you want to live.
In no way did I mean live in DC I meant the MD suburbs. I would only go to DC for fun, events etc. That's what I'm thinking about ATL the bad may outweigh the good and I have a feeling I'm not going to like living there. All I keep hearing is the traffic and congestion is insane and as a small city introverted person who's easily stressed I don't want to overstep my boundaries. I do remember having a hard time finding parking and having to pay for everything in ATL too and that was 8 years ago. As good as that 5 hour drive sounds (and all those educated single Nigerian/Ghanian men) I'm almost certain Raleigh the best option.
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Originally Posted by ArielJ
In no way did I mean live in DC I meant the MD suburbs. I would only go to DC for fun, events etc. That's what I'm thinking about ATL the bad may outweigh the good and I have a feeling I'm not going to like living there. All I keep hearing is the traffic and congestion is insane and as a small city introverted person who's easily stressed I don't want to overstep my boundaries. I do remember having a hard time finding parking and having to pay for everything in ATL too and that was 8 years ago. As good as that 5 hour drive sounds (and all those educated single Nigerian/Ghanian men) I'm almost certain Raleigh the best option.
In no way did I mean live in DC I meant the MD suburbs. I would only go to DC for fun, events etc. That's what I'm thinking about ATL the bad may outweigh the good and I have a feeling I'm not going to like living there. All I keep hearing is the traffic and congestion is insane and as a small city introverted person who's easily stressed I don't want to overstep my boundaries. I do remember having a hard time finding parking and having to pay for everything in ATL too and that was 8 years ago. As good as that 5 hour drive sounds (and all those educated single Nigerian/Ghanian men) I'm almost certain Raleigh the best option.
Raleigh?
You're basing the decision on what you've heard, not what you've witnessed. I've spent time in both. More so in DC than Atlanta. DC is an entirely different thing, but not necessarily in a bad way. Atlanta is more stereotypically Southern. Both are progressive in their own way but DC is more of a Northern hybrid and Atlanta is more what they like to call "New South".
Challenge yourself. You sound like you're not much acquainted with the urban scenes in Ohio, let alone anywhere else. If you can afford DC give it a try. But the suburbs, of both DC and Atlanta, compliment their respective cities but they're not necessarily a microcosm of those cities. If you think you're getting a lite version of those cities out in the suburbs you're in for a rude awakening.
Raleigh will eventually be like a smaller Atlanta. Charlotte isn't what it used to be 10 years ago. If you think you're avoiding something hiding out there. You're not.
You're basing the decision on what you've heard, not what you've witnessed. I've spent time in both. More so in DC than Atlanta. DC is an entirely different thing, but not necessarily in a bad way. Atlanta is more stereotypically Southern. Both are progressive in their own way but DC is more of a Northern hybrid and Atlanta is more what they like to call "New South".
Challenge yourself. You sound like you're not much acquainted with the urban scenes in Ohio, let alone anywhere else. If you can afford DC give it a try. But the suburbs, of both DC and Atlanta, compliment their respective cities but they're not necessarily a microcosm of those cities. If you think you're getting a lite version of those cities out in the suburbs you're in for a rude awakening.
Raleigh will eventually be like a smaller Atlanta. Charlotte isn't what it used to be 10 years ago. If you think you're avoiding something hiding out there. You're not.
Why dissaude her from Raleigh? I think it's a much more realistic choice for her given her current financial situation, fear of heavy traffic, and desire for warmer weather and good schools. I would recommend the Hampton Roads area over the DMV and Atlanta also.
It's threads like these where I wish people would stop promoting their personal favorites and actually take the time to understand the OP's situation and preferences and make REALISTIC recommendations based on that.
Why dissaude her from Raleigh? I think it's a much more realistic choice for her given her current financial situation, fear of heavy traffic, and desire for warmer weather and good schools. I would recommend the Hampton Roads area over the DMV and Atlanta also.
It's threads like these where I wish people would stop promoting their personal favorites and actually take the time to understand the OP's situation and preferences and make REALISTIC recommendations based on that.
Because it seems random.
I know you have a personal interest in Raleigh and Hampton Roads and I don't necessarily disagree with you. But that isn't where the conversation started. Op was intrigued by DC and Atlanta but insecure based on her finances and the speed of both areas.
But what do I know I wouldn't mind getting out of Hampton Roads. It has something for everyone but at times it feels like a Southern version of Ohio, like people just come here because it's cheaper, just like people from New York go to Ohio because they heard it's cheaper.
I know you have a personal interest in Raleigh and Hampton Roads and I don't necessarily disagree with you. But that isn't where the conversation started. Op was intrigued by DC and Atlanta but insecure based on her finances and the speed of both areas.
But what do I know I wouldn't mind getting out of Hampton Roads. It has something for everyone but at times it feels like a Southern version of Ohio, like people just come here because it's cheaper, just like people from New York go to Ohio because they heard it's cheaper.
Well she did introduce Raleigh as a third option early in the discussion. And I think Ohioans can be found in nearly all sizable, growing metros in the SE these days...you can't escape them if you tried LOL.
Well she did introduce Raleigh as a third option early in the discussion. And I think Ohioans can be found in nearly all sizable, growing metros in the SE these days...you can't escape them if you tried LOL.
Being a melting pot is one of the things that makes these places an awesome place to live. It's good to know I'd be amongst fellow Ohioans who also sought greener pastures
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