Do "Georgenettes" love the fact that everyone wants to move there?

[TakeAhike]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"Edit: 'I just wanted to add -- it isn't the people coming (most of them anyway) who screw things up in a lovely place like GA -- it's the greed of the developers and the city officials who put no limits on building or big business. The outsiders bring the money, but the people running the place don't have to take it and compromise their communities for it. I mean no disrespect to GA, because this is true everywhere: GREED RULES ALL. Just my opinion, of course!]<Pecan Pie said: '>[/color]

Not to mention the squandering of natural resources such as water.

I cannot tell you how I feel when elected officials urge the citizens to conserve water and issue restrictions/bans on the use of water.

[PecanPie]

Originally Posted by runnergrl

I live where you described...thousand oaks right?

Yes you are right! I knew anyone who lives here or near here would probably recognize it.

You know then what a lovely place this is, but it's changing so much. You have not been here that long -- it has changed so much over 10 years, I cannot tell you. You know I knew the big changes were coming as soon as I saw that disgusting strip mall at the civic center -- the strung up lights and the obnoxious movie ad pillars right on the side walk. Back in the day (not so long ago) Thousand Oaks was all about trees, open space and setbacks. Well that all was clearly out the window when they built that ugly strip of useless trendy stores.

What bugs me most I guess is this is what we get for such high housing costs -- we are by no means part of the rich crowd here but the equity in our house which we've owned only 6 years would pay for an incredible home in GA outright -- goodbye to the big monthly payment on the mortgage. So I can see only upside in moving to GA, even given what some say here about growth there.

Unfortunately, not likely to happen but I'll keep visiting GA as much as I can, and hoping.

Good luck to you, I sincerely hope you get your wish to go back home to GA.

As for Thousand Oaks and Southern CA -- I will say, I would miss the Santa Monica mountains and all the open space we do have for hiking and such so close by. Not much else to miss though besides the weather.

[runnergrl]

Tell me about it...the housing costs bug me big time....it is SO overated. Not that a house is everything, mind you, but I really miss having space for storage. I have moved every couple of yrs, so our clutter is very minimal...and yet when our family of four went to a 3/2 1600 sq ft house from say a 3000 plus sq ft house...doesnt include the basement either...I am constantly decluttering...and honestly I never buy anything purchases without giving thought as to where it will go....which means I dont buy much...only clothing for children...which as soon as it has been outgrown, it gets weeded out. I hate the brady bunch houses( ok some of them can be cute...but it is stretching it)...that cost a fortune...I miss my tradtional brick homes with classical details that are timeless and front porches. Then dont get me started on how much a family has to pay to be in a certain area because of the schools...again highly overrated. The older schools here only look nice because they have a fresh coat of paint...otherwise they are dilapitated and outdated beneath. The area we are in is considered desirable...but a normal family cant move in here and have home without being set back about 700-800 grand. I dont know how normal people do it...which probably is why I cant find any because they have left.

When I think about the extra money we would have a month from the mortgage if we lived in GA or anywhere else, it's incredible. We pay nearly 4000 a month for the above mentioned home we purchased a couple of yrs ago. In GA, we could have double the house and the yard, the amenities that come with the neighborhood and be in a desirable area and my husband closer to his job( right now he drives to downtown LA) and the schools would newer and not falling apart ....and our mortgage would still be half of what it is. Amazing isnt it? it is like a no brainer.

I think it is ridiculous the housing prices in southenr CA. However I will say that the natural beauty is nice and completely all around. Not a place you can go and not have a scenic view. I have cheseboro canyon almost in my back yard and in any of the neighborhoods, I can access a trail and almost instantly feel I am worlds away from suburbia. And the drive down to the beach is quite dramatic too. I certainly cant complain that SB is just up the rd about 40 minutes. I will certainly miss that when we get back to Atlanta. In Atlanta, you have to drive to get to those spots....and because driving usually involves traffic and stress, you dont go there as much as you like because it isnt convenient.

[mof29212]

are you moving to georgia? I have super house an hour from Atlanta-a house that has it all and OUT OF ATLaNTA traffic in a quiet town close to the lake but close enough to Atlanta if you desire to just "go" there but not live in the mess of traffic. email me if interest mfergu3@aol.com

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Motion

Isn't the over-population more in the metro Atlanta area more so than throughout the state?

The coastal counties of GA are projected to grow by 55.5% over the next 12 years.
And then there are the mountain counties...

[Ollie1946]

It seems to me that too many believe that Georgia is the promised land or the land where life is smooth and easy. It isn't. We have huge problems as previous writers have stated not the least of which is water shortages with no end in sight. Our public school system is pathetic with no end in sight. Our traffic issues are some of the worst in the nation in the Atlanta region. Yes, we have some 10 million people and like other places not enough jobs for all that want one. We have high concentrations of illegals and like it or not it causes serious issues with medical care, schools, crime etc. There are some amazing small communities in Georgia but they are short jobs. Many young people have to leave those communities to find work someplace else. Georgia isn't the promised land and NO ONE should come here who does not have a job waiting on them just like anyplace else. Our social services are not as robust as you will find in more liberal areas of the country which also seem to be the colder ones for some reason. If you come, come with a huge sense of skepticism and the reality that people are people pretty much all over. You got some good ones, some bums and then you.

[RedWhiteBlack]

Personally i do not mind new people actually moving here, i can not stand the tourists who block traffic and do not understand how to drive on the mountain roads here, its very frustrating, and were Georgians lol..

[B to the T]

The cost of living any where is directly porportional to what the majority of jobs pay, what the value is for tourism, and the over all desire for people to want to live there... it's the supply and demand in action...

[BIASGEORGIAN]

To the last post you said those ideas were fantasies, however have you gone down to the local aldermans' office and signed up to be a volunteer. If we had more people with ideas about change in the area we'd make things better. And this goes for any city you live in.

People love to complain rather than do their part - lets start to do our part.