Move from Bay Area to Metro Atlanta (Oakland, Vallejo: high crime, home)

[sacto5]

I am considering moving my family from the Bay Area to the Atlanta area. We have a large family and are tired of working hard only to feel as if we are still not getting anywhere. I would appreciate insight from anyone who has lived there. My husband is Filipino and I am African American. Will our family be accepted? Is there still a lot of racism out there? What areas do you recommend we consider for good schools and reasonable housing prices? We are hoping to get a 5 bedroom for $300k or less. All advice and opinions are welcome. Is Atlanta a good option for Bay Area natives looking for a better quality of life? Thanks!

[humboldtrat]

Try the Atlanta forum.

[mr. macaque]

i lived in atlanta a bit and i could not stand the lack of public transportation. the city is a sprawling nightmare of sprawl that i wish never to impose on any native san franciscan. that said, if you're accustomed to driving, then it may not be too bad of an adjustment for you.

regarding racism, atlanta proper is fairly progressive and you would not have a problem. i'll leave it at that.

[Mr. Fantastic]

5 bedrooms for 300k or less will put you into high crime neighborhoods like Oakland, or Richmond if you don't want to cross two bridges to get to S.F. Both are cities you definitely want to stay out of.

Further out there is Vallejo, but it's basically a high crime, gang infested area as well for one half of the city.

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

5 bedrooms for 300k or less will put you into high crime neighborhoods like Oakland, or Richmond if you don't want to cross two bridges to get to S.F. Both are cities you definitely want to stay out of.

Further out there is Vallejo, but it's basically a high crime, gang infested area as well for one half of the city.

The OP is looking to move away from the Bay Area to Atlanta, not the other way around. There are parts of Oakland which are quite nice and very desirable, but they might be too expensive for the OP.

[Oakland Uptown]

Originally Posted by zitsky

The OP is looking to move away from the Bay Area to Atlanta, not the other way around. There are parts of Oakland which are quite nice and very desirable, but they might be too expensive for the OP.

Mr Trashtastic is a troll with a cracker jack box PhD promoted so that naive board members can feel like his opinion means something, when in reality it means less than his existence which is really low already.


Now about Atlanta, if you've never been there it will be a culture shock for you and your husband, the city is majority Black and things are very different in terms of the social scene. There is not much other than Black or White people a few Mexicans/Central Americans now with the housing construction boom that has taken place since the mid 90s. Outside of the downtown area, the city seems very rural and heavily covered by tree's. My favorite area of Atlanta is the Midtown & 5 points area.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by zitsky

The OP is looking to move away from the Bay Area to Atlanta, not the other way around. There are parts of Oakland which are quite nice and very desirable, but they might be too expensive for the OP.

If you can find a home in the Oakland area that isn't next to killing fields for 300k, by all means, make a recommendation.

[WestCoastChick]

Now about Atlanta, if you've never been there it will be a culture shock for you and your husband, the city is majority Black and things are very different in terms of the social scene. There is not much other than Black or White people a few Mexicans/Central Americans now with the housing construction boom that has taken place since the mid 90s. Outside of the downtown area, the city seems very rural and heavily covered by tree's. My favorite area of Atlanta is the Midtown & 5 points area.

Are you serious! How sickening is that? What kind of nut place is this?

[fashionguy]

I guess that depends on where you live. Atlanta has MARTA with 4 lines covering 48 miles, so if you live near a station, you will be OK to take the public transporation.

Originally Posted by mr. macaque

i lived in atlanta a bit and i could not stand the lack of public transportation. the city is a sprawling nightmare of sprawl that i wish never to impose on any native san franciscan. that said, if you're accustomed to driving, then it may not be too bad of an adjustment for you.

regarding racism, atlanta proper is fairly progressive and you would not have a problem. i'll leave it at that.

[Oakland Uptown]

Originally Posted by WestCoastChick

Are you serious! How sickening is that? What kind of nut place is this?