Considering a move to Atlanta...

[MANative]

from CT for a big job opportunity. I know that it's a fairly cosmopolitan city and have visited several times as my sister lives there, but I want opinions from folks who don't have a vested interest in me being there. The good, the bad and the ugly, for someone who's a "severely" liberal Yankee? Cost of living versus Fairfield County? (Guessing it's quite a bit lower.) Job opportunities for spouse? Transit/traffic? etc... All thoughts welcome!

[Awknid]

1. I lived there from 1992 to 1995

My husband found it too southern. I could elaborate on that if you need. He's from around DC area. I liked it a lot, but had been living in a backward town in north Florida and was very happy to get to the bigger City.

Opportunities for work were great then, but I hear it's gotten really bad since the recession. Depends on the type of work, I suppose. I know their commercial construction industry has yet to recover. Hope that helps.

[MANative]

4. Hubby and I are both native New Englanders, but I've lived...

all over the place because my dad was in the Army for years. Even lived in GA when I was about seven yrs old! (Fort Benning) I tend to like bigger cities, and have worked in Manhattan for a long time. I guess the "big city" part of it makes it slightly more attractive than if it were a small town situation. The job opportunity is with a company that's been around for, literally, nearly two centuries, and is growing. My area of expertise is fairly unusual, so they are willing to pay me a ton to go there. Hubby probably could even take a year off, if he couldn't find anything immediately. He works in retail management.

[ann---]

2. All the money in this world

couldn't get me to live south of the Mason-Dixon line.

[MANative]

5. That's my biggest concern, and my sister says that frustrates her a lot...

but it isn't as bad in Atlanta-proper as it is in the smaller surrounding towns. The last time I lived in the south, I was a young teen, and I remember getting razzed constantly for my "yankee" accent.

[Awknid]

7. I knew a couple of New Yorkers

Who moved there and said it was fine as long as they flew there and back! LOL
In the city, it really is better than most of the south, but it's still the south, for sure! They try though.

[cordelia]

14. Good.

We have more than enough irritating people here already.

[larkrake]

3. anti dem, I hated the hate there (blatent)

[Swede Atlanta]

6. I live in Atlanta so I'll give you my 2-cents worth...

I live in unincorporated Dekalb County, just each of downtown. The area in which I live is very liberal, well educated and cosmopolitan. If you live ITP (inside the Perimeter) many areas are going to be fairly liberal with a few exceptions. Buckhead is fairly conservative and not because of evangelicals but because of the entrenched wealth there. They will always vote for someone who will keep their taxes low.

But most of the suburban counties are rabidly conservative. They are filled with not only some of the worst religious zealots but racists, homophobes and people who have drunk the GOP Kool-Aid (sorry Kool-Aid for besmirching your brand) and listen to Neal Boortz, Herman Cain, Rush Limbaugh and get their news from Faux News and their favorite blog is Free Republic.

If you stay in or close to the Perimeter you are probably okay. The areas vary.

Traffic sucks big time. Georgia is in love with the automobile. Sprawl has created a nightmare commuting situation. The state refuses to invest in public transportation in Atlanta which is the economic engine of the state. The rural counties hate Atlanta and do all they can in the General Assembly to screw the metro area.

Culturally and otherwise Atlanta is a fine city. It is a pretty city with a fair amount of green space and lots of interesting developments underway such as the Beltline. There are many fine restaurants, good educational opportunities, etc. Air transportation is very good with Delta having their headquarters here. Southwest started flying here after they purchased AirTran.

We are about 4.5 to 5 hours away from the Atlantic coast at Savannah and easy access to South Carolina. You can be in the North Carolina mountains in a matter of hours. The redneck riviera in Florida is about 6 hours away and the Orlando area about 8-9 hours away. So geographically we are well situated.

[MANative]

9. Thanks - this is helpful information!

It also confirms most of what my sister has told me about the upsides and downsides. The irony of the whole thing is that it's possible she and her husband will be leaving the area in about a year when his contract ends. THAT would make going there much less attractive, as I'd have very little in the way of a support system, other than two or three former classmates who also happen to live in the area. I've visited most of the areas you mention in the course of visiting my sister, so I have some degree of familiarity with the neighborhoods. She lives in Doroville, and takes the Metro into town for her job at Emory. I'm torn, too, because Mom is getting older, and this would mean her two girls are both far away from her in MA. I hate big decisions.

[naomi123]

8. A very red state

I am an hour or so north of Atlanta and Democrats are scarce in these parts. Governor and both houses very Republican. I have heard that inside the 285 beltway it is a little blue. Traffic is rough but I am hearing that employment is picking up. Good luck.

[MANative]

10. Thanks, and welcome to DU!

I would definitely want to be inside the perimeter, if everything worked out.

[RebelOne]

11. I live just northwest of Atlanta in Woodstock.

It is a totally red county, but the people here are nice despite their political leaning. I love the Atlanta area. I moved here in 1989 from Miami and I would never go back there. My daughter lives in South Florida, and she knows if she wants to see me she has to come up here.

When I first moved here, I had no problem finding work. I had quite a few good-paying jobs, but was laid off my last one where I had been for 13 years. That was OK because I had been thinking of retirement for a while. The company was good to me and gave me a great severance package, so I have no complaints.

[We People]

12. It would be great to add to the Dem population down here and until GA went "red" about 10 years ago,

I'd really encourage you to move here. GA used to have a Dem majority in the legislature, but now it looks like we're going to be stuck with Republican legislation, governors, and representation in Washington unless we have a radical reversal. Something specific you should look at, which I have seen for the first time, is this map. It depicts GA among the states whose gubernatorial leadership is opting out of Medicaid expansion for the entire state. The key is self-explanatory.

http://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/2012/11/09/MedicaidMap#lightbox/1/

I wish so badly that I could leave this state for "bluer pastures" but that's not an option right now for me.

It may be worth it to you to move closer to family down here, and it would be great to have you. I wish you well in your decision, MANative.

[bongo_x]

13. I love it...

I’ve lived here 10 years, having moved from Los Angeles. I love it. Everything I could want in a city is close by, but I live in a wooded area 30 minutes out of town.

I don’t have the issues I hear from others about all the rabid Republicans. I often feel like I live in a different world than some of the comments I hear. I guess it depends on who you’re around (or how much you give a shit). I have fairly radical Left bumper stickers on my car and nearly every day someone tells me how much they like them, or honks and waves. Not once has anyone said anything negative. Not once. When I hiked at the park every day with my Obama t-shirt in the weeks before the election I got a couple of very mild negative comments from guys that just couldn’t contain themselves, but nothing threatening ("good luck to your guy", "vote early, vote often" was the worst), but positive comments were constant. I’m not saying everyone agrees with my views, but they keep their mouth shut and are polite.

There are lots of great restaurants. The High Museum is great. Lots of interesting arts and cultural things. Lots of good shops. Good parks, there are parks everywhere around my house. Very diverse racially, I hear a dozen of languages a week, no less so than L.A. After living in these two cities for the last 20 something years many other parts of the country feel uncomfortably white and monocultural.

Terrible traffic. The traffic is one of the worst things, but not as bad as L.A.