Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Considering moving from SF to Atlanta

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I moved to Atlanta in 1985, having lived lots of places before that (including Europe) and quite like it. BUT (and it's a huge but), I only like it because I live the sort of life that very few Atlantans do. Both my husband and I have jobs withing walking distance of our home (which is in another in-town neighborhood that Todd didn't mention, Druid Hills; we used to live in Candler Park), our kids go to (public) school in the neighborhood, and all the best dining and arts/music options are within a 15 minute drive from our house (the poster who describes a bar scene which features frat boys in khakis in Buckhead should maybe figure out that Midtown is now the bar scene). We don't have a dog, but lots of our in-town neighbors do. I get on the freeway to go to the airport (which is excellent) and to leave town on family vacations, and that's it. When feasible I use the MARTA train to get to the airport. Traffic is horrendous, so just avoid it altogether. DO NOT buy a big stucco piece of ticky tacky out in the 'burbs. We call those people "OP" (outside the perimeter). Atlanta offers lots of culture (symphony, opera, ballet, theater, pop music of all sorts), professional and amateur sports, ethnic mix (with great restaurants), shopping (including very good food). Four seasons, three of them mild. If you do decide to move to Atlanta, you will need a real estate agent who specializes in in-town properties. OP agents will likely be afraid to come into town, and will show you the sorts of house you DON'T want. Though if the Atlanta offices of your firm are out in the 'burbs then you'll want to live there. In which case I'd just bag the whole idea.

Why San Fran may be expensive... Leaving family, friends, and ocean could be a severe change. Why not take a trip to atlanta and visit. Talk to people you might work with too. While Atlanta is a good place for young people to start out. (E.G., cost of living still relatively low compared to San Fran) you will be giving up possible things you like! so make a check list and decide. Look at houses with a realtor. Live in the city or commit yourself to a serious drive! yuk Neighborhood Suggestions In Atlanta: Virginia Highlands (keep in mind sewer system seems bad here) Vinings Take I75 North to Northside Drive Exit (See OK CAFE and Steak and shake sign), turn left at exit, take first right onto Paces Ferry Road, follow windy road around... will lead you right into vinings. Buckhead- Garden Hills Smaller, older homes, but cute. Toco Hills- Less expensive and still in City. (Try 85 N to North Druid Hills, turn right on Briarcliff, and left onto Lavista... this is about the neighborhood) Older ranch homes. Land. FYI- We moved here when we were 22, now late 20s and we are sucking up the costs and looking for a home in NY near family and the ocean. Bottom line- some things (nice cars, houses, etc,.) can't buy happiness! Be careful!

I have lived in Atlanta and the East Bay area of San Francisco. When we first moved to the Bay area we bought in Antioch because it was more afforable for the area - big mistake for us - too far removed from the bay area and not really our kind of town - then we found Clayton - a very charming small town at the base of Mt. Diablo near Walnut Creek which is also a very charming area. All around the East Bay area are nice communities that aren't as expensive. Of course, that is relative - you will defintly get a lot for your money in Atlanta. They have very nice neighborhoods with beautiful homes and many of the neighborhoods have tennis courts (Atlanta is a big tennis town - a lot of people play - even beginners and kids can get involved) and swimming pools. Some of the bigger neighborhoods have clubhouses and parks as well. Many of the homes have daylight walk out basements. Although you don't have kids you sound like you might someday and you will find great neighborhoods for families. Many of those neighborhoods (like urban areas) also have single people, and childless couples of all ages - many of those neighborhoods are also much more diverse than in years past. Just like urban areas are changing so are the surburbs. All areas have pluses and minus. San Francisco is great but so is Atlanta. The main thing I find missing in most of your replies is the fact that the Atlanta area is very pretty with lots of tall trees and hills. Many of the offices parks have building set in among beautiful trees and hills. In fact 400 and 285(the permieter)have so many trees along the side of the road you can't even see the commercial buildings or housing as much. The biggest plus for Atlanta is that there are a lot of nice natural areas within driving distance to the city - Red Top Mountain park, Helen area, Amicola Falls, Cloudland Canyon, Lake Rabun, the Gorge, Black Mountain, Lake Lanier and Clarks Hill Lake. You can also drive to some beautiful areas in North Carolina and Tenn. There are two kinds of beautiful beaches within a 5 hour (long weekend type drive) - There are the famous FL panahandle, sugar white sand blue green water beaches and the great beach resorts/dense tree growth island beaches of South Carolina, Georgia and Northeast Florida. Speaking of Florida, you are in driving distance of Florida which has Disney/Orlando (easy for most people if you can go more than once and take it in smaller doses which is easier to do if you live closer to it,) plus which really does have a lot of beautiful more natural areas like the many clear springs, small fishing towns like Cedar Key and small west coast islands with fantastic natural beaches. Atlanta is a great city that is trying to improve - downtown parks, city wide bike trails, more areas like Atlantic Station etc. I have lived in a lot of areas and I have researched living in a lot of areas and while I loved CA for the most part (it does have a few negatives too) I feel that Atlanta does offer so much. Great economy, great shopping, plenty of restaurants, great housing that is really either charming or beautiful, wonderful yards and trees (yes they do cut them done too easily but compared to everywhere else the trees are the thing here!), a fairly mild four season climate - winter is pretty mild - can golf year round and it is sunny year round, the summer does get hot but it is great for swimming in (In CA, while it has great weather for most purposes, it is almost many times too cold to swim. I know - my kids were on a swim team and I can also remember freezing on an LA beach in June. The spring and fall are unbelievable - very nice. Atlanta won't be all things to all people but a lot of people love it - Many more than you could tell by reading most of the postings. Many people that are transfered in for job reasons don't want to leave when the job calls to go somewhere else. Good luck.

Hi Beth- I have lived in Atlanta for 4 years and am in my mid 20's and I love it here. I live in the city (Midtown/Virginia Highlands Area) and I am so happy. I can walk to the park, there are tons of side walks and my commute is 15 minutes a day. There is so much culture, music, excellent restaurants, etc. A majority of people move to Atlanta and move to the suburbs so fast they don't get to truly enjoy the city. We have free movies in the park, constant festivals, and a great job market. There are other areas that are not so far away that would not have hour commutes like Buckhead, Vinings and Decatur Areas. You will pay a little more to live closer to the city, but closer to the city means less traffic and more time to spend with your husband and one day with your children.

I too am thinking of making the move to Atlanta. I am originally from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area but moved to Chicago 5 years ago right out of school. Love the culture and shopping opportunities Chicago has to offer, but I am definitely a hot weather kind of gal. I also like the freedom to use my car all the time and am not really into public transport or walking. That being said I live in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago (high rise in the city). The job I am looking at taking in Atlanta is actually in Marietta but I don't wan to live in the 'burbs! I have been looking at some townhouses off Glenridge Drive (visited there and fell in love with that area of the city) It is just inside I285 and between Roswell Road and the GA 400. I think this area is on the edge where Buckhead and Sandy Springs meet but still within the perimeter by a couple of miles. What would the commute to Marietta be like? Is there aanother area inside perimeter where I could have a decent (under 30 min. each way) commute to work? Any advice from those who have moved from Chicago to the area?

Connie, I would think living around the Glenridge exit would be great! That is close to the area I live and it is perfect place to get to everything in downtown Atlanta, malls, Buckhead, etc. However, since you will be working Marrietta, you might want to also consider Vinings. It is still inside the perimeter, but closer to 75N so your drive would be shorter. Vinings is a really nice community that is growing fast right now. You drive to Marietta from Glenridge area should not be bad at all either.

Thanks for the comment Jill I feel better now. Actually I looked at the Vinings area too and thought it was cute. However, there is no MArta service in that direction period or at least it doesn't appear that way from MArta maps I've seen. While I am more of a car person myself, I would probably still take MArta/pubic transportation several places including going to the airport and back. In the Glenridge area you would be close to either the dunwoody stop or Sandy Springs stop for MArta, am I wrong about this?

MLP, if you can, try making those commutes at rush hour before deciding where to live. We lived in Atlanta several years ago and the traffic was bad then (worse now! We still visit as we have family there). We chose to live in Marietta, as we couldn't afford a home in the nice in-town areas. My work was on the north side of downtown, on I-75, so the commute shouldn't have been so bad, right? But, the drive was that bad, especially when there was an accident, which wasn't infrequent, and I quit my job and took one for less pay closer to home, eventually. I liked some things about Atlanta. We had wonderful friends and the Jewish community was dynamic. The schools in the northern suburbs are excellent and the university system is becoming first rate. (Our friends who live in the city send their children to private schools.) But, it's an MBA town, with materialistic values and it's too hot to enjoy the outdoors much of the year. I was happy to leave and move to the northwest, where I felt more comfortable with the values and lifestyle.

I know you want to hear the positive, so let's go with that first. Real estate, real estate, bang for your buck is here - better than any big city I've seen. If I had animals and were raising children, this place gets a "9". Low levels of stress in the burbs compared with any other city if you exclude the commuting factor. Beautiful greenery. My favorite thing? Eating homemade peach cobbler with friends without hearing other women becoming panic-stricken about gaining a half-pound!! I've lost a lot of CA stresses living here. One critical thing will be to find the city neighborhood/burb that is truly your fit. The only way to do it is to visit and explore in depth. I have never known of a place that people feel more pro or con than Atlanta (except NYC). Personally, I'm kinda con, but most people love it here - so naysayers' opinions be darned if it's right for you. I'm from Orange Co/CA and have spent a lot of time in SF. My husband was transferred here several years ago. We have no children. I'm a mid-liberal Dem who's spiritual, but non-church/ denominational; super open-minded and friendly. I'm very allergic to molds/mildew, and drag around in humidity. I'm terrified of 4-inch spiders and roaches, and more terrified of bigots (white and black). I love nightlife and prioritize culture/ education. If you're matching my profile, reconsider your move here. Also, please keep in mind that most natives aren't too keen on NY/California transplants. I can't blame them...this city's infrastructure was never meant to handle all these people. If you're progressive, consider Midtown, Brookhaven, Druid Hills, Vinings, perhaps Sandy Springs. I like the 'Perimeter' area in general. If you're dyed-in-the-wool yuppies that love your SUV, want the widest screen in town and want to boast about your high taxes, go for Alpharetta. (There are great schools there, as well as East Cobb, where we live). I think Buckhead's a bit pretentious, overpriced and outdated. Most importantly, visit here in July or August for a week or two! Most of the people I've known who can't live here cite allergies, unhealthy lifestyles, smog (ozone layer), difficulty in navigating/walking/parking as reasons. Alas, no place is perfect, and there are good people everywhere. Atlanta's a real mix of old and new. Good luck!

MLP, if you lived in the Glendridge area and commuted to Marietta, you'd be going against traffic. What I'd give to be in that position. I live in Kennesaw and work in the Galleria (285/75) area. Vinings is really nice (we may move there) like others have said, but if you want MARTA, you'd need to stay in Fulton or DeKalb county. Beth, Atlanta is very pleasant in a lot of ways. I've lived here all my life (on the outskirts) and love the weather and newness of the area. But the traffic is horrendous. My biggest pet peeve is when newcomers complain about the traffic when they're part of the problem. However, if you can get flexible work hours, it's no so bad.

Interesting comments here. I am a native Georgian and do not categorize myself as mentioned by some of the (negative) previous posters. Anyway, thought I would add some positive comments about Athens since it was mentioned several times before. Athens is a college town (U of GA) of 100 K + 35 K students. It is big enough to have arts, music, sports but not the hassles of big city life like traffic, high crime. If you need the big city, Atlanta is 1 hr away. There is a diverse population here--students, faculty, business people and locals, liberals and conservatives, many races and ethnic groups. It is very laid back and an easy place to live--lots of people move back here after living all over the country because there's no place like it. Not sure what your profession is, but job diversity would probably be the biggest obstacle. ALthough UGA is the largest employer, there are other large companies and government agencies located here. There are some people who even live here and commute to Atlanta. Not that I would advocate that. I would recommend spending some time in Atlanta and investigating different areas of town and also spending a few days in Athens. I don't think you can really decide a major move in just one visit.

Interesting comments here. I am a native Georgian and do not categorize myself as mentioned by some of the (negative) previous posters. Anyway, thought I would add some positive comments about Athens since it was mentioned several times before. Athens is a college town (U of GA) of 100 K + 35 K students. It is big enough to have arts, music, sports but not the hassles of big city life like traffic, high crime. If you need the big city, Atlanta is 1 hr away. There is a diverse population here--students, faculty, business people and locals, liberals and conservatives, many races and ethnic groups. It is very laid back and an easy place to live--lots of people move back here after living all over the country because there's no place like it. Not sure what your profession is, but job diversity would probably be the biggest obstacle. ALthough UGA is the largest employer, there are other large companies and government agencies located here. There are some people who even live here and commute to Atlanta. Not that I would advocate that. If you spend some time in Atlanta, maybe you could drive to Athens and spend a few days there.