DejaVu

haha, starrsville, too funny. Just wait until the next time Atlanta gets a little snow. Any drivers on the road trying to deal with the black ice won't be Georgians. A half inch of snow means most of the natives (and that included me when I lived there) stay home!! ;-)

The commute DOES stink, there's no getting around that, no matter who's doing the driving. But a lot of cities have bad traffic, that wouldn't be a reason not to move there.

starrsville

You are so right. Folks from up north laugh at us because everything shuts down when there's a dusting of snow. But, we don't have the removal equipment that colder climes have - wouldn't be worth the purchase or upkeep expense. The best we can do is drop sand/salt on the roads and hope for the best.

My mom worked for the local REA and never got a snow day. She had to hike to the road and wait for the trucks to come pick her up to go to work!

But, it's the same in Dallas. The year I lived there I almost was iced out of the Atlanta airport trying to get home for Christmas - and then an ice storm hit Dallas and I was iced out of my return "home". Talk about DejaVu!

missypie

I could probably sell my 2800 square foot, 4 bedroom/2 1/2 bath/2 car garage/3 living area house in a nice suburb of Dallas with great schools for $200,000.

sfmaster

Three days into a move from San Francisco to Decatur, GA and am totally depressed.

It is lovely with lots of trees, beautiful big houses, affordable. And I am sure I will adjust.

BUT to me right now it feels VERY Southern, I am sure it isn't but Roaches, heat, everyone calling me Mrs. and referring to each other as Miss etc. Lousy produce section. Very Suburban too. Atlanta has some big city amenities but it feels all very very suburban to me so far.

I have kids and they are missing their friends a lot (we have been gone for 1 month travelling before we got here) so that rubs some salt in the wound of trying to adjust.

Airport is crazy...

One nice thing for me is where we are living feels quite liberal...a reason I couldn't envision living in Texas.

Ok trying to buck up and wait out the adjustment (luckily kept my house - however tiny- in San Francisco with renter so at least I feel there is some chance I could return)

Sign me fog-head

OneWanderingJew

SFMaster--Looking for good produce selection?? Have someone give you directions to the Dekalb International Farmers Market which is on E. Ponce de Leon in Decatur. It's a great place to shop and convenient from where you are!

DejaVu

"BUT to me right now it feels VERY Southern, I am sure it isn't..."

Yes, it is. I don't understand why people want it not to be. Are we (Southerners) so awful? Sorry, but I am really sensitive about this, after years and years having people put down this or that, or assume ridiculous things (asking me if there was KKK where I lived...just outside the Perimeter!). People saying things around me like they're worried their children will develop a Southern accent from going to a public school. Puh-leeze.

I'm pretty sure non-Southern states have roaches too. Palmetto bugs though...maybe not. ;-)

BeachBoi

State Fair of Texas opens this weekend...Cant wait to get down thar and have me some ah them Fried Apple Tacos I hear theyz gonna hav....whooohoooo!! I love tacos so this should be a treat!!

missypie

Yes, politics may be an issue. Dallas County actually went 51% for Bush and 49% for Kerry, but the suburbs are VERY conservative. There are liberal pockets but the whole state feels very conservative to me. In Tarrant County (where I live), almost all of the Republican candidates for things like judge run unopposed. The big fight is in the Republican primary.

Saraho

I have inlaws in Dallas area and have visited there a lot. I would never want to live there because it is VERY conservative and opinionated( large Church of Christ and Republican population) and it does not have any pretty scenery at all unless you count the very expensive large houses and shopping centers. One of the main interests in Texas is football and other sports.

I also have many relatives in the Atlanta and Marietta areas who love living there and have turned down transfers away from Atlanta because they do not want to leave.

It is Southern and at the same time much more cosmopolitan than Dallas. As other posters have said, there are many trees, hills, old houses and interesting areas in the Atlanta area. For me it would be a no-brainer to choose Atlanta over Dallas.

There are many websites where you can compare cost of living and crime statistics of different cities.

Donna

I live in the burbs of Atlanta (terrible commute) and I am an actual native. I love it here. I have visited briefly in Dallas. If I had to choose between two cities I would spend a week at least in each location and then decide. I am sure each has good and bad points - but you have to choose based on your personal interests. Good luck!

xpi6tiva

I moved to Atlanta about 5 years ago... Funny thing was, I didn't know about palmetto bugs (big roaches) until I had to kill one by myself in my just moved in apartment. I put it into a sandwich bag, walked down to the rental office, put it on her desk and asked what it was and why it was in my gorgeous gated community apartment... She politely said "Awww, it's just a palmetto bug" in a sweet southern tang. That was my first taste of Atlanta. Over the two years of living there, I fell in love. Not only with the weather (raised in Chicago), but with the food, trees, and most of all, the people. I made the most incredible friends ever!

My husband and I have since moved back to chicago due to family... but if I ever have the opportunity, I won't think twice... I would be moving back to Atlanta, Geogia. We lived right on lenox road, on the border of buckhead. Smack dab in the middle of everything! I would choose the same area again if I can afford it.