Possibly relocating to Atlanta 2003
Mar 15th, 2002, 11:51 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Possibly relocating to Atlanta 2003
Hi All,
I just read through some messages about moving to Atlanta. Why one should or should not? What's hot and what's not? The diversity of non-diversity, etc, etc, etc.
My family and I are considering strongly to relocate to the Atlanta area, maybe Rockdale County, Conyers. We have two relative already living there. One moved from NY and the other MD. they both love it. One commutes the other's commute isn't that far. Commuting is a problem for us because we do it everyday. I've gotten great input from people about this area and the housing costs looked pretty good. In addition, I heard that the school system was pretty good. Ok, you native or non-native Atlantans (?), give me some feed back. We will be visiting the area next week for our daughter to visit two of the high school. What you think??!!
I just read through some messages about moving to Atlanta. Why one should or should not? What's hot and what's not? The diversity of non-diversity, etc, etc, etc.
My family and I are considering strongly to relocate to the Atlanta area, maybe Rockdale County, Conyers. We have two relative already living there. One moved from NY and the other MD. they both love it. One commutes the other's commute isn't that far. Commuting is a problem for us because we do it everyday. I've gotten great input from people about this area and the housing costs looked pretty good. In addition, I heard that the school system was pretty good. Ok, you native or non-native Atlantans (?), give me some feed back. We will be visiting the area next week for our daughter to visit two of the high school. What you think??!!
Mar 15th, 2002, 12:25 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have lived in Atlanta for about 9 months and really like it. While there are plenty of Atlanta bashers out there, I think most residents like it (a lot of the bashing is from travellers, because Atlanta is not the most exciting destination). I think the surrounding area is beautiful. The terrain is rolling hills with loads of trees. You can be only a few miles from downtown and never know it, because there are so many trees. As with any city there is a lot to do: pro sports, restaurants, bars, museums, concerts, etc. I think the people are generally friendly. While the roads are a problem during rush hour, Atlanta is pretty easy to get around. Atlanta has some really beuatiful old neighborhoods as well as new suburbs. And one of the best things about Atlanta is Hartsfield Airport where you can fly direct to almost anywhere in the world. I also think the climate is pretty good, with 4 distinct seasons and a mild winter. There are all kinds of places to take roadtrips to (GA mountains, Savannah, Charleston, Chattanooga, Destin, GA Coast, etc.). I could go on and on. Basically I think Atlanta is a great place to live if you like big cities and if you live where you will have a short commute. Hope this rambling helps.
Mar 21st, 2002, 11:09 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
I lived in Atlanta for some 10 years, and miss it a lot. The local saying is "it's a great place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there," and I think that's pretty accurate. It's a city of comfortable, easy living. I lived and worked in-town, so commuting was no big deal. I could get door to door in less than 10 minutes. But, Atlanta is a car town, so commuting in from the 'burbs always looked like a bear. I can't say much about the schools (no kids), but there's a cluster of in-town neighborhoods (Candler Park, Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Druid Hills) that are very charming (if you like old houses) and still reasonably priced when I moved away 3 yrs ago. If those neighborhoods have gotten out of sight, or the schools aren't good, you might look at Decatur, which is right outside the city line and still an easy commute.
Mar 22nd, 2002, 04:30 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
I would have to agree with the other posters that Atlanta is not a top tourist draw. Those of us who have lived here a long time complain about the traffic but we also know that the place has enough benefits that we can live with it.
Rockdale County has exploded as far as growth is concerned. It began in the late 80s when I was going to University of Georgia in Athens, which is less than an hour east of Conyers. I drove through Rockdale a lot then and always liked it. Many people have made Rockdale there home because of its proximity to I-20 and the good housing. I would agree that its a good place to settle down.
One thing you may have already heard about from others is the PBS documentary about the problems at Rockdale High School some years back (1995-1996). It involved a very small group of teens that were partying and sleeping around, which resulted in a syphillis outbreak. The school has taken a lot of flack about this as has the county itself, rather unfairly. Since the documentary was filmed some three or four years ago, these kids have moved on but teens from other schools still tease the Rockdale kids about it at football games. I would not let this stop you from considering Rockdale as a good place to live.
I wish you luck in your search. I also recommend Fayette County, where I grew up. The schools are top notch and there's also fast access to Hartsfield. Peachtree City is close to I-85 and the commut isn't too bad into Atlanta.
Rockdale County has exploded as far as growth is concerned. It began in the late 80s when I was going to University of Georgia in Athens, which is less than an hour east of Conyers. I drove through Rockdale a lot then and always liked it. Many people have made Rockdale there home because of its proximity to I-20 and the good housing. I would agree that its a good place to settle down.
One thing you may have already heard about from others is the PBS documentary about the problems at Rockdale High School some years back (1995-1996). It involved a very small group of teens that were partying and sleeping around, which resulted in a syphillis outbreak. The school has taken a lot of flack about this as has the county itself, rather unfairly. Since the documentary was filmed some three or four years ago, these kids have moved on but teens from other schools still tease the Rockdale kids about it at football games. I would not let this stop you from considering Rockdale as a good place to live.
I wish you luck in your search. I also recommend Fayette County, where I grew up. The schools are top notch and there's also fast access to Hartsfield. Peachtree City is close to I-85 and the commut isn't too bad into Atlanta.
Apr 1st, 2002, 07:24 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
I grew up in Fayette too. Excellent schools. It is south of the city and the real estate there is still pretty reasonable. Other excellent counties (school-wise) are Cobb (northwest), North Fulton (north), and Gwinett (northeast). Forsyth (north), Henry (south), Cherokee (north) are also quite good too.
Atlanta has its good and bad points like anywhere. The city and suburbs are nicer to look at than many big cities because of the trees and hills. It is very diverse in numbers, but unfortunately the races have segregated themselves in different neighborhoods and suburbs. Things are changing with that respect though. We have great amount of entertainment and sports (Braves, Hawks, Thrashers, Falcons, Yellow Jackets) available in the city.
Definitely a great place to live, not to visit.
Atlanta has its good and bad points like anywhere. The city and suburbs are nicer to look at than many big cities because of the trees and hills. It is very diverse in numbers, but unfortunately the races have segregated themselves in different neighborhoods and suburbs. Things are changing with that respect though. We have great amount of entertainment and sports (Braves, Hawks, Thrashers, Falcons, Yellow Jackets) available in the city.
Definitely a great place to live, not to visit.
Apr 4th, 2002, 07:21 PM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi tn:
Here's my $0.02 worth as a resident of Atlanta for over 20 years and with a dear friend who lives in Conyers (I live in Dunwoody). Most people move here for the tremendous job opportunites that have existed here for so long - despite current downturn. Compared to other Southern cities, Atlanta is expensive, but compared to most other major cities, epsecially in the NE, Atlanta is absurdly cheap, especially in the suburbs for housing. Rockdale provides very good housing value for the money compared to other areas of Atlanta, and it has a very bucolic setting among trees and rolling hills. However, as others have noted, traffic here (and just the sheer sprawl which results in being in the car a lot) is the biggest drawback to living here. Rockdale is quite inconvenient if you need to go anywhere in Atlanta other than downtown or the airport, and especially so if you need to go to the north side. My friend who lives in Rockdale works downtown and it takes him about 45 min - 1 hr both driving and using MARTA. It takes us that long to drive to visit them from Dunwoody - outside of rush hour. My friend grew up in Conyers so he has family and old friends nearby - a plus anywhere. They seem happy with the schools (2 teenagers) and the schools do have an above average reputation for Atlanta - but keep in mind that when compared to the rest of the country Georgia public schools invariably rank in the bottom 10% - 20% in just about any measure. As a frustration the schools are a close second to traffic for the area overall.
Our friends love it there though and while it is middle class suburban and growing, the growth has not been quite as frenetic as the north side, and Rockdale retains a rural small town feel to it. If that's the kind of setting you're looking for it's a good choice. If you are looking for more in the way of city diversions, attractions and glitz, you'll be unhappy in Rockdale.
As large metro areas go, Atlanta is very livable and pleasant compared to most - but the growth has been phenominal - it has grown from 1 million to 4 million in the twenty years I've been here - and not without pain, but I'll still take it over LA, New York, Houston, or Miami for that matter
.
BTW by now I guess you've made your visit - what did you think?
Good Luck!
Dan
Here's my $0.02 worth as a resident of Atlanta for over 20 years and with a dear friend who lives in Conyers (I live in Dunwoody). Most people move here for the tremendous job opportunites that have existed here for so long - despite current downturn. Compared to other Southern cities, Atlanta is expensive, but compared to most other major cities, epsecially in the NE, Atlanta is absurdly cheap, especially in the suburbs for housing. Rockdale provides very good housing value for the money compared to other areas of Atlanta, and it has a very bucolic setting among trees and rolling hills. However, as others have noted, traffic here (and just the sheer sprawl which results in being in the car a lot) is the biggest drawback to living here. Rockdale is quite inconvenient if you need to go anywhere in Atlanta other than downtown or the airport, and especially so if you need to go to the north side. My friend who lives in Rockdale works downtown and it takes him about 45 min - 1 hr both driving and using MARTA. It takes us that long to drive to visit them from Dunwoody - outside of rush hour. My friend grew up in Conyers so he has family and old friends nearby - a plus anywhere. They seem happy with the schools (2 teenagers) and the schools do have an above average reputation for Atlanta - but keep in mind that when compared to the rest of the country Georgia public schools invariably rank in the bottom 10% - 20% in just about any measure. As a frustration the schools are a close second to traffic for the area overall.
Our friends love it there though and while it is middle class suburban and growing, the growth has not been quite as frenetic as the north side, and Rockdale retains a rural small town feel to it. If that's the kind of setting you're looking for it's a good choice. If you are looking for more in the way of city diversions, attractions and glitz, you'll be unhappy in Rockdale.
As large metro areas go, Atlanta is very livable and pleasant compared to most - but the growth has been phenominal - it has grown from 1 million to 4 million in the twenty years I've been here - and not without pain, but I'll still take it over LA, New York, Houston, or Miami for that matter
.BTW by now I guess you've made your visit - what did you think?
Good Luck!
Dan
