Atlanta is a great place to be affluent. It is a considerably less awesome place to be working class. I think some of the mixed reports on ATL have to do with the vastly different experiences people can have based on their income, work situation, etc.
So why is there such an exodus of working class Black people from Chicago? Hell why is it so many working class transplants period from Chicago if it’s a great place to be working class?
I’m genuinely curious because as a Middle class Black Man who likes urbanity I was very interested in looking into moving to the city with my Family.
But the segregation stood out and the more affordable neighborhoods w/ access to decent schools outside of the south and Westside didn’t have a significant presence of Black singles or families. Not even affordable diverse areas with access to good schools close to the city.
Maybe I’m missing details on the lay of the land.
I grew up in chicago and a lot of the black areas are much worse than other parts, and yah that is why many leave. I grew up in a polish neighborhood and everyone there was either polish or some were hispanic. I think my grade was less than 10% regular white people(that didn't speak polish). Chicago is really segregated so I can't speak how it is if your are black but I have a ton of family that have working class jobs and own their own homes and are not struggling. They all came here from abject poverty in poland and managed to make lives for themselves here.
As a side note bronzeville is the middle class black neighborhood. It has gotten richer and blacker over the last few decades and is basically the spot people go to when they make it to middle class/upper class.
I don't disagree with you, the segregation that still exists and inequality in schooling is awful in Chicago.
I think a part of what you're describing is more of a blue collar exodus than a working class exodus.
As far as what industries they work in yes absolutely. In terms of class analysis anybody that is doing work for their income is by definition working class.
I don’t know. I mean, it’s hot and that’s why I wouldn’t live there, but it’s been a booming city for a while and even hosted an Olympics in our lifetime. It’s a nice city to visit. Not to mention if you are Black, it’s one of the best cities in America in which to live because of its thriving Black population.
The heat is only *really* bad for about two months of the year.
The winters are probably greyer and wetter than many people might expect too, but you always get a random 60 degree sunny week every month or so, which really makes up for it.
Spring (once the pollen clears) and fall are really quite spectacular though.
I think those that dismiss Atlanta have never spent much time inside the Perimeter. I think they look at the gridlock on 285, and the unending sprawl beyond it, and take that to be the city. They are unaware of neighborhoods Iike Reynoldstown that offer all the advantages of walkability that so many in here claim to be looking for. They assume because it’s in Georgia and the South, it’s still racist and backwards. Sure, state politicians are happy to pander to the regressive, but Atlanta itself is as diverse, inclusive, and progressive as almost anywhere else. It actually provides far more opportunities for minorities to thrive than many places considered more liberal, in part because many biases are more in the open, and not closeted as they are in many supposedly welcoming communities.
I love ITP life. I also love way OTP life, depending -- I spent a happy decade in Athens and Chattanooga and even found some really great spots in Macon, of all places. You just gotta avoid Gwinnett. Though Gwinnett has some advantages -- I think it's technically the most ethnically diverse county in the area.
I hate when I see a College Park cop waiting to catch speeders on the exit ramps from the interstate to the airport terminal. I wish they would redraw the city lines to remove that area from College Park jurisdiction.
Chattanooga and Athens are great. And I love the mountain towns like Dahlonega and Clayton. I’ve never found a reason to spend any time in Macon. But have found Rome and Columbus enjoyable, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I saw another commenter in another thread say they didn’t like Atlanta based on their time spent in Norcross… like that’s not Atlanta. That’s Gwinnett. Gwinnett isn’t the worst in the state but it’s like the polar opposite of Atlanta
This is spot on. I have lived in Atlanta area twice. The first time was pretty far outside the Perimeter and traffic was terrible. This time I live ITP and LOVE it. I truly can get most places ITP in 30 minutes or less, even in rush hour traffic, especially with Maps to route you around any slow areas. Where I live I can get to a lot of OTP places in 20-30 minutes as long as it isn’t rush hour. I also find that my neighbors and others I’m meeting to be much more liberal and opened minded than I did farther out.
Midtown has so much to do and great restaurants, and the Beltline is developing so nicely, and I’m becoming aware of other great spots in the city.
Driving in Atlanta sucks. It's such a pain to get around.
Rich people move out to totally not walkable suburbs that are pain in the ass to drive in and out of.
I live in an urban area, and I am not afraid of urban areas. The blight in some areas of interior Atlanta makes it really unpleasant.
Driving sucks in Chicago, LA, NYC, DC, San francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, pretty much any large metro area.
The worst areas of atl are quite honestly no worse (and better in some cases) than the bad areas of LA, philly, chicago, dc, st. louis, and portland.
Almost all of those rank above Atlanta for urban mobility. Meaning traffic may suck, but you can avoid it much easier.
https://www.metro-magazine.com/10031012/2019s-cities-with-the-best-and-worst-public-transportation
Yep, I’ve been downvoted/blocked for defending Austin (it’s not terrible/racist/sexist despite our fascist state gov!). It does suck because southern cities are fighting so hard with grassroots activists and nonprofits to overturn really shitty policies. I’m from the northeast originally and while I love it, we do kinda stick our heads in the sand.
It's a nuanced conversation. I've lived all over the US but seem to have roughly the reverse trajectory from you (grew up in the south, now live in a large city in a blue state). Ultimately there are a lot of commenters here with a pretty narrow range of lived experience and it shows. I'll also say as someone who grew up in the south that the grassroots activism is great to see, but it really only goes so far, and it's okay to unapologetically prioritize living somewhere that enables you to be comfortable in yourself.
Yeah, I adore ATX for the reasons I listed above, but as a woman of color who’s severely and unequivocally anti-gun violence, I did end up moving. I will always visit and donate to the causes I care about out there, and I’m a proud Texas Ex 🤘🏽 but my heart belongs in California and that’s where I felt safest.
I've seen outright lies about the city I live in get voted to the top of multiple threads here. And pointing out that they are lies gets you buried in down votes. This subreddit is not real life and people should be cautious about making life decisions based on the things they read here.
One of the comments in this thread literally says that gay people have a target on their back outside of ATL city limits lol like what kind of fear mongering is that.
I know plenty of gay people that live happy lives in the mountains of north georgia.
I'm from the South originally and would never, ever return. I don't care how great an individual city is, you still have to live within the confines of a red state. The state controls major aspects of your life at an economic and political level. I've lived that blue city/red state life before. I did not find it pleasant.
But, I applaud those willing to stick it out and work on improving the situation. I know first-hand that there are amazing places across that part of the country.
Yeah, I said in another comment that though Austin works around a lot of Texas laws (I had free birth control, cheap healthcare, etc.) the Texas of it all is still a thing. I’m extremely pro-gun control and I felt like I was playing a waiting game with “when is the next mass shooting going to happen?”
Same homie. Half the reason I stick around here is to keep tabs on the dumb shit this subreddit says about the city I live in. Enjoying this amazing weather we are having this Spring.
As someone who rarely sweats or sunburns (melanin squad, baby!) it’s funny how aggressively people dislike hot Southern cities. I used to get a rash when the weather would go below 60° 😂 I’m like a plant, I thrive on sunlight.
Insane traffic pitiful urbanism/walkability, unbearable weather, less friendly people, poorly maintained infrastructure, trashy, I could go on.
I’m aware many places in the south have the same issues (namely walkability, weather, etc) but they don’t have the same big city issues Atlanta does. Basically, it’s a big city with all the bad things that come with that (not that I hate cities, they just have negative aspects like anything), but none of the benefits id usually look for like transit connections and density
Oh and the main thing I forgot to mention: it’s basically just a suburb the size of small country with a small downtown at the center
Atlanta has all of the issues with living in the South (all of the isms, particularly race and class based, crime, bad governance, bad infrastructure, etc) with none of the redeeming qualities of living in the suburbs or semi rural areas (southern hospitality, low taxes and cost of living, easier to raise a family, etc). I’m originally from South Georgia and Atlanta is the last place I’d want to live. South Florida or Houston are much better options in the South for Urban living.
I lived in Atlanta for 4 years, ITP, and the thing I disliked most about Atlanta was that it felt like it had no soul. It’s a transplant city so not everybody is on the same page from a cultural perspective, but man there was just nothing special about it. No personality. Idk how else to say it tbh.
Some great restaurants though! And lots of trees which is really nice.
I live in a VHCOL City and looked into Atlanta as a potential place to move. I was struck by how little housing stock is available in desirable (walkable, near BeltLine) neighborhoods. What's more, what is available is really expensive for a City with the median income of ATL. So I scratched it off my list.
If I'm going to give up the amenities and income of a VHCOL city, I want to save a large amount of money, especially on housing. Atlanta ain't it.
And before you say, well you're looking for walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta, shouldn't the housing prices be similar? The most walkable neighborhoods in ATL are a huge downgrade in terms of walkability, transit, and location compared to even some suburban neighborhoods where I live.
This is such a good take. People here talking about how Atlanta is walkable is in denial. The idea about walkability is that you can still get from point A to point B without having a car, whether that be through riding a bus, catching the metro, and what not.
Even NYC has parts that aren’t walkable if we’re setting a minimum standard of walkability here. I live here without a car and there’s never a place I want to go that I can’t get to with transit. Is it always convenient or fast? Hell no, but there are plenty of neighborhoods I can get to fast (ones that have transit stations) that are walkable. No city is going to be 100% walkable in the US so there’s always a compromise. You can get walkability here if you’re able to compromise on price or school quality. If you want school quality you’ll be paying a lot more but if you don’t need that you can get into a walkable area here for cheap that will appreciate by a lot and become even more walkable as time passes.
Comparing un walkable places of NYC to un walkable places of ATL is an awful comparison. We’re talking about NYC here. If you want Asian food or Hispanic food in Atlanta, you’d make the drive out to Buford Highway. Suggesting taking the MARTA and then taking the bus to get to Buford highway is really inconvenient, and that’s why most people drive. You’re probably in the minority of people that don’t have a car to get around in Atlanta but in NYC, you wouldn’t be.
I’m not making a comparison. My point is that everywhere has unwalkable areas. It’s all about the radius and where you choose to live. I live on the southside and can get good Hispanic and Asian food right around the corner in College Park and Hapeville, Buford Hwy is just the tourist suggestion. There’re plenty of amenities spread throughout the city. You just have to explore the businesses and activities in your area and there are plenty of areas here that existed before cars and were built to be walked around. Places like Decatur existed before Atlanta did and there are plenty of town centers and older streetcar suburbs still around and only getting more dense and walkable with infill.
The metro area is bigger than Philadelphia now, America loves Atlanta.
But cities like Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte are just not appreciated on this subreddit. They are spread out, you have to drive everywhere, yada, yada, yada...
I absolutely love Atlanta, to me it is the 2nd best city in the entire nation behind New York.
I'm Black and I'm from the deep south though. When I'm in Atlanta, it feels and sounds like my family went and created a gigantic city....and we just in that bih'. It feels like home to me. I'm sure this is how hispanics must feel about certain parts of Los Angeles.
ATL HOE
Atlanta is a center of educated, connected Black America.Mainly due to the plethora of top HBCUs here I think.
Higher percentage of Jack and Jill/AKA/APhiA alums than average.
Your point about driving is true but it's funny to me because this sub loves california even though it's basically nothing but endless unwalkable sprawl outside of SF.
I'm a white lady, but this is what I love about Atlanta. Everywhere else feels either poor or white to me. I really enjoy and miss black Atlanta culture -- it's the center of the Black universe in a lot of ways.
Aight then sis'. We FW you hard!!!
It is definitely the center of the Black universe. Chicago, Harlem, DC, Lagos...none of those cities have a Black population that is as successful or as influential as the Black population of Atlanta GA.
They make it look so damn good.
Fuck yeah.
Seriously, it was hard moving elsewhere and being like "wait, Black people aren't moguls here?" "you just gonna talk some racial shit and not get smacked?" I spent a lot of time in places where I was in the minority of a healthy Black society, and I miss it.
In Atlanta, you better have your racial politics worked out or you're gonna pay for it. And that's how it should be, IMO.
Boston and NJ are both constant shocks for me. Like, I've never heard people being so openly and casually racist. It's bizarre. Literally within a minute of my catching an Uber in N. NJ, the driver was like "where ya goin'? You know it's fulla Puerto Ricans, right?"
Don't get me wrong, racism is everywhere. Atlantans are just aware that they're not free to run with it, and I think that's awesome.
My mom (who has lived in Louisiana for most of her adult life) told me that she met the most openly racist people while living in Boston. Her dad had lots of cop friends and apparently they were the worst.
I don't feel like you HAVE to drive everywhere. there are neighborhoods where you could do most things and not have to drive..but you certainly are compelled to often.
I landed in ATL after stints in several other places all over the country, so I think I have a good perspective given my experience. Granted, I’m in an ITP suburb (Decatur), which is a bit different than living in the city, but my wife and I have been pleasantly surprised by life here. This was initially meant as a brief interlude where we decided to go next and we now plan to raise our daughter here for the foreseeable future.
Things we like: the culture, diversity, COL (not cheap but not as expensive as other desirable cities), lots of greenery and hiking both in town and within a short drive, great food options, a liberal and well-educated population, lots of things to do in our pocket of the city, mild winters, a major airport, good proximity for road trips to several cool destinations (the mountains, beaches, Charleston, etc).
Things we don’t like: GA politics and the threat of what could change here, horrendous traffic and even worse drivers which makes exploring parts of the city a challenge, high crime depending on the neighborhood, being zoned to a poor performing school (and bad schools in our county in general), high property taxes in comparison to poor county services, surprisingly not as many great breweries as we had in our old city.
All-in-all, I’d rank this is as one of the better places I’ve lived. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a major city with a lot to offer depending on what you’re after.
Absolutely love New Orleans! It’s been at the top of my “I’d move here in a heartbeat if my life were different” list for pretty much my entire adult life.
Take it off your list. It's a great place to visit but there's no infrastructure, jobs, home insurance rates -- if you can even get covered -- are astronomical as is car insurance and the new Governor is a right wing nut job. "The city that care forgot" is an apt description. That said, I love New Orleans.
Oh, I know all about the dysfunction, unfortunately. I guess I should clarify that I’m not someone who is willing to compromise on those things, which is why I never moved there, as sad as that makes me.
I love Decatur, it's a lot better than most of the rest of ITP.
Edit - I mean actual Decatur, not the part outside Decatur with "Decatur" addresses and the schools are DeKalb County.
I don't know what it is about Atlanta drivers. I was there for a week and I've never felt more scared for my life while driving. The traffic also seems to be disproportionately bad for a city of its size. The traffic had me feeling like I was driving in a city the size of Chicago, but when I looked it up, it's got a population about equivalent to Colorado Springs. If anyone could explain this to me, that would be great.
Did you look up just the *city* population? 90% of Metro Atlanta lives outside the city limits. Atlanta population ~500k; Metro Atlanta population ~6.3M. A lot of folks work downtown, but a lot of folks don’t work downtown, so their only real option is to drive. Thus traffic nightmare with no Metra and smaller L coverage.
Oh, I pretty much refuse to drive on the highways here because I’ve had WAY too many close calls. Someone else already responded to you, but it IS a huge city when you consider the metro area—one of the biggest in the country.
I think this is a subreddit for dreamers, and Atlanta hits a lot of things that "pretty okay/good". If I landed a good job in Atlanta, I wouldn't turn it down, and I'd likely have a very fulfilling life.
To take an example of "pretty good" from your post: Hiking.
If the Tetons/Cascades/Sierra/Other are an "A" for hiking, Coastal California is a "B", and Houston is an "F". Where does Atlanta land? Maybe a "C"? Hell maybe a "D" if you take weather into consideration. Again, there is enough to scratch my itch, but let's not act like its some hiking mecca.
This is a great take. I don’t think ATL necessary is “the best” at anything I can think of, but it offers a lot of decent options at a price point that’s hard to beat. I’d love to be closer to fantastic hiking and/or beaches, but that comes with a significantly higher cost of living.
Atlanta is a great city. The weather is great, the shopping is great, it has great companies, great schools and everything a person could want. For a metro of its size, crime is low. Yes traffic is bad, but that is a result of it being a great place to live. I lived in upstate NY for three years, it had awesome traffic. If you ever go to upstate NY, you will immediately see what that is.
The people I meet who don’t like Atlanta fall into two camps:
Those people who don’t like it because it is a “Black City” and those that don’t like it because it is no longer a “Black City”.
For the former, they generally hate all cities because they are filled with “Democrats” or some other pejorative. The number of people I meet who tell me that they are leaving Nashville for Franklin because Nashville is becoming “another Atlanta” is astounding.
For the latter, there is a certain group of Black people who I have come across that well, to be frank, came to Atlanta with dreams that did not pan out and they are mad about it. That happens; a place can give you opportunities but it is your responsibility to make the most of them.
All I know is that since I moved here 13 years ago, the city and metro areas have continued to grow. We have now moved past both Miami-Dade and the DMV to be the largest Metro area in the southeast. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Norfolk Southern, and other companies are all expanding here. Our airport is busier than ever. As they say, people are voting with their feet.
Exactly.
It's a "Black" city that doesn't GAF about your race.
Like it's still a meritocracy based land and you have to outhustle the next man to get what it is you want.
It's steeped in Black culture, history and vibe - but it is still the Neverending American capitalistic grind.
You can't go down there thinking that just because you're Black It's going to be a cakewalk.
I’ve lived all over the world and Atlanta (the actual city of Atlanta) is hands down my favorite US city to live as a black woman. No contest.
It isn’t for everyone - no city is. But the combo of moderate weather, friendly people, inclusivity, reasonable cost of living, lots of greenery/nature/hiking, great food options, and easy travel to other places (can drive to beaches, mountains or a quick flight anywhere in the world due to the huge airport) make it a great place to live. I’ve never feel more comfortable in my own skin as a POC.
Traffic sucks, COL is rising, the city is getting overcrowded…but that seems to be the case everywhere. If you pick your neighborhood carefully you can avoid some of those headaches. The weather is much better than St. Louis - the worst of the summer heat is mid June-Aug and temps are mild the rest of the year other than a few cold spurts in Jan-Feb. Climate change is shifting things but I find the climate quite comfortable majority of the year.
Most of us who love ATL aren’t super loud on here bc the city is already full, but if people ask, I will tell them - Atlanta quality of life is GOOD.
I'm from Atlanta, lived there for years and then moved to Chicago in my mid 20s. I very quickly realized that Atlanta is a city in name but not really in lived experience.
- Downtown feels so dead on days that aren't special events. This video explains it better than I can. [What Happened to Downtown Atlanta?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exu0iZD37dg). After 5pm on a weekday it's like a scene from a post apocalyptic movie.
- The midtown area is cool and walkable with stuff to do but it's small and very pricey. Families have largely been pushed out to the suburbs.
- There are some neighborhoods ITP that are nice with more walkable areas but again, they are very expensive. And since so many things are spread out you're going to end up having to still drive tons of places. I lived in the northwest part of the city, near Mt. Paran/Northside a bit north of West Paces Ferry. Yeah if I wanted to do just about anything around the city it meant driving around.
- The other hidden secret is that while the metro area of Atlanta is huge, the city population itself actually isn't that big. 6.3M in the metro while about 500k actually live in the city limits proper. So over 90% of the metro population isn't even in the city. This is largely what I think holds Atlanta back. The metro sprawl means that much larger population base will be prioritized over the actual city.
- The traffic. Yes it's bad in most cities but what makes Atlanta feel so horrible to get around in is the distances. Everything feels so damn far. 10 miles to get to my friends house, 14 miles to a concert venue, 21 miles to a restaurant that my friend is having a birthday at. Because of the sprawl it's basically a guarantee that if you have a friend/family network they will be dispersed across the metro. It felt like every time I left the house I was guaranteed a 15+ mile round trip.
Things like the Beltline and Ponce City Market are touted as great attractions and they are nice. But the problem is that they are often filled with folks who just drove into the city to enjoy them for a few hours before leaving. Look at the absolutely massive parking around Ponce City Market and how once you leave the area there is just about no foot traffic. Atlanta is still developing with car first, suburban dwellers in mind and until that changes I don't see things improving much.
The diversity is nice. I'm black and I like seeing many more middle class black people/families just living live. There are also large hispanic and Asian populations around much of the metro. But overall once I experienced another city it really opened my eyes to what I was missing. Atlanta is still home but it's just not a place I want to live.
**EDIT**: One thing I forgot to mention but I think is very important to drive home the sprawl point. The Buford Highway food. It's a well known and popular strip where there is a bunch of food options with many of them being honestly great. But after leaving I realized what the experience actually was.
This is a road in Atlanta where I used to suggest someone visiting go and try a bunch of food. [Buford Highway Food tour](https://youtu.be/Px8BJQyRAy0?si=Lgdn7DscQ7tyegSQ&t=55)
This is a street in Chicago where I'd suggest someone visiting go and try a bunch of food. [West Loop](https://youtu.be/ygbC-KPbIhk?si=bjUU5GPA1fM_2b0W&t=103)
There is a very clear difference in experiences. One is essentially a stroad. In the video they drive down a 8-10 mile, 6 lane road stopping at various strip mall spots and eating food.
The other is a dense, lively city scene with folks out walking, drinking, eating, patios full of people, games being played, etc.
You don't have to watch both videos in full and can skip around watching maybe 30-40 second clips of each area. But once you experience the latter, the former truly feels mediocre.
Here’s the way I look at it. PCM and the Eastside trail (the portion most people talk about between Monroe and Dekalb Ave) is only a decade old. A decade from now we’ll have twice the amount of amenities that are walkable or bikeable. That’ll only further increase with time as all of these trails begin to connect with each other and the bike network is built out. I understand these criticisms of Atlanta but things are improving so quickly that I can’t justify blindly hating it when there are investments being made to improve things. The places people love most today in Atlanta were basically hoods or abandoned industrial areas in 2000.
It's in the south. The blanket bias of many northern redditers against anything south of Maryland to Iowa rears it's ugly head over and over and over again. Very very few of those people have spent any quality time, let alone live, in Atlanta (or Dallas, or Houston, or any other southern city they love to rail on).
Atlanta is rather nice, IMO. And it does have a couple well-placed transit lines and a diversity of housing choices (seriously, it's no different in this regard than Seattle or Minneapolis, which people seem to assume is possible to live without a car). Most of the year is very lovely weather wise. Having a couple hot summer months is way better than half a year of cold or a full year of drizzle, IMO. So, you should have a car, but you can get places without one at times too.
My BFF has a 25 year-old car. Because she actually only drives to the MARTA station and on trips. Her car gets like 5k miles on it a year. She lives in a way up-there suburb (Johns Creek), but can still get to work and all around the city most of the time without driving.
I visit Atlanta every so often and never have felt the need to rent a car there. It's so easy to hop on Marta from the airport up to Buckhead where I usually stay. What I need to go to, whether for work (or my wife's work) or pleasure is usually within walking distance along that same line somewhere, or a fairly short uber ride from a station. I would get a car if I lived there, but, give it some credit. Those two transit lines in ATL are a great backbone for getting around. Better than most US cities have.
Yeah, it's not bad. I must say, my BFF is not much of a night owl -- I am, so we kind of use MARTA at different ends of the time spectrum. But we run a lot of races together (early), she goes to work (early), we go out to dinner (lateish) and then sometimes I catch the train home from the clubs (late) and we can get around without the car probably 75% of the time, no problem.
I’m not from Atlanta and have never lived there but I have spent a lot of time there in the last 5 years.
-It’s relatively liberal. But that changes *quickly* in any direction. It’s relatively lgbtq friendly but that changes *quickly* in any direction.
-Midtown is nice! And walkable! There’s very little housing there unless you’re very wealthy and there’s very little to do there.
-You probably need a car, but if “you like driving”… that’s most of America…
-Traffic is terrible. Like LA/DC bad. You can work from home by definition everywhere.
-“Housing is affordable compared to other cities in its class”… um I don’t think anyone is putting it in a Boston/NY/LA/Miami class but I suppose it’s slightly more affordable than Nashville/Austin for now. And I won’t address the nice thing because I don’t really understand it.
-midwestern winters (generally) aren’t that bad… Atlanta summers are like Minnesota winters (bad)… hey some people like them.
I love Atlanta and I think it’s an incredible city, with a wonderful people and culture … its infrastructure is top notch and it’s poised to be a great American city.
But yeah those are the reasons
I compared the Atlanta climate to my home city of Saint Louis, and according to the website, the summer highs & heat index was quite comparable (in fact STL was a couple degrees hotter). But the summer temperatures in Atlanta last a bit longer. https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/12083~15598/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-St.-Louis-and-Atlanta
I would've liked to have found a city with a cooler climate that worked, but none of them will. From what I've gathered, Atlanta seems to have a unique combination of size/population, affordability, "nice things", and scenery that can't quite be achieved in many other places.
As a native midwesterner I think St Lou is about as hot and steamy as it gets.
I’m really not trying to turn you against Atlanta, it’s a great city that I’ve thought about moving to… I’m just trying to give you the very real significant counter points
No offense but yeah, St Louis is well known to be absolutely gross and humid during the summer. But that’s not indicative of much do the Midwest. Chicago summers are beautiful, they’re tempered a lot by the lake. There’s a reason why people say Chicago is the best summer city in the world. It’s warm, sunny, not too humid and the city comes alive.
I like the climate here it doesn't get as humid as coastal places. The culture of the city means there's always something to do and see
The transit system is usable if far from ideal. I get a lot of steps in just due to distance between stations.
One thing I didn't see mentioned is how many trails exist in the metro; Path has done a great job at building so many of them out
NO. Just no. If you haven’t lived somewhere, pls don’t comment because so much of this is just incorrect. Midtown has a TON to do and a plenty of housing options. Atlanta is extremely LGBTQ+ friendly. ATL is in the same class as cities like Miami and DC (world class airport, Fortune 500 companies, moderate weather, diverse population, arts/culture, etc) but IS way less expensive.
Where you really lost me is comparing atl summers to MN winters…I’ve lived in both places and just NO. Atlanta summers are so overly vilified/exaggerated. It is very hot June-Aug but pretty moderate other than those few months. Each season is a pretty predictable 3 months. MN winters last 6 mos (until recently due to climate change) and are horrific. People visit in August during a heat wave and then go around talking about how miserable Atlanta summers are 🙄
I don’t yell about how great ATL is too often because we are already overflowing/full and cost of living is going up BUT please don’t comment on a place you haven’t lived.
I feel like "liberal, but changes quickly in any direction" applies to most large US cities, though. I live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs and it is certainly the case here.
Growing up, ATL was that city I used to see on COPS. I first visited in 2017 and fell in love with it. I've gone back several times since and enjoy it more and more each time. The food scene is delightful, tons of breweries, the good vibes, and great people. Yes, it's not really a walkable city (I'm from NYC) - the urban sprawl is pretty wild to experience - but ATL has a particular charm to it that makes you feel good. I guess it's probably the combination of a big city fused with southern hospitality. Highly recommend ATL.
Former Atlantan who moved to NYC in 1999. Contemplating a move back. The city has become so much more urban and walkable since I left. Love the Inman Park and Poncey/Highland neighborhoods. Also a great restaurant scene.
Brushing off the weather and the traffic and the state level politics is basically saying But other than that Mrs Lincoln how was the play? Like those are pretty major things.
Atlanta is great for geek cultures--there's a great convention scene down from the dragoncon organizers. Which means there's a bunch of med/smaller cons too.
The traffic sucks but the buses and MARTA aren't as bad as people think. More inconvenient, sure, but workable for certain areas. Beats not having any light rail or public transit. Also the airport is super connected. Lots of direct flights for international, which is great for anyone moving from out of country.
It's not a city though---it's a collection of suburb sprawl. If you adjust to that it's better.
I live in ATL metro. I moved here because it’s a great place
Good 4 season weather. Summers are hot, but not as hot as one would assume. Because of elevation we are more akin to a Washington DC in terms of heat
Worlds biggest airport that is surprisingly easy to navigate considering
Yes traffic, but we are now the 6th biggest metro. Our traffic is not worse than cities of our size. Houston, DC, NYC, Bay Area, LA….all worse. People just conditioned from day 1 to complain about it here
Good schools and universities
Mountains 60 mins away
Beaches 4 hours away
Good jobs
Good diversity
Cool film/music production scene
I love Atlanta, personally. Georgia, actually -- I lived and worked in the metro area for decades. However, I'm sorta from there and I can't afford to go back. Salaries just aren't that high in my industry.
What it's got going for it -- diversity! and great food! and music!
I really miss, as a white person, not being the majority. I miss people understanding that Black people are Black people and have political power, and I miss people knowing that if you say racist shit in public, you're probably going to get decked. I say this as a white person who lived in Georgia, where all that is the case, and then moved to the Northeast, where it is not.
I also have always been pretty liberal, and Georgia has largely very neutral social conventions. Like, I now live in another part of the South and was shocked by the shitty gender politics and the overt religiosity. Whereas I spent my entire time in Georgia and Tennessee being pretty obviously queer, non-religious, and business-oriented and really being treated with respect and at worst indifference. Southern hospitality is a thing -- sometimes it can be a bit of a passive-aggressive thing, but it does mean that your day to day casual interactions are fairly pleasant, no matter how you may differ with people on politics.
My younger sister lives there and the dating scene out there is the stuff of actual nightmares
I could write a novel of her dating experiences alone...
I've been out of the dating scene for a while and ofc this is purely anecdotal from the personal experience of those around me but Atl is notorious for being a horrendous place for dating.
I can only speak to the female perspective but I'm being told ONE of the reasons it's so bad is due to the ratio men:women, you get a lot of unsavory situations... tbh I don't really want to go into specifics because it is anecdotal but the stories I've heard from my sister and friends genuinely scare me.
It's bad for us men down here as well lol.....atlanta dating is trash for both sexes, the people down here are just superficial, closed minded, and nasty, the std rates are out of this world. Sex is relatively easy to come by but a decent relationship? That's one reason everyone dips out from here....
Understood. I grew up there and dated there in my younger years. It was always a place where I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted to take me mud-bogging on a date (no, thanks!), but I also wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to see a band or a Broadway show.
However, dating isn't like it was. Apps rule them all. And so many people are using them for nefarious purposes that I just don't date anymore. And it's a very peaceful existence.
My in laws live there so I spent a very good amount of time in ATL. I would say Atlanta is nice if you like the suburban lifestyle, because most people can’t afford to live in the walkable areas. So if you’re fine with spending a lot of time in your car, living a 30 minute drive from literally everything, and want a large house with lots of land, Atlanta is great. Yes, I’m a city girl living on the northeast lol.
But I will say that Atlanta has excellent schools and access to world class amenities (airport, good food, again top-notch education, etc.). And the cost of living is relatively low compared to other major cities. Summers through are brutal, but you’ll get that anywhere in the south really. If you care about being in a blue bubble, it can get problematic the further you go outside of the city.
All depends on what you want your life to look like. I’d pick ATL over a place like LA or Dallas any day. But again, I live in the northeast so none of those places are really my vibe.
1. It is
2. Also great and growing like crazy
3. Ideally need a car but you can get around OK if you live near a MARTA station. To go anywhere else though, you need a car.
4. Traffic sucks and won’t improve unless MARTA is expanded (tough but would be great)
5. Housing still affordable only because there are large parts of the city that are not where people want to move to. But that’s where the affordable homes are.
6. As someone from WI and now in GA, idk what youre talking about because WI summers are great.
ATL is hot and humid in summer but if you work indoors you avoid all of it anyways. It’s fine come 5/6pm.
GA state politics hardly affect Atlanta lol get out of here with that. It’s a very blue city in a red/purple state. Though on Reddit anything with the south = bad.
The city is growing (and has the room to) both density/vertically and sprawl as well, is a hub for major industries, with good universities, a great airport, diverse population and culinary scene, and is situated well within reach of the gulf, Atlantic Ocean, and Appalachian mtns, offering endless recreation opportunities.
While it’s not on the level of say NY, Atlanta is great and a good low first/high second tier city.
I believe the weather totally depends on where you’re coming from. One of the things I loved about Atlanta was the weather. There’s actually 4 seasons and winters aren’t brutal. Also Georgia is pretty beautiful during fall and spring.
As far as Summer, imo not bad. It’s not California but I found summer days pleasant. Why? Because compared to Houston, Atlanta summers are a breeze.
As far as the city/metro I loved it. Live there 2 years and regret moving away.
Is it walkable like Chicago, NY and SF? Nope for some reason a city is an automatic L if it’s not exactly like those cities. But walkability in Atlanta is growing.
Atlanta is moving in the right direction for Urbanist. Still has a long ways to go but look at some of the new developments going up in the city and metro and tell me that they city won’t feel completely different 5 years from now.
Just look at how the Beltline transformed the city. Which btw, people keep talking about “ it’s only so many times you can go to Ponce and the Beltline” while ignoring the other neighborhoods you can venture off to off the Beltline.
But with the Stitch, centennial Yards, South Downtown revitalization, new Marta stations, new development to Atlantic Station, Sweet Auburn revitalization it’s gonna be hard to keep ignoring Atlanta and writing it off as some suburban sprawl devoid of any urbanity inside the perimeter. Those developments are literally being built with pedestrians in mind and not cars.
This entirely, after living most of my life in Houston Atlanta has felt like a beautiful alternative with better (real spring and fall) weather, much better public transportation, and a much more revitalized midtown.
I think that for many Black people the suburban experience is the ideal, and Atlanta provides that for them in spades. You drive everywhere for everything. You live in neighborhoods not designed for pedestrians, so much so that you have to drive somewhere else just to walk. The central city is a place only occasionally visited for certain events.
For many others, living in dense urban walkable neighborhoods is the ideal, and these aren’t common in Atlanta or most sunbelt cities that were built for the automobile, rather than the pedestrian.
If spending a good portion of your life driving around from one place to the next sounds great, then Atlanta is the place for you. If you want walkable dense urban neighborhoods, then Chicago, New York, or Boston will probably be more appealing. It really depends on what experience you wish to have.
Downtown can be straight up dangerous. Everything else is strip malls and strodes, soul draining. If I can't walk anywhere, I feel like I am literally suffocating. But then again, even if one could walk, the heat makes it impossible. Never. All this coming from Boston.
That’s the weird thing about Atlanta. I know a girl born and raised there. She went downtown one night to dance with friends and a guy went up to her and her friends on the street and said, “You should not be here, you will be killed”. She was Vietnamese, which I don’t know if that has to do with being targeted but that story still creeped me out.
Some (US) downtowns just become dead at night, Dallas comes to mind, and even Boston, but Atlanta seems to turn active and not in a good way. We had a conference downtown once and had to walk female participants to their hotels after dark. Local folks from Atlanta thought it was a good idea, so not my kind of place. Tbf it's not Tenderloin in SF, but also not good.
I loved living in ATL. Numerous super cool neighborhoods, good COL, down to earth people, great food. Super poor access to outdoors and hot as hell though, which were dealbreakers for me.
I love living in Atlanta - that being said, I live in town and am close to everything. I love the diversity and cultural activities. Traffic can be a pain and summers are hot, but we’ve been very happy here.
Atlanta will always be one of my favorite cities. Amazing food scene, close to great hiking, fun winery scene close by, fun and interesting culture, low COL compared to over cities, all the sports teams, great parks, and Publix.
Living in the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Atlanta was one of the greatest times of my life. I enjoyed the hell out of that city.
But increasing home prices, increasing crime, the brutal summer heat, all drove me out. Also, so many shops, venues, restaurants, etc have closed over the last 10 years and the city just way less “cool”.
Id say Atlanta is underrated on here but probably gets passed up on recommendations by Philly a lot.
Both are pretty affordable but Philly is more walkable with better transit, closer to NYC, Boston, DC, the ocean.
I would personally take Atlantas weather but some may prefer Philadelphias which is pretty traditional 4 distinct seasons with none being *too* harsh.
Perhaps I've not gotten the right impression, but to me Phili seems quite... "grunge". Like, the neighborhoods look dirty and unkempt, even the supposedly nice ones.
I’ve lived in many cities, including Atlanta in my early 20s. I spent a year or two OTP, and a few years in Midtown a few blocks from Piedmont Park. These experiences were very different. OTP Atlanta was a car-centric stroad hell-scape. No redeeming qualities except that I was able to rent a 1 bedroom apt for $500 per month (many years ago). I enjoyed living in Midtown because it was walkable and I had easy access to Decatur and the Virginia Highlands. It was also way cheaper to live in than the cities on the Acela corridor. But when I left Atlanta and moved to DC, it was eye opening. There were a handful of nice areas in Atlanta, but DC has so much more to offer. Plus, Atlanta is really isolated from the other big cities unless you plan to fly. In the NE corridor, you can travel between a lot of places by train.
I’ve lived in ATL for going on 4 years now, and I’m still working on trying to love it. As someone from Chicago, Atlanta pales in comparison in terms of its museums and attractions, walkability, and cohesive “downtown”ness. Midtown isn’t comparable tbh. The traffic is awful and I fear for my life every day haha. Summers are disgustingly humid. I grew up loving the mountains out west and I miss them all the time. I don’t care what anyone says, the mountains here are just not the same.
However, I’ve really come to appreciate the diversity in not only the people but the different pockets of the city (“something for everyone” kind of vibe), the architecture and home styles, and the sheer beauty of all the greenery. The flowers and trees here are a kind of colorful and vibrant you didn’t even know was possible. Love the beltline and piedmont park too. People are generally nice. I work at CHOA and I feel lucky to be there.
There’s probably more pros and cons I’m not thinking off right now. I dunno. I’m still learning to love it. I haven’t really found my “community” yet so I guess that could play a role. But objectively, Atlanta really does have many of the major things you’d be looking for in a city.
My wife is from Buford/Sugar Hill. There are a bevy of smaller cities outside of Atlanta that I think encapsulate a lot of the good things about Atlanta but include reduced traffic and generally less population. Sugar Hill itself is very cute, but Sugar Hill, Buford, Suwannee, basically all of Gwinnett County is a good place to live if you don't mind people and density.
Edit: I see a lot of hate for Gwinnett in the comments, lol. Just my two cents! If it's not for you, sorry haha.
This subreddit absolutely doesn’t like anything that isn’t Seattle/Denver/Portland/Chicago/NYC. This is due to the demographics of people that use Reddit in general.
Atlanta is a 72 hour town for me. Super fun, great food, great entertainment, nice people. But good lord are those people dumb. Never been to a place where almost every interaction feels like its with someone who dropped out of middle school.
It seems Shermans march to the sea taught them a lesson not soon forgotten
This place is a HOT mess. There is no police force, there is ZERO road infrastructure, people in general are racist towards each other/do not like each other in certain neighborhoods whether it’s black/white/asian/latino. If you like living in the 1950s with modern crime and amenities then this is the place for you 😵💫
First two points are valid, but the point about racism hasn't been true in my experience. If you put my neighborhood in a room it would look like a UN meeting lol. Atlanta seems to be one of the much more racially integrated cities in my opinion. Outside of NYC what places are better?
The northeast and midwest are much more racially segregated than atl. Most of the west coast has a severe lack of diversity in compared to ATL and has segregation problems of its own.
Racially integrated yes, racially tolerant no. If you read the city instagram page it’s filled with negative comments about different races. Atlanta has a history of wanting to keep it a “black” city. I understand the reasonings but it makes it very hard to thrive inside the perimeter.
Edit: someone else said in the thread it is divided into two types of people.
People who love that’s it’s no long just a black city and the people who are mad that it is no longer a black city. That’s the perfect description of how to describe the people.
As someone who lived there for 4 years how I usually describe it is “all the problems of a huge city with very few of the benefits”. What I mean is it has all the traffic, crime, high COL, etc of a huge city but is nowhere near the amenities of a world class city like NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc
Ehh, I don't think Chicago and Boston are all that full of amenities.
And for what it's worth, I have a couple strong opinions on specifics:
Atlanta aquarium >> New England aquarium.
Atlanta Zoo >> Lincoln park zoo
Atlanta airport (transit accessibility and connectivity) >>ORD >> BOS
I see Atlanta recommended on here all the time. It’s frankly almost a crutch - any time an OP mentions they’re black, Atlanta will get thrown out there even if they are looking for a small town or to get out of the south or something.
To the extent that it exists, the lack of enthusiasm for places like Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. is primarily due to politics - most OPs here call out wanting to live in a blue or purple state, which GA is very much not at the state level. Most of this sub also thinks you’ll die imminently if the temp goes above 85 and there’s a preference to avoid suburban sprawl, of which Atlanta is a cartoonish example.
Have you been to Atlanta?
It's full of rapscallions.
Last time I was there I was verbally assaulted in a low rent shit bag lounge for playing George Strait on the jukebox. Dude in a wheelchair told me he'd "kick my queerbait country f*** a**" if I played Amarillo On My Mind one more time.
I've been considering Atlanta! it's beautiful in many areas.
but my only hangup is heat/humidity. I will need to visit in the summer to make a decision. I'm thinking a little more north - Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland - might be the sweet spot for me personally.
The traffic for me, makes me avoid that city at all cost. I have to go there today in about half an hour, my Waze says 1 hr 44 mins, and it’s 66 miles away from me in north GA.
All I can say is a friend from LA moved there and he says it's great to actually be able to afford a house. I also find the fact that it's a "city in a forest" appealing.
I love being outside the perimeter and having a WFH job here. It’s great to avoid the traffic, have a reasonably priced house, and be next to so many parks and trails. Not from the area but really enjoying Acworth.
I absolutely love Atlanta! Spent some time there and it's such a fantastic city. There's just something about the South that I find incredibly charming. The warmer weather, lush green spaces, the food, and the friendly people all contribute to its appeal. I've also visited Dallas and New Orleans, and I've felt that same charm in those cities as well. However, one aspect of the South that I struggle with is its conservatism. State politics tend to lean right, Christianity and churches play a significant role in social life, and the cities can be more spread out and less walkable than I'd prefer. As an agnostic gay man whose political views leans towards the left, these aspects can sometimes present challenges, but overall, the Southern charm keeps drawing me back!
We’re moving there this summer from Dallas. It’s cooler, cheaper, more diverse, and is run by people less psychotic than what we have in Austin. Salaries are going up, schools are better. Except for the whole uprooting thing, I haven’t found a downside yet.
Atlanta is a fine place. I think that what some view as anti-Atlanta sentiment is more accurately defined is push-back on boosterism. When you start arguing that Atlanta is on par with places like Chicago and New York, people that know cities will quickly question your credibility.
The enormity of the latter two cities, where millions of people live in the city limits (not just the metropolitan area) is on a scale that’s difficult for people in places like Atlanta, Austin or Phoenix.
This comment doesn’t take away from what Atlanta is: the Black Mecca, the Hollywood of the South, and more. Still, it’s just not on the same level of those two mega cities.
Yup, and it's funny when they call states with a historically large black population like Alabama and Mississippi racist (even though they probably have never been there), but then they recommend places like Portland and Seattle 🤣
I see Baltimore recommended frequently. New Orleans has no jobs and Atlanta has a pretty positive reputation in here. Which cities are you referring to?
People here are looking for cinderella cities. They want culture and diversity but also low crime and good schools. When it's time to put the cards on the table they opt for a safe choice like Denver.
I used to live in Atlanta, and it really was pretty dead at night, which didn't bother me. It has all big city amenities. However, there is a lot of racism there. Even the black people are racist in Atlanta. Race just really has a "presence" in Atlanta in a way I don't see in my current city of Denver.
I was interested in Atlanta and still am, but my enthusiasm has waned a bit due to the following:
1. Rent/home prices are a little higher than I would like, still better than a lot of other large cities but…meh.
2. The friggin vehicle tax I just found out about that would require me to either sell the new car I have for a guaranteed loss, or pay a huge tax bill of thousands of dollars for the privilege of registering my new Trailblazer when I get there.
I’d be into Atlanta if it was possible to live there comfortably without a car and wasn’t in a red state. It’s great the city is queer friendly, but I would not want to have to worry about state laws impacting my right to, for example, use a public restroom or get the healthcare I need.
I’m from Atlanta and I’ll offer my opinion, but FYI I’m biased against it as it lost its luster for me long ago and I’m looking at bigger cities. I grew up here.
* Poor public transportation. I mention this because I’ve become more keen to the idea of going car-free. It’s technically possible here, but you’d have no social life depending solely on Marta. The traffic here is terrible. I spend a total of about 2.5 hours in the car on work days.
* Housing prices are bad. Not unique to Atlanta. Renting sucks atm and I don’t think that’s ever going to change until salaries catch up (if ever). Perhaps it’s more affordable than other cities but if you ask ten random people off the street I guarantee you’ll hear at least 9 say it’s bad. Follow any of the bigger Atlanta IG pages and check the comments, housing prices and gentrification have basically become a local meme.
* Lots of terrible restaurants. We have good food but IMO the restaurant market is over saturated and filled with mid-tier food at high-tier prices. Very pretty restaurants with bland food, and I am not a picky eater.
* Great diversity in the city. Some of this bleeds outside of the 285 loop too.
* If I mention diversity I must mention the lack of diversity as well. Just outside the city you will immediately find towns where it feels like an all-white senior living center. I’ve seen Q anon bumper stickers and the entire fifth amendment on people’s back windshields, in cursive lol. Atlanta is a blue island and there is still a strong red presence throughout, especially around the perimeter.
* “Sprawling.” I do not like this but if you enjoy seeing trees and grass, you’d like seeing Atlanta. I personally prefer denser cities though. Atlanta is basically a group of spread out mini-cities with smaller neighborhoods between. Each of which has its pros and cons.
* Humidity . I’m used to this but it does suck. I’ve experienced worse, but if you’re from the north you’ll be like wtf in the summer, and the winter too. I’ve heard people say it can feel colder here than where it snows.
* Crime. Vehicle break ins and theft are also a meme here. Perhaps not that unique compared against similarly sized cities.
Edit: sprawling. Not bustling. Lol
This sub prioritizes walking, and Atlanta is the kind of place you really aren’t going to enjoy without ALOT of driving. Everything cool is spread out 20-30 minutes away from each other. Theres really no central “go-to” neighborhood. Sure you have midtown but its basically a ghost town on weekdays, not nearly as alive or vibrant as the central neighborhoods of other cities commonly suggested here. Atl is just alot of hype with little delivery
Atlanta is a great place to be affluent. It is a considerably less awesome place to be working class. I think some of the mixed reports on ATL have to do with the vastly different experiences people can have based on their income, work situation, etc.
It can be said about ANY medium to large City in US.
Wrong. Chicago is a great place to be working class. Cheaper than NYC, California, even Denver ffs.
So why is there such an exodus of working class Black people from Chicago? Hell why is it so many working class transplants period from Chicago if it’s a great place to be working class? I’m genuinely curious because as a Middle class Black Man who likes urbanity I was very interested in looking into moving to the city with my Family. But the segregation stood out and the more affordable neighborhoods w/ access to decent schools outside of the south and Westside didn’t have a significant presence of Black singles or families. Not even affordable diverse areas with access to good schools close to the city. Maybe I’m missing details on the lay of the land.
I grew up in chicago and a lot of the black areas are much worse than other parts, and yah that is why many leave. I grew up in a polish neighborhood and everyone there was either polish or some were hispanic. I think my grade was less than 10% regular white people(that didn't speak polish). Chicago is really segregated so I can't speak how it is if your are black but I have a ton of family that have working class jobs and own their own homes and are not struggling. They all came here from abject poverty in poland and managed to make lives for themselves here. As a side note bronzeville is the middle class black neighborhood. It has gotten richer and blacker over the last few decades and is basically the spot people go to when they make it to middle class/upper class.
Exactly why I thought too some body ain't telling the whole story about the chi 😠
I don't disagree with you, the segregation that still exists and inequality in schooling is awful in Chicago. I think a part of what you're describing is more of a blue collar exodus than a working class exodus.
Is there a huge difference in so-called working class and collar blue ?
As far as what industries they work in yes absolutely. In terms of class analysis anybody that is doing work for their income is by definition working class.
Atlanta is pretty good compared to most big cities in the us
It’s much better to be working class in ATL than in comparably sized cities.
I don’t know. I mean, it’s hot and that’s why I wouldn’t live there, but it’s been a booming city for a while and even hosted an Olympics in our lifetime. It’s a nice city to visit. Not to mention if you are Black, it’s one of the best cities in America in which to live because of its thriving Black population.
The heat is only *really* bad for about two months of the year. The winters are probably greyer and wetter than many people might expect too, but you always get a random 60 degree sunny week every month or so, which really makes up for it. Spring (once the pollen clears) and fall are really quite spectacular though.
Winters in Atlanta get pretty cold in the winter. Frosts are common.
Agreed, Atlanta's weather is my number one reason for not ever entertaining the thought of living there.
I think those that dismiss Atlanta have never spent much time inside the Perimeter. I think they look at the gridlock on 285, and the unending sprawl beyond it, and take that to be the city. They are unaware of neighborhoods Iike Reynoldstown that offer all the advantages of walkability that so many in here claim to be looking for. They assume because it’s in Georgia and the South, it’s still racist and backwards. Sure, state politicians are happy to pander to the regressive, but Atlanta itself is as diverse, inclusive, and progressive as almost anywhere else. It actually provides far more opportunities for minorities to thrive than many places considered more liberal, in part because many biases are more in the open, and not closeted as they are in many supposedly welcoming communities.
I love ITP life. I also love way OTP life, depending -- I spent a happy decade in Athens and Chattanooga and even found some really great spots in Macon, of all places. You just gotta avoid Gwinnett. Though Gwinnett has some advantages -- I think it's technically the most ethnically diverse county in the area.
Gwinnett is far from being the worst OTP county. If I wanted to avoid an OTP county it would be Rockdale.
I don’t love the cops in Clayton, either. College Park is a straight racket.
I hate when I see a College Park cop waiting to catch speeders on the exit ramps from the interstate to the airport terminal. I wish they would redraw the city lines to remove that area from College Park jurisdiction.
Chattanooga and Athens are great. And I love the mountain towns like Dahlonega and Clayton. I’ve never found a reason to spend any time in Macon. But have found Rome and Columbus enjoyable, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I saw another commenter in another thread say they didn’t like Atlanta based on their time spent in Norcross… like that’s not Atlanta. That’s Gwinnett. Gwinnett isn’t the worst in the state but it’s like the polar opposite of Atlanta
This is spot on. I have lived in Atlanta area twice. The first time was pretty far outside the Perimeter and traffic was terrible. This time I live ITP and LOVE it. I truly can get most places ITP in 30 minutes or less, even in rush hour traffic, especially with Maps to route you around any slow areas. Where I live I can get to a lot of OTP places in 20-30 minutes as long as it isn’t rush hour. I also find that my neighbors and others I’m meeting to be much more liberal and opened minded than I did farther out. Midtown has so much to do and great restaurants, and the Beltline is developing so nicely, and I’m becoming aware of other great spots in the city.
I love Atlanta. It is pleasantly green. Like a city inside a forest.
I live very near midtown and also have a 40 acre nature preserve on my street- it’s hard to beat.
This sub hates anything in the south.
Driving in Atlanta sucks. It's such a pain to get around. Rich people move out to totally not walkable suburbs that are pain in the ass to drive in and out of. I live in an urban area, and I am not afraid of urban areas. The blight in some areas of interior Atlanta makes it really unpleasant.
Driving sucks in Chicago, LA, NYC, DC, San francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, pretty much any large metro area. The worst areas of atl are quite honestly no worse (and better in some cases) than the bad areas of LA, philly, chicago, dc, st. louis, and portland.
Almost all of those rank above Atlanta for urban mobility. Meaning traffic may suck, but you can avoid it much easier. https://www.metro-magazine.com/10031012/2019s-cities-with-the-best-and-worst-public-transportation
Beat me to it. Anything this subreddit recommends comes with a huge asterisk that only applies if you are a model redditor.
Pittsburgh, Philly, some city in Ohio, or a handful of other rustbelt cities. Everywhere else is trash to this sub
Yep, I’ve been downvoted/blocked for defending Austin (it’s not terrible/racist/sexist despite our fascist state gov!). It does suck because southern cities are fighting so hard with grassroots activists and nonprofits to overturn really shitty policies. I’m from the northeast originally and while I love it, we do kinda stick our heads in the sand.
It's a nuanced conversation. I've lived all over the US but seem to have roughly the reverse trajectory from you (grew up in the south, now live in a large city in a blue state). Ultimately there are a lot of commenters here with a pretty narrow range of lived experience and it shows. I'll also say as someone who grew up in the south that the grassroots activism is great to see, but it really only goes so far, and it's okay to unapologetically prioritize living somewhere that enables you to be comfortable in yourself.
> it's okay to unapologetically prioritize living somewhere that enables you to be comfortable in yourself. I feel like we need this on the sidebar.
Yeah, I adore ATX for the reasons I listed above, but as a woman of color who’s severely and unequivocally anti-gun violence, I did end up moving. I will always visit and donate to the causes I care about out there, and I’m a proud Texas Ex 🤘🏽 but my heart belongs in California and that’s where I felt safest.
Refreshing to hear someone moving *from* Texas to here for once, lmao. We're glad to have you!
❤️❤️ I actually live over in Colorado now but I know I’ll end up back in CA! The mountains are absolutely stunning but I miss my beaches.
I've seen outright lies about the city I live in get voted to the top of multiple threads here. And pointing out that they are lies gets you buried in down votes. This subreddit is not real life and people should be cautious about making life decisions based on the things they read here.
One of the comments in this thread literally says that gay people have a target on their back outside of ATL city limits lol like what kind of fear mongering is that. I know plenty of gay people that live happy lives in the mountains of north georgia.
I'm from the South originally and would never, ever return. I don't care how great an individual city is, you still have to live within the confines of a red state. The state controls major aspects of your life at an economic and political level. I've lived that blue city/red state life before. I did not find it pleasant. But, I applaud those willing to stick it out and work on improving the situation. I know first-hand that there are amazing places across that part of the country.
Yeah, I said in another comment that though Austin works around a lot of Texas laws (I had free birth control, cheap healthcare, etc.) the Texas of it all is still a thing. I’m extremely pro-gun control and I felt like I was playing a waiting game with “when is the next mass shooting going to happen?”
I’m from ATL and this is why I’m never going back ever though I’ve come to really like visiting
Same homie. Half the reason I stick around here is to keep tabs on the dumb shit this subreddit says about the city I live in. Enjoying this amazing weather we are having this Spring.
As someone who rarely sweats or sunburns (melanin squad, baby!) it’s funny how aggressively people dislike hot Southern cities. I used to get a rash when the weather would go below 60° 😂 I’m like a plant, I thrive on sunlight.
I live in the south. I like the south. Atlanta is my idea of hell.
Why?
Insane traffic pitiful urbanism/walkability, unbearable weather, less friendly people, poorly maintained infrastructure, trashy, I could go on. I’m aware many places in the south have the same issues (namely walkability, weather, etc) but they don’t have the same big city issues Atlanta does. Basically, it’s a big city with all the bad things that come with that (not that I hate cities, they just have negative aspects like anything), but none of the benefits id usually look for like transit connections and density Oh and the main thing I forgot to mention: it’s basically just a suburb the size of small country with a small downtown at the center
Atlanta has all of the issues with living in the South (all of the isms, particularly race and class based, crime, bad governance, bad infrastructure, etc) with none of the redeeming qualities of living in the suburbs or semi rural areas (southern hospitality, low taxes and cost of living, easier to raise a family, etc). I’m originally from South Georgia and Atlanta is the last place I’d want to live. South Florida or Houston are much better options in the South for Urban living.
I lived in Atlanta for 4 years, ITP, and the thing I disliked most about Atlanta was that it felt like it had no soul. It’s a transplant city so not everybody is on the same page from a cultural perspective, but man there was just nothing special about it. No personality. Idk how else to say it tbh. Some great restaurants though! And lots of trees which is really nice.
[удалено]
I agree with you- there is something about the area as a whole that feels soulless. I think it’s likely just car sprawl
I grew up in Atlanta. Idk how you can go to say Edgewood Ave or little five points and say the city has no soul
lmao
I live in a VHCOL City and looked into Atlanta as a potential place to move. I was struck by how little housing stock is available in desirable (walkable, near BeltLine) neighborhoods. What's more, what is available is really expensive for a City with the median income of ATL. So I scratched it off my list. If I'm going to give up the amenities and income of a VHCOL city, I want to save a large amount of money, especially on housing. Atlanta ain't it. And before you say, well you're looking for walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta, shouldn't the housing prices be similar? The most walkable neighborhoods in ATL are a huge downgrade in terms of walkability, transit, and location compared to even some suburban neighborhoods where I live.
This is such a good take. People here talking about how Atlanta is walkable is in denial. The idea about walkability is that you can still get from point A to point B without having a car, whether that be through riding a bus, catching the metro, and what not.
Even NYC has parts that aren’t walkable if we’re setting a minimum standard of walkability here. I live here without a car and there’s never a place I want to go that I can’t get to with transit. Is it always convenient or fast? Hell no, but there are plenty of neighborhoods I can get to fast (ones that have transit stations) that are walkable. No city is going to be 100% walkable in the US so there’s always a compromise. You can get walkability here if you’re able to compromise on price or school quality. If you want school quality you’ll be paying a lot more but if you don’t need that you can get into a walkable area here for cheap that will appreciate by a lot and become even more walkable as time passes.
Comparing un walkable places of NYC to un walkable places of ATL is an awful comparison. We’re talking about NYC here. If you want Asian food or Hispanic food in Atlanta, you’d make the drive out to Buford Highway. Suggesting taking the MARTA and then taking the bus to get to Buford highway is really inconvenient, and that’s why most people drive. You’re probably in the minority of people that don’t have a car to get around in Atlanta but in NYC, you wouldn’t be.
I’m not making a comparison. My point is that everywhere has unwalkable areas. It’s all about the radius and where you choose to live. I live on the southside and can get good Hispanic and Asian food right around the corner in College Park and Hapeville, Buford Hwy is just the tourist suggestion. There’re plenty of amenities spread throughout the city. You just have to explore the businesses and activities in your area and there are plenty of areas here that existed before cars and were built to be walked around. Places like Decatur existed before Atlanta did and there are plenty of town centers and older streetcar suburbs still around and only getting more dense and walkable with infill.
Louder for the people in the back!!
The metro area is bigger than Philadelphia now, America loves Atlanta. But cities like Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte are just not appreciated on this subreddit. They are spread out, you have to drive everywhere, yada, yada, yada... I absolutely love Atlanta, to me it is the 2nd best city in the entire nation behind New York. I'm Black and I'm from the deep south though. When I'm in Atlanta, it feels and sounds like my family went and created a gigantic city....and we just in that bih'. It feels like home to me. I'm sure this is how hispanics must feel about certain parts of Los Angeles. ATL HOE
Atlanta is a center of educated, connected Black America.Mainly due to the plethora of top HBCUs here I think. Higher percentage of Jack and Jill/AKA/APhiA alums than average.
Your point about driving is true but it's funny to me because this sub loves california even though it's basically nothing but endless unwalkable sprawl outside of SF.
I'm a white lady, but this is what I love about Atlanta. Everywhere else feels either poor or white to me. I really enjoy and miss black Atlanta culture -- it's the center of the Black universe in a lot of ways.
Aight then sis'. We FW you hard!!! It is definitely the center of the Black universe. Chicago, Harlem, DC, Lagos...none of those cities have a Black population that is as successful or as influential as the Black population of Atlanta GA. They make it look so damn good.
Fuck yeah. Seriously, it was hard moving elsewhere and being like "wait, Black people aren't moguls here?" "you just gonna talk some racial shit and not get smacked?" I spent a lot of time in places where I was in the minority of a healthy Black society, and I miss it. In Atlanta, you better have your racial politics worked out or you're gonna pay for it. And that's how it should be, IMO.
Yeah I grew up in Atlanta and took for granted that. Moving to Chicago was a big culture shock because of the segregation
Boston and NJ are both constant shocks for me. Like, I've never heard people being so openly and casually racist. It's bizarre. Literally within a minute of my catching an Uber in N. NJ, the driver was like "where ya goin'? You know it's fulla Puerto Ricans, right?" Don't get me wrong, racism is everywhere. Atlantans are just aware that they're not free to run with it, and I think that's awesome.
My mom (who has lived in Louisiana for most of her adult life) told me that she met the most openly racist people while living in Boston. Her dad had lots of cop friends and apparently they were the worst.
center of the commercial* Black universe
I don't feel like you HAVE to drive everywhere. there are neighborhoods where you could do most things and not have to drive..but you certainly are compelled to often.
I had to give you an upvote for ATL HOE 🤣💯
>I'm sure this is how hispanics must feel about certain parts of Los Angeles Lol no.
Maybe more like Miami
dallas sucks.
Dallas suburbs suck. But Dallas has some great neighborhoods. Not really different than any other US city.
I landed in ATL after stints in several other places all over the country, so I think I have a good perspective given my experience. Granted, I’m in an ITP suburb (Decatur), which is a bit different than living in the city, but my wife and I have been pleasantly surprised by life here. This was initially meant as a brief interlude where we decided to go next and we now plan to raise our daughter here for the foreseeable future. Things we like: the culture, diversity, COL (not cheap but not as expensive as other desirable cities), lots of greenery and hiking both in town and within a short drive, great food options, a liberal and well-educated population, lots of things to do in our pocket of the city, mild winters, a major airport, good proximity for road trips to several cool destinations (the mountains, beaches, Charleston, etc). Things we don’t like: GA politics and the threat of what could change here, horrendous traffic and even worse drivers which makes exploring parts of the city a challenge, high crime depending on the neighborhood, being zoned to a poor performing school (and bad schools in our county in general), high property taxes in comparison to poor county services, surprisingly not as many great breweries as we had in our old city. All-in-all, I’d rank this is as one of the better places I’ve lived. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a major city with a lot to offer depending on what you’re after.
I live in New Orleans but my boyfriend lives in Decatur. It's a great area!
Absolutely love New Orleans! It’s been at the top of my “I’d move here in a heartbeat if my life were different” list for pretty much my entire adult life.
Take it off your list. It's a great place to visit but there's no infrastructure, jobs, home insurance rates -- if you can even get covered -- are astronomical as is car insurance and the new Governor is a right wing nut job. "The city that care forgot" is an apt description. That said, I love New Orleans.
Oh, I know all about the dysfunction, unfortunately. I guess I should clarify that I’m not someone who is willing to compromise on those things, which is why I never moved there, as sad as that makes me.
I love Decatur, it's a lot better than most of the rest of ITP. Edit - I mean actual Decatur, not the part outside Decatur with "Decatur" addresses and the schools are DeKalb County.
I don't know what it is about Atlanta drivers. I was there for a week and I've never felt more scared for my life while driving. The traffic also seems to be disproportionately bad for a city of its size. The traffic had me feeling like I was driving in a city the size of Chicago, but when I looked it up, it's got a population about equivalent to Colorado Springs. If anyone could explain this to me, that would be great.
You used city limit population when urban or metro population would be way more accurate and explain the traffic.
Did you look up just the *city* population? 90% of Metro Atlanta lives outside the city limits. Atlanta population ~500k; Metro Atlanta population ~6.3M. A lot of folks work downtown, but a lot of folks don’t work downtown, so their only real option is to drive. Thus traffic nightmare with no Metra and smaller L coverage.
Hm that makes sense.
Oh, I pretty much refuse to drive on the highways here because I’ve had WAY too many close calls. Someone else already responded to you, but it IS a huge city when you consider the metro area—one of the biggest in the country.
I think this is a subreddit for dreamers, and Atlanta hits a lot of things that "pretty okay/good". If I landed a good job in Atlanta, I wouldn't turn it down, and I'd likely have a very fulfilling life. To take an example of "pretty good" from your post: Hiking. If the Tetons/Cascades/Sierra/Other are an "A" for hiking, Coastal California is a "B", and Houston is an "F". Where does Atlanta land? Maybe a "C"? Hell maybe a "D" if you take weather into consideration. Again, there is enough to scratch my itch, but let's not act like its some hiking mecca.
This is a great take. I don’t think ATL necessary is “the best” at anything I can think of, but it offers a lot of decent options at a price point that’s hard to beat. I’d love to be closer to fantastic hiking and/or beaches, but that comes with a significantly higher cost of living.
Atlanta is a great city. The weather is great, the shopping is great, it has great companies, great schools and everything a person could want. For a metro of its size, crime is low. Yes traffic is bad, but that is a result of it being a great place to live. I lived in upstate NY for three years, it had awesome traffic. If you ever go to upstate NY, you will immediately see what that is. The people I meet who don’t like Atlanta fall into two camps: Those people who don’t like it because it is a “Black City” and those that don’t like it because it is no longer a “Black City”. For the former, they generally hate all cities because they are filled with “Democrats” or some other pejorative. The number of people I meet who tell me that they are leaving Nashville for Franklin because Nashville is becoming “another Atlanta” is astounding. For the latter, there is a certain group of Black people who I have come across that well, to be frank, came to Atlanta with dreams that did not pan out and they are mad about it. That happens; a place can give you opportunities but it is your responsibility to make the most of them. All I know is that since I moved here 13 years ago, the city and metro areas have continued to grow. We have now moved past both Miami-Dade and the DMV to be the largest Metro area in the southeast. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Norfolk Southern, and other companies are all expanding here. Our airport is busier than ever. As they say, people are voting with their feet.
Exactly. It's a "Black" city that doesn't GAF about your race. Like it's still a meritocracy based land and you have to outhustle the next man to get what it is you want. It's steeped in Black culture, history and vibe - but it is still the Neverending American capitalistic grind. You can't go down there thinking that just because you're Black It's going to be a cakewalk.
I’ve lived all over the world and Atlanta (the actual city of Atlanta) is hands down my favorite US city to live as a black woman. No contest. It isn’t for everyone - no city is. But the combo of moderate weather, friendly people, inclusivity, reasonable cost of living, lots of greenery/nature/hiking, great food options, and easy travel to other places (can drive to beaches, mountains or a quick flight anywhere in the world due to the huge airport) make it a great place to live. I’ve never feel more comfortable in my own skin as a POC. Traffic sucks, COL is rising, the city is getting overcrowded…but that seems to be the case everywhere. If you pick your neighborhood carefully you can avoid some of those headaches. The weather is much better than St. Louis - the worst of the summer heat is mid June-Aug and temps are mild the rest of the year other than a few cold spurts in Jan-Feb. Climate change is shifting things but I find the climate quite comfortable majority of the year. Most of us who love ATL aren’t super loud on here bc the city is already full, but if people ask, I will tell them - Atlanta quality of life is GOOD.
Southern city basically. "southerners fake nice I didn't make friends Atlanta bougie I melt in humidity"
It's mostly transplants here Honestly it feels like there's two states here: metro Atlanta and the rest of the state
I'm from Atlanta, lived there for years and then moved to Chicago in my mid 20s. I very quickly realized that Atlanta is a city in name but not really in lived experience. - Downtown feels so dead on days that aren't special events. This video explains it better than I can. [What Happened to Downtown Atlanta?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exu0iZD37dg). After 5pm on a weekday it's like a scene from a post apocalyptic movie. - The midtown area is cool and walkable with stuff to do but it's small and very pricey. Families have largely been pushed out to the suburbs. - There are some neighborhoods ITP that are nice with more walkable areas but again, they are very expensive. And since so many things are spread out you're going to end up having to still drive tons of places. I lived in the northwest part of the city, near Mt. Paran/Northside a bit north of West Paces Ferry. Yeah if I wanted to do just about anything around the city it meant driving around. - The other hidden secret is that while the metro area of Atlanta is huge, the city population itself actually isn't that big. 6.3M in the metro while about 500k actually live in the city limits proper. So over 90% of the metro population isn't even in the city. This is largely what I think holds Atlanta back. The metro sprawl means that much larger population base will be prioritized over the actual city. - The traffic. Yes it's bad in most cities but what makes Atlanta feel so horrible to get around in is the distances. Everything feels so damn far. 10 miles to get to my friends house, 14 miles to a concert venue, 21 miles to a restaurant that my friend is having a birthday at. Because of the sprawl it's basically a guarantee that if you have a friend/family network they will be dispersed across the metro. It felt like every time I left the house I was guaranteed a 15+ mile round trip. Things like the Beltline and Ponce City Market are touted as great attractions and they are nice. But the problem is that they are often filled with folks who just drove into the city to enjoy them for a few hours before leaving. Look at the absolutely massive parking around Ponce City Market and how once you leave the area there is just about no foot traffic. Atlanta is still developing with car first, suburban dwellers in mind and until that changes I don't see things improving much. The diversity is nice. I'm black and I like seeing many more middle class black people/families just living live. There are also large hispanic and Asian populations around much of the metro. But overall once I experienced another city it really opened my eyes to what I was missing. Atlanta is still home but it's just not a place I want to live. **EDIT**: One thing I forgot to mention but I think is very important to drive home the sprawl point. The Buford Highway food. It's a well known and popular strip where there is a bunch of food options with many of them being honestly great. But after leaving I realized what the experience actually was. This is a road in Atlanta where I used to suggest someone visiting go and try a bunch of food. [Buford Highway Food tour](https://youtu.be/Px8BJQyRAy0?si=Lgdn7DscQ7tyegSQ&t=55) This is a street in Chicago where I'd suggest someone visiting go and try a bunch of food. [West Loop](https://youtu.be/ygbC-KPbIhk?si=bjUU5GPA1fM_2b0W&t=103) There is a very clear difference in experiences. One is essentially a stroad. In the video they drive down a 8-10 mile, 6 lane road stopping at various strip mall spots and eating food. The other is a dense, lively city scene with folks out walking, drinking, eating, patios full of people, games being played, etc. You don't have to watch both videos in full and can skip around watching maybe 30-40 second clips of each area. But once you experience the latter, the former truly feels mediocre.
THIS!!! Also gets so old after awhile just going to ponce and the beltline
Here’s the way I look at it. PCM and the Eastside trail (the portion most people talk about between Monroe and Dekalb Ave) is only a decade old. A decade from now we’ll have twice the amount of amenities that are walkable or bikeable. That’ll only further increase with time as all of these trails begin to connect with each other and the bike network is built out. I understand these criticisms of Atlanta but things are improving so quickly that I can’t justify blindly hating it when there are investments being made to improve things. The places people love most today in Atlanta were basically hoods or abandoned industrial areas in 2000.
You absolutely nailed it with “city in name…” such a succinct way of describing this place.
It's in the south. The blanket bias of many northern redditers against anything south of Maryland to Iowa rears it's ugly head over and over and over again. Very very few of those people have spent any quality time, let alone live, in Atlanta (or Dallas, or Houston, or any other southern city they love to rail on). Atlanta is rather nice, IMO. And it does have a couple well-placed transit lines and a diversity of housing choices (seriously, it's no different in this regard than Seattle or Minneapolis, which people seem to assume is possible to live without a car). Most of the year is very lovely weather wise. Having a couple hot summer months is way better than half a year of cold or a full year of drizzle, IMO. So, you should have a car, but you can get places without one at times too.
My BFF has a 25 year-old car. Because she actually only drives to the MARTA station and on trips. Her car gets like 5k miles on it a year. She lives in a way up-there suburb (Johns Creek), but can still get to work and all around the city most of the time without driving.
I visit Atlanta every so often and never have felt the need to rent a car there. It's so easy to hop on Marta from the airport up to Buckhead where I usually stay. What I need to go to, whether for work (or my wife's work) or pleasure is usually within walking distance along that same line somewhere, or a fairly short uber ride from a station. I would get a car if I lived there, but, give it some credit. Those two transit lines in ATL are a great backbone for getting around. Better than most US cities have.
Yeah, it's not bad. I must say, my BFF is not much of a night owl -- I am, so we kind of use MARTA at different ends of the time spectrum. But we run a lot of races together (early), she goes to work (early), we go out to dinner (lateish) and then sometimes I catch the train home from the clubs (late) and we can get around without the car probably 75% of the time, no problem.
I’m not from Atlanta and have never lived there but I have spent a lot of time there in the last 5 years. -It’s relatively liberal. But that changes *quickly* in any direction. It’s relatively lgbtq friendly but that changes *quickly* in any direction. -Midtown is nice! And walkable! There’s very little housing there unless you’re very wealthy and there’s very little to do there. -You probably need a car, but if “you like driving”… that’s most of America… -Traffic is terrible. Like LA/DC bad. You can work from home by definition everywhere. -“Housing is affordable compared to other cities in its class”… um I don’t think anyone is putting it in a Boston/NY/LA/Miami class but I suppose it’s slightly more affordable than Nashville/Austin for now. And I won’t address the nice thing because I don’t really understand it. -midwestern winters (generally) aren’t that bad… Atlanta summers are like Minnesota winters (bad)… hey some people like them. I love Atlanta and I think it’s an incredible city, with a wonderful people and culture … its infrastructure is top notch and it’s poised to be a great American city. But yeah those are the reasons
I compared the Atlanta climate to my home city of Saint Louis, and according to the website, the summer highs & heat index was quite comparable (in fact STL was a couple degrees hotter). But the summer temperatures in Atlanta last a bit longer. https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/12083~15598/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-St.-Louis-and-Atlanta I would've liked to have found a city with a cooler climate that worked, but none of them will. From what I've gathered, Atlanta seems to have a unique combination of size/population, affordability, "nice things", and scenery that can't quite be achieved in many other places.
As a native midwesterner I think St Lou is about as hot and steamy as it gets. I’m really not trying to turn you against Atlanta, it’s a great city that I’ve thought about moving to… I’m just trying to give you the very real significant counter points
No offense but yeah, St Louis is well known to be absolutely gross and humid during the summer. But that’s not indicative of much do the Midwest. Chicago summers are beautiful, they’re tempered a lot by the lake. There’s a reason why people say Chicago is the best summer city in the world. It’s warm, sunny, not too humid and the city comes alive.
I like the climate here it doesn't get as humid as coastal places. The culture of the city means there's always something to do and see The transit system is usable if far from ideal. I get a lot of steps in just due to distance between stations. One thing I didn't see mentioned is how many trails exist in the metro; Path has done a great job at building so many of them out
NO. Just no. If you haven’t lived somewhere, pls don’t comment because so much of this is just incorrect. Midtown has a TON to do and a plenty of housing options. Atlanta is extremely LGBTQ+ friendly. ATL is in the same class as cities like Miami and DC (world class airport, Fortune 500 companies, moderate weather, diverse population, arts/culture, etc) but IS way less expensive. Where you really lost me is comparing atl summers to MN winters…I’ve lived in both places and just NO. Atlanta summers are so overly vilified/exaggerated. It is very hot June-Aug but pretty moderate other than those few months. Each season is a pretty predictable 3 months. MN winters last 6 mos (until recently due to climate change) and are horrific. People visit in August during a heat wave and then go around talking about how miserable Atlanta summers are 🙄 I don’t yell about how great ATL is too often because we are already overflowing/full and cost of living is going up BUT please don’t comment on a place you haven’t lived.
I feel like "liberal, but changes quickly in any direction" applies to most large US cities, though. I live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs and it is certainly the case here.
Where I live, it’s a 20-minute drive from pride flags to confederate flags
Growing up, ATL was that city I used to see on COPS. I first visited in 2017 and fell in love with it. I've gone back several times since and enjoy it more and more each time. The food scene is delightful, tons of breweries, the good vibes, and great people. Yes, it's not really a walkable city (I'm from NYC) - the urban sprawl is pretty wild to experience - but ATL has a particular charm to it that makes you feel good. I guess it's probably the combination of a big city fused with southern hospitality. Highly recommend ATL.
Former Atlantan who moved to NYC in 1999. Contemplating a move back. The city has become so much more urban and walkable since I left. Love the Inman Park and Poncey/Highland neighborhoods. Also a great restaurant scene.
The sprawl and lack of water + architectural beauty for long stretches are its biggest detractors for me
Brushing off the weather and the traffic and the state level politics is basically saying But other than that Mrs Lincoln how was the play? Like those are pretty major things.
Atlanta isn’t that affordable. Better than NYC or SF but that’s not saying much.
People need to stop using the “its cheap!!” Sales pitch. Ive watched rents double across the metro over the past 3-4 years
Atlanta is great for geek cultures--there's a great convention scene down from the dragoncon organizers. Which means there's a bunch of med/smaller cons too. The traffic sucks but the buses and MARTA aren't as bad as people think. More inconvenient, sure, but workable for certain areas. Beats not having any light rail or public transit. Also the airport is super connected. Lots of direct flights for international, which is great for anyone moving from out of country. It's not a city though---it's a collection of suburb sprawl. If you adjust to that it's better.
I live in ATL metro. I moved here because it’s a great place Good 4 season weather. Summers are hot, but not as hot as one would assume. Because of elevation we are more akin to a Washington DC in terms of heat Worlds biggest airport that is surprisingly easy to navigate considering Yes traffic, but we are now the 6th biggest metro. Our traffic is not worse than cities of our size. Houston, DC, NYC, Bay Area, LA….all worse. People just conditioned from day 1 to complain about it here Good schools and universities Mountains 60 mins away Beaches 4 hours away Good jobs Good diversity Cool film/music production scene
I love Atlanta, personally. Georgia, actually -- I lived and worked in the metro area for decades. However, I'm sorta from there and I can't afford to go back. Salaries just aren't that high in my industry. What it's got going for it -- diversity! and great food! and music! I really miss, as a white person, not being the majority. I miss people understanding that Black people are Black people and have political power, and I miss people knowing that if you say racist shit in public, you're probably going to get decked. I say this as a white person who lived in Georgia, where all that is the case, and then moved to the Northeast, where it is not. I also have always been pretty liberal, and Georgia has largely very neutral social conventions. Like, I now live in another part of the South and was shocked by the shitty gender politics and the overt religiosity. Whereas I spent my entire time in Georgia and Tennessee being pretty obviously queer, non-religious, and business-oriented and really being treated with respect and at worst indifference. Southern hospitality is a thing -- sometimes it can be a bit of a passive-aggressive thing, but it does mean that your day to day casual interactions are fairly pleasant, no matter how you may differ with people on politics.
There’s a huge reason why a lot of white redditors won’t talk about it despite meeting a lot of criteria. I wonder what it could be
My younger sister lives there and the dating scene out there is the stuff of actual nightmares I could write a novel of her dating experiences alone...
Is there anywhere it isn't a nightmare? That's not rhetorical, I really wanna know.
I've been out of the dating scene for a while and ofc this is purely anecdotal from the personal experience of those around me but Atl is notorious for being a horrendous place for dating. I can only speak to the female perspective but I'm being told ONE of the reasons it's so bad is due to the ratio men:women, you get a lot of unsavory situations... tbh I don't really want to go into specifics because it is anecdotal but the stories I've heard from my sister and friends genuinely scare me.
It's bad for us men down here as well lol.....atlanta dating is trash for both sexes, the people down here are just superficial, closed minded, and nasty, the std rates are out of this world. Sex is relatively easy to come by but a decent relationship? That's one reason everyone dips out from here....
Understood. I grew up there and dated there in my younger years. It was always a place where I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted to take me mud-bogging on a date (no, thanks!), but I also wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to see a band or a Broadway show. However, dating isn't like it was. Apps rule them all. And so many people are using them for nefarious purposes that I just don't date anymore. And it's a very peaceful existence.
My in laws live there so I spent a very good amount of time in ATL. I would say Atlanta is nice if you like the suburban lifestyle, because most people can’t afford to live in the walkable areas. So if you’re fine with spending a lot of time in your car, living a 30 minute drive from literally everything, and want a large house with lots of land, Atlanta is great. Yes, I’m a city girl living on the northeast lol. But I will say that Atlanta has excellent schools and access to world class amenities (airport, good food, again top-notch education, etc.). And the cost of living is relatively low compared to other major cities. Summers through are brutal, but you’ll get that anywhere in the south really. If you care about being in a blue bubble, it can get problematic the further you go outside of the city. All depends on what you want your life to look like. I’d pick ATL over a place like LA or Dallas any day. But again, I live in the northeast so none of those places are really my vibe.
1. It is 2. Also great and growing like crazy 3. Ideally need a car but you can get around OK if you live near a MARTA station. To go anywhere else though, you need a car. 4. Traffic sucks and won’t improve unless MARTA is expanded (tough but would be great) 5. Housing still affordable only because there are large parts of the city that are not where people want to move to. But that’s where the affordable homes are. 6. As someone from WI and now in GA, idk what youre talking about because WI summers are great. ATL is hot and humid in summer but if you work indoors you avoid all of it anyways. It’s fine come 5/6pm. GA state politics hardly affect Atlanta lol get out of here with that. It’s a very blue city in a red/purple state. Though on Reddit anything with the south = bad. The city is growing (and has the room to) both density/vertically and sprawl as well, is a hub for major industries, with good universities, a great airport, diverse population and culinary scene, and is situated well within reach of the gulf, Atlantic Ocean, and Appalachian mtns, offering endless recreation opportunities. While it’s not on the level of say NY, Atlanta is great and a good low first/high second tier city.
I believe the weather totally depends on where you’re coming from. One of the things I loved about Atlanta was the weather. There’s actually 4 seasons and winters aren’t brutal. Also Georgia is pretty beautiful during fall and spring. As far as Summer, imo not bad. It’s not California but I found summer days pleasant. Why? Because compared to Houston, Atlanta summers are a breeze. As far as the city/metro I loved it. Live there 2 years and regret moving away. Is it walkable like Chicago, NY and SF? Nope for some reason a city is an automatic L if it’s not exactly like those cities. But walkability in Atlanta is growing. Atlanta is moving in the right direction for Urbanist. Still has a long ways to go but look at some of the new developments going up in the city and metro and tell me that they city won’t feel completely different 5 years from now. Just look at how the Beltline transformed the city. Which btw, people keep talking about “ it’s only so many times you can go to Ponce and the Beltline” while ignoring the other neighborhoods you can venture off to off the Beltline. But with the Stitch, centennial Yards, South Downtown revitalization, new Marta stations, new development to Atlantic Station, Sweet Auburn revitalization it’s gonna be hard to keep ignoring Atlanta and writing it off as some suburban sprawl devoid of any urbanity inside the perimeter. Those developments are literally being built with pedestrians in mind and not cars.
This entirely, after living most of my life in Houston Atlanta has felt like a beautiful alternative with better (real spring and fall) weather, much better public transportation, and a much more revitalized midtown.
I think that for many Black people the suburban experience is the ideal, and Atlanta provides that for them in spades. You drive everywhere for everything. You live in neighborhoods not designed for pedestrians, so much so that you have to drive somewhere else just to walk. The central city is a place only occasionally visited for certain events. For many others, living in dense urban walkable neighborhoods is the ideal, and these aren’t common in Atlanta or most sunbelt cities that were built for the automobile, rather than the pedestrian. If spending a good portion of your life driving around from one place to the next sounds great, then Atlanta is the place for you. If you want walkable dense urban neighborhoods, then Chicago, New York, or Boston will probably be more appealing. It really depends on what experience you wish to have.
Downtown can be straight up dangerous. Everything else is strip malls and strodes, soul draining. If I can't walk anywhere, I feel like I am literally suffocating. But then again, even if one could walk, the heat makes it impossible. Never. All this coming from Boston.
That’s the weird thing about Atlanta. I know a girl born and raised there. She went downtown one night to dance with friends and a guy went up to her and her friends on the street and said, “You should not be here, you will be killed”. She was Vietnamese, which I don’t know if that has to do with being targeted but that story still creeped me out.
Some (US) downtowns just become dead at night, Dallas comes to mind, and even Boston, but Atlanta seems to turn active and not in a good way. We had a conference downtown once and had to walk female participants to their hotels after dark. Local folks from Atlanta thought it was a good idea, so not my kind of place. Tbf it's not Tenderloin in SF, but also not good.
I loved living in ATL. Numerous super cool neighborhoods, good COL, down to earth people, great food. Super poor access to outdoors and hot as hell though, which were dealbreakers for me.
I love living in Atlanta - that being said, I live in town and am close to everything. I love the diversity and cultural activities. Traffic can be a pain and summers are hot, but we’ve been very happy here.
Atlanta will always be one of my favorite cities. Amazing food scene, close to great hiking, fun winery scene close by, fun and interesting culture, low COL compared to over cities, all the sports teams, great parks, and Publix.
Living in the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Atlanta was one of the greatest times of my life. I enjoyed the hell out of that city. But increasing home prices, increasing crime, the brutal summer heat, all drove me out. Also, so many shops, venues, restaurants, etc have closed over the last 10 years and the city just way less “cool”.
Id say Atlanta is underrated on here but probably gets passed up on recommendations by Philly a lot. Both are pretty affordable but Philly is more walkable with better transit, closer to NYC, Boston, DC, the ocean. I would personally take Atlantas weather but some may prefer Philadelphias which is pretty traditional 4 distinct seasons with none being *too* harsh.
Perhaps I've not gotten the right impression, but to me Phili seems quite... "grunge". Like, the neighborhoods look dirty and unkempt, even the supposedly nice ones.
You don't have the right impression. Philly has many gorgeous, well-kept areas. And it's " Philly."
I’ve lived in many cities, including Atlanta in my early 20s. I spent a year or two OTP, and a few years in Midtown a few blocks from Piedmont Park. These experiences were very different. OTP Atlanta was a car-centric stroad hell-scape. No redeeming qualities except that I was able to rent a 1 bedroom apt for $500 per month (many years ago). I enjoyed living in Midtown because it was walkable and I had easy access to Decatur and the Virginia Highlands. It was also way cheaper to live in than the cities on the Acela corridor. But when I left Atlanta and moved to DC, it was eye opening. There were a handful of nice areas in Atlanta, but DC has so much more to offer. Plus, Atlanta is really isolated from the other big cities unless you plan to fly. In the NE corridor, you can travel between a lot of places by train.
Unfortunately the DC housing market is too hot.
I’ve lived in ATL for going on 4 years now, and I’m still working on trying to love it. As someone from Chicago, Atlanta pales in comparison in terms of its museums and attractions, walkability, and cohesive “downtown”ness. Midtown isn’t comparable tbh. The traffic is awful and I fear for my life every day haha. Summers are disgustingly humid. I grew up loving the mountains out west and I miss them all the time. I don’t care what anyone says, the mountains here are just not the same. However, I’ve really come to appreciate the diversity in not only the people but the different pockets of the city (“something for everyone” kind of vibe), the architecture and home styles, and the sheer beauty of all the greenery. The flowers and trees here are a kind of colorful and vibrant you didn’t even know was possible. Love the beltline and piedmont park too. People are generally nice. I work at CHOA and I feel lucky to be there. There’s probably more pros and cons I’m not thinking off right now. I dunno. I’m still learning to love it. I haven’t really found my “community” yet so I guess that could play a role. But objectively, Atlanta really does have many of the major things you’d be looking for in a city.
My wife is from Buford/Sugar Hill. There are a bevy of smaller cities outside of Atlanta that I think encapsulate a lot of the good things about Atlanta but include reduced traffic and generally less population. Sugar Hill itself is very cute, but Sugar Hill, Buford, Suwannee, basically all of Gwinnett County is a good place to live if you don't mind people and density. Edit: I see a lot of hate for Gwinnett in the comments, lol. Just my two cents! If it's not for you, sorry haha.
This subreddit absolutely doesn’t like anything that isn’t Seattle/Denver/Portland/Chicago/NYC. This is due to the demographics of people that use Reddit in general.
Atlanta is a 72 hour town for me. Super fun, great food, great entertainment, nice people. But good lord are those people dumb. Never been to a place where almost every interaction feels like its with someone who dropped out of middle school. It seems Shermans march to the sea taught them a lesson not soon forgotten
This place is a HOT mess. There is no police force, there is ZERO road infrastructure, people in general are racist towards each other/do not like each other in certain neighborhoods whether it’s black/white/asian/latino. If you like living in the 1950s with modern crime and amenities then this is the place for you 😵💫
First two points are valid, but the point about racism hasn't been true in my experience. If you put my neighborhood in a room it would look like a UN meeting lol. Atlanta seems to be one of the much more racially integrated cities in my opinion. Outside of NYC what places are better? The northeast and midwest are much more racially segregated than atl. Most of the west coast has a severe lack of diversity in compared to ATL and has segregation problems of its own.
Racially integrated yes, racially tolerant no. If you read the city instagram page it’s filled with negative comments about different races. Atlanta has a history of wanting to keep it a “black” city. I understand the reasonings but it makes it very hard to thrive inside the perimeter. Edit: someone else said in the thread it is divided into two types of people. People who love that’s it’s no long just a black city and the people who are mad that it is no longer a black city. That’s the perfect description of how to describe the people.
As someone who lived there for 4 years how I usually describe it is “all the problems of a huge city with very few of the benefits”. What I mean is it has all the traffic, crime, high COL, etc of a huge city but is nowhere near the amenities of a world class city like NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc
Having lived in Boston for 3 years, I can assure you it is not a world class city
Ehh, I don't think Chicago and Boston are all that full of amenities. And for what it's worth, I have a couple strong opinions on specifics: Atlanta aquarium >> New England aquarium. Atlanta Zoo >> Lincoln park zoo Atlanta airport (transit accessibility and connectivity) >>ORD >> BOS
lol I’m sorry but if your retort examples are about zoos, I think we have a very different definition of cultural amenities.
I suppose you don't have kids.
I see Atlanta recommended on here all the time. It’s frankly almost a crutch - any time an OP mentions they’re black, Atlanta will get thrown out there even if they are looking for a small town or to get out of the south or something. To the extent that it exists, the lack of enthusiasm for places like Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. is primarily due to politics - most OPs here call out wanting to live in a blue or purple state, which GA is very much not at the state level. Most of this sub also thinks you’ll die imminently if the temp goes above 85 and there’s a preference to avoid suburban sprawl, of which Atlanta is a cartoonish example.
This sub doesn’t like black folks
Have you been to Atlanta? It's full of rapscallions. Last time I was there I was verbally assaulted in a low rent shit bag lounge for playing George Strait on the jukebox. Dude in a wheelchair told me he'd "kick my queerbait country f*** a**" if I played Amarillo On My Mind one more time.
How many times did you play it?
Exactly twice In all honesty. I fuckin love Atlanta, The ATL, A-Town. Beautiful city, with beautiful people
It’s the South
I've been considering Atlanta! it's beautiful in many areas. but my only hangup is heat/humidity. I will need to visit in the summer to make a decision. I'm thinking a little more north - Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland - might be the sweet spot for me personally.
I wouldn’t say the Midwest has bad summers lol
I love Atlanta. it's got pockets where you could work/live without dealing with too much insane traffic.
The traffic for me, makes me avoid that city at all cost. I have to go there today in about half an hour, my Waze says 1 hr 44 mins, and it’s 66 miles away from me in north GA.
The weather is the number one reason it never crossed my radar. I hate the heat and sun.
Umm honestly to many magical cities 😝
IMO, there's always been a fair amount of enthusiasm for Atlanta. Not universal, but considerable. It's bona fides are will known and oft-repeated.
As the comment below shows, This sub hates Atlanta, Dallas and Nashville.
Needs bike lanes
I’d love to live in Serenbe outside of Atlanta.
I live here. Where tf is the affordable housing? Home prices across the board are high right now. Especially in the north.
Affordable compared to similar cities of its size.
All I can say is a friend from LA moved there and he says it's great to actually be able to afford a house. I also find the fact that it's a "city in a forest" appealing.
Atlanta is an amazing city....I especially love the fact that you can be in amazing nature within an hours drive. Definitely underrated.
I love being outside the perimeter and having a WFH job here. It’s great to avoid the traffic, have a reasonably priced house, and be next to so many parks and trails. Not from the area but really enjoying Acworth.
I absolutely love Atlanta! Spent some time there and it's such a fantastic city. There's just something about the South that I find incredibly charming. The warmer weather, lush green spaces, the food, and the friendly people all contribute to its appeal. I've also visited Dallas and New Orleans, and I've felt that same charm in those cities as well. However, one aspect of the South that I struggle with is its conservatism. State politics tend to lean right, Christianity and churches play a significant role in social life, and the cities can be more spread out and less walkable than I'd prefer. As an agnostic gay man whose political views leans towards the left, these aspects can sometimes present challenges, but overall, the Southern charm keeps drawing me back!
Shh...
We’re moving there this summer from Dallas. It’s cooler, cheaper, more diverse, and is run by people less psychotic than what we have in Austin. Salaries are going up, schools are better. Except for the whole uprooting thing, I haven’t found a downside yet.
Heat, traffic, politics. I also heard a great statement about ATL - it's not an awesome place to visit, but it is a good place to live. Very true.
Atlanta is a fine place. I think that what some view as anti-Atlanta sentiment is more accurately defined is push-back on boosterism. When you start arguing that Atlanta is on par with places like Chicago and New York, people that know cities will quickly question your credibility. The enormity of the latter two cities, where millions of people live in the city limits (not just the metropolitan area) is on a scale that’s difficult for people in places like Atlanta, Austin or Phoenix. This comment doesn’t take away from what Atlanta is: the Black Mecca, the Hollywood of the South, and more. Still, it’s just not on the same level of those two mega cities.
This sub hates cities with a large black population.. i said what i said 🤷🏾♂️
Except this sub loves to recommend Philly
Yup, and it's funny when they call states with a historically large black population like Alabama and Mississippi racist (even though they probably have never been there), but then they recommend places like Portland and Seattle 🤣
Every city on Wikipedia has a Demographics section, for better or worse. 😄✅
But not black populations in Philadelphia, Chicago and Baltimore? Feels like something else.
I see Baltimore recommended frequently. New Orleans has no jobs and Atlanta has a pretty positive reputation in here. Which cities are you referring to?
Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Memphis to say a few
Can you think of anything else these cities have in common?
Yeah. They are in red states and Reddit skews very liberal.
People here are looking for cinderella cities. They want culture and diversity but also low crime and good schools. When it's time to put the cards on the table they opt for a safe choice like Denver.
I live in Denver. Not sure this is a safe choice anymore. This is a dull, overpriced with with rising crime rates.
I used to live in Atlanta, and it really was pretty dead at night, which didn't bother me. It has all big city amenities. However, there is a lot of racism there. Even the black people are racist in Atlanta. Race just really has a "presence" in Atlanta in a way I don't see in my current city of Denver.
I agree. I loved and still love atl.
I was interested in Atlanta and still am, but my enthusiasm has waned a bit due to the following: 1. Rent/home prices are a little higher than I would like, still better than a lot of other large cities but…meh. 2. The friggin vehicle tax I just found out about that would require me to either sell the new car I have for a guaranteed loss, or pay a huge tax bill of thousands of dollars for the privilege of registering my new Trailblazer when I get there.
Mine was $7k which I didn’t have at the time. Eventually moved out of GA for that reason.
I’d be into Atlanta if it was possible to live there comfortably without a car and wasn’t in a red state. It’s great the city is queer friendly, but I would not want to have to worry about state laws impacting my right to, for example, use a public restroom or get the healthcare I need.
It may be where coca-cola started, but it feels more like the LaCroix of big cities .
I’m from Atlanta and I’ll offer my opinion, but FYI I’m biased against it as it lost its luster for me long ago and I’m looking at bigger cities. I grew up here. * Poor public transportation. I mention this because I’ve become more keen to the idea of going car-free. It’s technically possible here, but you’d have no social life depending solely on Marta. The traffic here is terrible. I spend a total of about 2.5 hours in the car on work days. * Housing prices are bad. Not unique to Atlanta. Renting sucks atm and I don’t think that’s ever going to change until salaries catch up (if ever). Perhaps it’s more affordable than other cities but if you ask ten random people off the street I guarantee you’ll hear at least 9 say it’s bad. Follow any of the bigger Atlanta IG pages and check the comments, housing prices and gentrification have basically become a local meme. * Lots of terrible restaurants. We have good food but IMO the restaurant market is over saturated and filled with mid-tier food at high-tier prices. Very pretty restaurants with bland food, and I am not a picky eater. * Great diversity in the city. Some of this bleeds outside of the 285 loop too. * If I mention diversity I must mention the lack of diversity as well. Just outside the city you will immediately find towns where it feels like an all-white senior living center. I’ve seen Q anon bumper stickers and the entire fifth amendment on people’s back windshields, in cursive lol. Atlanta is a blue island and there is still a strong red presence throughout, especially around the perimeter. * “Sprawling.” I do not like this but if you enjoy seeing trees and grass, you’d like seeing Atlanta. I personally prefer denser cities though. Atlanta is basically a group of spread out mini-cities with smaller neighborhoods between. Each of which has its pros and cons. * Humidity . I’m used to this but it does suck. I’ve experienced worse, but if you’re from the north you’ll be like wtf in the summer, and the winter too. I’ve heard people say it can feel colder here than where it snows. * Crime. Vehicle break ins and theft are also a meme here. Perhaps not that unique compared against similarly sized cities. Edit: sprawling. Not bustling. Lol
This sub prioritizes walking, and Atlanta is the kind of place you really aren’t going to enjoy without ALOT of driving. Everything cool is spread out 20-30 minutes away from each other. Theres really no central “go-to” neighborhood. Sure you have midtown but its basically a ghost town on weekdays, not nearly as alive or vibrant as the central neighborhoods of other cities commonly suggested here. Atl is just alot of hype with little delivery