Did Your Perceptions Of Atlanta Change When You Left? (Decatur: apartments, neighborhoods) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

DennyCrane · 10-04-2010, 11:55 AM

Sometimes, you can't appreciate something until it's gone. That's certainly true with cities. You live in a city and have a hundred different complaints. But then you move to another city and realize just how good you had it in the previous one. I've certainly experienced this and was wondering if anyone else here has in regards to Atlanta. Compared to some of the forums I've looked at, this one seems awfully negative. Someone who's not a resident might come here and think you all hate it in Atlanta. I'm sure that's not the case. But sometimes, you have to leave a place to realize just how good it was. So have any of you left Atlanta and then realized you liked it more after you left? Or maybe you moved back and having lived in another city gave you new found appreciation for Atlanta. Just curious to hear your stories and in what respects your opinion of Atlanta changed for the better.

dolphin40 · 10-04-2010, 12:24 PM

I've done both: DH and I lived in ATL three different times, and moved to Cincinnati and Detroit (ugh) in between. We have since moved again to NW PA and now MKE. So, yes, there are definitely things I miss about Atlanta now, most notably the weather - it's cold (VERY cold) where we are now, and I really do much better in heat (and humidity) than this frigid stuff. I also miss the friendliness of the people and all of the stuff there is to do. Also, now that we are gone, I do have a much better appreciation of the cost of living; it seemed somewhat expensive at the time, especially when gas and electric deregulation began, but now that we are in a state with 7+% state income tax and 2+% property taxes, I really miss Atlanta!! It is a wonderful area, especially if you don't have to fight the traffic too much.

plessthanpointohfive · 10-04-2010, 12:45 PM

Not counting living in apartments while going to LSU this is the first city I've actually lived in. And I love it here!

But it's hard to hate Atlanta when you live in Candler Park.

I did live out by the Mall of GA for 3.5 years. When I lived out there the city of Atlanta seemed like this big hot mess of traffic and I rarely came to town outside of work. After a couple of years, though, I made friends with people from work who lived intown and began to appreciate the city more. And once I moved here I decided I was moving for quality of life and picked Candler Park because I thought it matched what I (well, we, as I am married but we both have the same criteria here) wanted and what I could afford.

And it did. And I love it here. I recognize it's not perfect but it's become home.

Iconographer · 10-05-2010, 07:37 AM

I take the negative commentary regarding Atlanta on C-D with a grain of salt. I lived in many other places (Brooklyn Heights, NYC, McLean, VA suburb of Washington, DC, Winter Park suburb of Orlando, Lighthouse Point suburb of Ft Lauderdale, FL). Coming back to Atlanta for visits was always a breath of fresh air, and returning permanently in 1989 was a truly joyful event.
One way that Atlanta has seemed unique among American cities is its' ongoing optimism about its' future. It's not that the city is without problems, but its' residents always seem to be united in their belief that these problems can be resolved and that the city will be even better. I think that many outsiders on this forum choose to interpret this attitude as 'boosterism', and well, so be it...but it's an attitude that I've always appreciated in Atlantans.

DeaconJ · 10-05-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

I take the negative commentary regarding Atlanta on C-D with a grain of salt. I lived in many other places (Brooklyn Heights, NYC, McLean, VA suburb of Washington, DC, Winter Park suburb of Orlando, Lighthouse Point suburb of Ft Lauderdale, FL). Coming back to Atlanta for visits was always a breath of fresh air, and returning permanently in 1989 was a truly joyful event.
One way that Atlanta has seemed unique among American cities is its' ongoing optimism about its' future. It's not that the city is without problems, but its' residents always seem to be united in their belief that these problems can be resolved and that the city will be even better. I think that many outsiders on this forum choose to interpret this attitude as 'boosterism', and well, so be it...but it's an attitude that I've always appreciated in Atlantans.

I have moved away twice for brief periods of time (one year or less) and my opinion never changed. I loved it when I moved here in 1989, I loved it and missed it while I was away, and I love it still. I enjoyed my stints in Miami and London, but Atlanta is where I choose to live.

OMG2010 · 10-05-2010, 10:37 AM

Im with You Guys I moved to Charlotte, NYC, Tacoma, and now Im back in Atlanta I love it here

tonygeorgia · 10-05-2010, 10:45 AM

I thought Atlanta was ok until I moved to DC. DC is a great city to visit but the cost of living and the traffic is horrible. You think Atlanta has bad traffic try sitting in traffic on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday Morning on 95. I didnt appreciate the cost of living here until I left. I didnt appreciate people speaking to each other until I moved. I could go on and on but i'm happy to be back here...

Boonieboy · 10-05-2010, 11:11 AM

Totally had that happen. I lived in Atlanta for a while and moved back to NYC for work and family but now I really really miss Atlanta. I am actually getting my s*** together to try to move back and settle down for good. Great weather and driving city, the roads were so clean, I really miss driving in GA. NYC is a joke. Hopefully in another couple of months we'll be able to move back down. People are also friendlier than most of the North East.

DennyCrane · 10-05-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe2000

I thought Atlanta was ok until I moved to DC. DC is a great city to visit but the cost of living and the traffic is horrible. You think Atlanta has bad traffic try sitting in traffic on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday Morning on 95. I didnt appreciate the cost of living here until I left. I didnt appreciate people speaking to each other until I moved. I could go on and on but i'm happy to be back here...

As someone who was seriously considering moving to DC but finally opted for Atlanta, please feel free to go on and on. If you want, you can even send me a direct message. I would love to hear more about your thoughts about DC and Atlanta.

DTL3000 · 10-05-2010, 11:22 AM

I've lived in Atlanta for about 5 years total now with a break of about a year in NYC. To be honest I would move back to NYC in a heartbeat if the right opportunity reared itself. Yes the cost of living is much higher up there and you put up with a lot of inconveniences but as a single guy I could deal with those things. If I had a wife and kids Atlanta(northern burbs) would probably edge out NYC but only because the rest of my family is in Georgia and the cost of living.

I get bored here a lot. I miss the simple things in NYC like walking through the different neighborhoods and hitting a different museum or gallery every day of the week. Atlanta has some of those things but after 5 years i feel like I've run the gamut of things to do here. I spent very little money on entertainment in NYC, especially in the summer with all the free movies, concerts, and parades. Free or cheap entertainment is almost nonexistant in Atlanta. It's also a very interesting experience to live in one of the world's top cities.

It is much cheaper here than NYC and most other places I'd consider living. Most people aren't really much different in my opinion but you occasionally run across genuine southern hospitality.