Job offer to move from PARIS (France) to Atlanta: what should i do? (Dallas: appointed)

[bebert]

hi all
thanks in advance for all feedbacks
i am a male, 40, single offered to move from Paris, FR to the US headquarters of a multinational corporation
Never been in Atlanta, i know only NY, Miami and Dallas in US
i am still pondering if it's worth the drastic move (local contract, no expat deal) as it will be a major shift in my life: way of working, cultural environnement, money, getting new friends/girlfriends and so on....


how have you , europeans coming from big cities (paris, london, madrid, ..) settled in atlanta?
Basically, beyond the professional offer, this is a nice opportunity to spend some years in US and to discover the country and Georgia

I am ok with the atlanta weather, not big deal. i do not expect getting parisian cultural life in ATL, but is it ok for afterworks life ?
Mall and shopping are of no interest for me! :-)
Money : they offer me something like 105k$, which seems big by european standards.
But after some research , it seems actually mean for a 15years experienced MSc Engineer. Any advice about the "right" rate in Atl ?
thanks for all good tips

[Iconographer]

105K should afford you a good lifestyle in Atlanta.
Of the American cities that you have experienced, Atlanta would most resemble Dallas...but greener and with more hills. It's really IMO a lovely city.
There are dining and entertainment options aplenty.
One thing that you should know is that our rail system (MARTA) is not nearly as developed as the Metro...life without a car can be inconvenient at times.
Social life and meeting new people? Your French accent should take you far...

[SonicExYouth]

I'm American, not European, but it seems to me the fact that you say "this is a nice opportunity to spend some years in US and to discover the country and Georgia" means you should seriously consider the offer. The Europeans I've known who have most enjoyed their time in the States were those who had a sincere interest in the culture and people. I had a couple of friends in grad school (in Louisiana) who were interested in and studying blues/jazz and local food movements, and they spent a lot of time prowling the back roads, finding the places the rest of us didn't really know much about and meeting the most amazing people (whom they then introduced to their American friends :-).

I've just moved to Atlanta myself, and while it's not Paris, it's pretty cosmopolitan. But you don't have to drive far to find the little gems that you won't find in France (like in France, or any other country, for that matter). You do have to put in some leg work--and don't panic when you're miserably unhappy for the first couple of months (it happens with every move, regardless of where you go)--but it likely will be a great adventure.

[SW30303]

100K USD in Atlanta goes very far even if you live near downtown Atlanta in areas like Buckhead or Midtown (many singles live in these areas). I would take such an offer in a minute if I were European wanting to live somewhere in the US. If you do a cost of living search, you will find that $100K does not go far in NYC or Chicago, but in Atlanta, you can live well and well above average wages. You would eventually find other French people or other Francophones here if you wanted to locate people from your home country, however, they live spread out and not in concentrated areas.

My perspective is I have lived in Europe before on a few occasions and I really liked it myself. One thing that would have been nice was to have a good-paying job in Europe versus living on a tight budget. I would live overseas again if the opportunity arises again.

It looks like you work in computers to me based on your info, you can find people to date here if you take up hobbies where you can meet people. For example: there are many Computer User Groups that meet on a monthly basis in Atlanta. A few eligible women may go to such meetings if you like such things, but I think dating in Atlanta is hard for those who are not into bars, social life, etc.

For that good salary you mention as a single person, you can go out a lot, if you like bars, night life, restaurant dining, etc. If you are not an outgoing person, then meeting a woman in Atlanta might be difficult for a while. Good luck in your decision.

[cwkimbro]

The cost of living is very cheap in Atlanta compared to many cities in Europe. However, the lifestyle and how we have built our cities is also very different. Many people like Atlanta best for family living, since it is easy to get a large house with a nice size yard, but we aren't without areas where younger people live with more of a nightlife.

$105k/year will go pretty far here. (I'm not sure what the tax situation is for a french citizen (?) working in the U.S. is...)

As far as Europeans moving here... I haven't met too many face-to-face, but it could be the area out town I live in. However, I have noticed on this forum there have been several people from the UK/London asking for advice on relocating recently.

I agree with the sentiment that Atlanta would most resemble Dallas from the American cities you have visited. Our culture is a little different and we love our trees and rolling Piedmont hills. The Hills have made our streets more curvy and less flat and grid-like.

I don't know how much time you have to make a decision, but it is isn't a bad idea to visit and see what Atlanta is all about, see what kind of area you think you would move to/work in. You're right. It will be a big change from a place like Paris.

[midtown mile girl]

Go for it. Come to Atlanta and take the opportunity. There are people from all over the world living here in Atlanta. There is a French consulate here in Atlanta, so they could be helpful.

[MathmanMathman]

Go. Atlanta is known as "the Paris of the South"!

But seriously. I've lived in France and have visited Paris many times. It seemed that France revolves around Paris. The first impression I had when returning to Atlanta is how far apart everything is. Paris is compact and walkable and like a lot of European cities, most things are concentrated at the city center. Atlanta really doesn't have a "center". An effort has been made to revitalize downtown and I don't think it worked. Lately the effort is around Centennial Park which has had greater success but still has a way to go. Atlanta's "old town" is the present downtown but unlike Europe which cherishes its old buildings, most of old Atlanta is lost. So keep in mind that Atlanta is somewhat spread out and not really walk friendly. Although in my opinion, Atlanta is cleaner than Paris but then again Paris and France in general are (were?) notorious for not being very clean. Germany and Switzerland are great examples for cleanliness. And unlike Europe, living without car in Atlanta is difficult to impractical and the US doesn't have a train system like Europe's. With the Paris Metro, I could get just about anywhere in town and with the trains I could reach most of France.

Atlanta has culture but it is not culturally rich. A friend of mine when moving from Atlanta said to me that after a few years he had exhausted Atlanta's cultural offerings. If you are into contemporary entertainment, most of it makes a point to stop in Atlanta. So there’s always something happening and its not hard to find.

You'll live well on $105k because Atlanta's cost of living is relatively low, even with a car. European taxes are high so you might find yourself with more disposable income than you are used to.

Atlantans are friendlier than most places so don’t be surprised if perfect strangers greet you. Winters are mild so if you love snow, you’ll be disappointed. If it does snow, it’ll last a day or two and the city will be paralyzed till it melts. Summers are long and at times the heat is brutal but not like Las Vegas, Phoenix or the Middle East temperatures.
.

[Prytania]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Go. Atlanta is known as "the Paris of the South"!


.

That would actually be New Orleans.

Atlanta is very nice but he will find culture shock with all the driving...