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I'm in discussion with a company in Atlanta (well, Norcross) about hiring me and I'm trying to decide if it's really the right place to live for me.
Budget: TBD - How far would $1500/mo go?
Housing type: A 2ish bedroom condo would suit me just fine
Traveling to work: Commuting. If possible I'd like to cycle to work.
Kids: 0
Urban lifestyle - I love being able to walk to the grocer/pub/etc
Public transit - Yes please. I love reading a book on the ride to work.
Demographics - Young professionals (20 - 30)
I'm also trying to determine if Atlanta also has good job opportunities for my profession. I'm a software engineer. I have 5 years experience in Java, JavaEE, and Oracle (DB and Fusion). Mostly developing web applications in the government/large company sector. Is the market for Java guys large or is it kinda puny?
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
2,118 posts, read 6,373,478 times
Reputation: 3547
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
I'm in discussion with a company in Atlanta (well, Norcross) about hiring me and I'm trying to decide if it's really the right place to live for me.
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I'll do my best to help
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Budget: TBD - How far would $1500/mo go?
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Quite far. You'll have plenty of very nice options in that price range.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Traveling to work: Commuting. If possible I'd like to cycle to work.
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That's going to take bravery. And there's the issue of the weather. A large chunk of the year is probably a lot colder than you're used to and a large chunk of the year is most definitely a lot hotter than you're used to. Gwinnett does have a growing number of bike lanes.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Kids: 0
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Urban lifestyle - I love being able to walk to the grocer/pub/etc
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Errr. Wrong city.
Your best bet is probably going to be the decatur area.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Public transit - Yes please. I love reading a book on the ride to work.
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Gwinnett county has a bus system but it's probably not what you had in mind. If you want to live in some of the areas mentioned in the next answer, you will have to transfer from one transit system to another.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
Demographics - Young professionals (20 - 30
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The young professionals live mostly in certain key neighborhoods that are not all that close to norcross although if you're willing to drive, there's buckhead, vinings, dunwoody and around Emory.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark.Robinson
I'm also trying to determine if Atlanta also has good job opportunities for my profession. I'm a software engineer. I have 5 years experience in Java, JavaEE, and Oracle (DB and Fusion). Mostly developing web applications in the government/large company sector. Is the market for Java guys large or is it kinda puny?)))
From what I hear from people that are in IT, there are currently a lot of job opportunities for IT and developers. I can't speak to the specifics of java, oracle blah blah. That's all greek to me.
Budget: TBD - How far would $1500/mo go?
Good to go here.
Housing type: A 2ish bedroom condo would suit me just fine
Good to go here
Traveling to work: Commuting. If possible I'd like to cycle to work.
Wrong City, will need car.
Urban lifestyle - I love being able to walk to the grocer/pub/etc
Wrong City, will need car.
Public transit - Yes please. I love reading a book on the ride to work.
Wrong City, will need car.
Demographics - Young professionals (20 - 30)
Norcross is a real bland, spread out area. Nothing urban or exciting in or around Norcross for 20 somethings. Look into Buckhead or Midtown area. However, Atlanta is not known for its urban living areas. Honestly, Chicago sounds like a better fit for you. IT market is however strong here so no issues there. Good Luck!
A job in Norcross is not going to be public transit friendly at all. If it were in Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Perimeter, or Decatur, then Atlanta would probably have a number for neighborhoods that meet your criteria pretty well, but if your job is way out in the (nearly) transitless suburbs your options dwindle dramatically.
People grappling with the issue of wanting an urban lifestyle but considering a job way out in the suburbs are common on here. Currently, Atlanta doesn't offer a very good solution for these sorts of folks.
I'm in discussion with a company in Atlanta (well, Norcross) about hiring me and I'm trying to decide if it's really the right place to live for me.
Budget: TBD - How far would $1500/mo go?
Housing type: A 2ish bedroom condo would suit me just fine
Traveling to work: Commuting. If possible I'd like to cycle to work.
Kids: 0
Urban lifestyle - I love being able to walk to the grocer/pub/etc
Public transit - Yes please. I love reading a book on the ride to work.
Demographics - Young professionals (20 - 30)
I'm also trying to determine if Atlanta also has good job opportunities for my profession. I'm a software engineer. I have 5 years experience in Java, JavaEE, and Oracle (DB and Fusion). Mostly developing web applications in the government/large company sector. Is the market for Java guys large or is it kinda puny?
$1500 will do fine here, but you won't get as much for your money as you think. You will spend every bit of that amount to get into a good area. By good I mean, one where your neighbor won't steal from you or you won't get robbed going to your car.
No problem finding the kind of housing you want, but be forewarned, the rental market is VERY tight here. Nobody can buy, and there is little to rent.
Cycle to work? No, I don't advise that. This isn't Palo Alto or the Bay Area. You might be better off somewhere else if that's what you want to do. People here are far from being safe drivers, and I know someone who was close-lined off a bike buy a 13 year old kid with a backpack - he stole the bike.
No, you will not be able walk to the grocer either. There is no "urban lifestyle" anywhere in this city except Virginia Highlands. And that's not near Norcross - it's in town. And $1500 won't get you anything decent in Virginia Highlands.
There is public transit, but it's not great, and it's not always safe. Plenty of people are robbed on MARTA daily, but most folks don't know about it. And for anyone who says it's normal for a big city, I disagree. I've lived all over the country, and this place is one of the worst for crime (second only to New Orleans).
There are plenty of young professionals here. They move here from the Northeast, and lots of states where the economy is bad (my area is littered with Florida license tags).
With your background, why on earth would you want to come to Atlanta? Crime is high, and do you realize that about 40% of the mortgages here are under water? Regrettably, that won't help you unless you want to buy because there is nothing to rent. Any house that's vacant and available for sale is gutted by copper thieves, and the AC units are stolen constantly (I know because my girlfriend is an agent inside the perimeter).
Best of luck whatever you decide. As quick as the economy picks up, I'm moving. I have never disliked any city more than this one. Those who like it, please stay here.
$1500 will do fine here, but you won't get as much for your money as you think. You will spend every bit of that amount to get into a good area. By good I mean, one where your neighbor won't steal from you or you won't get robbed going to your car.
No problem finding the kind of housing you want, but be forewarned, the rental market is VERY tight here. Nobody can buy, and there is little to rent.
Cycle to work? No, I don't advise that. This isn't Palo Alto or the Bay Area. You might be better off somewhere else if that's what you want to do. People here are far from being safe drivers, and I know someone who was close-lined off a bike buy a 13 year old kid with a backpack - he stole the bike.
No, you will not be able walk to the grocer either. There is no "urban lifestyle" anywhere in this city except Virginia Highlands. And that's not near Norcross - it's in town. And $1500 won't get you anything decent in Virginia Highlands.
There is public transit, but it's not great, and it's not always safe. Plenty of people are robbed on MARTA daily, but most folks don't know about it. And for anyone who says it's normal for a big city, I disagree. I've lived all over the country, and this place is one of the worst for crime (second only to New Orleans).
There are plenty of young professionals here. They move here from the Northeast, and lots of states where the economy is bad (my area is littered with Florida license tags).
With your background, why on earth would you want to come to Atlanta? Crime is high, and do you realize that about 40% of the mortgages here are under water? Regrettably, that won't help you unless you want to buy because there is nothing to rent. Any house that's vacant and available for sale is gutted by copper thieves, and the AC units are stolen constantly (I know because my girlfriend is an agent inside the perimeter).
Best of luck whatever you decide. As quick as the economy picks up, I'm moving. I have never disliked any city more than this one. Those who like it, please stay here.
2. People are not robbed on MARTA daily...that is an incorrect perception that scared suburbanites often have, one that is much the same in NYC, Boston, etc. The media often uses MARTA stations as reference points when reporting criminal activity, therefore people associate MARTA with crime. It's among the safest transit systems in the U.S.
"According to Federal Transit Administration records, MARTA's crime statistics are in line with those of similar-sized systems, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit in the San Francisco area."
"For fiscal year 2009, MARTA had a crime rate of 3.09 per 1,000,000 riders, with 483 crimes reported during the entire year." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropo...nsit_Authority
3. There are several urban areas in Atlanta where you can live for $1500 per month - Virginia Highland is not the only one. Midtown, Downtown, Little 5 Points, Buckhead, etc. and they all have grocery stores within the neighborhood or very nearby.
4. There are plenty of rentals in Atlanta, especially with the recent and new construction projects all over the city. You will have no problem finding something.
5. People who dislike the city love to post misinformation. It's an epidemic here. I wouldn't go by something I read online anyway - find out for yourself, that's the only way you can know for sure.
Last edited by JoeTarheel; 08-26-2012 at 02:06 PM..
A job in Norcross is not going to be public transit friendly at all. If it were in Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Perimeter, or Decatur, then Atlanta would probably have a number for neighborhoods that meet your criteria pretty well, but if your job is way out in the (nearly) transitless suburbs your options dwindle dramatically.
People grappling with the issue of wanting an urban lifestyle but considering a job way out in the suburbs are common on here. Currently, Atlanta doesn't offer a very good solution for these sorts of folks.
...although a reverse commute from intown to Norcross can be pretty nice and allow one the urban lifestyle if they choose it.
A big decision you will have to make is how you want to live.
If your biggest goal is proximity to work, then $1500 is going to go quite far in the Norcross area (I assume near Peahctree Corners). You'll live in a nice place.
The problem is, it's not close to what you will be doing socially. Now, don't let people here scare you off. If you want to go out in the city, you can get there from Norcross in probably around 20 minutes or so in non-traffic conditions, which you'll be traveling in for "going out" times. It's very common for people to live in the suburbs and party in the city in Atlanta for the reason I'm about to mention....
$1500 won't get you nearly as far in the city. It's not a bad budget, and I think you'll still be able to get a decent place in Buckhead, midtown, or whatever for that price. But you won't get nearly as much space as you would in Norcross. In fact, you could probably get a really nice place in Norcross for under $1000 a month and pocket $500. Unless you are the type who really wants to be in the action every single day and are willing to pay for it, then it would pay to spend more in the city.
It basically boils down to this:
You can live cheaply in Norcross and not commute to work, but you will be commuting to most social activities. You'll be very close to big box retail and daily shopping needs, but not so much in the way of bars, clubs, hip things to do. Going into town on weekends isn't that big of a deal, but it will get old fast if you want to do it all the time.
You can pay more and live somewhere closer to the city. You'll be commuting to work, but if you want to go out to eat, to pubs, or hear live music several times a week, this might prove to be the better choice. If you're single and want to date a lot and get really plugged into the single social network, you'll probably have better luck doing things this way.
Yeah, but don't get the idea that Atlanta is bike friendly. Precious few bike lanes and those that exist run out pretty quickly. And there are motorists hostile to bikes and that includes MARTA bus drivers.
Quote:
5. People who dislike the city love to post misinformation. It's an epidemic here. I wouldn't go by something I read online anyway - find out for yourself, that's the only way you can know for sure.
There also are the Atlanta boosters who provide their own brand of misinformation. I try to be fair and give straight answers.
Yeah, but don't get the idea that Atlanta is bike friendly. Precious few bike lanes and those that exist run out pretty quickly. And there are motorists hostile to bikes and that includes MARTA bus drivers.
There also are the Atlanta boosters who provide their own brand of misinformation. I try to be fair and give straight answers.
True, but the bicycle situation in Atlanta is rapidly improving. There are several bike share programs that have materialized in the past couple of years as well.
I do the same thing, often in response to the overly negative stuff...I hope you weren't accusing me of being a booster (I don't think you were but I couldn't really tell for sure). Some of the personal vendettas against Atlanta are ridiculous.
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I'll do my best to help
That's all greek to me.
I wouldn't go by something I read online anyway - find out for yourself, that's the only way you can know for sure.
