Yet another "Atlanta" relocation thread

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by FortyfourLegs

As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Unfortunately, as people with horses and other livestock, commuting is simply a way of life. The commute is a given, we are simply trying to find balance or rather the perfect blend of compromises between all that we desire.

It is good that you seem to understand that your lifestyle is going to require that your husband likely have to endure some really tough commutes on many days.

But you also need to understand that there is likely going to be a REALLY BIG difference between the current rush hour commutes that your husband makes where you currently live outside of Sacramento and the rush hour commutes that your husband is going to be making in the Atlanta metro region and North Georgia.

Atlanta peak-hour commutes are a TOTALLY-DIFFERENT ANIMAL from anything that your husband might have experienced on a daily basis in the Sacramento area.

It is because of the consistent severity of Atlanta's rush hour commutes that those of us on this board STRONGLY urge you to focus your search for a 5-acre property for $350k or less to the exurban and rural areas north of Atlanta where your husband's daily commutes may not necessarily be as brutal as they will likely if you live east or south of Atlanta.

We don't want you to move somewhere thinking that the commutes are not really as bad as they've been made out to be and then get a series of brutal reality checks after a series of really bad traffic days where your husband ends up enduring multiple 2-3 hour one-way commutes after traffic is tied up because of incidents such as:

...Suicide jumpers (where down-and-out homeless people jump off of overpasses into oncoming traffic on the freeway below causing MASSIVE traffic jams where motorists sit for hours while the cops try and talk them down or clean up the mess in the middle of rush hour traffic)...

...High-speed multi-car pileups (which are a very-common occurrence on metro Atlanta freeways)...

...Car fires and bus fires (especially common on hot summer days)...

...Jack-knifed 18-wheelers (metro Atlanta is a MAJOR hub and nexus point for freight truck traffic...lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of trucks)...

...Holiday/vacation period traffic slow-downs (...lots of traffic passes through the Atlanta area between the Snowbelt and the resort areas of Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast on the Interstates around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and during vacation periods like Spring Break...this adds much additional traffic to an Atlanta Interstate system that already struggles during normal rush hours, just wait until your husband has to experience commuting on the Interstate system during the week of Thanksgiving and can't get on the Interstate because the on-ramp is a PARKING LOT!...GA 400 north of Atlanta is probably the only freeway that is somewhat immune to those extreme holiday and vacation period traffic delays because it does not carry interstate and transcontinental traffic, I-75 north and south of Atlanta are THE WORST!!!!)...

...Heavy rain storms and wet pavement of any kind (we don't do wet weather driving around here)...

...Winter weather (...Wanna see what the freeway system of a major city might look like if the end of the world was coming? Just add a light dusting of snow or ice of any kind to the Atlanta freeway system during rush hour and you get instant traffic Armageddon)...

...Police chases, etc.

Originally Posted by FortyfourLegs

When I ask about the tornadoes, I understand the reality (I believe) of living in a Southern state. My question was directed more towards the imaginary line I have read about that defines the likelihood of tornados in Georgia. It seems to be a diagonal from the SW of Atlanta up too the NE. As in, they are more common in that area of the state. I know to those of you who are longtime residents, these questions probably seem silly. However, when trying to convince 3 children on how great it's going to be in our new state...these questions have to be asked.

It's not really about whether tornadoes are much more common in one part of the state over another...

...It's that tornadoes are much more prevalent in Georgia than they are where you currently reside, period...though tornadoes in Georgia are still much less prevalent then they are in the Midwestern U.S. (the Great Plains, the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes) by comparison.

Tornadoes do happen in Georgia, but it's not necessarily anything that Georgians lose sleep over like people may do throughout the middle third of the U.S. east of the Rockies and west of the Alleghenies.

Frankly, Georgians lose much more sleep over winter weather like ice storms and snow then they do over tornadoes.

Flooding from heavy rain storms and tropical weather systems (tropical depressions and the leftovers from hurricanes, etc) off of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean are also much more of a natural disaster threat than tornadoes are in North Georgia.

Tornadoes are not really anything that you and your family should have an irrational fear about. You and your family just need to be aware that tornadoes do happen in Georgia from time-to-time, but not necessarily on a frequent or consistent basis.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by FortyfourLegs

As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Unfortunately, as people with horses and other livestock, commuting is simply a way of life. The commute is a given, we are simply trying to find balance or rather the perfect blend of compromises between all that we desire.
When I ask about the tornadoes, I understand the reality (I believe) of living in a Southern state. My question was directed more towards the imaginary line I have read about that defines the likelihood of tornados in Georgia. It seems to be a diagonal from the SW of Atlanta up too the NE. As in, they are more common in that area of the state. I know to those of you who are longtime residents, these questions probably seem silly. However, when trying to convince 3 children on how great it's going to be in our new state...these questions have to be asked.

Tornadoes are few and far between.

The more rural an area you live in, the larger the cultural differences you are going to experience for your children. GA is really two states in one -- Metro Atlanta and the rest of the state. This would concern me more than the weather.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by FortyfourLegs

As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Unfortunately, as people with horses and other livestock, commuting is simply a way of life. The commute is a given, we are simply trying to find balance or rather the perfect blend of compromises between all that we desire.
When I ask about the tornadoes, I understand the reality (I believe) of living in a Southern state. My question was directed more towards the imaginary line I have read about that defines the likelihood of tornados in Georgia. It seems to be a diagonal from the SW of Atlanta up too the NE. As in, they are more common in that area of the state. I know to those of you who are longtime residents, these questions probably seem silly. However, when trying to convince 3 children on how great it's going to be in our new state...these questions have to be asked.

I wasn't going to comment, but I just happened to surf across this.

Where are the Tornadoes? Slow Start, but No Guarantees | Climate Central

It is a bit heavier in the southwest corner of town, but they happen sparsely everywhere. There doesn't seem to be any real way to know where they will be or avoid them.

My family has been here several generations. No one really feels a need to prepare for them. They don't seem to be too much of a risk, but every once in awhile one will cross town. Although, I will say schools have tornado plans and drills.

It happened to downtown several years back. I remember 10 or 15 years ago one went through Dunwoody. One of the boy scout camps I went to as a kid was right next to a forest in northwest Georgia and a ton of pine trees got plowed over by tornadoes spun off from a hurricane/tropical storm as it moved inland.

They are usually short paths and they don't get HUGE, like they do in the lower midwest in the plains.

They are usually spin offs of hurricanes and large thunderstorms.

I don't think it is worth worrying about too much. Just provide shelter for your animals, live your life, and hope you're not one of the few unlucky ones.

[dblackga]

Originally Posted by FortyfourLegs

When I ask about the tornadoes, I understand the reality (I believe) of living in a Southern state. My question was directed more towards the imaginary line I have read about that defines the likelihood of tornados in Georgia. It seems to be a diagonal from the SW of Atlanta up too the NE. As in, they are more common in that area of the state. I know to those of you who are longtime residents, these questions probably seem silly. However, when trying to convince 3 children on how great it's going to be in our new state...these questions have to be asked.

We are about as concerned about tornados as Californians are about earthquakes. Fair enough? :-)

[FortyfourLegs]

Originally Posted by dblackga

We are about as concerned about tornados as Californians are about earthquakes. Fair enough? :-)

Fair enough.

So, here's an update on our search: We have taken everyone's comments very seriously, and for what it's worth, have had MANY 'commute' talks. Hubby was there for about a week, then I went the end of March...and traveled again last week. We looked EVERYWHERE, based on suggestions received on my own posts, as well as those I have read from other GA newbies like myself.

I am going to post my thoughts here in case they may help others in our situation.I LOVED what I saw in Henry county; beautiful country, close to conveniences...but alas, we took everyone's advice and took it off the list for commute time. I also really, really liked areas of Covington and Oxford but was a bit frightened by the school ratings. I looked up North in Cherokee but could not find the type of property we were searching for in our price range. Did I look in Hall? I think so...Newton, Walton, check.

Let's just say we looked at A LOT of houses...close to 50? And yes, we are looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack; do-able commute (by our standards) country living, good schools, good price, decent house or one that can be fixed/upgraded.

We may have found it last week. It is closer in that I would like (my compromise!) and more money than hubby would like (his compromise) but it may check all of our boxes. It is in Loganville, but in Gwinnett county. Close to good schools, under 30 miles for hubby, and with property. Whew. If you all could keep us in your prayers (or just good thoughts, if you are not religious) we could sure use all the help we can get to get this finalized. Hubby is SO ready to leave Cali, I have been afraid we would be living out of our car just to get there.

Everyone should know that this forum worked the way it was supposed to for us...everyone's diverse opinions gave us plenty to look at and think about during this search. And no, we won't REALLY know what it is all about until we have lived there awhile, we know FAR more than we would have without all of you.
Thanks.

[cwkimbro]

Well I'm glad you've found something.

There is an equestrian trail nearby at Harbins Park. There is a longer one more intown at the Yellow River Park. I couldn't tell you how good they are are or not for horses.

That commute will still be long, but I think that has been a given from the sound of things.

What part of Loganville is it? Is it north towards Grayson or south towards Centerville?