D.C. Metro or Atlanta?? Or any other places? (Columbus: best cities, crime)

[DisgustaTruth]

Well DC is known as "Chocolate City"
the metro DC area also has a very sizable black middle class.
The DC area just seems to be more educated overall than metro Atlanta.. and there is just a lot more culture in the DC area.. the only downside is that the cost of living is much higher in the DC area.. but you will make more money too..

[DisgustaTruth]

I would really rank the DC area at the top of my list for a young educated black professional with a masters degree..There's just a lot more diversity overall in the DC area. People in DC seem to be alot more engaged in current events.. and there are so many cultural activities. I am from Atlanta, but moved to DC.. don't think I would want to go back.

[kwr]

Both cities are great. Your experiences in either city will be greatly shaped by your circle of friends / network. With that said, I believe Atlanta has more to offer than DC.

[BobKovacs]

Alot depends on your chosen field of work- DC obviously revolves around politics, while Atlanta offers more opportunities in a wider range of fields. Have you looked into employment opportunities in both cities?

[plessthanpointohfive]

Yes, if you have a masters degree in public health or something science then Atlanta might be a better choice.

And we have a thriving professional black population here, as well.

[Merin]

I disagree with DC not offering a wide range of fields, I hardly have any friends in DC who work in anything related to politics. Atlanta has everything you are looking for( in regards to culture, restaurants, diversity) but DC has alot more of this to offer. I would personally prefer living in DC over Atlanta;however you really need to consider the cost of living. Atlanta can be affordable for most,whereas this is not the case in DC.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by moving??

Ok,
I have to be honest. I want to live in a city with a big black population.

I want museums, bookstores, culture, restaurants,malls, colleges , great scenary, and 4 seasons, family friendly, diversity, etc. etc.

Choice # 1) New York City
Choice # 2) Chicago
Choice # 3) DC

[mdiggs1]

I would choose New York City over Atlanta and D.C. NYC meets all of your criteria, but the only problem most people would say about NYC is that it is an expensive place to live. I say that if your paycheck is big enough than forget about Atlanta or D.C.

[illmatic215]

I will not try to be biased in my comment, because i currently live in DC and I planning on moving to Atlanta.

Atlanta and D.C. are the same in alot of ways, but my friends and I say Atlanta is a nicer version of D.C.


Now both city's have a nice sized black population, both areas have all of what you are looking for. But the thing about the DC metro area is that i would say people are not as friendly or nice as the Atlanta area. I live in PG county and I have visited Atlanta ALOT in the last few years.

Since you have a masters you have to look at what kind of industry you are in and what industry will be good for the area you want to move to. Such as DC is full of government, and contractors so if you want to work in the government or be a consultant it would be a good for you. (Because if your not in the Government in DC you will be running the rat race.) If not I would look at another area, because the cost of living is extremely HIGH to live in a NICE place. I live in the only gated apts in PG county and it cost me 1440 a month for a 2 bed room.

And dc does have alot of black people but everything is clique-ish not alot of people are as outgoing or friendly as in Atlanta. Atlanta is so easy to meet people, not just from Atlanta but from alot of other places in the nation. So it is a good mixing bowl. Another thing is that there are 100 times more restaurants in Atlanta then there are in DC area that are good places to eat at. Both places have the same amount of crime and the transportation is just as bad in both places. But DC has a better public transportation system set up.

My vote is for Atlanta for me personally the friendliness of the people is important for me, and also the cost of living is cheaper, more types of job opportunities. Atlanta has alot of fortune 500 companies there. Atlanta has a better culture for black people then DC does, if that is what your looking for in my opinion.


But another place to look at is Charlotte, NC it is a city on the rise with a large Black population, there big industry is banking so it wont be hard to find a job there. Plus Charlotte is booming alot of people are moving there. So research that city too.

Hope that helps

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by illmatic215

But another place to look at is Charlotte, NC it is a city on the rise with a large Black population, there big industry is banking so it wont be hard to find a job there. Plus Charlotte is booming alot of people are moving there. So research that city too.

An interesting article where Charlotte is mentioned as well as others: blackenterprise.com



Here's a copy/paste of something that was on another board:

BET.com Announces New Research That Ranks Charlotte, NC #1 'Best City' with Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C. Tied for 2nd

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- BET.com announced today the results of a multi-city research project to determine the Best Cities in America for Black Families. Taking the #1 spot as Best City is Charlotte, NC. Tied for second place in the Best Cities category were Columbus, Ohio -- the top city in BET.com's 2001 research project -- and Washington, D.C.

Moderator cut: When quoting outside material, use only the first 2 sentences, and provide a link to the remainder of the article