Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The intro was vague. People need to have a bit more information to possibly steer you in the right direction. I have a few questions for you, that may help you.
1. What do you like to do? (activities/leisure)
2. What do you expect from a city (in various aspects)
3. Do you have relatives? Friends? (in both cities)
4. Have you calculated how much you can afford to spend to live (in each city)?
5. Do you want a suburban or city lifestyle?
6. Which city have you found work in? Or which one is a better prospect?
7. Where are you located now?
8. Why did these two cities come to mind first? Any others in mind?
Answering these questions may help some, then take it from there.
Being from NYC, living in Florida and looking to move to Atlanta myself, I can provide some insight. I would suggest travelling to both cities as often as you can to see which one may work for you. Go during different seasons, do different things everytime you go, build networks in both places if possible. Get a feel for each city, and dare to drive in both places during rush hour to see if you can bear it. Take the bus and train in both cities too.
PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS:
The advantage of NYC is the public transit system. If you are a bus/train type of person, NYC wins hands down. However, if you live in the Metro Atlanta area, MARTA "may" be adequate. I have friends and a cousin that live in the Metro Atlanta area, that have cars but take the bus/train to work with no problems. My cousin has a loft in Castleberry Hill and loves it. He loves not having to drive to work, and has enough amenities in the area to satisfy his daily needs.
CAR:
In my opinion, you will need a car in both cities, regardless of what some may say. You don't want to take the subway on a saturday night at 2am in NYC, do you? A car is essential, just not all the time. You also have major parking issues in NYC, not likely in Atlanta. Paying to park a car in NYC is another monthly bill. It's not cheap, and beware scratches and dings, even in private parking lots.
RENT/HOUSING:
That's a no-brainer. Atlanta wins hands down. Bang for your Buck compared to NYC. If you're the type that needs more space, again..Atlanta wins. You'll be paying a lot more to live closer to Manhattan, if that's where you will be working. In a NY state of mind, it's worth it. If spending $2k+ a month for rent is ok with you, for a one bedroom, subpar studio or apt, then fine. You can also get yourself a decent sized house for that amount in Atlanta. A house you own, not rent. You can always pay less for a home.
Entertainment/Leisure:
That's subjective. You may find more things such as ballet, opera and plays to go to in NYC. More Jazz and poetry louges as well. You'll find some in Atlanta, maybe not as many. It depends on what you like. Outdoor type of fun, Atlanta wins. After a while, if you are not used to big city life, you may have a claustrophobic feeling in NYC. (wait till you have kids )
KIDS:
I dont know if you have any. If you plan on having any, I'd say start planting roots in Atlanta. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people have kids and are living just fine in NYC. It's a matter of standards of living. Some people are ok being cooped up in an Apt in NYC with two kids. I call it miserable. That's me. I need the space. When I had my place in NYC, I was single, so space was no major issue. Things were cheaper then too.
Housing is expensive in NYC. You dont see your money go far. I love the city, but ask me if I want to move back there. NO!! I love it, but now with kids, it's not as appealing.
SCHOOLS:
Another subjective point. Granted some here will tell you it's horrible. You have to see it for yourself, and of course as a parent, you cannot have the attitude of burdening the teacher only. Parents who complain about schools are just as bad as most teachers and administrators they criticize. I've worked on both ends of the spectrum (good and bad schools). I know. DM me if you have more questions and specifics about anything mentioned.
Hope you find the answers you were looking for. Good luck!
Positives: Great entertainment, great transportation, skyline
Negatives:
Harlem is ranked #1 with blacks with HIV
Prepare to have roommates and to live in a small apartment
Too expensive
Too cold
horrible parking, prepare to have to park 6+ blocks away from your apartment at night
dirty
Atlanta
Positives: Professional Black mecca, nice weather, cheap cost of living, good entertainment, 300k+ to million dollar homes with people that look like you, only one toll highway, etc
Negatives:
Subway line needs to be extended
Have a job b4 moving down
Whatever you do, don't let this forum be the last word on the decision you make. There is an inordinate amount of irrational hatred on this forum for the sunbelt cities, particularly Atlanta. Most of it appears to be from posters that have limited to no knowledge of the city. Then there are those that like to project their personal shortcomings and poor decisionmaking onto the city in which they live.
I have had the pleasure of living in both cities at different times of my life. As a young woman in NYC (Brooklyn Heights), I found the city to be a daily adventure...a truly wondrous place to live. Atlanta is smaller and a bit more slow-paced, but a very livable city nonetheless. I would strongly recommend that if you choose Atlanta, go with an intown neighborhood...I feel that the suburbs could make a single newcomer feel rather isolated.
The intro was vague. People need to have a bit more information to possibly steer you in the right direction. I have a few questions for you, that may help you.
1. What do you like to do? (activities/leisure)
2. What do you expect from a city (in various aspects)
3. Do you have relatives? Friends? (in both cities)
4. Have you calculated how much you can afford to spend to live (in each city)?
5. Do you want a suburban or city lifestyle?
6. Which city have you found work in? Or which one is a better prospect?
7. Where are you located now?
8. Why did these two cities come to mind first? Any others in mind?
Answering these questions may help some, then take it from there.
Being from NYC, living in Florida and looking to move to Atlanta myself, I can provide some insight. I would suggest travelling to both cities as often as you can to see which one may work for you. Go during different seasons, do different things everytime you go, build networks in both places if possible. Get a feel for each city, and dare to drive in both places during rush hour to see if you can bear it. Take the bus and train in both cities too.
PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS:
The advantage of NYC is the public transit system. If you are a bus/train type of person, NYC wins hands down. However, if you live in the Metro Atlanta area, MARTA "may" be adequate. I have friends and a cousin that live in the Metro Atlanta area, that have cars but take the bus/train to work with no problems. My cousin has a loft in Castleberry Hill and loves it. He loves not having to drive to work, and has enough amenities in the area to satisfy his daily needs.
CAR:
In my opinion, you will need a car in both cities, regardless of what some may say. You don't want to take the subway on a saturday night at 2am in NYC, do you? A car is essential, just not all the time. You also have major parking issues in NYC, not likely in Atlanta. Paying to park a car in NYC is another monthly bill. It's not cheap, and beware scratches and dings, even in private parking lots.
RENT/HOUSING:
That's a no-brainer. Atlanta wins hands down. Bang for your Buck compared to NYC. If you're the type that needs more space, again..Atlanta wins. You'll be paying a lot more to live closer to Manhattan, if that's where you will be working. In a NY state of mind, it's worth it. If spending $2k+ a month for rent is ok with you, for a one bedroom, subpar studio or apt, then fine. You can also get yourself a decent sized house for that amount in Atlanta. A house you own, not rent. You can always pay less for a home.
Entertainment/Leisure:
That's subjective. You may find more things such as ballet, opera and plays to go to in NYC. More Jazz and poetry louges as well. You'll find some in Atlanta, maybe not as many. It depends on what you like. Outdoor type of fun, Atlanta wins. After a while, if you are not used to big city life, you may have a claustrophobic feeling in NYC. (wait till you have kids )
KIDS:
I dont know if you have any. If you plan on having any, I'd say start planting roots in Atlanta. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people have kids and are living just fine in NYC. It's a matter of standards of living. Some people are ok being cooped up in an Apt in NYC with two kids. I call it miserable. That's me. I need the space. When I had my place in NYC, I was single, so space was no major issue. Things were cheaper then too.
Housing is expensive in NYC. You dont see your money go far. I love the city, but ask me if I want to move back there. NO!! I love it, but now with kids, it's not as appealing.
SCHOOLS:
Another subjective point. Granted some here will tell you it's horrible. You have to see it for yourself, and of course as a parent, you cannot have the attitude of burdening the teacher only. Parents who complain about schools are just as bad as most teachers and administrators they criticize. I've worked on both ends of the spectrum (good and bad schools). I know. DM me if you have more questions and specifics about anything mentioned.
Hope you find the answers you were looking for. Good luck!
Great, informative post! The highlighted part was particularly noteworthy...
I am sure you realize the job market is very tight. If it were me, if I were young and single I would go where my first job takes me. It might not be ATL or NYC.
Getting that first job is always key, never more so than right now.
Whatever you do, don't let this forum be the last word on the decision you make. There is an inordinate amount of irrational hatred on this forum for the sunbelt cities, particularly Atlanta. Most of it appears to be from posters that have limited to no knowledge of the city. Then there are those that like to project their personal shortcomings and poor decisionmaking onto the city in which they live.
I have had the pleasure of living in both cities at different times of my life. As a young woman in NYC (Brooklyn Heights), I found the city to be a daily adventure...a truly wondrous place to live. Atlanta is smaller and a bit more slow-paced, but a very livable city nonetheless. I would strongly recommend that if you choose Atlanta, go with an intown neighborhood...I feel that the suburbs could make a single newcomer feel rather isolated.
[quote=LovinDecatur;8011695]Whatever you do, don't let this forum be the last word on the decision you make.
Thank you very much for your feedback, I appreciate what you said.
When I posted this question in the NYC forum I made sure to mention that I was African American before I got the "everything is ghetto" responses from people, who are most likely not African American.
I am sure you realize the job market is very tight. If it were me, if I were young and single I would go where my first job takes me. It might not be ATL or NYC.
Getting that first job is always key, never more so than right now.
You are right, the job market is the deciding factor. I haven't thought of any other cities yet but that may not be such a bad idea.
I grew up in the Houston area so I want a city that is diverse and with culture.
Make sure you have a job first before you move here.
Double that comment if you plan on going with NYC. NYC is more of a 'HUSTLE' town where only those who make a hustle survive the city. Meaning, there you may not be doing what you want to do, but what you have to do to make ends meet. There, a person who passed the BAR exam can find themselves driving dollar vans.
Bring it on down to 'the A'... It's a professional woman's town.
Martarider is right though. Make sure you have a job in either place before you make that move.
But also, you need to keep in mind what your profession is and if your profession is in demand in the city you choose.
So, what exactly IS your profession?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A car is essential, just not all the time. You also have major parking issues in NYC, not likely in Atlanta. Paying to park a car in NYC is another monthly bill. It's not cheap, and beware scratches and dings, even in private parking lots. 
)
