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We are deciding between Gwinnett/Hall County Georgia and San Antonio, Texas. I've visited the area (GA, not TX) in July. It seemed pretty nice, but I was taken aback by how close together the houses are, and was warned about the terrible traffic, although I didn't witness any. We visited on the weekend when you typically wouldn't see traffic anyways.
Georgia was very green, very hilly (not so good, I get motion sickness in the car) and overall, very pretty. The shopping was great, and I've heard good things about the schools.
I've also read a lot of current Gwinnett County residents complaining about it not being all it's cracked up to be. I've heard the people are rude, you have to be a bible thumper, and racial tension is high.
At this point I don't know what to think. I'm looking for some honest thoughts and opinions from those who currently live in the Gwinnett County area. Tell me why I should come to Georgia, surely there are good things that even the biggest pessimist can admit to. Heck, tell me why I shouldn't too!
Moving is expensive, so I want to make the right decision.
Thank you so much for any advice/input you have to offer.
If it matters, we have 4 small children, so schools and the HOPE Scholarship are BIG deals to us. We are a middle class family just looking for a good place to raise the kids. If Georgia is not that place, I'd really like to figure that out now, before we go through the hassle.
Tiffani, just as another relative newcomer perspective -- take all the negative stuff around here with some grain of salt. When I first got here and read all the negative stuff about Atlanta -- I was thinking wow... maybe I had better rethink my decision and job hunt somewhere else. But having hung around a while and even voiced my concerns, there have been some positive things posted about Atlanta and about Georgia too. So you just have to sift through things the best you can. You also have to talk to people you know that live in Georgia instead of just relying on the opinions here -- everyone has such different life experiences and perceptions too and they are all valid on some level but their circumstances may be totally different than yours.
On a side note San Antonio does not have the traffic Atlanta does whatsoever. Texas is another relatively cheap state ot live in and gets lots of people moving there too like Georgia. I'm from Texas, grew up in Houston, lived in Austin and know Texas fairly well. I won't go into all the specifics on San Antonio but I bet you could get lots of info on the Texas forum. And of course you would need to visit there too. Good luck!
Moving new places and cross country is always an interesting experience -- I've done it several times.
Tiffani, when I moved my family here 6 months ago, I thought everything was great. Then the reality of my decision sunk in. I thought about moving back to Florida a thousand times. I have two small children so I know how difficult it is. I just kept reminding myself about why I moved in the first place: low wages, taxes, insurance, hurricanes, etc. I have found that most of the people here are very friendly and that you really do get a better quality of life. I don't know much about the Gwinnett area, I'm in Cumming. We just bought a brand new house that would probably cost close to a million bucks in Florida. You can't beat the price of homes in North Georgia. I have met several Bible thumpers up here, but you're going to get that any place you go. My daughter has had a few issues with anti-semitism in her elementary school, but that's a product of poor parenting and miseducation. Again, that kind of stuff can be found anywhere. When I first visited this area, it was summer, so everything was green and the weather was great. Now it's winter and I'm freezing my tush off. It's a trade off: Florida has great weather most of the year, but the expense of living there and the hurricanes nullify that. Georgia has the seasons and good schools. My advice is to go visit both places for an extended vacation if you can and see what you like. I will caution you that you don't get a true sense of a place until you actually live there. It was a shock to me when reality set in. Now we're ok.
As someone who has moved around quite a bit, I can tell you that it takes a while to acclimate -- sometimes 1 or 2 years to the different culture, attitudes etc.
When I first visited this area, it was summer, so everything was green and the weather was great. Now it's winter and I'm freezing my tush off.
The best is yet to come!
I'll bet you've never seen anything as enchanting as springtime in Georgia. As for our winters, as mothers say about childbirth: You'll forget the pain when you experience new life. Forsythia and cherry trees, then pink and white dogwood trees in bloom will take your breath away. Drive down to Atlanta in a few weeks to see the dogwoods and colorful azaleas.
Hang in there. Spring is just seven short weeks away.
Tiffani, just as another relative newcomer perspective -- take all the negative stuff around here with some grain of salt. When I first got here and read all the negative stuff about Atlanta -- I was thinking wow... maybe I had better rethink my decision and job hunt somewhere else. But having hung around a while and even voiced my concerns, there have been some positive things posted about Atlanta and about Georgia too. So you just have to sift through things the best you can. You also have to talk to people you know that live in Georgia instead of just relying on the opinions here -- everyone has such different life experiences and perceptions too and they are all valid on some level but their circumstances may be totally different than yours.
On a side note San Antonio does not have the traffic Atlanta does whatsoever. Texas is another relatively cheap state ot live in and gets lots of people moving there too like Georgia. I'm from Texas, grew up in Houston, lived in Austin and know Texas fairly well. I won't go into all the specifics on San Antonio but I bet you could get lots of info on the Texas forum. And of course you would need to visit there too. Good luck!
Moving new places and cross country is always an interesting experience -- I've done it several times.
I see your point. I am trying to figure the good and the bad as part of this stressful decision making process. I think you can find good and bad anywhere. I would loathe living in Florida. It's hot and humid, gets hit from three sides by hurricaes, and it's expensive. I'm also not a "beach person." However, there are millions of people who would rank Florida as their favorite place to live. So, you're right, it's all relative really.
We don't have the option of an extended visit to either Georgia or Texas, so I'm pretty much limited to the internet. I've been to Georgia and was happy with it, but I only stayed 2 nights. I realize that's far from enough time to get any real perspective on the place, which is why I find thoughts and opinions on this forum so valuable. I guess I need to do as you say though and take it all with a grain of salt. There is no perfect place to live.
Tiffani, when I moved my family here 6 months ago, I thought everything was great. Then the reality of my decision sunk in. I thought about moving back to Florida a thousand times. I have two small children so I know how difficult it is. I just kept reminding myself about why I moved in the first place: low wages, taxes, insurance, hurricanes, etc. I have found that most of the people here are very friendly and that you really do get a better quality of life. I don't know much about the Gwinnett area, I'm in Cumming. We just bought a brand new house that would probably cost close to a million bucks in Florida. You can't beat the price of homes in North Georgia. I have met several Bible thumpers up here, but you're going to get that any place you go. My daughter has had a few issues with anti-semitism in her elementary school, but that's a product of poor parenting and miseducation. Again, that kind of stuff can be found anywhere. When I first visited this area, it was summer, so everything was green and the weather was great. Now it's winter and I'm freezing my tush off. It's a trade off: Florida has great weather most of the year, but the expense of living there and the hurricanes nullify that. Georgia has the seasons and good schools. My advice is to go visit both places for an extended vacation if you can and see what you like. I will caution you that you don't get a true sense of a place until you actually live there. It was a shock to me when reality set in. Now we're ok.
I hear ya! A 3000sq ft home here in Virginia in a good school district will run you around $550k. That's why we need to move, we just can't swing that kind of house payment. Otherwise, I would be happy staying here for the rest of my life.
Do you think your disappointment was because you were homesick and in an unfamiliar place? I'm curious to hear what part of your move didn't hold up to your expectations. I have that "grass is greener" complex right now, and I fear the reality of it all. It sounds like it's a pretty nice place though, once you get settled and adjusted, no?
As someone who has moved around quite a bit, I can tell you that it takes a while to acclimate -- sometimes 1 or 2 years to the different culture, attitudes etc.
I'm a military brat (Dad was a Air Force pilot), so I'm all too familiar with change and adjusting to it. I actually find change exciting, so long as it's a positive change.
Tiffani, I'm a creature of habit and while change can be exciting, for me it's a chore. I lived in Florida for 18 years before moving here so I was firmly entrenched in the South Florida lifestyle. Sun, sand and fun. It's a little more serious up here since the main forms of income are industry compared to the tourism in Florida. Florida is a haven for transients, which lends itself to a more freewheeling attitude. People here are grown ups. That may not make much sense, but if you came from Florida you'd understand. I agree with you that most of my anxiety probably came from being homesick and missing friends and family. We're getting used to it and settling in now that we just bought a house. A friend of mine once said he's been divorced and hes moved and by far the the worst of the two was moving. So true.
Tiffani, I'm a creature of habit and while change can be exciting, for me it's a chore. I lived in Florida for 18 years before moving here so I was firmly entrenched in the South Florida lifestyle. Sun, sand and fun. It's a little more serious up here since the main forms of income are industry compared to the tourism in Florida. Florida is a haven for transients, which lends itself to a more freewheeling attitude. People here are grown ups. That may not make much sense, but if you came from Florida you'd understand. I agree with you that most of my anxiety probably came from being homesick and missing friends and family. We're getting used to it and settling in now that we just bought a house. A friend of mine once said he's been divorced and hes moved and by far the the worst of the two was moving. So true.
You sound like my husband. Change is not something he finds exciting. He knows we can't afford to have a nice home in a good school district where we currently live, so he's motivated by that. He also has family in Rome, GA.
South Florida is beautiful, I can see why you miss it, especially since you've lived there for so long. That's how I feel about Virginia. I've spent the majority of my life here, it's the place I call home. We have mountains, beaches and endless activities to entertain us. Best of all, my family is here, and I'm really close to them. If we could afford to stay, we would, but it's just not reality. We need better for our family, and I'm really praying we find that when we move.
You said you were in Cummings? That's just a tad north of the area we were looking at. What do you think of it?
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I've been to Georgia and was happy with it, but I only stayed 2 nights. I realize that's far from enough time to get any real perspective on the place, which is why I find thoughts and opinions on this forum so valuable. I guess I need to do as you say though and take it all with a grain of salt. There is no perfect place to live. 
Change is not something he finds exciting. He knows we can't afford to have a nice home in a good school district where we currently live, so he's motivated by that. He also has family in Rome, GA.
