Relo options: Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, or Knoxville?

[Anonymous]

I am the 23:10 poster and would never identify Atlanta as a "spring break destination," and I have never heard my friends who have lived in Atlanta for years and years ever even mention, let alone complain about, Freaknik.

[Anonymous]

I am with you, PP. My DH is from Atlanta and never had any of these issues. My inlaws still live there and no issues.

I have actually found Atlanta to be better about racial integration than many other towns. There is a thriving African-American middle and upper class in Atlanta. The freaknik comment, frankly, sounded racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am with you, PP. My DH is from Atlanta and never had any of these issues. My inlaws still live there and no issues.

I have actually found Atlanta to be better about racial integration than many other towns. There is a thriving African-American middle and upper class in Atlanta. The freaknik comment, frankly, sounded racist.

Disliking Freaknik is not racist. Black folks who live downtown don't like it either. Its disruptive and obnoxious. Think drunk and rowdy underaged and underdressed (i.e. skimpy clothes) college students partying hard all over downtown even in the streets. You wouldn't notice it unless you live in close-in and mid-town and downtown neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of which... Atlnata is comprised of a huge geographical area. You have the ritzy in- town neighborhoods like Buckhead, Ansley Park (my fav and somewhat like Palisades), Brookhaven, Druid Hills, Virginia Highlands, Morningside, all of which pretty much require private school (some exceptions). Then you can go out into the sprawling burbs of Fulton County, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, DeKalb County, Cobb County, etc...

Compared to Washington ALL housing is cheap, even in the so-called "best" neighborhood of Buckhead. A friend of mine lives in one of the most expensive houses in Buckhead and it would easily be twice as exepnsive if located in here in Wesley Heights or Forrest Hills. Land is just way cheaper and people have much bigger properties. Think everything here supersized. My brother and family live in Alpharetta (which isnt really Atlanta its so far out) and houses are so cheap but mostly new construction and very mc-mansiony. I think the public schools are decent though.

Ansley Park is one of the few neighborhoods where you can walk to good restaurants and places like the Botanical Gardens. Its an "older" niegborhood (1900s) and really lovely. Private schools is probably a must though.

People in Atlanta are very nice, friendly and welcoming. I would say the biggest drawback is that it is a very car-consceince area (think $$$ cars and SUVs) and most places you have to drive everywhere. People can be a bit pretentious and/or narrow-minded once you get past the veneer of southern hospitality.

Good Symphony
Lots of good colleges/universities
Very landlocked

Thats all I can think of right now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am with you, PP. My DH is from Atlanta and never had any of these issues. My inlaws still live there and no issues.

I have actually found Atlanta to be better about racial integration than many other towns. There is a thriving African-American middle and upper class in Atlanta. The freaknik comment, frankly, sounded racist.

Disliking Freaknik is not racist. Black folks who live downtown don't like it either. Its disruptive and obnoxious. Think drunk and rowdy underaged and underdressed (i.e. skimpy clothes) college students partying hard all over downtown even in the streets. You wouldn't notice it unless you live in close-in and mid-town and downtown neighborhoods.

poster of freaknik here- thank you PP- no, I don't care what race it is- it's a horrible invasion of the city.. I was driving on a highway (like 495) and had a car halt on the brakes- I went skidding to avoid them- they were stopping to the side to join 4 other cars that were playing music.. and the news covered looting .. not exactly a great situation IMO.. I did live close to downtown- they even shut down malls (think tysons) since the college kids were hanging out and partying in the parking lot and disrupting business..

read this.. I am not sure if it still goes on to the extent of when I lived there..

http://blackinformant.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/flashback-freaknik/

[Anonymous]

I get what the PP is talking about. Living in Houston, we had the same thing going on in Galveston. Several times a year, spring breakers in general and something like Freaknik once a year (can't recall what it was called though...) To be honest the local folk in Galveston didn't care for loud partiers of any race or creed, but I do remember there was a lot of bad press about it.

[Anonymous]

7:06 here. Sorry if you were offended, but you mentioned 2 african american universities and then freaknik, which just seemed as if you were implying that because of the universities that there are the problems with freaknik. I don't know if you hhave lived elsewhere in the South, but I find Atlanta to be one of the best cities in the. $South.

[Anonymous]

We have friends who left DC after 15 years and moved to Nashville - they love it and were both hired at jobs within a few weeks of relocation (which they did without jobs).