Seeking Atlanta Area Advice

[HASE]

I am looking for some advice on Relocating to the Atlanta area.(sun) I am currently living in the northern suburbs of Detroit and my wife and I are seriously considering moving down there. The Economy and winters are starting to get to us.
I am wondering what you all think of:

1. How is the job market down there? Particularly IT. (I do network administration and pc support as well as run a side business doing the same for home and small office customers)

2.Are there any areas that you would reccomend looking in (or staying away from)? We have a 2 & 1/2 year old daughter so we are looking for that family friendly, good schools kinda thing.

3. What is the scene like down there? Is there alot going on? My wife and I are both in our early 30's and refuse to entirely settle down.

4. How bad is the traffic really? I have heard that depending on what direction you have to go, it can be murder. Can anyone elaberate on this?

I appreciate any input you might have. We are planning a trip in mid march to come down to get a feel for things.
Thanks in advance!
-Chris

 

[JDM-P5]

I'm not from Atlanta, but have been there many times.
When the Atl folks arise from their slumber...I'm sure they'll have some input.

I maybe able to help in a few areas:
3- The scene is great man. I've been to a fair amount of bars/clubs there & I'm never really dissapointed.
4-Traffic during rush hours suck. GA for some reason loves to work on the roads DURING morning hours and on weekends. Boo to that.

Anyway...I let the residents finish up.
Talk to you later.

 

[HASE]

I appreciate the input.
Thanks

I'm not from Atlanta, but have been there many times.
When the Atl folks arise from their slumber...I'm sure they'll have some input.

I maybe able to help in a few areas:
3- The scene is great man. I've been to a fair amount of bars/clubs there & I'm never really dissapointed.
4-Traffic during rush hours suck. GA for some reason loves to work on the roads DURING morning hours and on weekends. Boo to that.

Anyway...I let the residents finish up.
Talk to you later.

 

[Flyway777]

I lived in Kennesaw(northwest of city) for a couple years and i really like that area, east cobb county is good, and i also like alpharetta(north of city), only problem with alpharetta is traffic is always a b**** going to/from. as p5 said there is no shortage of bars/clubs/ or street scene in atlanta. there's always gwinnett county(northeast of city) but i really know nothing about that area, if your looking for bang for your buck house-wise...i would go with douglasville (west of city), or acworth(northwest)... good luck!

 

[YellowMP5]

i am not from atlanta either but i have been there 5 times and the more i go, the more i like it. from what i hear on tv, detroit is a ****hole (no offense). a lot of big companies call atlanta home so i don't think you will have a problem finding a job. houses are cheap so that's a plus. also, you are close enough to the mountains so a weekend twisties trip is very easy to accomplish.

i don't know how highways in detroit work but that i275 they have in atlanta is a tourist's worst nightmare. its impossible to figure out where you are and in what direction you are going. also they have highways coming in from different directions and going in different directions which is a plus, easy to jump on and go where you need to go, but at first learning them is a b****. south florida is easy, its all east-west, north-south, but of course we don't have any roads coming in from east, south or far west (deadhorse

btw, atlantians might disagree with me, but remember this is my view from outside as a visitor, which might be or might not be helpfull to him when he visits (thumb)

 

[HASE]

i am not from atlanta either but i have been there 5 times and the more i go, the more i like it. from what i hear on tv, detroit is a ****hole (no offense). a lot of big companies call atlanta home so i don't think you will have a problem finding a job. houses are cheap so that's a plus. also, you are close enough to the mountains so a weekend twisties trip is very easy to accomplish.

i don't know how highways in detroit work but that i275 they have in atlanta is a tourist's worst nightmare. its impossible to figure out where you are and in what direction you are going. also they have highways coming in from different directions and going in different directions which is a plus, easy to jump on and go where you need to go, but at first learning them is a b****. south florida is easy, its all east-west, north-south, but of course we don't have any roads coming in from east, south or far west (deadhorse

btw, atlantians might disagree with me, but remember this is my view from outside as a visitor, which might be or might not be helpfull to him when he visits (thumb)

I really do appreciate all of the input. It's been like 15 years since I have been down there so a fresh prescpective(s) are very beneficial!

Your pretty much right about detroit. It is expensive to live here and overall, it is a hole... so no offense taken. That's why we are looking!

 

[HASE]

I lived in Kennesaw(northwest of city) for a couple years and i really like that area, east cobb county is good, and i also like alpharetta(north of city), only problem with alpharetta is traffic is always a b**** going to/from. as p5 said there is no shortage of bars/clubs/ or street scene in atlanta. there's always gwinnett county(northeast of city) but i really know nothing about that area, if your looking for bang for your buck house-wise...i would go with douglasville (west of city), or acworth(northwest)... good luck!

Can you tell me a little more about Kennesaw? I have read up a little and it sounds pretty cool. If I am correct, kinda in the mountains smaller community, decent prices.
How long of a ride is it into downtown?
Thanks again!
-Chris

 

[I_Vtec]

From Kennesaw, which is about 10 miles south of where I live, it takes about 20 or 25 minutes to get downtown. But that's with no traffic. I-75 is what you would be taking if you went into town, and has horrible traffic. My mother has a 38 mile commute one-way down 75. It usually takes her anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. But of course there are those times that it's taken 2+ hours.

Flyway is right about housing cost in Douglasville and Acworth. Both have communities springing up all over the place. Acworth is only about 5 miles north of Kennesaw so looking there may not be a bad idea.

 

[JDM-P5]

i am not from atlanta either but i have been there 5 times and the more i go, the more i like it. from what i hear on tv, detroit is a ****hole (no offense). a lot of big companies call atlanta home so i don't think you will have a problem finding a job. houses are cheap so that's a plus. also, you are close enough to the mountains so a weekend twisties trip is very easy to accomplish.

i don't know how highways in detroit work but that i275 they have in atlanta is a tourist's worst nightmare. its impossible to figure out where you are and in what direction you are going. also they have highways coming in from different directions and going in different directions which is a plus, easy to jump on and go where you need to go, but at first learning them is a b****. south florida is easy, its all east-west, north-south, but of course we don't have any roads coming in from east, south or far west (deadhorse

btw, atlantians might disagree with me, but remember this is my view from outside as a visitor, which might be or might not be helpfull to him when he visits (thumb)

Not thread jacking...but I used to live in Pines. My parents still live there also. & I swear, I was home for Thanksgiving & I thought I saw your ride on the Pines/Flamingo intersection heading East.


BOT

 

[Rogue]

Like I Boost said, Acworth and Kennesaw both have neighborhoods poping up everywhere. Cherokee County (north of Cobb) is also growing quickly. The further you move from ATL, the cheaper the houses are, but you may have to deal with more traffic if you work towards ATL. I know from experience that Cobb Co. schools are really good, as long as you stay in the northern half of the county. The southern half of the county can get iffy with gang activity and such.

Someone mentioned that alot of companies call ATL home, and that's true. Off the top of my head I know i've seen buildings for Philips, Nokia, HP, Cingular, Wachovia, Southern Company, Georgia Power, Home Depot. Also, Delta is centered out of ATL.

If you look at a map of Atlanta, you'll see I-285 (the Permiter), I-75, I-85, and I-20. Most of the "big" companies seem to be inside the Permiter, north of I-20, and between I-75 and I-85 when you get out side the perimeter.

When it comes to the social scene of ATL, there's always a party somewhere in Downtown, Midtown, or Buckhead. I've never been one to go bar hopping, but I know it's out there.

Traffic. The ideal situation would be to live in Atlanta and work outside, but that's hard to do with the cost of housing near the city. Traffic is something everyone has to deal with unless your commute starts at 4:00am.

 

[Velocifero]

i live in roswell, i love the area, easy access to atlanta and the mountains, sure there is traffic, but there is traffic everywhere if you ask me. Weather is crazy(back and forth) but usually moderate. mazda scene is nice from the forum. used to live in woodstock, just north of kennesaw/ marietta, next to acworth area, imo traffic can be just as bad over there as in the alpharetta area where i am now. 6 of one half dozen of the other. think it is nicer above the side than below it. there shouldnt be too much of a problem finding IT work in Atlanta, but it is always wise to start selling yourself now, before you decide to pack up.

 

[BigB]

I live in Norcross, inbetween GA400 and I-85 in Gwinnett County. I have also grew up in Sandy Springs which sits on the North part of I-285 adjacent to GA400.

Gwinnett, North Fulton, Cobb all are good areas to relocate to. You will NOT regret moving down here, I have yet to meet any transplants who have. It is very cosmopolitan city with something for everyone. The traffic is bad, but you learn how to deal with it. and usually is not that bad on the weekends. Atlanta is, on average 5hrs from the beach, 2hrs from the mountains, and tons of other attractions.

BTW - check out my employer's openings.. we are always hiring people:

www.checkfree.com

http://jobsearch.checkfree.careers.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?col=dlt&sort=rv&vw=b&lid=899&fn=&q=

 

[HASE]

i live in roswell, i love the area, easy access to atlanta and the mountains, sure there is traffic, but there is traffic everywhere if you ask me. Weather is crazy(back and forth) but usually moderate. mazda scene is nice from the forum. used to live in woodstock, just north of kennesaw/ marietta, next to acworth area, imo traffic can be just as bad over there as in the alpharetta area where i am now. 6 of one half dozen of the other. think it is nicer above the side than below it. there shouldnt be too much of a problem finding IT work in Atlanta, but it is always wise to start selling yourself now, before you decide to pack up.

Thanks for the input. I have heard Roswell is nice as well. By "Above the side" are you talking about the north-western area?
As for the job, I have been looking and it really is amazing, If I do a search around here, I get maybe 50 listings, 5 of which might be relavent. When I do it down there, I get like 15 Pages, 50 listings being relevent.

Who know's Maybe I will be thanking all of you for the input in person and soon!
Thanks again, It really does help quite a bit!

 

[HASE]

The only thing we have around here is Canada (15 minutes away) and "Up North" whis is a michigan term for we are getting outta dodge and going to the lake/woods/river. That is usually a couple of hour ride. I spent my summers groing up on Lake Michigan and I think that I would miss that but not much else.

I think I am going to take all of this info and put it on a map for scouting in March.

I am getting more and more into the idea (especially since it is 19F out right now).

Thanks BigB for the link on your company opportunities! How do you like working there?

I live in Norcross, inbetween GA400 and I-85 in Gwinnett County. I have also grew up in Sandy Springs which sits on the North part of I-285 adjacent to GA400.

Gwinnett, North Fulton, Cobb all are good areas to relocate to. You will NOT regret moving down here, I have yet to meet any transplants who have. It is very cosmopolitan city with something for everyone. The traffic is bad, but you learn how to deal with it. and usually is not that bad on the weekends. Atlanta is, on average 5hrs from the beach, 2hrs from the mountains, and tons of other attractions.

BTW - check out my employer's openings.. we are always hiring people:

www.checkfree.com

http://jobsearch.checkfree.careers.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?col=dlt&sort=rv&vw=b&lid=899&fn=&q=

 

[BigB]

I love my job. The company is great, we will do $1 billion this year and pretty much own all the markets we're in. It's a good culture focused on the employee and customer satisfaction.

Atlanta is a great city, no matter where you live. When he was saying "above and to the side" he's referring to areas in realtion to I-285. That is pretty much how everything is referenced around here. ITP, OTP (Inside/Outside The Perimeter) East side, West side, etc...and the highways pretty much cut the metro area up into quarters as well.

 

[aMaff]

BTW - check out my employer's openings.. we are always hiring people:

www.checkfree.com

http://jobsearch.checkfree.careers.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?col=dlt&sort=rv&vw=b&lid=899&fn=&q=

Hey Bryan, where is CheckFree located? They have a job that I think I would fit right into, and I'll be done w/ my undergrad work by the end of this summer (dunno if it'll still be available by then, but it's worth a shot).

 

[BigB]

okay first off Andrew.. its spelled BRIAN..

we are in Norcross. Just up Peachtree Industrial Blvd, right on the banks of the Chattahoochee.

 

[aMaff]

ok, blame Kevin for the spelling. I asked which it was, and he said "with a y," damn it. Sorry bout that.

Thanks for the info, BrIan