Move to Atlanta GA

[Katrina]

Need some advice for son 1 and wife. Thanks to king Ricky, they are relocating to Atlanta, GA area. They are looking for apartment probably north end. Both of them are in movie,tv biz and he has opportunity to FINALLY get steady work, DIL has been working as an accountant for shows, movies, so she works out of home so she can relocate easy. Son 1 is going down there to scope out areas next week or so. Anyone down that way that may have advice or ideas is much appreciated. They found an FBI site that talks about crime rates and a few realtor sites but he thinks it is best to go down and look around.
They will need 2-3 bed apt. For when the kids come. He is NOT DIYer and does not want house to buy.
Thanks all , appreciate any thing you can tell me.

[bacpacker]

My nephew lives in Kennesaw. Maybe 25-30 miles north of Atlanta. He likes it there and had good luck finding apartments. He's actually got a bid on short sale house right now.
He made the move down from kalamazoo last winter.

[mitunnelrat]

I'm not familiar with the area at all, but a family friend lives down there, and something my dad noticed is pretty bad down there is dog theft, particularly the small breeds. Just a heads up in case they have one/ any. He said there were a ton of postings in the neighborhoods there for missing dogs, and when he was driving home a couple guys at a gas station tried getting his little Yorkie.

That was an interesting story, though it didn't go badly for anyone. Mostly due to his being on watch for that sort of thing from the signs.

[Katrina]

Thanks backpacker, I'll let son know. Don't know how far outside city he actually wants to go. He's heard further south is pretty expensive that's why I think he is looking more north side.

[Katrina]

Mtr,
Thanks for the heads up. They don't have pets at this time as they do move about on the jobs. If it wasn't for Detroit 187, he would have been working on Drew Barrymore's movie about whales up Alaska's way last year and half ago. She had called son 1 but he couldn't get away. He worked on her movie Whip It and impressed her enough that she called him when she started to put together her crew for that movie.

[bacpacker]

From what I have heard from the nephew nothing down there is cheap. It does vary however. Good luck to them both.

[Katrina]

Thanks again. I appreciate the info. But I gotta tell you it's probably cheaper than moving to New York, which was the other area that looked promising for jobs.

[TEOTWAWKI13]

I am an Atlanta native, born in Marietta, lived my whole life in Woodstock, about 30 minutes North of the city. Still go down once or twice a week for my kids. Kennesaw has a low crime rate, as it is law that every home must own a gun (unless you don't want to)...long story, I can explain later. Woodstock, GA in Cherokee County is a good area, not extremely cheap, but if their looking for an apartment, it can be done. Good city police force, good county sheriff's department. Just know it's a big city/county, so things happen.

Not that I'm an expert, but if you have any specific questions about an area, or anything else for that matter, list them, and I'll do my best to answer them.

[Katrina]

Thanks T, appreciate the info. Will let son1 know.

[TEOTWAWKI13]

For a more 'rural' feel, and being further from the city, tell him to check into Canton, GA (still Cherokee County), or Ball Ground, or a little further north up I-575/515 into Jasper (Pickens County) is a good area. You're at the foothills of the Appalachian Mtns.

[AlphaTea]

Right after we got married we moved to the Atlanta area in 1978.
We lived in an apartment in Decatur for a year Before moving out close to Stone Mountain in another apartment.
Life was good. We liked the area. I went in to the Navy in '80 and we left the area.
Fast forward many years...Wifey and I are watching COPS and wouldn't you know it, the VERY Apartment we lived in has the Po-Po investigating drug deal gone wrong/murder. Aint that something.
Gets better.
The very next week we are watching John Walsh on "America's Most Wanted" and he is talking about a parental child abduction outside Atlanta. They show the second Apartment building we were living in. Whats the odds of that?
Last Thanksgiving we went back to LA (Lower Alabama) for a visit with the folks. We decided to check out the old places we used to live and work in the Atlanta area.
OMGWTF happened! The first apartment, well we didnt even turn into it. It looked like a scene from Mogadishu in Blackhawk Down over there. An actual car being torched and we could hear sirens approaching. Decided to check out the other place.
It was just off Memorial Drive, which back in the '70's and early '80's was known as Eat Street. It was a test market area for new restaurants. Very busy area. I was the manager of a Hardees there for a while. Its now a closed down Title/Auto Pawn store.. Most all of the businesses were closed down. A real shit hole. The 'wrong' part of town. We drove about a mile or so to the apartment complex. It was immediately apperant that this was the middle-eastern persons part of town. The exact building was no longer there, looked like it had burned down recently. All in all it seemed like a quiet neighborhood.
When I lived there, all the interstates were 2 or 3 lanes in each direction. Now they are 6 or 7 lanes. Driving is still the same. You are either doing 75-80mph to keep from getting run over or you are parked for 30 minutes then move 100 yards and park another 30 minutes.
Definitely live in the burbs. The further out, the better. Marietta is right nice. Wifey's sister and BIL live out there.
Would I go back to the Atlanta area to live? Probably not. Too many folks and not enough water.
That being said, it still has a lot going for it. At the time it was one of my favorite places to live. Lots to do
Sorry for the manifesto.

[Katrina]

Alpha,
Thanks, problem is they have to be close enough for the jobs and that means Atlanta or as close as they can get to city but in safe area.
T, thanks again

[ladyhk13]

Katrina, give him this link Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more (http://www.city-data.com/) if he looks at a map of Atlanta and where is office is he can then look at the small towns nearby and then he can go to city data and pull up all he wants to know about the town before he goes to visit them. It might help him narrow down his choices. He can look them up by name or population size. Maybe this will help him. I'm thirlled he's coming down so maybe this will mean you'll come down for a visit and we can get together on your way down!

[AlphaTea]

Katrina, give him this link Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more (http://www.city-data.com/) if he looks at a map of Atlanta and where is office is he can then look at the small towns nearby and then he can go to city data and pull up all he wants to know about the town before he goes to visit them. It might help him narrow down his choices. He can look them up by name or population size. Maybe this will help him. I'm thirlled he's coming down so maybe this will mean you'll come down for a visit and we can get together on your way down!

Now THAT is a cool idea. Thanks for sharing.

[ladyhk13]

You are so very welcome!

[Katrina]

lady,
THANK YOU!! We also found the FBI's site that talks about crime rates,etc. for any city in country. Will pass this one you found on to him.
Would love to visit, if and when they get settled. Not sure when they are leaving, he is getting the kids for spring break so actual move is on hold till after they go back to ex dil in Colorado. Grandpa and I are flying them back the end of March.

[ladyhk13]

You're welcome! I have a CIA site but I think it's for countries and not our states. Well you just let me know when you want to come and we'll have a bedroom ready for ya'll.

[Katrina]

I don't know IF things get too bad up here I may come down for a LOOONG time, LOL. I can swing an axe and help clear out the ground. Did that when we moved into new house when I was a teen. Church members cleared the ground for church and then built the church.
Will let you know, duh hubs is talking about flying into DC then renting car as we will probably visit my sisters in VA as well. drive to VA and GA ,then return car to DC and fly home. Don't ask, he is also talking about moving the TV, 32 inch hdl, I got him for his birthday downstairs , replacing the one down there (an old stand on the floor console one) and getting a little one and putting it on the peninsula by the kitchen so we (me) can watch TV while in kitchen.

[Sniper-T]

You're welcome! I have a CIA site but I think it's for countries and not our states. Well you just let me know when you want to come and we'll have a bedroom ready for ya'll.

:eek:

what's it say about Canada???

:eek:

[eagle326]

:eek:

what's it say about Canada???

:eek:

BEWARE!! Sniper T on the prowl. ;)

You know ; ( That Guy )

[Sniper-T]

bwahahahaha

I'm good with that!

[TEOTWAWKI13]

From first hand experience, North of the city is best. Kennesaw/Cart5ersville/parts of Acworth/Woodstock. Although from Cherokee Co east to Roswell/Alpharetta it's more expensive. If a 45 minute to an hour commute is ok for him, Cartersville is a good town. I lived there for a year.

[Katrina]

Thanks T, he told us he was going to look north, northwest. He found out he has a couple of friends (in the biz) that have been there awhile. Supposedly they are in a good area.
I really appreciate all the great info, so does son 1.

[Katrina]

Well folks, son 1found a place in Vining and leaves this Sunday. He wants to thank all of you for the advice. I do too!
His coworker on 187 lives in same complex and helped him get into her complex.

[bacpacker]

Glad to hear things worked out.

[Katrina]

Thank bp, just hope the job hunt will go as smoothly. There are 6 films and TV shows starting down there.

[ladyhk13]

So when's the moving in party????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????

[Katrina]

Don't know yet. He's going down Sunday with an air mattress and his clothes. Dil had back surgery Tuesday so she's at her folks recuperating. Not sure when she'll be able to go down yet.

[ladyhk13]

Hey, we're only 3 hours away...party time!

[Katrina]

Would love to come but BOO HOO times up I gotta go back to work Monday. Otherwise I may not have a job. OH OH the great/ living room was painted today. Duh hubs and I had to move all the furniture away from wall Tuesday/ yesterday. Word of advise , f you get one of those EZ lifters (frm tv) watch the lever thingy, we got the top half of china cabinet unloaded and moved but decided to leave the bottom half loaded and just stick the slider things under each corner, DH put the lever thing under one end , got the sliders in place, did other end and as I was sliding the next set under cabinet...wait for it, wait for it. The lever slipped and my fingers got smushed. Middle finger and ring finger got caught. I gotta go to work so I can recuperate!!!! have metal splint on middle finger and knuckle is pretty swollen and sore. Nothing broken but I thought hubs was going to get hysterical on me and I would have had to bop him one.. He feels so bad about dropping the end of cabinet on my fingers. It wasn't his fault the piece you slide under the end of things is only about 1/2 long, it really should be about an inch long. Am writing manufacturer about that. Granite comes in about three weeks. I may have this finished by Christmas by the way things have been going. HAR HAR HAR

[Taz Baby]

Sorry about your finger and right when you got the OK to go back to work too. Glad it is not broke. That really sucks, plus everyone is going to ask you what happened the first week back too. Is that going to stop you from working? If so then that double sucks. Now on a different note, i sure as hell hope that my kitchen that we are building , that now has turned into a small house, will not take til Christmas. We have to have it done by the end of Aug. If it is not done I think I will snap and have a tazatack. It ain't pretty when Taz turns into the Tazanator.

[ladyhk13]

OUCH!!!!!! Girl you need a real vacation! Hope it feels better soon.

[bacpacker]

That sucks Katrina. I mashed my thumb with a hammer Wensday. I can't imagine dropping something that big on it.

[Katrina]

It wasn't that far from the floor as I has gotten the 3rd pad under the cabinet so the pad took most of the weight. It still hurts like h**L but I got DRUGS!!!!!. Splint won't stop me from working, will just have to do hunt and peck on computer. lady, that's why I'm glad to go back to work, I'll be able to "rest" up. LOL.
taz, You'll get it done, don't worry. I take you have something on deck for August, hence the deadline?
We really didn't have a set deadline for finishing this project. I just get frustrated when I move stuff around in back bedroom then can't find it again with out having to move the boxes again. The shelves are all in pantry so this week end we are putting that back together. Yippee!!
I am making salmon for dinner Saturday night, get to use the new convection oven!

[ladyhk13]

So how is your finger doing? Are you happy to get back to work? I know, you were really looking forward to the monthly birthday parties and all the goodies!!!!

[Katrina]

Happy to be back at work? Sure I am, she says facetiously. Walked in Monday and found out the compliance auditors (for company) showed up for a "surprise" audit. This happens regularly, they pick an office or offices and just show up. It's good they do that, keeps us on our toes. We have passed every time they've come. But it still makes things a bit tense around there.
Finger is okay, am walking ALMOST normally without too much pain. Picked up the b-day cake for April today.