<p>Chocchip: why not downsize here and initially rent for the winter elsewhere before purchasing?</p>
<p>I’ve traveled to Atlanta on business several times, but never lived there. To me, the big negative is the weather: every time I was there in the summer it was horribly hot, upper 90s or higher, with crushing humidity. The traffic was also bad. And the downtown area had no character: Atlanta is big on tearing down and rebuilding. I assume there must have been SOMETHING old there, but in my visits I never saw it. We’ve had a big influx of Somalian refugees in this area, many of whom were originally settled in Atlanta, but found the crime a problem. On the other hand, I have known people who loved it. </p>
<p>With TN, I think it depends which city. We looked into moving to Chattanooga in the late 90s, but decided not to. The public schools were bad to mediocre, all but one of the private schools were religious (and that one was not impressive: same class size as our publics here), and they don’t call it the Buckle of the Bible Belt for nothing. I’ve heard that Nashville and Knoxville are broader in that regard. People seem to like Nashville a lot. </p>
<p>If I were going for a warmer place, I’d like the Middleburg, VA area. It’s gorgeous, and the climate is great. But it is far from cheap. I think that slightly west of there is also really nice, and cheaper. And it is within fairly easy driving distance of DC, with its cultural offerings and airports.</p>
<p>Chattanooga has changed a lot since the late 90s and there are some excellent private schools there. It’s a neat place, but doesn’t have nearly as much to offer as Nashville- especially in terms of the airport and medical care.</p>
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<p>I’m watching this thread with interest. My soon-to-be-ex and adult kids are scattering themselves throughout the country and I’m a long flight away from my siblings. I have a few good friends here and love the area, but I’m evaluating my options.</p>
<p>We have lived in the same area (of NC) for thirty years. Last year we sold our home of 24 years and are now renting. Next year we plan to leave and move to the coastal area of our state. We built a house on the river there two and half years ago in anticipation of living there full time for retirement. It’s five hours fr. where we live now. We spend weekends and holidays there( as much as we possibly can). We’re are eagerly anticipating the permanent move.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies, everyone. More info from girlfriend:</p>
<p>She thanks everyone’s suggestions but has done a lot of research (more than I thought) and wants everyone’s opinions specifcally about Atlanta. She seems to be focused on that area for all the reasons I mentioned in my OP.</p>
<p>Rodney: She doesn’t want to downsize. She wants to maintain her same lifestyle (3,000 sq. foot home with finished basement). She just wants to move for better weather and more city type amenities…and Jewish area is also important to her.</p>
<p>Is Atlanta the best choice for those parameters or are there other suggestions? 
Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>I think Atlanta fits her requirements beautifully, Cookie. I have good friends who are jewish and there certainly is a thriving community here… Housing is very affordable and if she and her husband both plan to work from home, traffic should not be the issue for them that it is for those who face long commutes.</p>
<p>^^Thanks Churchmusicmom. I’ll pass that along.</p>
<p>I’m actually quite interested in her research too since we’ve been best buds for so long that she may just convince my H & I to follow them down there! I have been to Atlanta twice many years ago on business, but I don’t remember anything about it at all…she’s thinking of a move in a few years and I would think longer term than that for us, maybe 5-6 years. My H & I have friends there now who are not Jewish and have lived in Atlanta for at least 20 years. I imagine it would be scary to just pick up and move, so the suggestions of renting first seem good.</p>
<p>I personally don’t mind the humidity and would not be averse to moving to Fla…I have family there so that’s always a plus…but I agree with her as far as flat land, strip malls, and no basements, etc. I’ve got time. But I’m following and helping her decision carefully!</p>
<p>Our company headquarters is in Atlanta, so I have had some time down there, and I think it depends on what your expectations are. Atlanta is a very sprawling city, I was surprised how far out it stretched (our corporate offices are near the Chattahoochee preserve area, which is gorgeous). My impression there is a downtown section, but a lot of it is more suburban-ish, more like where I live in NJ then living in NYC, for example. </p>
<p>My friends and colleagues who live in Atlanta, besides bemoaning the traffic, also said you have to be careful where you live, if you plan on using the public schools, some of them are great, others are so-so, and due to the way they do school districts you may have a nice house in a nice area with lackluster schools (on the other hand, since OP’s friend has older kids, not a concern). Decent cultural life, the Atlanta Symphony is a great orchestra, and there are other cultural centers down there, too. The one thing everyone says is Atlanta is diverse enough that it is easy to feel comfortable there, that it is cosmopolitan enough, thanks to corporations drawing people from all over the world and all kinds of people, that you will find people you gybe with.</p>
<p>Tell her to research “Sandy Springs”… nicely located close to the perimeter, but less congested and lots of surface streets to get around. Large temples in and around this area. North of Buckhead and downtown, but a very attractive alternative and I think they could find something in that price range. I would not venture out to the far north, ie. Alpharetta, even though it is more affordable, if the traffic is a concern. 400 is a bear during rush hour.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.atlantajcc.org/]MJCCA[/url”>http://www.atlantajcc.org/]MJCCA[/url</a>]</p>
<p>JCC has man events for Jewish families in the area.</p>
<p>If they plan to work from home, looking North is a good thought. From Dunwoody/Sandy Springs (well established) up to Roswell, Alpharetta, and the newly incorporated cities of Milton, Johns Creek, etc are growing communities with a vibrant Jewish population, where they can get a LOT of house for their money.</p>
<p>And I have lived in the metro Atlanta area as well as in Fla. Atlanta does not, NOT have the humidity that FL has. By a longshot. That said, it does get HOT in the summer, but thats why we have air conditioning. </p>
<p>Which reminds me of an old joke… (stop here if you dont like jewish jokes-- I am Jewish and do not find this problematic at all) </p>
<p>Three Jewish engineer brothers, Max, Hyman and Norman Schwartz, go in to complain to Henry Ford (who was known to be anti semitic) that he had stolen their idea for air conditioning in automobiles. Discussions were getting nowhere until finally Ford relented, and agreed to put their names on all the air conditioners in his vehicles. So, to this day, Norm, Hi and Max have their names emblazoned on all auto ACs.</p>
<p>Bad-dum-bum. Rimshot.</p>
<p>I started playing in bands when I was a fifteen, and almost immediately decided that this would be my life. I was hungry then, and I havent lost my appetite. Ive had a taste of success in the ensuing fifteen yearsnone of it monetary, mind you. In fact, my best estimate is a total gross of around fifteen thousand dollars; in fifteen years, Ive made fifteen thousand dollars playing guitar. According to my Social Security Statement, this is three thousand dollars less than I made in the year 2004, when I schlepped plywood at the Home Depot lumber department. As they say, money isnt everything.</p>
<p>I’m hoping, someday, to relocate to the Atlanta area and have friends in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Marietta and St. Johns. I’ve been on several business trips to that area and have also been there for pleasure visits. When people say it gets “cold” there, it is all relative. “Cold” there, means less than 40, but more than 20. To me, “cold” is 10 to -10. I love that area. The shopping and restaurants are great. You have the culture (museums, theater, etc.) of the big city but you are close enough to mountains too. Being from a really flat place, I like the hills there.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in “Jews in the South,” I saw a documentary a couple years ago…I’ve been googling away to try to get the name for you, but no luck so far. It’s more about small town jews in a southern area (Mississippi Delta??) over the long term. (as opposed to newcomers to Atlanta!) But you’d probably find it interesting. They were really very “Southern” people, and struggled to deal with New Yorkers and their fast-talking ways ;)</p>
<p>By Jewish area – can you figure out what she means? If she is Orthodox or close to it? If not, while there are areas with Jewish people, there aren’t places that she would identify as overly Jewish by its merchants, restaurants, etc.</p>
<p>For a long time, the presumption was that there were the most Jews in areas like Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, but with the emergence of strong schools in East Cobb, there has been somewhat of a shift. Lots of Jewish families in East Cobb.</p>
<p>The issues that would discourage me from Atlanta would be:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the traffic is terrible</p></li>
<li><p>in all the times I’ve flown to, from, or through their airport, there have been delays every single time.</p></li>
<li><p>distance from everywhere else, including the coast. Too far.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>chocchipcookie, I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>One could read the Alfred Urhy books/plays (Driving Mioss Daisy, Last Nicght of Ballyhoo, Parade) for a sense of JEwish life in Atlanta a generation or 2 ago.
The Standard Club [The</a> Standard Club](<a href=“http://www.standardclub.org/]The”>http://www.standardclub.org/) is a jewish country club in what is now Johns Creek (used to be unincorporated North Fulton). The two jewish papers, whee she might get some additional info, though in truth they arent a wealth of info, are The Jewish Georgian [The</a> Jewish Georgian](<a href=“http://jewishgeorgian.com/]The”>http://jewishgeorgian.com/) and the Atlanta Jewish Times [The</a> Atlanta Jewish Times - Your Weekly Community Newspaper](<a href=“http://atlantajewishtimes.com/]The”>http://atlantajewishtimes.com/)</p>
<p>Sop14,
If you are comfortable sharing front channel, its interesting reading peoples impressions of Atlanta</p>
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</p>
<p>Could we at least agree to call it “different” weather? Or even “warmer” weather? “Better” is in the eye of the beholder! :D</p>