Job Offer: Move from OC to Atlanta?
I just got an interestinig job offer to work in the marketing department of a tech firm in Atlanta. An old co-worker friend of mine moved to Georgia several years ago. He's trying to convince me to make the lateral move from LA to Atlanta.
It's a lateral move salary wise. But, I'd have to pack up everything and move. I'm a born and raised Californian. His biggest selling point to me is that the cost of home ownership is FAR better in Atlanta than anywhere in California.
Advise please. Thoughts? Warnings? Hell no, don't go? What are you waiting for?
It's a lateral move salary wise. But, I'd have to pack up everything and move. I'm a born and raised Californian. His biggest selling point to me is that the cost of home ownership is FAR better in Atlanta than anywhere in California.
Advise please. Thoughts? Warnings? Hell no, don't go? What are you waiting for?
Comments
Originally posted by billybobsky
Check cost of living...
How do I figure out the cost of living in Atlanta?
Originally posted by tmp
It's less I'm sure.
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Very interesting calculator on that site. According to the information I put in it says that it's about $10K/year cheaper to live in Atlanta than Yorba Linda, CA.
Originally posted by Northgate
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Very interesting calculator on that site. According to the information I put in it says that it's about $10K/year cheaper to live in Atlanta than Yorba Linda, CA.
atlanta is a pretty cool place. i just got back from visiting a friend there last week. i would say go for it. solid economy, cheaper standard of living, beautiful surroundings, tons of cultural shit, and great weather. be sure to visit limerick junction, one of my favorite pubs.
No, in a nutshell, I wouldn't do it unless there was a tremendous financial advantage (or tremendous quality of work advantage) for leaving. I suspect that OC has a much more diverse group of citizens and venues. In point of fact, I would say Atlanta is one of the very least culturally diverse and interesting big cities in America. Not sure what RWS' point of reference is, but... I lived there for many year and have been back to visit on a number of occasions. That's to say nothing of their crappy, fair-weather sports fans.
Compared to Chicago or New York or Boston or even Miami (guh!), it's no contest, culture-wise or socially. I strongly suspect there is no comparison in terms of the quality of the venues (museums, performance arts, architecture, etc.) or diversity (in terms of having large populations of immigrants from around the world).
I don't know that much about OC per se, but just based on knowing how many people there are there from all those different backgrounds, I suspect it is more culturally diverse and interesting a place than Atlanta. More to do by a long ways I'm sure (if nothing else).
Weather-wise, I think there is no advantage. Both places are warm/hot most of the year, but Atlanta has un-Godly humidity problems during the summer months.
There's just no way I would make that move unless you really think you'll love your job that much more, or will save a ton of money.
[edited for clarification on main points]
I've heard from several people that humidity alone would keep them away.
Originally posted by Moogs
Compared to Chicago or New York or Boston or even Miami (guh!),
You dumping on Miami?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Oh, you better believe that I'm f-ing geared up to move down there from Jersey even if it means I can't play hockey. At least they have some rugby teams down there.
Atlanta's traffic problem is surpassed only by New York.
New York has a traffic problem? Who knew? Driving in New York is not as stressful as driving in DC. DC is worse, given that there are no real alternatives to the car. I hear LA beats DC.
In the past 15 years I've moved to 6 totally different places and I'm currently looking for number 7
It keeps things interesting, you meet new and different people and experience different things. Go for it.
Originally posted by Existence
Hobo ^
I'm posting from the local library. Shhhhhhhh
3p
I can not actually give you a fair comparison to LA because I have yet to visit, but Atlanta may be a lot more than you expect... it was for me and, going on 5 years now, I love it more and more each year.
Originally posted by Northgate
I just got an interestinig job offer to work in the marketing department of a tech firm in Atlanta. An old co-worker friend of mine moved to Georgia several years ago. He's trying to convince me to make the lateral move from LA to Atlanta.
It's a lateral move salary wise. But, I'd have to pack up everything and move. I'm a born and raised Californian. His biggest selling point to me is that the cost of home ownership is FAR better in Atlanta than anywhere in California.
Advise please. Thoughts? Warnings? Hell no, don't go? What are you waiting for?
I think you need to get on the FIRST plane and spend some time with your friend in Atlanta. It could be the best money you ever spent, and will help you make your decision. Too bad it's springtime right now, so you won't experience the swelter factor, because that alone should be a huge consideration.
Humidity is awful...it saps the strength and the will to live. (Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I don't think so. I live in a place with NO humidity...but I remember it sapping my strength and will to live when I spent time in humid places in the past. Don't brush off humidity as being a minor factor, especially if the climate where you ARE is mild year-round.)
On the other hand, housing prices on the coasts (esp. Calif.) are generally exorbitant - in some cases three to four times higher than a comparable house in other, more-normal cities. People moving to inland states from CA find that they can buy glorious mansions for the same money that they spent on a modest, not-so-special, middle-class house back on the coast.
You sound like you're renting where you are, but moving to Altanta might give you a chance to buy a house - always a much better financial move if you plan to stay put for a few years...build up some equity, get refunds on all that interest.
And yeah, the south is about as provincial a place as you can find in the US. The Bible Belt, remember. But Atlanta will seem like a den of iniquity compared to small-town Georgia (I would imagine). And the people YOU would associate with would be generally the same kind of people you would find anywhere in America.
My family lived in a small town in Tennessee for four years when I was in college. We were Christian, but not Baptist; so we weren't really ever considered part of the community. Not that we cared. Know what I mean?
all yall are wimps. wimps i say...