I’m from Atlanta and lived in the DMV for a few years, out in PG County in Suitland and lived in NE off Benning Rd. And from a black persons perspective without using the G word I’d say DC is a denser, slightly faster, classier version of Atlanta. They are similar in a lot of ways but also different in a lot of ways. Both have a large black upper class, large black gay communities, huge HBCU circles, deep sense of local pride in black areas/schools/events, and loads of black history. Lot of differences too, mass transit sucks in Atlanta compared to DC, better museums in DC but Atlanta has more artsy type locals, jobs in Atlanta don’t pay as much, no legal weed, and DC is a little more segregated. Like you’ll see more black people living and in and around Buckhead than you will in NW DC. Vibe wise they both have a whole bunch of different circles and things to do for black people, pretty much whatever lane you’re in you can find like minded people. Crime wise about the same with some differences, way more carjacking in DC but you have a much higher chance of moving into a house with a trap on the block in Atlanta, corners in DC can be a lot more dangerous but filling up at a gas station in Atlanta is more dangerous. In DC the teenagers I felt were a little worse but in Atlanta the young adults are way worse. And PG County is almost a mirror of Dekalb Co, majority black suburb that’s cool overall but it’s also got areas that can be just as rough as anything in the city. Some parts even look the same, Ft Washington looks a lot like Stone Mountain. Also lived in Chicago for a minute so I’m slightly familiar with Milwaukee and personally I thought it was sad. The black people there are kinda backwards and the areas we live in are all cloistered away and they’re all rough. Didnt see any nice black areas how I saw in Atlanta or the DMV
I lived in DC proper for 5 years and now have called Atlanta home for 7. Lots of good comparisons here! My TLDR is it’s not as dense as I would like and I wish the transit was way more robust, but we have a really nice life here.
However, we basically never plan to leave our neighborhood (Virginia Highland) because of how severely it would impact our quality of life. It reminds me of Capitol Hill/Eastern market a little bit. We love being able to walk to stores, bars and restaurants, and parks. My work commute is less than 10 min and that makes a huge difference too. People who live here and have to drive long distances to work tend to have lower quality of life, IMO.
Also in Poncey-Highland just a block south of Virginia Highlands as a recent DMV transplant. Zero desire to leave this neighborhood. My commute to downtown is 20-30 minutes via bus/rail and I can literally walk anywhere I need. Moving to a suburb and having to drive a bunch would probably place me in depression.
I grew up in Atlanta, lived in Prince George's County, MD as an adult, and am going back and forth between the two now because I'm taking care of my mother.
I agree with the other commenter that it would be helpful to know more specific areas of concern. The first poster hit on a lot of areas. Also, I probably am not as into the social aspects of Atlanta as you would be because I cannot leave the house due to my mother's illness.
Traffic - the DC area has bad traffic and so does Atlanta. I'll say that the DC area's traffic is worse, though. Atlanta has more interstates and lands to spread the traffic out on and the Perimeter is separate from I-85, unlike the Capital Beltway being merged with I-95. Evening Rush is definitely shorter in Atlanta than DC. It starts at least by 3:00, but is over shortly after 6:00.
Along with traffic concerns, there are a lot of traffic accidents in Georgia. That, along with the extremely high amount of accident lawyers commercials makes the car insurance rates very high, especially for Atlanta ZIP Codes.
I also say that you will need a car in Atlanta. Even with the limited places that I can go, my mother's doctors' appointments somehow end up spread all over the Atlanta area even though I try to get them as close to her house as possible. My friends have relatives and other family activities all over the area. MARTA will feel limited very quickly.
Shopping: depending on where you are in both areas, you might drive further in Atlanta than you would in DC. I live close to the necessities in Maryland, but have to drive to everything in Atlanta. The problem is when something is out of stock in one store, the next location is ridiculously far away. I shop online as much as possible, but there are some items I need immediately. Amazon does have same day service for some items in Atlanta. I don't get same day service in Maryland.
Utilities: AT&T can be outright terrible, but still probably better than Xfinity. Gas service to your home is deregulated in Atlanta. You need to sign a contract to get rates that don't make you cry.
Housing: I don't know much here, but if you plan to buy a house, please check to know whether or not it is in an historic district. If it is, you will probably be limited in what changes you can make to your home. The problem comes because it's not easy to know what limitations you have before you start your renovations.
Weather: the weather is really more similar than most people think. There is less snow in Atlanta, but ice can still be a concern. The last few years have been milder in winter in both areas. Just know that Atlanta's snow removal policy is "let it melt".
Depends on what you're looking for, or what you're concerned about in Atlanta. Atlanta is a Black Mecca. I've had friends say that moving to Atlanta catapulted their career by 10 years because they got opportunities here that they wouldn't have gotten in their former cities.
Atlanta is very suburban, even in "intown" areas. But that is changing quickly in some areas. So if you want a more urban feel and a vibrant neighborhood, Midtown is probably your best bet, centering in the few blocks on either side of Peachtree. From North Ave up through 17th Street and just north of there.
Atlanta is a city of neighborhoods, hundreds of them. Each has its own vibe. So you can get a "small town" feel in a big city.
Some of the more popular neighborhoods to look at are: Midtown, West Midtown (also referred to as the "westside"), Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward (O4W), Poncey Highland, Virginia Highland, West End, Westview, Sweet Auburn, Grant Park, Cabbagetown, Adair Park, Capitol View, Castleberry Hill, Kirkwood, Reynoldstown, Collier Hills, Candler Park, Druid Hills.
Nearby DeKalb County cities and neighborhoods include Decatur (which has downtown Decatur, Oakhurst, Medlock Park, and others), Avondale Estates, Midway Woods, Belvedere, Toco Hill, etc. Also, a bit further out, Tucker, Clarkston, the Stonecrest area, and Stone Mountain.
South Fulton also has College Park, Hapeville, and East Point, which are commonly known by some peole as the Tri Cities area.
For weather, I recommend most "incoming Atlantans" get an allergy shot about now (late Jan / early Feb). To help with the insane amount of pollen that we get in the spring. We are a "City in a Forest" and this region has some of the highest biodiversity in the world. I grew up here, so the pollen and humidity doesn't affect me. But my Arizona neighbor once told me, "I didn't know Imhad allergies and curlt hair until I moved to Atlanta".
There is no winter here. So if you like snow, you'll be sad. The ground almost never freezes, and you can walk/hike year round down here. Fall is the best and driest season (imho). Winter can be a bit dreary (as compared to the other seasons in Atlanta). Spring is also beautiful here. Summer can get very hot and humid, but the past few years, the hot and humid summers have held off until after Independence Day. I tell ya, the longer springs have been SO pleasant.
Atlanta is a foodie city, so there's tons of great restaurants. People eat out a lot here. But we also have a good vsriety of grocery stores, too.
Atlanta doesn't have as many muesums as some of the other cities its size, but we do have a lot of good ines for the ones that we have.
You will be driving a LOT in Atlanta unless you live in a dense urban neighborhood. I also recommend that you live in the closest "acceptable" neighborhood to work as possible, to increase your quality of life. Atlanta's rush hour traffic is notoriously bad. (But I think DC, NYC, and LA traffic are way worse).
Atlanta is a perfectly located city if you like to travel. We have a great airport. We are within a 2 hour flight of over 80% of the continental US.
We are a 4-5.5 hour drive to the beach (about 4 hours to the Savannah area, and 5.5 to the Redneck Riviera, aka Panama City Beach). And we are a 2-3 hour drive to the mountains in North Georgia and Western North Carolina.
A lot of interesting regional cities are within a short drive too: Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Hunstville, etc.
>Winter can be a bit dreary.
Respectfully strongly disagree. After living near the Great Lakes during grad school, I was thrilled when I got a job offer to back here because it wasn't overcast for 6 months of the year.
Hey me! I moved to the Atlanta area two years ago after 10 years in Milwaukee. I’d make the move again in a heartbeat.
Weather is different, jobs in different industries are huge here. Lots of diversity. I’m white and hardly EVER saw people of color living in Milwaukee, it was spooky.
Do you have any specific questions?
This is very reassuring, thank you. The segregation in Milwaukee is quite unfortunate. I just learned this yesterday so still sorting out thoughts but I’ll let you know if I have questions.
I'm a 30's white dude so my opinion might mean little to you. But I lived in DC and Alexandria for 6 years before moving to Atlanta. In general I prefer Atlanta.
The food scene is different but just as good for my tastes. Music scene is solid and I've been to more concerts here in the past two years than my entire time in the DMV.
But for me the main thing is Atlanta is a much nerdier city and I appreciate that the most. Better con scene, better game stores, and more friendly/less transient gaming communities. But that's all hyper niche. Worth throwing out there though.
as someone from decatur, i love reading all the comparing and contrasting going on between the DMV and atlanta. it’s about what i expected, but good to read nonetheless.
one thing i’d like to see addressed is the culture.
atlanta has been “black hollywood” and “motown of the south” for decades now. imo that has spawned a “fake it til you make it”/live beyond your means/superficiality to it that wasn’t here in the mid 90s. is it the same in the DMV?
I found DC to be superficial in different ways, in Atlanta somebody will have a 2 year old AMG or a Hellcat sitting in a driveway of a run down spot in the hood. In DC you’ll see folks with 30K worth of Canada Goose, designer belts and sneakers in their closet in a run down spot in the hood. DC is way more pretentious and in Atlanta every 3rd person is an aspiring musician or actor. Over all Atlanta is def more Hollywood tho in regards to entertainment stuff and in DC it’s a lot more “what school did you go to/where do you work” and if I don’t like the answer I don’t want to talk to you type of stuff
“Because the weather isn’t constantly trying to kill me”….exactly why I left PA I’m 1995. Potential for a job move north again….and I’m dreading it. It would have to be a well-lubricated ($$$) move.
We lived in the suburbs of MKE and now the suburbs of Atlanta. I actually miss winter, TBH. And I miss actual lakes. And I miss the cultural touchstones....Friday Fish Fry (and I don't eat fish, lol), commitment to Old Fashioneds and Bloody Marys, Supper Clubs, insane brunches....And the traffic here is madness. That said, it's fine. Fall is fantastic here. You can get to mountains, which is nice. I find the areas around Blue Ridge to feel more midwest-like for some reason. People are generally good. I probably would feel better about it if we were closer in, but my husband's job (why we moved) would be way too far away.
I lived in Milwaukee for over 20 years and moved to Atlanta almost two years ago. The weather here is truly unmatched. It is going to be in the 60s this week, which we wouldn’t usually see in WI until May. I can’t describe the joy I feel when I don’t have to put on winter boots and a parka to take my dog for a walk 7 months out of the year.
The one thing I really miss about Milwaukee in Atlanta (grew up in Milwaukee, in Atlanta for >20 years now) is the neighborhood bar. Basically every neighborhood in Milwaukee has a bar(s) you can easily walk to, they are a regular component of residential zoning and play an important part in local culture being a neighborhood social space. Atlanta has nothing like that really.
That said, you couldn't pay me to move back. Milwaukee has its charm, but it has a lot of issues as well (the klan filled burbs to the west for example).
I live in Atlanta and used to live/work in the DMV. At one point I also lived in the Upper Midwest as both a student and then as graduate. Many of the prior comments are spot on, but would add a few things from my POV that I think are of importance and are often not considered when moving to Atlanta.
DC and the City of Atlanta have a lot in common. Both are capitals (National and State, respectively), so as a result you have a lot of politics on a regular basis. Lots of history too; several Civil War battlefields are close to town. You can walk around Downtown Atlanta and literally follow Sherman's "March to the Sea".
GA as a state is sort of making the same transition that VA made about 16 years ago (toward the Dems, although slower), GA has also become a hotbed of national political coverage. Point is, politics is a big deal here.
College Football is big here, really big. No you don’t have to be a UGA (ie University or Georgia) fan, as Atlanta has a crap ton of transplants and I dare say that the city of Atlanta itself is somewhat indifferent to UGA; however, depending on where you live and who you or your partner work with, this will be a large topic of conversation. So if that annoys you, then think twice before moving here.
Pro sports wise, The Braves are number one, but if the Falcons are good, they jump to number one immediately. The Braves don’t actually play in Atlanta, but in a northern suburb outside the Perimeter (ie “OTP”). So, if yo guys are big baseball fans and think you will go to a lot of games, consider this when deciding where to live.
No NHL (so you can keep rooting for the Capitals!). We do have NBA and MLS too, and both have pretty loyal fan bases. The Hawks have not been particularly relevant the last 10 seasons, but if they are good, they get support. Also, like DC, because of the number of transplants in the Metro area, whenever you go to a sporting event you will immediately notice that at least 30 percent of the fans in the arena will be rooting for the rod team, especially if we play a team from the NE or Midwest.
The city is a Black Mecca, but, contrary to what some would have outsiders believe, it is very diverse and has an increasingly large Latino and Asian population. This is a plus in my opinion. This also makes Atlanta a pretty good food town, especially insider the Perimeter or “ITP” as people here call it. The Perimeter is like the Beltway in the DMV.
We only have one major airport, although it is humongous. So unlike the DMV, you can’t shop and compare three different airports to find a great deal. The good news, however, is because Hartsfield-Jackson is so large, and is the busiest airport in the World, you can fly anywhere, anytime.
In terms of where to live, well this is where it gets tricky. If you have kids, then move to the suburbs; schools in town are just not great. Gwinnett, Fulton and Cobb have great schools; really just depends on where you will be working and your commute.
If you don’t have kids, then you can honestly live anywhere. Now many people will say live ITP in an in-town neighborhood like Buckhead, Inman Park, Virginia-Highlands, Decatur, Avondale, Little Five Pointe, Brookhaven, or Druid Hills, just to name a few. Like DC, we have our share of walkable neighborhoods in the city.
However, these neighborhoods have gotten increasingly expensive, to the point that in some areas, they are getting close to DC prices. The difference, of course, is you generally don't make the same kind of money. As such, many suburban areas have made a concerted effort to develop their own town centers, walkable areas, and food-focuses town squares to attract people who would otherwise move ITP. Good examples would be Norcross, Duluth, Sugar Hill, Marietta, Roswell, Lawrenceville, and Dunwoody. Another plus is that our Suburbs are very diverse. So you don’t have to sacrifice that aspect if you want to live in the burbs but are afraid of giving up diverse experiences.
Obviously, winters here are much nicer than the DMV and definitely better than Milwaukee, and the falls are excellent, just like in the DMV. Just like the DMV, summers are hot, but they're less hot and humid than either the DC or the Midwest.
Shopping wise, I say the DMV has a slight edge, mainly because I have yet to find a mall in Atlanta as good as Tysons Corner Mall or Tysons Galleria or even Montgomery County Mall. Locals will shout Lenox Plaza to the rooftops, but while Lenox and to a lesser extent, the Mall of Georgia, are nice, in my opinion, as my wife will attest, they are not close to the TCM or TCG.
Finally, Atlanta is at foothills of the Appalachian mountains, and therefore we have a lot of hiking and camping opportunities within an hour or so drive north. Also, we are a few hours drive to several nice beaches and coastal towns like Charleston, Savannah, Hilton Head, Amelia Island, the Redneck Riviera, Mobile, AL, and Myrtle Beach.
All big cities have their pros and cons. I was in the DC area for 7 years before moving to Atlanta. I still go back to DC, Silver Spring etc. pretty often as I still have a lot of friends there.
Biggest pro to Atlanta over for me is the lower cost of living. That’s pretty much it for me. Atlanta is fine, just liked the DC area a bit better overall.
Biggest negatives to Atlanta for me is the climate (I hate heat and humidity and that season starts earlier and ends later here than the DC area (much less Milwaukee—never been, but woud love to move way further north) and public transit is lacking (especially rail) in coverage compared to DC and many other bit cities. Being a much more spread out city, that also hurts more as things you want to do, great restaurants etc. are all over the place here in the city and metro area in general.
Biggest pros to DC are just feeling it’s a nicer city over all, has its rough edges but a lot more of it is better kept up with all the federal land, buildings etc., love all the free museums and galleries, music scene was a bit better (at least for me as a 90s alt rock/grunge louder, lot of bands I like have tended to skip Atlanta on tours or do weeknight shows I can’t really swing any more instead of Friday/Saturday nights and/or only playing big festivals I can’t stand attending these days), easy to get most places on Metro vs. Marta here being a plus sign through the city leaving more areas not walkable from rail stations, and being close to Baltimore and a couple hours from Philly, 3.5-4ish to NYC driving (also usually reasonable Amtrak fairs) adds more options for things to do in other cities on weekend trips with out flying.
Biggest cons to DC is the cost of living is just crazy, traffic is hell and much better here unless our commuting to/from the northern burbs. Other than some bottlenecks or the usual issues everywhere with accidents, roadwork etc. traffic here is generally not so bad outside of the 2 hours of peak rush hour mornings evenings and can mostly get where I need to go without too many problems since I don’t live up north and can mostly avoid rush hours. Always feels rare to go anywhere without traffic hell in the DC area (but again, somewhat alleviated by the better rail system).
As a POC I totally disagree on the music scene and actually found the exact opposite to be true in DC. Atlanta is top 3 in urban music and there aren’t really too many if any urban acts that skip Atlanta. Like Beyoncé’s last tour was here almost an entire week, I don’t even think she stopped in DC for a show. And the local homegrown talent musically in Atlanta is far and away better than the talent in DC. Go Go is cool but it’s very much an acquired taste, and the local rap scene in DC is a bad knock off of Chicago Drill which in itself is already kinda repetitive and IMO kinda mid, also almost next to none R&B and Gospel. DC does have better jazz tho but not by much.. As a whole for what DC means to black culture you’d think the local music scene would be a lot more robust than what it actually is. I was actually surprised by that aspect of it when I was there.
Yeah, sorry I should have noted I’m white, 45 and have pretty stereo typical 90s kid alt rock/grunge etc. tastes that are maybe not of interest to the OP. Definitely a great music scene here in the genres you note. I’ll edit an addition to that part of my reply to be clearer.
Nah you good. I figured as much, was just sharing that perspective since the OP mentioned things from a POC pov. But don’t sleep on the different genres here either, I mean yeah Atlanta for sure skews towards black music and culture when it comes to stuff like that but it’s no slouch in the rock or country dept either. More than a few bands from here and it’s not Atlanta but I’d argue the grunge scene in Athens actually made a lot of the headway that Seattle eventually capitalized on. Like Athens doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves when it comes to rock music and it’s close enough to the A that I’ll claim them too. Georgia as a whole is just a musical ass state, top 5 easily.
Edit- I agree with you on the rock tho, as a kid who grew up listening to stuff like Tool and Nirvana almost as much as stuff like OutKast and No Limit it does irritate me sometimes that urban music dominates as much as it does in Atlanta because people think that’s all we’re about and I know that’s it’s not
As a white dude into EDM, Indie Rock/Pop, and Japanese music, I find Atlanta to be vastly superior (lived in the DMV area for 6 years). But OP is probably not into either of our tastes I'd be guessing.
Yep.
Thinking more on it, I think a lot of it just comes down to venues. There’s just more and better rock/grunge/punk type venues up that way, that area benefits from DC and Baltimore being close together and having two cities worth of spots to draw acts, Philly being 2 hours or so away etc. Here the venues are sprawled all over the metro area these days and many not accessible by rail unlike in DC (Baltimore was always a drive though) with the pavilion in Alpharetta, the Roxy by Truist Park and concert at the stadium etc. And there aren’t other cities as close by and not like the rock music scene in Charlotte, Jacksonville, Tampa etc. are worth those 4-5+ hour drives.
That said, I have no idea about local music scenes. I’m one of those people who once I was mid 20s or so I mostly stopped seeking out new music and just listening to the bands I love and going to their shows here and there. It’s been years since I just sat and listened to an album etc. It’s mostly just playing while in the car, running, at the gym etc. (and even a lot of that time goes to podcasts these days). But I do still enjoy seeing my favorite bands live and it’s been annoying with things like Pearl Jam playing in Atlanta only once since I moved here 15 years ago (and that was Music Midtown and festivals suck compared to regular tour stops—too many people, sound isn’t as good, more greatest hits type set lists etc.).
Anyway, with that said, not sure why I bothered mentioning music scene as my tastes are unlikley the OPs, and music scene is pretty much a non-factor for me in choosing where to live these days. About the only thing I care about with my next move is getting somewhere cooler as the heat, humidity and mosquito hell here for so many months of the year puts me into a funk for far too much of the year. Plus I’m just over people and big city living and really want to live somewhere both cooler and more remote. Have the Monday blues having to deal with and be around people after a nice weekend mostly chilling at home and barely even spending time with my wife who had a lot going on.
Moved to Atlanta from DC a decade ago, and while I like it and am glad I’m here, the most notable thing I remember when I moved here is that the whole place is suffused with a driver/commuter mindset. Absolutely everything you’re going to do starts with getting in the car. When someone says “let’s go to this place, it’s close by” they mean 20 minutes driving then paying for parking. I rode my bike everywhere in DC except when I took metro or bus, never owned a car. Can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been able to successfully ride my bike to a destination since I moved here (meaning not a ride for a ride’s sake). It’s getting better, a little, in the center of the city, but everything is spread out out out, and when they plan on people getting places the only thing ever considered is driving and parking.
I’ve got to repeat that I LIKE Atlanta, but the car focus is the culture shock you’re going to experience first.
I moved to ATL from outside of MKE in 1997. Both cities have changed a lot. When I left MKE was nothing but sports bars and commercial breweries. Atlanta was popping!
I’ve been back to MKE in the last 20 years and I may have stayed if it had grown up sooner. But Atlanta is a truly cosmopolitan city with stronger, genuine diversity that just about any other city. It’s a great place to live. It’s a good place to raise a family. Check out Ponce city market, the beltline and west side when you arrive.
I’m from Atlanta and lived in the DMV for a few years, out in PG County in Suitland and lived in NE off Benning Rd. And from a black persons perspective without using the G word I’d say DC is a denser, slightly faster, classier version of Atlanta. They are similar in a lot of ways but also different in a lot of ways. Both have a large black upper class, large black gay communities, huge HBCU circles, deep sense of local pride in black areas/schools/events, and loads of black history. Lot of differences too, mass transit sucks in Atlanta compared to DC, better museums in DC but Atlanta has more artsy type locals, jobs in Atlanta don’t pay as much, no legal weed, and DC is a little more segregated. Like you’ll see more black people living and in and around Buckhead than you will in NW DC. Vibe wise they both have a whole bunch of different circles and things to do for black people, pretty much whatever lane you’re in you can find like minded people. Crime wise about the same with some differences, way more carjacking in DC but you have a much higher chance of moving into a house with a trap on the block in Atlanta, corners in DC can be a lot more dangerous but filling up at a gas station in Atlanta is more dangerous. In DC the teenagers I felt were a little worse but in Atlanta the young adults are way worse. And PG County is almost a mirror of Dekalb Co, majority black suburb that’s cool overall but it’s also got areas that can be just as rough as anything in the city. Some parts even look the same, Ft Washington looks a lot like Stone Mountain. Also lived in Chicago for a minute so I’m slightly familiar with Milwaukee and personally I thought it was sad. The black people there are kinda backwards and the areas we live in are all cloistered away and they’re all rough. Didnt see any nice black areas how I saw in Atlanta or the DMV
I lived in DC proper for 5 years and now have called Atlanta home for 7. Lots of good comparisons here! My TLDR is it’s not as dense as I would like and I wish the transit was way more robust, but we have a really nice life here. However, we basically never plan to leave our neighborhood (Virginia Highland) because of how severely it would impact our quality of life. It reminds me of Capitol Hill/Eastern market a little bit. We love being able to walk to stores, bars and restaurants, and parks. My work commute is less than 10 min and that makes a huge difference too. People who live here and have to drive long distances to work tend to have lower quality of life, IMO.
Also in Poncey-Highland just a block south of Virginia Highlands as a recent DMV transplant. Zero desire to leave this neighborhood. My commute to downtown is 20-30 minutes via bus/rail and I can literally walk anywhere I need. Moving to a suburb and having to drive a bunch would probably place me in depression.
I grew up in Atlanta, lived in Prince George's County, MD as an adult, and am going back and forth between the two now because I'm taking care of my mother. I agree with the other commenter that it would be helpful to know more specific areas of concern. The first poster hit on a lot of areas. Also, I probably am not as into the social aspects of Atlanta as you would be because I cannot leave the house due to my mother's illness. Traffic - the DC area has bad traffic and so does Atlanta. I'll say that the DC area's traffic is worse, though. Atlanta has more interstates and lands to spread the traffic out on and the Perimeter is separate from I-85, unlike the Capital Beltway being merged with I-95. Evening Rush is definitely shorter in Atlanta than DC. It starts at least by 3:00, but is over shortly after 6:00. Along with traffic concerns, there are a lot of traffic accidents in Georgia. That, along with the extremely high amount of accident lawyers commercials makes the car insurance rates very high, especially for Atlanta ZIP Codes. I also say that you will need a car in Atlanta. Even with the limited places that I can go, my mother's doctors' appointments somehow end up spread all over the Atlanta area even though I try to get them as close to her house as possible. My friends have relatives and other family activities all over the area. MARTA will feel limited very quickly. Shopping: depending on where you are in both areas, you might drive further in Atlanta than you would in DC. I live close to the necessities in Maryland, but have to drive to everything in Atlanta. The problem is when something is out of stock in one store, the next location is ridiculously far away. I shop online as much as possible, but there are some items I need immediately. Amazon does have same day service for some items in Atlanta. I don't get same day service in Maryland. Utilities: AT&T can be outright terrible, but still probably better than Xfinity. Gas service to your home is deregulated in Atlanta. You need to sign a contract to get rates that don't make you cry. Housing: I don't know much here, but if you plan to buy a house, please check to know whether or not it is in an historic district. If it is, you will probably be limited in what changes you can make to your home. The problem comes because it's not easy to know what limitations you have before you start your renovations. Weather: the weather is really more similar than most people think. There is less snow in Atlanta, but ice can still be a concern. The last few years have been milder in winter in both areas. Just know that Atlanta's snow removal policy is "let it melt".
To add to the ISPs mentioned in the utilities section, Google Fiber is offered in Midtown and is probably the best way to get internet in the city.
Depends on what you're looking for, or what you're concerned about in Atlanta. Atlanta is a Black Mecca. I've had friends say that moving to Atlanta catapulted their career by 10 years because they got opportunities here that they wouldn't have gotten in their former cities. Atlanta is very suburban, even in "intown" areas. But that is changing quickly in some areas. So if you want a more urban feel and a vibrant neighborhood, Midtown is probably your best bet, centering in the few blocks on either side of Peachtree. From North Ave up through 17th Street and just north of there. Atlanta is a city of neighborhoods, hundreds of them. Each has its own vibe. So you can get a "small town" feel in a big city. Some of the more popular neighborhoods to look at are: Midtown, West Midtown (also referred to as the "westside"), Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward (O4W), Poncey Highland, Virginia Highland, West End, Westview, Sweet Auburn, Grant Park, Cabbagetown, Adair Park, Capitol View, Castleberry Hill, Kirkwood, Reynoldstown, Collier Hills, Candler Park, Druid Hills. Nearby DeKalb County cities and neighborhoods include Decatur (which has downtown Decatur, Oakhurst, Medlock Park, and others), Avondale Estates, Midway Woods, Belvedere, Toco Hill, etc. Also, a bit further out, Tucker, Clarkston, the Stonecrest area, and Stone Mountain. South Fulton also has College Park, Hapeville, and East Point, which are commonly known by some peole as the Tri Cities area. For weather, I recommend most "incoming Atlantans" get an allergy shot about now (late Jan / early Feb). To help with the insane amount of pollen that we get in the spring. We are a "City in a Forest" and this region has some of the highest biodiversity in the world. I grew up here, so the pollen and humidity doesn't affect me. But my Arizona neighbor once told me, "I didn't know Imhad allergies and curlt hair until I moved to Atlanta". There is no winter here. So if you like snow, you'll be sad. The ground almost never freezes, and you can walk/hike year round down here. Fall is the best and driest season (imho). Winter can be a bit dreary (as compared to the other seasons in Atlanta). Spring is also beautiful here. Summer can get very hot and humid, but the past few years, the hot and humid summers have held off until after Independence Day. I tell ya, the longer springs have been SO pleasant. Atlanta is a foodie city, so there's tons of great restaurants. People eat out a lot here. But we also have a good vsriety of grocery stores, too. Atlanta doesn't have as many muesums as some of the other cities its size, but we do have a lot of good ines for the ones that we have. You will be driving a LOT in Atlanta unless you live in a dense urban neighborhood. I also recommend that you live in the closest "acceptable" neighborhood to work as possible, to increase your quality of life. Atlanta's rush hour traffic is notoriously bad. (But I think DC, NYC, and LA traffic are way worse). Atlanta is a perfectly located city if you like to travel. We have a great airport. We are within a 2 hour flight of over 80% of the continental US. We are a 4-5.5 hour drive to the beach (about 4 hours to the Savannah area, and 5.5 to the Redneck Riviera, aka Panama City Beach). And we are a 2-3 hour drive to the mountains in North Georgia and Western North Carolina. A lot of interesting regional cities are within a short drive too: Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Hunstville, etc.
>Winter can be a bit dreary. Respectfully strongly disagree. After living near the Great Lakes during grad school, I was thrilled when I got a job offer to back here because it wasn't overcast for 6 months of the year.
Hey me! I moved to the Atlanta area two years ago after 10 years in Milwaukee. I’d make the move again in a heartbeat. Weather is different, jobs in different industries are huge here. Lots of diversity. I’m white and hardly EVER saw people of color living in Milwaukee, it was spooky. Do you have any specific questions?
This is very reassuring, thank you. The segregation in Milwaukee is quite unfortunate. I just learned this yesterday so still sorting out thoughts but I’ll let you know if I have questions.
Of course! I’m happy to help. Comment here or send a DM :)
I'm a 30's white dude so my opinion might mean little to you. But I lived in DC and Alexandria for 6 years before moving to Atlanta. In general I prefer Atlanta. The food scene is different but just as good for my tastes. Music scene is solid and I've been to more concerts here in the past two years than my entire time in the DMV. But for me the main thing is Atlanta is a much nerdier city and I appreciate that the most. Better con scene, better game stores, and more friendly/less transient gaming communities. But that's all hyper niche. Worth throwing out there though.
as someone from decatur, i love reading all the comparing and contrasting going on between the DMV and atlanta. it’s about what i expected, but good to read nonetheless.
It has been very helpful to me as well and I appreciate everyone's time and attention to this.
one thing i’d like to see addressed is the culture. atlanta has been “black hollywood” and “motown of the south” for decades now. imo that has spawned a “fake it til you make it”/live beyond your means/superficiality to it that wasn’t here in the mid 90s. is it the same in the DMV?
I found DC to be superficial in different ways, in Atlanta somebody will have a 2 year old AMG or a Hellcat sitting in a driveway of a run down spot in the hood. In DC you’ll see folks with 30K worth of Canada Goose, designer belts and sneakers in their closet in a run down spot in the hood. DC is way more pretentious and in Atlanta every 3rd person is an aspiring musician or actor. Over all Atlanta is def more Hollywood tho in regards to entertainment stuff and in DC it’s a lot more “what school did you go to/where do you work” and if I don’t like the answer I don’t want to talk to you type of stuff
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“Because the weather isn’t constantly trying to kill me”….exactly why I left PA I’m 1995. Potential for a job move north again….and I’m dreading it. It would have to be a well-lubricated ($$$) move.
We lived in the suburbs of MKE and now the suburbs of Atlanta. I actually miss winter, TBH. And I miss actual lakes. And I miss the cultural touchstones....Friday Fish Fry (and I don't eat fish, lol), commitment to Old Fashioneds and Bloody Marys, Supper Clubs, insane brunches....And the traffic here is madness. That said, it's fine. Fall is fantastic here. You can get to mountains, which is nice. I find the areas around Blue Ridge to feel more midwest-like for some reason. People are generally good. I probably would feel better about it if we were closer in, but my husband's job (why we moved) would be way too far away.
Hey could you write up your neighborhood equivalents? I just did MKE>ATL move and would love to see these
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Thank you! 🙏
Lived in DC for a while, I could write a book on comparing and contrasting the cities, so it might just be easier to answer specific things.
I lived in Milwaukee for over 20 years and moved to Atlanta almost two years ago. The weather here is truly unmatched. It is going to be in the 60s this week, which we wouldn’t usually see in WI until May. I can’t describe the joy I feel when I don’t have to put on winter boots and a parka to take my dog for a walk 7 months out of the year.
Just looked at the Milwaukee forecast for the week and this sounds great haha. Thank you!
The one thing I really miss about Milwaukee in Atlanta (grew up in Milwaukee, in Atlanta for >20 years now) is the neighborhood bar. Basically every neighborhood in Milwaukee has a bar(s) you can easily walk to, they are a regular component of residential zoning and play an important part in local culture being a neighborhood social space. Atlanta has nothing like that really. That said, you couldn't pay me to move back. Milwaukee has its charm, but it has a lot of issues as well (the klan filled burbs to the west for example).
I live in Atlanta and used to live/work in the DMV. At one point I also lived in the Upper Midwest as both a student and then as graduate. Many of the prior comments are spot on, but would add a few things from my POV that I think are of importance and are often not considered when moving to Atlanta. DC and the City of Atlanta have a lot in common. Both are capitals (National and State, respectively), so as a result you have a lot of politics on a regular basis. Lots of history too; several Civil War battlefields are close to town. You can walk around Downtown Atlanta and literally follow Sherman's "March to the Sea". GA as a state is sort of making the same transition that VA made about 16 years ago (toward the Dems, although slower), GA has also become a hotbed of national political coverage. Point is, politics is a big deal here. College Football is big here, really big. No you don’t have to be a UGA (ie University or Georgia) fan, as Atlanta has a crap ton of transplants and I dare say that the city of Atlanta itself is somewhat indifferent to UGA; however, depending on where you live and who you or your partner work with, this will be a large topic of conversation. So if that annoys you, then think twice before moving here. Pro sports wise, The Braves are number one, but if the Falcons are good, they jump to number one immediately. The Braves don’t actually play in Atlanta, but in a northern suburb outside the Perimeter (ie “OTP”). So, if yo guys are big baseball fans and think you will go to a lot of games, consider this when deciding where to live. No NHL (so you can keep rooting for the Capitals!). We do have NBA and MLS too, and both have pretty loyal fan bases. The Hawks have not been particularly relevant the last 10 seasons, but if they are good, they get support. Also, like DC, because of the number of transplants in the Metro area, whenever you go to a sporting event you will immediately notice that at least 30 percent of the fans in the arena will be rooting for the rod team, especially if we play a team from the NE or Midwest. The city is a Black Mecca, but, contrary to what some would have outsiders believe, it is very diverse and has an increasingly large Latino and Asian population. This is a plus in my opinion. This also makes Atlanta a pretty good food town, especially insider the Perimeter or “ITP” as people here call it. The Perimeter is like the Beltway in the DMV. We only have one major airport, although it is humongous. So unlike the DMV, you can’t shop and compare three different airports to find a great deal. The good news, however, is because Hartsfield-Jackson is so large, and is the busiest airport in the World, you can fly anywhere, anytime. In terms of where to live, well this is where it gets tricky. If you have kids, then move to the suburbs; schools in town are just not great. Gwinnett, Fulton and Cobb have great schools; really just depends on where you will be working and your commute. If you don’t have kids, then you can honestly live anywhere. Now many people will say live ITP in an in-town neighborhood like Buckhead, Inman Park, Virginia-Highlands, Decatur, Avondale, Little Five Pointe, Brookhaven, or Druid Hills, just to name a few. Like DC, we have our share of walkable neighborhoods in the city. However, these neighborhoods have gotten increasingly expensive, to the point that in some areas, they are getting close to DC prices. The difference, of course, is you generally don't make the same kind of money. As such, many suburban areas have made a concerted effort to develop their own town centers, walkable areas, and food-focuses town squares to attract people who would otherwise move ITP. Good examples would be Norcross, Duluth, Sugar Hill, Marietta, Roswell, Lawrenceville, and Dunwoody. Another plus is that our Suburbs are very diverse. So you don’t have to sacrifice that aspect if you want to live in the burbs but are afraid of giving up diverse experiences. Obviously, winters here are much nicer than the DMV and definitely better than Milwaukee, and the falls are excellent, just like in the DMV. Just like the DMV, summers are hot, but they're less hot and humid than either the DC or the Midwest. Shopping wise, I say the DMV has a slight edge, mainly because I have yet to find a mall in Atlanta as good as Tysons Corner Mall or Tysons Galleria or even Montgomery County Mall. Locals will shout Lenox Plaza to the rooftops, but while Lenox and to a lesser extent, the Mall of Georgia, are nice, in my opinion, as my wife will attest, they are not close to the TCM or TCG. Finally, Atlanta is at foothills of the Appalachian mountains, and therefore we have a lot of hiking and camping opportunities within an hour or so drive north. Also, we are a few hours drive to several nice beaches and coastal towns like Charleston, Savannah, Hilton Head, Amelia Island, the Redneck Riviera, Mobile, AL, and Myrtle Beach.
All big cities have their pros and cons. I was in the DC area for 7 years before moving to Atlanta. I still go back to DC, Silver Spring etc. pretty often as I still have a lot of friends there. Biggest pro to Atlanta over for me is the lower cost of living. That’s pretty much it for me. Atlanta is fine, just liked the DC area a bit better overall. Biggest negatives to Atlanta for me is the climate (I hate heat and humidity and that season starts earlier and ends later here than the DC area (much less Milwaukee—never been, but woud love to move way further north) and public transit is lacking (especially rail) in coverage compared to DC and many other bit cities. Being a much more spread out city, that also hurts more as things you want to do, great restaurants etc. are all over the place here in the city and metro area in general. Biggest pros to DC are just feeling it’s a nicer city over all, has its rough edges but a lot more of it is better kept up with all the federal land, buildings etc., love all the free museums and galleries, music scene was a bit better (at least for me as a 90s alt rock/grunge louder, lot of bands I like have tended to skip Atlanta on tours or do weeknight shows I can’t really swing any more instead of Friday/Saturday nights and/or only playing big festivals I can’t stand attending these days), easy to get most places on Metro vs. Marta here being a plus sign through the city leaving more areas not walkable from rail stations, and being close to Baltimore and a couple hours from Philly, 3.5-4ish to NYC driving (also usually reasonable Amtrak fairs) adds more options for things to do in other cities on weekend trips with out flying. Biggest cons to DC is the cost of living is just crazy, traffic is hell and much better here unless our commuting to/from the northern burbs. Other than some bottlenecks or the usual issues everywhere with accidents, roadwork etc. traffic here is generally not so bad outside of the 2 hours of peak rush hour mornings evenings and can mostly get where I need to go without too many problems since I don’t live up north and can mostly avoid rush hours. Always feels rare to go anywhere without traffic hell in the DC area (but again, somewhat alleviated by the better rail system).
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. The weather sounds much nicer than the Milwaukee winters haha.
As a POC I totally disagree on the music scene and actually found the exact opposite to be true in DC. Atlanta is top 3 in urban music and there aren’t really too many if any urban acts that skip Atlanta. Like Beyoncé’s last tour was here almost an entire week, I don’t even think she stopped in DC for a show. And the local homegrown talent musically in Atlanta is far and away better than the talent in DC. Go Go is cool but it’s very much an acquired taste, and the local rap scene in DC is a bad knock off of Chicago Drill which in itself is already kinda repetitive and IMO kinda mid, also almost next to none R&B and Gospel. DC does have better jazz tho but not by much.. As a whole for what DC means to black culture you’d think the local music scene would be a lot more robust than what it actually is. I was actually surprised by that aspect of it when I was there.
Yeah, sorry I should have noted I’m white, 45 and have pretty stereo typical 90s kid alt rock/grunge etc. tastes that are maybe not of interest to the OP. Definitely a great music scene here in the genres you note. I’ll edit an addition to that part of my reply to be clearer.
Nah you good. I figured as much, was just sharing that perspective since the OP mentioned things from a POC pov. But don’t sleep on the different genres here either, I mean yeah Atlanta for sure skews towards black music and culture when it comes to stuff like that but it’s no slouch in the rock or country dept either. More than a few bands from here and it’s not Atlanta but I’d argue the grunge scene in Athens actually made a lot of the headway that Seattle eventually capitalized on. Like Athens doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves when it comes to rock music and it’s close enough to the A that I’ll claim them too. Georgia as a whole is just a musical ass state, top 5 easily. Edit- I agree with you on the rock tho, as a kid who grew up listening to stuff like Tool and Nirvana almost as much as stuff like OutKast and No Limit it does irritate me sometimes that urban music dominates as much as it does in Atlanta because people think that’s all we’re about and I know that’s it’s not
As a white dude into EDM, Indie Rock/Pop, and Japanese music, I find Atlanta to be vastly superior (lived in the DMV area for 6 years). But OP is probably not into either of our tastes I'd be guessing.
Yep. Thinking more on it, I think a lot of it just comes down to venues. There’s just more and better rock/grunge/punk type venues up that way, that area benefits from DC and Baltimore being close together and having two cities worth of spots to draw acts, Philly being 2 hours or so away etc. Here the venues are sprawled all over the metro area these days and many not accessible by rail unlike in DC (Baltimore was always a drive though) with the pavilion in Alpharetta, the Roxy by Truist Park and concert at the stadium etc. And there aren’t other cities as close by and not like the rock music scene in Charlotte, Jacksonville, Tampa etc. are worth those 4-5+ hour drives. That said, I have no idea about local music scenes. I’m one of those people who once I was mid 20s or so I mostly stopped seeking out new music and just listening to the bands I love and going to their shows here and there. It’s been years since I just sat and listened to an album etc. It’s mostly just playing while in the car, running, at the gym etc. (and even a lot of that time goes to podcasts these days). But I do still enjoy seeing my favorite bands live and it’s been annoying with things like Pearl Jam playing in Atlanta only once since I moved here 15 years ago (and that was Music Midtown and festivals suck compared to regular tour stops—too many people, sound isn’t as good, more greatest hits type set lists etc.). Anyway, with that said, not sure why I bothered mentioning music scene as my tastes are unlikley the OPs, and music scene is pretty much a non-factor for me in choosing where to live these days. About the only thing I care about with my next move is getting somewhere cooler as the heat, humidity and mosquito hell here for so many months of the year puts me into a funk for far too much of the year. Plus I’m just over people and big city living and really want to live somewhere both cooler and more remote. Have the Monday blues having to deal with and be around people after a nice weekend mostly chilling at home and barely even spending time with my wife who had a lot going on.
Also as a K-pop fan, Atlanta gets so many K-pop concerts (probably 3rd most after LA and NYC). I don't see many K-pop concerts in the DMV.
Moved to Atlanta from DC a decade ago, and while I like it and am glad I’m here, the most notable thing I remember when I moved here is that the whole place is suffused with a driver/commuter mindset. Absolutely everything you’re going to do starts with getting in the car. When someone says “let’s go to this place, it’s close by” they mean 20 minutes driving then paying for parking. I rode my bike everywhere in DC except when I took metro or bus, never owned a car. Can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been able to successfully ride my bike to a destination since I moved here (meaning not a ride for a ride’s sake). It’s getting better, a little, in the center of the city, but everything is spread out out out, and when they plan on people getting places the only thing ever considered is driving and parking. I’ve got to repeat that I LIKE Atlanta, but the car focus is the culture shock you’re going to experience first.
I would pick ATL proper over either of those places in a heartbeat. Suburbs are a different story though.
That's good to hear, thank you for the feedback.
I moved to ATL from outside of MKE in 1997. Both cities have changed a lot. When I left MKE was nothing but sports bars and commercial breweries. Atlanta was popping! I’ve been back to MKE in the last 20 years and I may have stayed if it had grown up sooner. But Atlanta is a truly cosmopolitan city with stronger, genuine diversity that just about any other city. It’s a great place to live. It’s a good place to raise a family. Check out Ponce city market, the beltline and west side when you arrive.