I’ve lived in Atlanta for over 15 years as of when I made this video in October 2023, and I love it here. I run a YouTube channel called Living in Atlanta, so obviously I think it’s a fantastic place to live for your family, your career, and a lot of other reasons. But if you can’t handle these four things, you probably don’t want to move here.
This post is for anyone relocating to Atlanta, whether you’re choosing between cities for a job or looking for a more affordable one. Think of it as a pressure test of your decision. You’ve probably already heard about the humidity, the mosquitoes and the cockroaches from people who live here. Today it’s the less talked about items.
4. Allergies
This one is more typical, but I have to include it because it has affected me personally. If you’re sensitive to pollen, allergies are a real challenge in the Atlanta area. We have a ton of green space and a ton of trees, which means a lot of allergens.
In the springtime, one day you’ll open your door and every car will be covered in a layer of yellow pollen. You’ll have to get your car washed. We have literally set records in Atlanta for pollen count and allergens in general.
Even if you aren’t sensitive now, you may develop allergies. I was never super sensitive. After living here for 15 years, I have a form of low-grade asthma, and all signs point to the allergies as the cause. I have a prescription inhaler, I get wheezing and chest congestion sometimes, and I’m not a smoker. It comes from pollen, ragweed and mold allergies that hit throughout the year.
Taking Claritin every day is a very common thing down here. So is running air purifiers. If you’re extremely sensitive to pollen, ragweed, dust or mold, know that before you make your final decision.
3. A food scene heavy on corporate chains
Don’t get me wrong. There is great fine dining in Atlanta, so if you want a fancy date night, you can find it. You can also get incredible cheap eats, particularly on Buford Highway, which I talk about all the time. It’s affordable, authentic ethnic food, largely from Latin American and Asian cultures. My favorite eating experience in Atlanta is on Buford Highway and in Duluth. If food is a priority, my guide to the best Atlanta neighborhoods for food goes deeper on where to eat.
It’s the middle ground you don’t really find here. Think of a city like Portland, which fosters mom-and-pop, independently owned businesses in food and retail. Atlanta, for whatever reason, is not that way. We have a ton of corporate chains. For middle-of-the-road, good-value food, the scene is kind of lacking. There are a lot of overpriced places, and a lot of places with poor service or low quality.
I’m pretty critical about this, and other people feel Atlanta has an amazing food scene. As of October 2023, the Michelin Guide was coming to Atlanta and doing its first reviews, so we may have Michelin-star restaurants soon. You’d think that would bring in other high-profile chefs hoping to earn a star.
Still, this is one of my least favorite things about living here, and I would have wanted to know it before deciding. It’s not a knockout food city. It’s not a Chicago, a Portland, or even a New Orleans, which has an incredible local scene that doesn’t break the bank and a lot of locally owned businesses. I would not put Atlanta in the top 10 for food scenes. I know that’s a little harsh, but I’m trying to give you the truth.
2. Resistance to urbanization
I don’t hear this one talked about much. If you’re coming from a more progressive city that is pro-urbanization and pro-public transportation, that is really not the case in Atlanta.
First, we’re sprawled out, not dense, so we’re very car dependent. We don’t have great public transportation. We have MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, which runs a robust bus system and limited heavy rail. The heavy rail is four lines, including northwest, east and south routes. This is not New York City, and it’s not Portland. You can use the heavy rail to cut your commute and save money.
For years and years, Atlanta has fought over expanding MARTA’s heavy rail outside the perimeter (the I-285 loop around the city) into the surrounding counties. Those counties want to benefit from the money Atlanta produces, but for whatever reason they don’t want Atlanta coming out to their suburban neighborhoods. MARTA has had a really hard time expanding. They also haven’t necessarily been great at managing their funds.
It goes beyond public transportation. Developers want to build mixed-use, high-density buildings, and the communities that have to approve them push back a lot. We call it NIMBYism here, short for “not in my backyard.” People down here complain about traffic and about cost of living and affordability, but no one seems to want to vote for the things that would address those issues: density and public transportation.
I’m typically pro-urbanization, as long as it’s done in an ethical, correct way. A major city like Atlanta has a lot of people moving in, and that will continue. You have to put infrastructure in place that creates density, effectiveness and affordability for everyone arriving. In my view we can’t become more and more car dependent, and you can’t just add lanes on a highway. We need zoning laws that allow more density, and projects that connect the BeltLine to housing.
Right now they’re talking about putting light rail on the BeltLine, which was always the goal of Ryan Gravel, the person who originally envisioned it. We’re getting big pushback on that too. If we keep growing at this rate without making plans for it, the traffic is only going to get crazier and affordability isn’t going to get better. So know before you move that Atlanta is not very big on urbanization. If you’re weighing where to live with that in mind, the Atlanta neighborhoods guide is a good place to start.
1. Gun culture
This is the biggest challenge for me, and it still is. You’ve probably heard me talk about it before. This is personal, just my opinion. You might be a responsible gun owner and believe in that for everyone, and that’s totally okay. Everyone brings their own life experience to this.
I grew up in New York. I didn’t know anyone who owned guns, there were obviously very strict gun laws, and I never saw anyone carrying a gun growing up in the Northeast. It’s very different down here. It may not be a bad thing, and it may even be a reason you want to move here. I’m just sharing my experience.
The gun laws down here are very lax. You will see people open carrying, and a lot of people own guns. Unfortunately, there’s a decent amount of gun violence. It’s not an insane amount like St. Louis, New Orleans or Chicago, but you do hear stories about shootings on the highway and road rage incidents. You do see people with guns, and that’s not my favorite. I haven’t had any personal experience with violent crime or a gun being used on me, thank God.
Still, be aware of it if you’re coming from a city with more progressive or stricter gun laws and you’re not used to this culture. Maybe that’s the West Coast or the Northeast. It will be different for you.
Here’s my caveat. There are tons of responsible gun owners down here. Because there’s a gun culture, there are shooting ranges, and there are people who absolutely know how to own and handle a gun responsibly. I’m not painting with a broad brush. But if you didn’t grow up in a culture where guns are very prevalent, it might be a culture shock. It was for me, and my personal preference would be to live in an area where no one really owns a gun. You may never have an issue. And if you’re a gun nut, you’ll be in heaven down here.
It doesn’t mean you’re going to have that kind of issue, and it doesn’t mean it’s incredibly dangerous. As of October 2023, I’d say Atlanta had been trending safer over the last 20 years and continued to do so. It’s just something you should be aware of.
Can you handle all four?
Those are the four things I’d want you to know and think over before you make the final decision for you and your family. If you heard them and thought, “I love guns, I don’t suffer from allergies, I don’t mind corporate chains, and I’m fine driving everywhere,” then come on down. We’d love to have you.
I’ll finish where I started. I love Atlanta. My business is here and I make videos about it, so this isn’t meant to disparage the city. These are important decisions for you and your family, and it’s worth knowing the potential downsides. For a broader picture, read what it’s like living in Atlanta.
If you need help finding a place in Atlanta, you can book a Zoom call with me or get in touch here. I love when my viewers become clients.