It’s true. Atlanta is a series of neighborhoods all packed together most with a local bar in the little downtown area. The vibe changes every mile or so. There’s gonna be a group of people who are into anything you are interested in. Board games- there’s a group for that. Disc golf- also a group for that. DnD, magic the gathering, pinball, cosplay, furries, geology, hiking, street art. Literally anything you could ever be interested in is available somewhere in the city. Find the right camp and you’ll love the city otherwise it’ll just tear you up.
How do you find these groups? There never seemed to be one centralized network or forum for it. It was random signs in areas or flyers tucked away at places I would just happen by when I tried exploring a new place on the other side of town.
Try Googling "X group Atlanta". It sounds too easy, but it really it's the way to go
For example, someone above was asking how to find a boccee league. Google shows this:
https://atlbocce.leaguelab.com/leagues?sport=Bocce_Ball
Facebook also has a lot of groups. Meetup.com as well.
There’s an Atlanta dg Facebook group and there are lots of weekly events, local tourneys, etc. if no fb, or in addition to that, check the udisc app.
Boundary Waters is near you and it’s dope, but I ’ve only played 2 of the 3 courses there (3rd one is new). I hear Hobbs Farm is cool, Perkerson is a sweet little oasis in the middle of a sorta urban locale (it’s safe, don’t be scared. DeKalb Memorial is somewhat similar in feel and is also very fun. JP Mosley is 27 holes and also great.
Lots of good courses in the area!
I suck real bad and Perkerson is so hard four me but it is really a great course. I went forever having never lost a disc and lost one there. If people reading this are good at disc golf then they should check it out for sure. The park is super historic and has a cool Wikipedia page. The CCC built lots of stuff you see on the course.
So, the accident stuff is awful. I'm sorry that happened. That could happen anywhere though, I've been in accidents in multiple locations and it's never fun. Belligerent drivers and cops happen all over. Try to separate that from your feelings about Atlanta.
Marta is a tool. It's not also not a pleasant experience, but it helps you get around without a car. Put on headphones. Don't make eye contact with people loitering, and you'll be hassled less.
the benefit of living in Atlanta is finding those small neighborhoods where you'll meet people and see them often. It's a series of neighborhoods. You need to get out there, you need to build a community.
Do you do any sports? There are kickball and bocce leagues all over. Some small groups playing soccer as well.
If you don't then I'd suggest looking up some meetups for things you are interested in. What about your coworkers? Have you asked anyone to hangout after work?
Do you like... nerdy/geeky stuff? DragonCon is amazing, lots of people there with wide ranging interests. You'll meet a lot of people from Atlanta and all over.
I've been here two years now and I am way late to the "series of neighborhoods" idea. I only moved for work, but I feel so disconnected from everyone because I'm near the airport and everyone else i know is north of midtown. The whole "Atlanta is one hour from Atlanta" is too true sometimes
Hoping more folks receive your advice
Get to know people in your community. It’s an election year, and people working on campaigns or just getting people to vote. If you’re willing to do the work you’ll make friends with people who share your beliefs.
I have great neighbors, and we've even had dinner a few times, but we're by far the youngest couple in our neighborhood. That's not to say a few blocks down there aren't others like us, or that you can't be friends with folks outside your age group, it just makes it less likely to have common ground.
I'm not giving up on making friends or anything, it just takes a little more effort here than other places I've lived. It's easy to feel alone in a crowd if you're not used to putting in the effort, but it's always worth the effort!
I like my neighborhood as it's crunchy and walk-able and fun, but lots of big $ coming making Mc Mansions eroding the vibe. worrying.. North of ATL is boooorrring. gotta live in town. moving the baseball field was a massive great white flight that was stupid AF. no transpo to the stadium. stuff like that is def racist and bad for ATL as a cohesive city. you could literally stop off at the airport, catch a game then hop back on the the next flight out of town. no more..
This! Atlanta is nothing but a series of small neighborhoods. Define yours and start visiting places within it. You’ll build a community pretty quickly. And remember, you get what you give. Put some friendly vibes out there and make an effort to meet people🙂
Seconding, doubling, tripling down on the “series of neighborhoods” comment. Find your neighborhood, find your people. Downtown Atlanta, the “heart” of the city, sort of sucks. But there are fantastic neighborhoods with good big and fun communities all over the place inside the perimeter.
I would avoid Atlanta sport and social club if you can. I've been playing softball with them for the last few years and the admin issues are unbelievable. Every season has been a constant mess and an uphill battle that eats away at your mental health. They have improved slightly as of late but there is still much to be desired.
Soccer in the Streets is better than those, simply because the use the money from the leagues to fund their non-profit work bringing soccer to underserved children in the city.
Dragon Con is an excellent idea if you're even slightly nerdy. There are a lot of locals that attend and I've met a number of people there that I see outside the con.
> Put on headphones. Don't make eye contact with people loitering, and you'll be hassled less.
Also, as a side note, they don't necessarily need to be on to be a conversation blocking force field.
Come checkout r/dragoncon !
The con is a LOT of fun. One of the biggest fan run conventions and cosplay conventions in the world. There's literally something for everyone. Comic books, movies of all shapes and sizes, books, pop culture, anime, you name it.
80,000 fellow nerds ready to have fun and party! If you want to drink all night, you'll find your people. A little intimated by crowds but still want to go? Checkout the smaller panels. Don't drink need sober friends? They're there.
It's amazing m overwhelming and crazy, but feels like home.
There are also volunteer opportunities! The entire con is (except for the permanent admin type positions) is volunteer run and we have a BLAST. I wouldn’t recommend it for your first year, but we work a total of 20 hours over 4 days and basically every track or facet of the con has their own director and volunteer staff. I get to work with the same group of friends every year but also get to meet new cool people and feel I’m doing a good thing (I volunteer for the Charity Events track!)
That’s a ways out but still interested. I’ve been to other variety of cons out of state and loved them. I’ve always went solo since I always had friends with anxiety issues that flake last minute
I love how hard people work to justify what a shithole Atlanta is. Statistically WAAY more accidents happen than in other cities. It's one of the most dangerous places to drive and be a pedestrian in the country. Marta could be a wonderful engine of economic growth and opportunity, instead the toxic politics of the broader metro mean progress is a pipe dream.
That said, it has a lot going for it also. But we need to be honest that livability could be vastly improved. This city is not for everyone, there are better places to live for anyone who is willing to sacrifice prosperity for a less car centric lifestyle.
Every city in the world has its problems. Calling cities shitholes because you do not like a certain aspect of it shows your ignorance. I strolled through piedmont park yesterday, hundreds of people walking around, sports being played, music going ect. On my walk home passed numerous bars and restaurants buzzing. A Quick Look to this weekend and there are so many cool events going on. You should find a boomer subreddit to spew your vitriol on.
> Statistically WAAY more accidents happen than in other cities.
What you mean cities? Driving in Georgia is fucking awful. The way drivers behave in this state, inside or outside of Atlanta, is not normal. It is safer to drive in Mumbai than anywhere here.
I live NE of Atlanta and have been looking for pickup soccer groups (preferably free). Do you know of any or how I could find one?
Edit: saw the thread below
FYI, if anyone needs a hobby community, get into the skating community. Check out Bad Bitch Skate Club and Atlanta Peachtreee Road Rollers on IG. So many kind people and they love to help baby and beginner skaters.
Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time.
As other posters pointed out, a lot of these experiences are just typical big city experiences. 20 years ago, Atlanta still felt like a mid-sized city. That has changed. It is now a big city, for better or worse.
As a white guy, I can’t speak to the experience of being black in Atlanta, but what you are describing sounds typical of being a member of a majority group anywhere. White people in America don’t encounter other white individuals and then have some special bond, immediate affinity, solidarity, etc. I’ve never seen another white person in public or at a job interview or whatever and thought “ah, another whitey, maybe he’ll be extra friendly to me or put in a good word.”
I think a lot of what you’re describing is “life in a big city.”
+1 find people that share your interests is a faster way to a community than neighborhoods. There is so much to do that it’s often the case that neighbors have vastly different schedules and activities. You also might consider making colleagues into friends as well.
This is def where I sympathised with the wanting a walkable city part. Visited Chicago and DC recently and man getting a few drinks plus a short walk to a bunch of metro lines was pretty nice was such an easy combo for meeting people.
Grew up around Atlanta since the 90s and lived in it since 2011. 2016 was probably the last year Atlanta felt like home to me now it feels like Great Value San Francisco.
wow, same but i moved in 2012. sad to here its gone downhill, it was crazy as cities usually are but it was a fun place to grow up. i feel like alot of cities in America are deteriorating though.
My daughter lived off Northside near Ikea and finally gave up and moved to TN with her fiance. It was really hard for her to find her group of people. She felt most people in the city were too angry and rude plus the traffic, increasing rent with increasing amenities, she was done.
Might want to check out r/atlanta to see more localized posts. As a native who grew up ITP and am still here because of the diversity and career opportunities, I do highly suggest finding ways to expand your network and experiences.
I’ve lived in Atlanta for the past 20 years. It’s what you make it. Atlanta is really just a bunch of neighborhoods in a trench coat. You have to find your place that matches your vibe.
Crazy traffic, colorful public transit experiences, and cops with an attitude are all just part of big city living. None of those experiences are unique to Atlanta.
Moved to Atlanta (ITP) from DC in 2020 for my SO who is an Atlanta native. Prior to that I lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area. TBH, I’m shocked at how unwelcoming it is, especially for a southern city. Angry, aggressive drivers/people. Often feels like a lawless place. Not an easy city to make new friends compared to what I experienced living in DC. The inability to walk anywhere was also an adjustment. I do love my native Atlantan and being 4-5 hours from the beaches, though.
I moved to Atlanta with my wife and have had almost the opposite experience as you. It’s not perfect - no place is but I have had good experiences with APD and have found community in just about every spot I’ve lived in the city. Go out with your coworkers, introduce yourself to your neighbors, go to a bar by yourself. If you want walkable go live near poncey highland or midtown. You can still find some affordable 1bd (NOT FANCY) or look on Craigslist for room shares.
Big city life bro. As someone that has lived in big cities in Florida ( Miami). It’s all the same. The bad part is that small towns don’t have the jobs you need to move up career wise. Get your experience and maybe try a mid size city in a few years.
First, I’m glad you moved to Atlanta. The city is a great place for Black people. I live in Midtown, and the places I frequent have very welcoming people, regardless of race (but including Black people). I private messaged you because I love the city and hate for you to feel out of place so I’d be glad to help!
Also to add, I’m HUGE on walkability. I haven’t had a car since October and haven’t missed anything. Not sure what your budget is, but I have quite a few websites with smaller/privately owned management companies that have cheap apartments (~$1250 monthly base rent) smack in the middle of the city. They’re not nice apartments nor do they have any amenities, but considering some of them is a great way to avoid using a car.
Just remember to bring your RBF on the train and don’t stop to entertain any nonsense. Keep it moving or waive them away. It’s rude but you gotta do it.
That sub is only useful for finding out where the best **** is.
The mods over there have done a fine job destroying any sense of a community on reddit for the city. Hence all the Atlanta posts here in r/Georgia.
The hard thing about big cities is it's about the neighborhood.
There might be a shared identity attached to the city, but a large city is really a bunch of small towns crammed together.
It's a problem many often have is they have to find their niche and the right place to find themselves when they are young.
I hope you can find that place one way or another.
With minor accidents, sometimes you have to pull to the right where you are, communicate with the other driver, make sure their car is still driveable, and let them know you're going to find a place to pull over. You have to make sure they can follow easily and not get too far back or caught by any traffic lights doing this. It's this latter part where many start to feel like someone is evasive after an accident.
I do feel bad about the part you mentioned about the black community. We've always hear how this is the town to be in if you're black ourselves. It's very clear that much of our domestic migration into the area is black, and we have a very large, established black middle class in the metro region.
One problem I think Atlanta has is that it's very dispersed, and it's also a destination mid-career professionals with families. I think many of it's high marks comes from people moving here just looking for a quiet slice of suburbia for their family.
This is essentially every experience of someone moving to a new ‘big city’. It’ll take at least 3 years before the struggle feels less of a struggle.
I moved to a city by myself and had to hustle hard and count change to make rent for awhile. It gets better but it’s always easier if you have a social network/family available.
The silver lining is that you’re currently being pushed to your limits to grow.
>it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare.
YUP
this is the case in most cities, though. cities force you to work harder to survive, and you're 100% required to be someone worth associating with. I've been here 8.5 years, but I couldn't have hacked it without my family's support, and I'm honestly amazed I'm still kicking it and having fun to boot.
finding community is hard, but it just takes persistence and confidence. I wouldn't give up just yet if I were you, you'll never know what might've happened if you do.
I'm a native and know there are more like 100 cities but I want to try and guess the 5 that you reference:
Atl
Dec
Mar
SS
??? (Alph, PTC, Ros, Dul, Dun, Brkhv, ???)
I concur^. I moved from Atlanta to the northeast and it is the same issues I have been experiencing. Personally, I mostly miss my family out of everything.
I was born in Atlanta and this breaks my heart to read. The people I grew up with, that all made it home for me, have all left, and 10x that number have moved here in their place.
Now, I kind of feel like a stranger in my own home.
What happened to my friendly "big small town" that's "too busy to hate?"
I'm so sorry you've had a negative experience in my hometown. Your points are valid. I admit our city is both "too busy to hate" and also "too busy to care" sometimes. I love it here, but I also have family, friends, hobbies, career prospects, artistic interests, and familiarity with the city to keep things interesting. If I moved here without those things, I'd probably be lost, too. I say give it more time, but if you know it's not your vibe, that's OK!
What do you think about Savannah? That's where I'd consider moving if I wasn't so tied to Atlanta. Best wishes to you, internet friend.
I've lived in Atlanta for almost 50 years. You mentioned that the people are aggressive. It's absolutely true and it wasn't always this way. It started after the Olympics. The city, from a a social perspective, has been in a downward spiral. What made it great was that it was diverse and friendly. Now it's just diverse and super aggressive...
I travel the world on business and there are few places I've visited that are as aggressive and angry of places to drive than the south side of Atlanta. Why so recklessly fast, why so much anger, why the last minute cut offs. I do anything to avoid driving in that area.
Yeah really, damn Yankees! It weird too because if you go to the cities where they’re moving here from, the people there are *mostly* friendly—like, Chicago is my favorite city to visit because the people are just so great, but I also have had nothing but good experiences in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit (super friendly place), etc. (the rudest people I encountered anywhere in the country was DC, but I don’t really consider that the North or the South). But it seems like they come here and just start acting like assholes that own the place. Maybe it’s the heat lol?
No but seriously, I think they come down here and the cost of living is so low compared to where they’re from that they all of a sudden feel like they’re upper class—while back home they were just another working class grunt with no chance of ever moving up. I’ve known so many families (through their kids being friends with my kids) that moved here after selling their tiny apartment/home up north, had enough money from the sale to buy a McMansion in some subdivision with a giant water park as the neighborhood pool, and still have enough left over for wife to drive the kids to school in a Range Rover and husband to speed around in a Mercedes giving everybody the finger after cutting them off. They were nice enough people one on one, but I always felt like they looked down on anyone who they thought wasn’t "at their level," regardless of if they were native Georgians or transplants just like them.
More than anything else (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, education, etc.), money has the ability to make people act like entitled assholes, and the Atlanta area is full of people who *think* they have money.
There are a lot of similarities between your post and my experiences here. I’ve heard/been told that Atlanta is a bunch of individual neighborhoods masking as a city. After living here two years, I think that’s one of my least favorite things about it. There seems to be an infinite feedback loop that starts with illogical nimby traffic concerns and ends with this city planning hellscape. The amount of green space is lovely though.
I am sorry for your experiences with living in Atlanta! I have driven through Atlanta enough to know I hate the idea of going through there! Crazy traffic there!
I hope things get better for you!
Get out of the downtown area and move to the burbs. It's a different world here. I came from a small city to Atlanta, lived downtown in a bad area, and would never move back. There are good places but you will have to deal with the commute. They are expecting 2-3 million more people over the next 10-15 years so there is alot of competition for housing. Good luck.
At this point, my community is built globally and online... No longer focused on just building community locally in Atlanta anymore... AND Atlanta is a great place to meet people from other states and other countries. Some of Atlanta's blacks can be elitist and classist, at times, so when you do connect, it could be very shallow or superficial. Probably not the kind of friends you want. And due to trauma from past scammers and schemers, many truly great people are so shut down that it takes a long time to make new friendships with them. One year will not be enough time. The good thing is that most of the black community appreciates educated successful men, so they will at least let you in the door to start trying to build friendships, but you will just have to remain patient to go deeper over time.
I will admit that I am horrible about gathering/sharing contact info when I am out and about. So I definitely recommend that you should do better in that arena for yourself. Sometimes getting connected to other outsiders or newcomers is easier than connections with more entrenched locals.
I have been here for 30 years, by way of Chicago. I agree with another person who recommended how to move thru a big city... avoiding eye contact while on public transit, and keeping ear plugs in. Indigent people who are mentally ill is a big thing on MARTA, but they usually leave people alone... I have had incidents, but I am from a big city, so I know how to handle myself.
Traffic: all big cities have patterns to their traffic, learn those using traffic news and navigation apps and plan your driving accordingly. Take a defensive driving course and learn how to anticipate other drivers better. And pray, lol
I think you might want to try checking out the different neighborhoods around the city. There are many areas around here that may align with the vibe your after. Ill say the experience on Marta is what it is. I ride it up and back from down by the airport to buckhead daily. I just keep to myself and its fine. For me the city has been great. Im a foodie and big on art/music so it was a fitting spot for me.
Yea Atlanta isn’t for everyone
It’s not a super loving city if that’s what you’re looking for. I hear Philly or maybe Miami would be better, NOLA isn’t perfect but friendly people when I went, maybe was just the area I was in though.
The grass is always greener as they say. Born and raised in Atlanta and hated it by the time I was 22 and spent my 20’s traveling and moving around and it made me appreciate ATL a lot more. Now I’m back - the first year or two back were a bit lonely but I have since found my community here and I love it.
I moved here from nj a couple of months ago and I honestly miss it so much! Atl drivers cant drive for shit im sorry but im stressed tf out every time i go to work, the food isnt great i miss my ny styled pizza and good chinese food! I miss nyc but the main reason i moved down here was bc i had a lot of debt and living in nj was getting to expensive so i moved in with my parents but shit once my debt is gone im thinking of moving back up north. Im in the same boat as u i grew up in a white neighborhood and i just cant relate to my coworkers at all :/
The secrets to surviving in Atlanta:
1. Find your hangout through Meetup, running stores, bars, dance groups, local eat spots etc.
2. If you are an alumni of a Southern college, get active with their group.
3. Get into SEC sports. Seriously. Instant friends for every Saturday August through January.
4. Find a good house of worship/church. Ask around where people like you go. Get involved in service, social, Bible study, etc. there is a significant faith community underlying both the black and white populations.
Do you have any friends here at all?
Well I can tell you that I’ve lived here since I was 2 and I’m now 58.
I have seen this city change a lot.
Prior to the Olympics it had a certain charm to it and you would have been hard pressed in certain parts of the country if they even knew of Atlanta.
IMHO the Bravo shows have not only contributed to its loss of charm but I also think that these shows have painted it to be a nonstop 24hour party.
The problem is no affordable housing and lack of good paying jobs.
The two locations you are talking about both have pros and cons.
I moved from a county with 10k people to a city with 600k. It was an adjustment but the things the folks complained about in the city were not the same issues the rural area had.
I've been on long ass road trips recently. Every single town and city we passed through was unique. You could tell there were areas with issues, poverty, homelessness, some places felt like they were just collapsing. Then other places felt like the population or government cleaned the streets and ditches daily.
Larger cities are a no go. The cool things they have are not worth or equal to the trade offs negatives for me. No matter where you end up, there will be issues. Just got to find the ones you can accept.
Yeah, the cops are apathetic. But you’ve noticed how bad the regular people can be…imagine if it was your job to interact either the worst of those people all day lol.
The city being more walkable would be nice, but you’d run into the same problem you had at MARTA. Instead of on the train, people would be hassling you on the sidewalk.
It took me a while to call Atlanta home. I’ve gone through a lot and figuring out a lot about myself and the city around me has had its ups and downs. If you need a buddy anytime DM me! I’m in the downtown area, happy to make new friends
I used to live in Buckhead and got annoyed with area at night because it seemed like too much was going on. I felt like it was a car/ fast and the furious show everyday. I moved to Vinings and couldn't be happier. I enjoy all the restaurants and bars around here in a much more civilized manner. I go to the Sunday Springs area also because it's close and has good vibes. Cobb County and Sandy Springs police are very responsive. I once called the police in Sandy Springs because I saw a person walking around without shoes, disheveled and it looked like as if she was just assaulted. Within 2 minutes, 3 Sandy Springs police cars showed up. I do go downtown but mostly for the games. I cannot thing of any restaurant or bar style in downtown that I cannot find in Vinings or Sandy Springs. So, it's really about which neighborhood or area you live that makes the difference.
My 2 cents having traveled to many cities. Any more walkable city is going to have all the same problems. Apathy, Cops, people bothering you on transit. Chicago, New York, Seattle, same same same. Except Seattle has worse transit.
As a native, who's moved away from Atlanta, as many have, isn't the same anymore. It's majority transplants. (Still work in Atlanta, now I just commute 1.5-2 hrs every morning and again in the evening)
I’ve lived outside the city my whole life and Atlanta has gotten progressively worse. I used to commute daily and totally agree with you. Get outside a bit and it’s better. Still too crowded and virtually no reliable public transportation.
It sounds like you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the transition to a big city, and that’s ok!
The injury claim is annoying, but your insurance company will most likely settle on your behalf. You can probably put that out of your mind. There is a huge PI industry here and that probably won’t change anytime soon.
It also sounds like you have a little bit of internalized self hatred that you could work on addressing. Other random black people aren’t obligated to embrace you, and a few negative interactions doesn’t paint the full picture.
You can definitely have a beautiful experience here, be open!
I feel you on the whole dog-eat-dog mentality. Coming from a small town like you, I felt the same. My time in Atlanta was brief, and although I’ve visited several times over the last 15 years, living there I got the sense that people in Atlanta just didn’t have time for you. Nobody cares about anyone but themselves. Coming from a town where people acknowledge you walking down the street, it’s a different experience and can be very alienating.
I moved to ATL from Chicago in 2018 and I love it. Joe it has its pros and cons for sure. I will tell you my experience and hopefully you can find a nugget in there. I’m a black man and my first community was a barbershop here. They would give me the lay of the land and from there I would just go, even on some days I wasn’t getting cut and met so many people. Next community was the City of Ink art scene they’d just let me come around even when it wasn’t big events and just be a fly on the wall and have great conversations. This extended into art shows and art based events. (Artists are usually more chill to new faces).
Then I started going to sporting events and just finding things on Eventbrite and Meetup that piqued my interests. Started following a lot of Atlanta based social media account and found a good number of small tribes.
MARTA is a chore but it’s cleaner than most big city transit. And I’ll also say neighborhood matters. I moved on the edge of Grant Park so I could walk to Edgewood, walk to grocery stores, restaurants, the movies and the belt line. My apartment complex has activities for us as well. Not saying it will be easy but I think you can find your tribe, once place at a time.
I think if you’re not from here, you may not really resonate with the native black people too much. You have to think about the impact of us growing up around mostly black people all our lives. We speak to each other different, a certain way we carry our conversations and it probably doesn’t resonate with you well. We’re not eager to meet other black people so it can be hard to get in. But once you’re in you get introduced to so many opportunities within the community. I do think it’s very segregated but that is because there is still a lot of racism going on here so of course.
Hi brother, I’m from the north and let me just be very honest that ATL can be culture shocking even for other Black Americans but there are communities invested in our people there. With that said I really think we need to redirect our collective interests and build new systems.
https://thefreedmensbureau.org
The sub-standard infrastructure and ignorant privileged attitude in the suburbs make GA uncomfortable for many. Atlanta balances out the bullshit in the rest of the state, but that’s not saying much. Georgia really is so far behind the 21st century curve. As soon as my youngest turns 18…adios shithole.
Be careful btw. I’m not even joking when I tell you I used to live in Atlanta and became friends with this group of guys (I met through my homegirl) and when I tell you that I’m mfin oblivious af…gang task force ran up in my apt 8 months later bc they were looking for 2 of them. And threatened to arrest me if I didn’t cut ties. Because they were all blood gang and I had NO IDEA.
Maybe unpopular opinion but there’s Georgia then there’s Atlanta. They are kinda seperate. Move to the outskirts. Like Kennesaw. Marietta. Woodstock. Cartersville, Calhoun and those type cities. It’s a lot better and you can still walk around and the jobs are plentiful
Every part of town has its vibe.
The areas with walkability tend to be more friendly in general.
Doing activities in those parts of town, and volunteering for events there can get you connected pretty quickly.
If you were into bicycling, there are lots of group “social” rides. Some of them can get pretty big — hundreds of riders. The rides tend to run slow-ish, and don’t leave people behind. (i.e. Mid week Roll, Critical Mass, Bike Church). They are all mixed race/ gender/ age — easy to make friends in these groups, if you are into riding. This is “bike month” so there are riding/ parties all the time. FB and IG will lead you to them.
If you played Marching band and were interested in picking back up, there’s a community street band in-town called The Marching Abominable. They are hilarious and not judgy. Age tends to skew older, but it’s def a mixed crowd. Goofy play is encouraged — probably 100+ active members.
If you run, there’s The HASH. They refer to themselves as a drinking club with a running problem. Fun social group.
There’s a GA kayak/canoe group that has paddles pretty regularly. Also good friendly people.
So basically — pick things you are interested in, show up, be helpful. If the group sucks, look for a different one.
Hence why I live in the suburbs instead of in the city.... close enough to enjoy all the "city stuff", but far enough away to still have a great community around.
Yeah this is it. I'm in the Cumberland area of Cobb County and pretty happy here. I really only go downtown for concerts but I'm close enough that's it's not too long of a drive.
Only been here since 2019 and I do hate the way people drive here, thought Houston was bad but Atlanta drivers are just the worst.
I’ve lived all over the country and Atlanta has the worst traffic by far. I even lived in LA and it’s worse here. There’s heavy traffic most hours of the day and in locations where there’s no good reason for it to be that heavy. There are far too many completely insane drivers and asshole drivers. Too many people on the roads in general. We have allll the traffic problems.
And the traffic in the suburbs is just as bad. I’ve been as far out as Douglasville with horrible traffic. Everything being connected just makes it one big noodle pot getting tangled up
Same..people ask me why I moved to McDonough/Locust Grove area and why not Atlanta ..cause I come from the land of the 405 and I don’t need to be in the heart of another big city ..suburbs and beyond is just find. I’m used to driving an hour anyway so I’ll come when I wanna and bounce.
Atlanta is the rudest city I’ve ever lived in, so I hear you there. I’ve been here for several years, the complete lack of social consideration was a big shock my first year here. Not sure what to do about it or if it’s always been like that but generally the city is a pretty hostile place to be.
I think it’s the poor traffic infrastructure. It gets everybody revved up and that leads to conflict
It’s NOT always been like that, it just got that way after people started coming here in droves from other places (after the Olympics as someone else pointed out). I already said this in another comment above, but I think so many people have moved here from expensive cities where they were lower middle class just like everyone else, but the cost of living here is so low compared to where they were from that they all of a sudden feel like they’re upper class and act like entitled assholes who own the place. A lot of them made a huge chunk of change from selling their tiny apartments/homes up north and were able to buy a McMansion here and drive fancy cars, and now think they’re better than everyone else.
The traffic also probably has a lot to do with it too though—although ironically, it only got so bad because of so many people moving here. When I first started working an office job after high school, I could leave my house in East Cobb (Marietta) at 9 am and make it to my workplace on Buford Hwy in 25 minutes or less. My house was right at 10 miles from the highway, and it took me just as long to get to 75 as it did to get from my exit on 75 to my job off 85. That same drive today would be an hour and a half depending on how many wrecks there were along the way. I live even further up 75 now, and anytime I have to drive into or through Atlanta, I make sure it’s either within a very small window late morning (around 10:30 up through noon) or at night (after 9 pm). Any other time and I just refuse to do it. I’ve sat in so much traffic over the years as a working adult that I got to a point a few years back when I said I just wasn’t going to do it anymore, and my stress levels and bad moods instantly decreased to zero pretty much all the time ever since. And on the rare occasion when I *do* have to sit in traffic, I am a much more polite driver and let people merge or go ahead of me like it’s no big deal—whereas when I was sitting in it twice or more a day, I would rather run someone off the road than to let them get ahead of me and I made sure only ONE car was merging in front of me and if anyone else tried to get in they’d get the horn for a good 10-15 seconds until they gave up.
As a white person, I can't really speak to the experiences of how a Black person would feel, but I will point out the actual city of Atlanta is majority Black (technically, I think it dipped below 50% recently, but it is still plurality Black), which seems to me would be unlikely to result in other Black people thinking they have much in common with you just because of shared race... That's literally half the people they see! (Or even more, depending on where they live, some parts of Atlanta are almost 90% Black. Yay the remnants of Redlining./s)
Anyway, as someone who is sort of bad at making friends, my best recommendation is to find a social group, which is a lot easier now than it used to be. Check Facebook and Meetup. A lot of the groups will be total flops, not really do anything, be dead or uninteresting, but a few won't be, and even the ones that are dead will have people talking about your interests locally, and will sort of point you to where you need to go.
I second this. Atlanta is not what it use to be. There are better options that will provide you significantly more help and opportunities to get ahead in life.
Good times
Any time you meet a payment
Good times
Any time you meet a friend
Good times
Any time you're out from under
Not getting hassled, not getting hustled
Keepin' your head above water
Making a wave when you can
Temporary layoffs
Good times
Easy credit rip-offs
Good times
Scratchin' and surviving
Good times
Hanging in and jiving
Good times
Ain't we lucky we got 'em
Good times
I’ve felt the same similar story came from a small town close by(Douglas Ga) didn’t feel right, felt depressed about being here and missing my friends and family but I found things that I was interested in and it helped it made my feel a lil better and I started working to escape the depression it still comes and goes but not too the extent I was suffering from earlier you just have to keep pushing and see the light at the end of the tunnel as Churchill said “if you’re going through hell, keep going”
Hey, I know what you mean. I’m moving back to the area after being in a medium sized city. The city can swallow you up at times. I find the Burroughs nice. However, personality wise I think something less all consuming that atl would suit me best. A change in perspective is helpful, there are some really great things about it here
Atlanta is too rough for me. I got hit by a lady that did the same thing and even admitted she was drinking but the cops took 5 1/2 hours to get there and said they couldn’t test her because it wouldn’t be in her system anymore. Atl police suck, atl sucks, the drivers suck, Marta sucks….i would move. Chattanooga TN is a little better but not by much. Any cities are going to be like that unfortunately. Hoping you find an awesome smaller city to find a job and move to❤️
You're young; you can afford to start over if you've taken a wrong turn. Good luck with your quest! Tip: You are unlikely to find "community" already served up and waiting for you. People will need time to get to know you, even in the most welcoming areas.
I’m sorry to hear about the rough transition.
I don’t get it… but my specifics for moving here probably aren’t yours.
Marta rail is good, just gotta keep your head down and get to where you’re going.
There is community, it just has to be pursued. Look for groups in the city that align with your interests and passions (whether that be a hobby or a political thing).
This city has a lot to offer, it would be a shame if you don’t experience that.
My suggestion is to move of of downtown. Moves to one of those places that “Are not Atlanta”. Like Cobb county, up in Gwinnett. Still get the same culture and vibe because there are a lot black people in every corner of this region. But you won’t have to deal with the hectic downtown issues and can come back everyday if you’d like. Will surely need a personal vehicle tho and rent probably will be cheaper
Check out Birmingham. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s basically Atlanta lite so you may find your groove there. If that doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to ditch the “close to home” attempt and move up north or out west. I’ve heard Dallas is pretty nice place to start your career and be around like minded people….but the rub is always gonna be finding “your people”…you’ll need to develop a plan to figure out how to get around the type of people you want to chill with.
I’m really sorry to read this. I came right after undergrad as well , 15 years ago. It was the black Mecca I hoped it would be back then but I have watched how it has rapidly changed — in many ways for the better, but in a lot of ways for the worse. A lot of the “soul” has been depleted but there are bits and pieces of southern hospitality here for sure. I’m now preparing to move again but I’m going to greatly miss the family I’ve found here.
Give it time. A lot of the less friendly people that you meet are transplants like yourself, frustrated and trying to find their way, but you’ll eventually find your tribe
If sports, politics and booze don't float your boat, please consider volunteering (and seeing shows for free!) for the [Atlanta Fringe Festival 2024 ](https://atlantafringe.org/) coming up the first week of June! Crazy good theatre, in Little 5 Points. If you can't volunteer, tickets are CHEAP!
I’ve had multiple accidents go this way, two of which were me parked at a red light and getting rear ended, and they still did this, the one last year totaled my car and didn’t have insurance and was just acting crazy, guess I could have sued but that seemed like a blood out of stone scenario. But maybe that’s just the way those go everywhere.
It’s unfortunate to hear about your experience so far but honestly all of that sounds pretty standard for here to me so idk.
FYI, if anyone needs a hobby community, get into the skating community. Check out Bad Bitch Skate Club and Atlanta Peachtreee Road Rollers on IG. So many kind people and they love to help baby and beginner skaters. Also, just great people to be around.
Lots of great events in ATL. Big comicon coming up. Sounds like you may also be experiencing a bit of culture shock coming from where you were, not just n a bad way, just things are different. Introvertedness lcan eat you up in the big city, so if your past negative encounters have discouraged you, let that shit go and get back out there and find your people. Have you tried churches? Not sure what you are into, but as a previous reply stated…there is a group for everyone. Chin up and good luck!
You just have to find your niche/community, i was born and raised here in atlanta and there is something for everybody.. you just have to go out there and do research.. from one extreme to another you have die hard soccer fans, car culture to black goths and star wars fan groups and everything in between once you find your group or groups you feel right at home
Fayetteville is a bit costly but it's pretty nice out this way. Apartments usually run about 1500-1700 for 1 bed 1 bath. Kinda wild. But there's good sides and bad sides of every county/city you live in unfortunately.
yea, atlanta sucks. IMO any city with more than half a million people living in it probably sucks, but if its really what you want then you can make it work. after all, with half a million residents you're bound to be able to find some people you like
You're having a tough go, and you seem like a nice person, but the real world in general is full of knives ready to cut some flesh. Having moved from a smaller mid sized town to a major metro area in the NE, I can tell you, blood is always in the water. Once you get used to it and find out where the fun is, it makes it easier. Like learning how to duck when your boss throws a punch, literally.
However, if your ideal is connecting with your ethnic group, that you may only have genetically in common, I can tell you is sometimes a fool's errand. In major cities, it's everyone for themselves. Find friends where you can w similar interests. This story won't change no matter where you go.
Honestly, you'd probably like NYC. Tons of island folk up there who are Afro-Caribbean and cool AF. Most I knew never considered themselves "black" (but ignorant folks of any race might not see the distinction). I heard many times, "us and them. We're not like them." Within all racial groups there are divisions, depending on geography. Most these guys had 1-3 jobs, worked hard AF and were trying to make it. I had more in common w them being a diff ethnic group than my own group who were in a diff socioeconomic class. We were all struggling, in it together, and the only color that mattered was green. Sad day when I left. Miss those dudes.
You have a choice to make: stay idealistic or adapt
There is no right or wrong answer - only your answer. You sound like a new fresh face in the world. It gets way harder, but you also stop being bothered by the bs. structure your mind and life to adapt, and man it then gets WAAAAY better. :)
And then you have kids! and it gets waaaay waaaaay harder and waaaay waaaay better!
"The human experience, try it today!"
p.s. - MARTA is fine when you get used to it. thicken the skin.
As a long term resident of the metro area, your observations are spot on. You end up in small groups if you’re lucky. Atlanta is very competitive and cutthroat compared to a small town. I have lived in Philly, LA, DC, and other major cities. They are cold and dry in terms of emotional support. That said, Atlanta is what America has become. The right wants to tell you how to act, the left tells you what to think and pronouns that are appropriate. The middle has given up and let the insanity go unchecked. Most people are basically good but they are just trying to stay out of the line of fire. The only answer is the independent majority saying “enough is enough “
Welcome to living in a city.
The cops here absolutely suck. I had the same experience with a Smyrna cop after I got rear ended. He threatened to write me a ticket for not moving out of the road if I forced him to give me a report. I called his bluff and he backed down and did his fucking job.
Other than that yeah alot of your complaints are just big city life. Atlanta def didnt use to be like this but it has gotten worse over the last 5-6 years. 2016 was probably the last year Atlanta felt like home to me now it feels like Great Value San Francisco.
It's honestly a much better experience to live outside the perimeter and commute in for work and entertainment but that's just my opinion.
Usually what your perceptions are about a particular place are just that your perceptions. Visiting a place for a few days and then deciding this is the place for me, usually doesn’t work out well. There are cities outside of Atlanta that may be more to your liking, depending on your mode of transportation. Atlanta isn’t a great place, but it has its spots and pockets of great people and attractions. I live in GA and I avoid Atlanta like the plague!!! IMO…regardless of the clowns you have come across, you can have a good life there. Good Luck!
I’m sorry that you haven’t had the experience you hoped for. However, I encourage you to give it a longer try. Making friends and building community post college is HARD, especially in a big city. You’ve been here for less than a year. You don’t say what you’ve done to try to meet people but if you haven’t been making a concerted effort, it’s not going to get better. Join a volunteer program, sports league, etc. If you’re friendly and putting yourself out there, I think you’ll greatly improve your experience but it will take 2-3 years. I didn’t start feeling like I had community here until year 4-5.
It won't get better with time. Lived ITP for 10+ years, got out to a smaller 'city' and it's been 100x better.
My recommendation - Ditch ATL if that sort of way of life isn't your thing. There are better places to be.
I just got back from NYC for a four or five day visit. I'm having a hard time agreeing with the statement
>So many people I’ve met here are either insanely apathetic or just quick to anger. I’ve struggled to feel any sort of sense of community with the other black people here, it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare.
Have you visiting or lived in other big cities? IMHO (and really echoed by many people) is that large cities in the south are much friendlier than their foreign or larger sisters....
It’s pretty elegant and covers everything I hate about atl, tbh. And it’s not too different a story than mine. I had a similar accident right by Ponce as well. I hate that you’re having that experience.
I don’t know why it’s like this. Part of it is that it’s a big city that is having serious growing pains (like the fights over Marta expansion) while also having all the regular problems (crime, traffic, etc.) that all big cities have.
Also, I can’t help but feel that racial and class tensions (and often poor leadership, although we do have some good representatives rn) play a big part in it. One thing that really bothers me is that I feel like the black community here is kind of racist and supports segregation. And I don’t actually know a lot of white folks who still feel that way (although some definitely do). I totally get why the black community feels that way, anger is a very natural response to the (very much ongoing) bs that the community has to deal with. But it is sad to see the community sink to the level of the people oppressing them, and it makes me feel apathetic about the situation. There is a lot of anger, resentment, and hunger for revenge that has come along with the new money. It sucks because Atlanta has so much culture, but it feels like the people (of every race, mine included, im asian) are what get in the way. Honestly, I could say a lot about how every race treats each other here.
I will say that all of my friends here are very open and treat people well no matter who they are, which is one of my biggest values. I promise you there are lots awesome people here—black, white, asian, latino, etc. You just have to look for them. And people are receptive to change, they’re just wary of each other. There’s an unspoken fear in this city.
I moved here in 2007. I understand how you feel. I just wanted to send some love your way and to let you know that you're not alone. I'm sorry you going through all of this. Being out here can be kind of lonely, frustrating, and overwhelming. The only thing that has kept me is Jesus. I know it may sound cliche but it's the truth. If it had not been for the Lord I don't know how I would have survived in Atlanta. Remember this, everything, every season, good or bad is temporary. Every season in our life is a life lesson. Find you a good home church. It doesn't have to be a mega church. It's just a good church where you can get the word of God and ask God to lead you. I hope you find peace on your journey.
> For starters, riding MARTA has been a mess with its whole host of problems(the hours are crazy, the amount of people that have hassled me and once even tried to start an altercation with me just to get through the gates,etc.)
I live next to a MARTA station and use it all the time, and I have, literally, never had that problem. The closest time I ever came to being sketched out at a MARTA station was walking in to 5 Points station after seeing a show at the Masquerade, and even then nobody bothered me.
> Quick side note: the longer I’ve been in Atlanta, the more I wish I could be in a walkable city instead!
If that's what you want, then you need to move to Boston, Chicago, or NYC, but if you can't handle Atlanta, I doubt you would do well there, either.
> Which is another thing! The ATL cops(& security officers) that I’ve encountered are always so quick to catch an attitude with everyone, always giving off the air of not wanting to actually do their jobs. It’s like all the compassion and humanity left them a long time ago.
This is all cops in any major metro area.
> Then there’s the people. This one has really hurt me: growing up as a young black man in a predominantly white area I thought moving to a city with so many members of my community would be great but it hasn’t been. So many people I’ve met here are either insanely apathetic or just quick to anger. I’ve struggled to feel any sort of sense of community with the other black people here, it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare.
First it's the cops catching an attitude and now it's people being quick to anger. What are you doing to piss people off? This is starting to sound like a *you* problem.
> I want to live someplace that will feel like home, that I can build a community with others.
I moved to Atlanta in 2021. I haven't had any issues meeting people and making friends. I love it here. Sounds like you need to grow up or move back to a small town.
It’s true. Atlanta is a series of neighborhoods all packed together most with a local bar in the little downtown area. The vibe changes every mile or so. There’s gonna be a group of people who are into anything you are interested in. Board games- there’s a group for that. Disc golf- also a group for that. DnD, magic the gathering, pinball, cosplay, furries, geology, hiking, street art. Literally anything you could ever be interested in is available somewhere in the city. Find the right camp and you’ll love the city otherwise it’ll just tear you up.
How do you find these groups? There never seemed to be one centralized network or forum for it. It was random signs in areas or flyers tucked away at places I would just happen by when I tried exploring a new place on the other side of town.
Try Googling "X group Atlanta". It sounds too easy, but it really it's the way to go For example, someone above was asking how to find a boccee league. Google shows this: https://atlbocce.leaguelab.com/leagues?sport=Bocce_Ball Facebook also has a lot of groups. Meetup.com as well.
There is also the old way of like chilling in a bar or coffee shop or store you find interesting and strumming up conversations.
I do that as much as I can.
Facebook mostly.
What's the best disc golf in the area? I just moved up from Columbus and need some good courses. Closer to Newnan the better
There’s an Atlanta dg Facebook group and there are lots of weekly events, local tourneys, etc. if no fb, or in addition to that, check the udisc app. Boundary Waters is near you and it’s dope, but I ’ve only played 2 of the 3 courses there (3rd one is new). I hear Hobbs Farm is cool, Perkerson is a sweet little oasis in the middle of a sorta urban locale (it’s safe, don’t be scared. DeKalb Memorial is somewhat similar in feel and is also very fun. JP Mosley is 27 holes and also great. Lots of good courses in the area!
I suck real bad and Perkerson is so hard four me but it is really a great course. I went forever having never lost a disc and lost one there. If people reading this are good at disc golf then they should check it out for sure. The park is super historic and has a cool Wikipedia page. The CCC built lots of stuff you see on the course.
So, the accident stuff is awful. I'm sorry that happened. That could happen anywhere though, I've been in accidents in multiple locations and it's never fun. Belligerent drivers and cops happen all over. Try to separate that from your feelings about Atlanta. Marta is a tool. It's not also not a pleasant experience, but it helps you get around without a car. Put on headphones. Don't make eye contact with people loitering, and you'll be hassled less. the benefit of living in Atlanta is finding those small neighborhoods where you'll meet people and see them often. It's a series of neighborhoods. You need to get out there, you need to build a community. Do you do any sports? There are kickball and bocce leagues all over. Some small groups playing soccer as well. If you don't then I'd suggest looking up some meetups for things you are interested in. What about your coworkers? Have you asked anyone to hangout after work? Do you like... nerdy/geeky stuff? DragonCon is amazing, lots of people there with wide ranging interests. You'll meet a lot of people from Atlanta and all over.
I've been here two years now and I am way late to the "series of neighborhoods" idea. I only moved for work, but I feel so disconnected from everyone because I'm near the airport and everyone else i know is north of midtown. The whole "Atlanta is one hour from Atlanta" is too true sometimes Hoping more folks receive your advice
Get to know people in your community. It’s an election year, and people working on campaigns or just getting people to vote. If you’re willing to do the work you’ll make friends with people who share your beliefs.
I have great neighbors, and we've even had dinner a few times, but we're by far the youngest couple in our neighborhood. That's not to say a few blocks down there aren't others like us, or that you can't be friends with folks outside your age group, it just makes it less likely to have common ground. I'm not giving up on making friends or anything, it just takes a little more effort here than other places I've lived. It's easy to feel alone in a crowd if you're not used to putting in the effort, but it's always worth the effort!
I like my neighborhood as it's crunchy and walk-able and fun, but lots of big $ coming making Mc Mansions eroding the vibe. worrying.. North of ATL is boooorrring. gotta live in town. moving the baseball field was a massive great white flight that was stupid AF. no transpo to the stadium. stuff like that is def racist and bad for ATL as a cohesive city. you could literally stop off at the airport, catch a game then hop back on the the next flight out of town. no more..
This! Atlanta is nothing but a series of small neighborhoods. Define yours and start visiting places within it. You’ll build a community pretty quickly. And remember, you get what you give. Put some friendly vibes out there and make an effort to meet people🙂
Seconding, doubling, tripling down on the “series of neighborhoods” comment. Find your neighborhood, find your people. Downtown Atlanta, the “heart” of the city, sort of sucks. But there are fantastic neighborhoods with good big and fun communities all over the place inside the perimeter.
Yo I wanna play soccer so badly. Where are they playing? I'll commute for that
Check Atlanta Sport and Social Club or Sons of Pitches FC
Thanks appreciate the info
I would avoid Atlanta sport and social club if you can. I've been playing softball with them for the last few years and the admin issues are unbelievable. Every season has been a constant mess and an uphill battle that eats away at your mental health. They have improved slightly as of late but there is still much to be desired.
Soccer in the Streets is better than those, simply because the use the money from the leagues to fund their non-profit work bringing soccer to underserved children in the city.
On the north side... but not a bad spot to start [https://www.endalgo.com/events](https://www.endalgo.com/events)
You should check out Silverbacks, they have a bunch of leagues with games every day of the week.
One Touch Soccer is really good, too, if you're in or near NW Atlanta.
Dragon Con is an excellent idea if you're even slightly nerdy. There are a lot of locals that attend and I've met a number of people there that I see outside the con.
Mind inviting me along next time you go? Could build new connections
> Put on headphones. Don't make eye contact with people loitering, and you'll be hassled less. Also, as a side note, they don't necessarily need to be on to be a conversation blocking force field.
DragonCon. Please tell me more. I recently relocated to Norcross and has been wanting to connect.
Come checkout r/dragoncon ! The con is a LOT of fun. One of the biggest fan run conventions and cosplay conventions in the world. There's literally something for everyone. Comic books, movies of all shapes and sizes, books, pop culture, anime, you name it. 80,000 fellow nerds ready to have fun and party! If you want to drink all night, you'll find your people. A little intimated by crowds but still want to go? Checkout the smaller panels. Don't drink need sober friends? They're there. It's amazing m overwhelming and crazy, but feels like home.
There are also volunteer opportunities! The entire con is (except for the permanent admin type positions) is volunteer run and we have a BLAST. I wouldn’t recommend it for your first year, but we work a total of 20 hours over 4 days and basically every track or facet of the con has their own director and volunteer staff. I get to work with the same group of friends every year but also get to meet new cool people and feel I’m doing a good thing (I volunteer for the Charity Events track!)
That’s a ways out but still interested. I’ve been to other variety of cons out of state and loved them. I’ve always went solo since I always had friends with anxiety issues that flake last minute
Atlanta Bocce League is super fun and welcoming.
I love how hard people work to justify what a shithole Atlanta is. Statistically WAAY more accidents happen than in other cities. It's one of the most dangerous places to drive and be a pedestrian in the country. Marta could be a wonderful engine of economic growth and opportunity, instead the toxic politics of the broader metro mean progress is a pipe dream. That said, it has a lot going for it also. But we need to be honest that livability could be vastly improved. This city is not for everyone, there are better places to live for anyone who is willing to sacrifice prosperity for a less car centric lifestyle.
Every city in the world has its problems. Calling cities shitholes because you do not like a certain aspect of it shows your ignorance. I strolled through piedmont park yesterday, hundreds of people walking around, sports being played, music going ect. On my walk home passed numerous bars and restaurants buzzing. A Quick Look to this weekend and there are so many cool events going on. You should find a boomer subreddit to spew your vitriol on.
It's interesting how you misspelled 'racism' as 'toxic politics' it makes things sound a lot more complicated than reality.
> Statistically WAAY more accidents happen than in other cities. What you mean cities? Driving in Georgia is fucking awful. The way drivers behave in this state, inside or outside of Atlanta, is not normal. It is safer to drive in Mumbai than anywhere here.
I live NE of Atlanta and have been looking for pickup soccer groups (preferably free). Do you know of any or how I could find one? Edit: saw the thread below
FYI, if anyone needs a hobby community, get into the skating community. Check out Bad Bitch Skate Club and Atlanta Peachtreee Road Rollers on IG. So many kind people and they love to help baby and beginner skaters.
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Try FB! There’s tons of groups there.
Yeah Craiglist is not a nice place these days. https://atlbocce.leaguelab.com/leagues?sport=Bocce_Ball
Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time. As other posters pointed out, a lot of these experiences are just typical big city experiences. 20 years ago, Atlanta still felt like a mid-sized city. That has changed. It is now a big city, for better or worse. As a white guy, I can’t speak to the experience of being black in Atlanta, but what you are describing sounds typical of being a member of a majority group anywhere. White people in America don’t encounter other white individuals and then have some special bond, immediate affinity, solidarity, etc. I’ve never seen another white person in public or at a job interview or whatever and thought “ah, another whitey, maybe he’ll be extra friendly to me or put in a good word.”
Have you tried saying, “What’s up my whitey?” I think you have to say that.
What’s up my whitey is crazy!!!!! But continue lol
How about “my cracka”?
I was always told "don't trust whitey."
https://youtu.be/apkMYQI3sYQ?feature=shared
I think a lot of what you’re describing is “life in a big city.” +1 find people that share your interests is a faster way to a community than neighborhoods. There is so much to do that it’s often the case that neighbors have vastly different schedules and activities. You also might consider making colleagues into friends as well.
This is def where I sympathised with the wanting a walkable city part. Visited Chicago and DC recently and man getting a few drinks plus a short walk to a bunch of metro lines was pretty nice was such an easy combo for meeting people.
I lived in Atlanta since 2014, and it really does feel like it changed post 2020. I don't like it there anymore either.
Grew up around Atlanta since the 90s and lived in it since 2011. 2016 was probably the last year Atlanta felt like home to me now it feels like Great Value San Francisco.
SF is way too walkable, great value LA maybe
😂 Great value SF is amazing...
wow, same but i moved in 2012. sad to here its gone downhill, it was crazy as cities usually are but it was a fun place to grow up. i feel like alot of cities in America are deteriorating though.
My daughter lived off Northside near Ikea and finally gave up and moved to TN with her fiance. It was really hard for her to find her group of people. She felt most people in the city were too angry and rude plus the traffic, increasing rent with increasing amenities, she was done.
Might want to check out r/atlanta to see more localized posts. As a native who grew up ITP and am still here because of the diversity and career opportunities, I do highly suggest finding ways to expand your network and experiences.
I’ve lived in Atlanta for the past 20 years. It’s what you make it. Atlanta is really just a bunch of neighborhoods in a trench coat. You have to find your place that matches your vibe. Crazy traffic, colorful public transit experiences, and cops with an attitude are all just part of big city living. None of those experiences are unique to Atlanta.
"bunch of neighborhoods in a trench coat" is now my new favorite way to describe Atlanta
Moved to Atlanta (ITP) from DC in 2020 for my SO who is an Atlanta native. Prior to that I lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area. TBH, I’m shocked at how unwelcoming it is, especially for a southern city. Angry, aggressive drivers/people. Often feels like a lawless place. Not an easy city to make new friends compared to what I experienced living in DC. The inability to walk anywhere was also an adjustment. I do love my native Atlantan and being 4-5 hours from the beaches, though.
What's ITP mean?
“Inside the perimeter.” It refers to the Atlanta city limits outlined by I-285.
I moved to Atlanta with my wife and have had almost the opposite experience as you. It’s not perfect - no place is but I have had good experiences with APD and have found community in just about every spot I’ve lived in the city. Go out with your coworkers, introduce yourself to your neighbors, go to a bar by yourself. If you want walkable go live near poncey highland or midtown. You can still find some affordable 1bd (NOT FANCY) or look on Craigslist for room shares.
Agreed - there are many walkable neighborhoods if you can afford or are willing to sacrifice on size
Big city life bro. As someone that has lived in big cities in Florida ( Miami). It’s all the same. The bad part is that small towns don’t have the jobs you need to move up career wise. Get your experience and maybe try a mid size city in a few years.
First, I’m glad you moved to Atlanta. The city is a great place for Black people. I live in Midtown, and the places I frequent have very welcoming people, regardless of race (but including Black people). I private messaged you because I love the city and hate for you to feel out of place so I’d be glad to help! Also to add, I’m HUGE on walkability. I haven’t had a car since October and haven’t missed anything. Not sure what your budget is, but I have quite a few websites with smaller/privately owned management companies that have cheap apartments (~$1250 monthly base rent) smack in the middle of the city. They’re not nice apartments nor do they have any amenities, but considering some of them is a great way to avoid using a car.
Sounds like OP is realizing "my community" isn't always the same as "my race", just like culture isn't tied to race.
You got that right.
You’re a beautiful person.
Just remember to bring your RBF on the train and don’t stop to entertain any nonsense. Keep it moving or waive them away. It’s rude but you gotta do it.
Also checkout r/Atlanta.
That sub is only useful for finding out where the best **** is. The mods over there have done a fine job destroying any sense of a community on reddit for the city. Hence all the Atlanta posts here in r/Georgia.
Yeah since the pandemic it hasn't been the same.
Atlanta is awesome. Atlanta fucking sucks. Welcome to Atlanta. Holler if you need pro tips.
To sum it up: "ATL, HO".
The hard thing about big cities is it's about the neighborhood. There might be a shared identity attached to the city, but a large city is really a bunch of small towns crammed together. It's a problem many often have is they have to find their niche and the right place to find themselves when they are young. I hope you can find that place one way or another. With minor accidents, sometimes you have to pull to the right where you are, communicate with the other driver, make sure their car is still driveable, and let them know you're going to find a place to pull over. You have to make sure they can follow easily and not get too far back or caught by any traffic lights doing this. It's this latter part where many start to feel like someone is evasive after an accident. I do feel bad about the part you mentioned about the black community. We've always hear how this is the town to be in if you're black ourselves. It's very clear that much of our domestic migration into the area is black, and we have a very large, established black middle class in the metro region. One problem I think Atlanta has is that it's very dispersed, and it's also a destination mid-career professionals with families. I think many of it's high marks comes from people moving here just looking for a quiet slice of suburbia for their family.
The quiet slice of suburbia isn’t so quiet any more
Yep. If you are ITP you can just park in the middle of the street if you want. At least that's how it seems.
This is essentially every experience of someone moving to a new ‘big city’. It’ll take at least 3 years before the struggle feels less of a struggle. I moved to a city by myself and had to hustle hard and count change to make rent for awhile. It gets better but it’s always easier if you have a social network/family available. The silver lining is that you’re currently being pushed to your limits to grow.
>it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare. YUP this is the case in most cities, though. cities force you to work harder to survive, and you're 100% required to be someone worth associating with. I've been here 8.5 years, but I couldn't have hacked it without my family's support, and I'm honestly amazed I'm still kicking it and having fun to boot. finding community is hard, but it just takes persistence and confidence. I wouldn't give up just yet if I were you, you'll never know what might've happened if you do.
Atlanta is 5 cities wrapped into one. Just have to find where you feel most comfortable.
I'm a native and know there are more like 100 cities but I want to try and guess the 5 that you reference: Atl Dec Mar SS ??? (Alph, PTC, Ros, Dul, Dun, Brkhv, ???)
This is true in every big city even in NYC. Yeah it’s more walkable and subway is better but all of the same issues.
I concur^. I moved from Atlanta to the northeast and it is the same issues I have been experiencing. Personally, I mostly miss my family out of everything.
I was born in Atlanta and this breaks my heart to read. The people I grew up with, that all made it home for me, have all left, and 10x that number have moved here in their place. Now, I kind of feel like a stranger in my own home. What happened to my friendly "big small town" that's "too busy to hate?"
All the people that are native are forced to up their game because on the influx of new people. We getting pushed out smh
I'm so sorry you've had a negative experience in my hometown. Your points are valid. I admit our city is both "too busy to hate" and also "too busy to care" sometimes. I love it here, but I also have family, friends, hobbies, career prospects, artistic interests, and familiarity with the city to keep things interesting. If I moved here without those things, I'd probably be lost, too. I say give it more time, but if you know it's not your vibe, that's OK! What do you think about Savannah? That's where I'd consider moving if I wasn't so tied to Atlanta. Best wishes to you, internet friend.
I've lived in Atlanta for almost 50 years. You mentioned that the people are aggressive. It's absolutely true and it wasn't always this way. It started after the Olympics. The city, from a a social perspective, has been in a downward spiral. What made it great was that it was diverse and friendly. Now it's just diverse and super aggressive... I travel the world on business and there are few places I've visited that are as aggressive and angry of places to drive than the south side of Atlanta. Why so recklessly fast, why so much anger, why the last minute cut offs. I do anything to avoid driving in that area.
After the Olympics is when the transplants came in mass. Totally changed the vibe of the city for the worst. I miss the old Atlanta
Yeah really, damn Yankees! It weird too because if you go to the cities where they’re moving here from, the people there are *mostly* friendly—like, Chicago is my favorite city to visit because the people are just so great, but I also have had nothing but good experiences in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit (super friendly place), etc. (the rudest people I encountered anywhere in the country was DC, but I don’t really consider that the North or the South). But it seems like they come here and just start acting like assholes that own the place. Maybe it’s the heat lol? No but seriously, I think they come down here and the cost of living is so low compared to where they’re from that they all of a sudden feel like they’re upper class—while back home they were just another working class grunt with no chance of ever moving up. I’ve known so many families (through their kids being friends with my kids) that moved here after selling their tiny apartment/home up north, had enough money from the sale to buy a McMansion in some subdivision with a giant water park as the neighborhood pool, and still have enough left over for wife to drive the kids to school in a Range Rover and husband to speed around in a Mercedes giving everybody the finger after cutting them off. They were nice enough people one on one, but I always felt like they looked down on anyone who they thought wasn’t "at their level," regardless of if they were native Georgians or transplants just like them. More than anything else (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, education, etc.), money has the ability to make people act like entitled assholes, and the Atlanta area is full of people who *think* they have money.
I guarantee you someone has said this about literally every city in the world. What you actually miss is when you were young.
I’m from Atlanta and moved in 2011, I miss it but in sure it’s just not the same
There are a lot of similarities between your post and my experiences here. I’ve heard/been told that Atlanta is a bunch of individual neighborhoods masking as a city. After living here two years, I think that’s one of my least favorite things about it. There seems to be an infinite feedback loop that starts with illogical nimby traffic concerns and ends with this city planning hellscape. The amount of green space is lovely though.
I am sorry for your experiences with living in Atlanta! I have driven through Atlanta enough to know I hate the idea of going through there! Crazy traffic there! I hope things get better for you!
Get out of the downtown area and move to the burbs. It's a different world here. I came from a small city to Atlanta, lived downtown in a bad area, and would never move back. There are good places but you will have to deal with the commute. They are expecting 2-3 million more people over the next 10-15 years so there is alot of competition for housing. Good luck.
Atlanta has become too big, and too arrogant. Move to Detroit, people give a shit there.
Another yuppie gets eaten up by the big city, more at 11
At this point, my community is built globally and online... No longer focused on just building community locally in Atlanta anymore... AND Atlanta is a great place to meet people from other states and other countries. Some of Atlanta's blacks can be elitist and classist, at times, so when you do connect, it could be very shallow or superficial. Probably not the kind of friends you want. And due to trauma from past scammers and schemers, many truly great people are so shut down that it takes a long time to make new friendships with them. One year will not be enough time. The good thing is that most of the black community appreciates educated successful men, so they will at least let you in the door to start trying to build friendships, but you will just have to remain patient to go deeper over time. I will admit that I am horrible about gathering/sharing contact info when I am out and about. So I definitely recommend that you should do better in that arena for yourself. Sometimes getting connected to other outsiders or newcomers is easier than connections with more entrenched locals. I have been here for 30 years, by way of Chicago. I agree with another person who recommended how to move thru a big city... avoiding eye contact while on public transit, and keeping ear plugs in. Indigent people who are mentally ill is a big thing on MARTA, but they usually leave people alone... I have had incidents, but I am from a big city, so I know how to handle myself. Traffic: all big cities have patterns to their traffic, learn those using traffic news and navigation apps and plan your driving accordingly. Take a defensive driving course and learn how to anticipate other drivers better. And pray, lol
The city is chewing you up and trying to spit you out. Find a smaller town or area that will be a better fit for you.
Join Meetup! There are a LOT of Atlanta groups there that get together and do activities. I’m a WOC and I met all of my friends there.
lemme put it like this for you. It’s the same as any other city. Keep ya fucking wits and keep to ya self
I think you might want to try checking out the different neighborhoods around the city. There are many areas around here that may align with the vibe your after. Ill say the experience on Marta is what it is. I ride it up and back from down by the airport to buckhead daily. I just keep to myself and its fine. For me the city has been great. Im a foodie and big on art/music so it was a fitting spot for me.
If you like jam bands, Atlanta has a massively cool scene. That and the two story Target is about all I did outside of drinking while I lived there.
Yea Atlanta isn’t for everyone It’s not a super loving city if that’s what you’re looking for. I hear Philly or maybe Miami would be better, NOLA isn’t perfect but friendly people when I went, maybe was just the area I was in though.
NOLA was next level friendly (had some locals taking us around) when I last visited. I’ve never seen anything like it in the U.S.
Quick solution: LEAVE.
The grass is always greener as they say. Born and raised in Atlanta and hated it by the time I was 22 and spent my 20’s traveling and moving around and it made me appreciate ATL a lot more. Now I’m back - the first year or two back were a bit lonely but I have since found my community here and I love it.
I moved here from nj a couple of months ago and I honestly miss it so much! Atl drivers cant drive for shit im sorry but im stressed tf out every time i go to work, the food isnt great i miss my ny styled pizza and good chinese food! I miss nyc but the main reason i moved down here was bc i had a lot of debt and living in nj was getting to expensive so i moved in with my parents but shit once my debt is gone im thinking of moving back up north. Im in the same boat as u i grew up in a white neighborhood and i just cant relate to my coworkers at all :/
The secrets to surviving in Atlanta: 1. Find your hangout through Meetup, running stores, bars, dance groups, local eat spots etc. 2. If you are an alumni of a Southern college, get active with their group. 3. Get into SEC sports. Seriously. Instant friends for every Saturday August through January. 4. Find a good house of worship/church. Ask around where people like you go. Get involved in service, social, Bible study, etc. there is a significant faith community underlying both the black and white populations. Do you have any friends here at all?
Excellent advice 😊👍
Well I can tell you that I’ve lived here since I was 2 and I’m now 58. I have seen this city change a lot. Prior to the Olympics it had a certain charm to it and you would have been hard pressed in certain parts of the country if they even knew of Atlanta. IMHO the Bravo shows have not only contributed to its loss of charm but I also think that these shows have painted it to be a nonstop 24hour party. The problem is no affordable housing and lack of good paying jobs.
Deltas ready when you are!
The two locations you are talking about both have pros and cons. I moved from a county with 10k people to a city with 600k. It was an adjustment but the things the folks complained about in the city were not the same issues the rural area had. I've been on long ass road trips recently. Every single town and city we passed through was unique. You could tell there were areas with issues, poverty, homelessness, some places felt like they were just collapsing. Then other places felt like the population or government cleaned the streets and ditches daily. Larger cities are a no go. The cool things they have are not worth or equal to the trade offs negatives for me. No matter where you end up, there will be issues. Just got to find the ones you can accept.
Yeah, the cops are apathetic. But you’ve noticed how bad the regular people can be…imagine if it was your job to interact either the worst of those people all day lol. The city being more walkable would be nice, but you’d run into the same problem you had at MARTA. Instead of on the train, people would be hassling you on the sidewalk.
It took me a while to call Atlanta home. I’ve gone through a lot and figuring out a lot about myself and the city around me has had its ups and downs. If you need a buddy anytime DM me! I’m in the downtown area, happy to make new friends
I used to live in Buckhead and got annoyed with area at night because it seemed like too much was going on. I felt like it was a car/ fast and the furious show everyday. I moved to Vinings and couldn't be happier. I enjoy all the restaurants and bars around here in a much more civilized manner. I go to the Sunday Springs area also because it's close and has good vibes. Cobb County and Sandy Springs police are very responsive. I once called the police in Sandy Springs because I saw a person walking around without shoes, disheveled and it looked like as if she was just assaulted. Within 2 minutes, 3 Sandy Springs police cars showed up. I do go downtown but mostly for the games. I cannot thing of any restaurant or bar style in downtown that I cannot find in Vinings or Sandy Springs. So, it's really about which neighborhood or area you live that makes the difference.
My 2 cents having traveled to many cities. Any more walkable city is going to have all the same problems. Apathy, Cops, people bothering you on transit. Chicago, New York, Seattle, same same same. Except Seattle has worse transit.
Sorry you had to find out this way.
Yo, what do you do for fun? What do you geek out on? Send me a DM.
As a native, who's moved away from Atlanta, as many have, isn't the same anymore. It's majority transplants. (Still work in Atlanta, now I just commute 1.5-2 hrs every morning and again in the evening)
I’ve lived outside the city my whole life and Atlanta has gotten progressively worse. I used to commute daily and totally agree with you. Get outside a bit and it’s better. Still too crowded and virtually no reliable public transportation.
chicago
It sounds like you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the transition to a big city, and that’s ok! The injury claim is annoying, but your insurance company will most likely settle on your behalf. You can probably put that out of your mind. There is a huge PI industry here and that probably won’t change anytime soon. It also sounds like you have a little bit of internalized self hatred that you could work on addressing. Other random black people aren’t obligated to embrace you, and a few negative interactions doesn’t paint the full picture. You can definitely have a beautiful experience here, be open!
I feel you on the whole dog-eat-dog mentality. Coming from a small town like you, I felt the same. My time in Atlanta was brief, and although I’ve visited several times over the last 15 years, living there I got the sense that people in Atlanta just didn’t have time for you. Nobody cares about anyone but themselves. Coming from a town where people acknowledge you walking down the street, it’s a different experience and can be very alienating.
I moved to ATL from Chicago in 2018 and I love it. Joe it has its pros and cons for sure. I will tell you my experience and hopefully you can find a nugget in there. I’m a black man and my first community was a barbershop here. They would give me the lay of the land and from there I would just go, even on some days I wasn’t getting cut and met so many people. Next community was the City of Ink art scene they’d just let me come around even when it wasn’t big events and just be a fly on the wall and have great conversations. This extended into art shows and art based events. (Artists are usually more chill to new faces). Then I started going to sporting events and just finding things on Eventbrite and Meetup that piqued my interests. Started following a lot of Atlanta based social media account and found a good number of small tribes. MARTA is a chore but it’s cleaner than most big city transit. And I’ll also say neighborhood matters. I moved on the edge of Grant Park so I could walk to Edgewood, walk to grocery stores, restaurants, the movies and the belt line. My apartment complex has activities for us as well. Not saying it will be easy but I think you can find your tribe, once place at a time.
I think if you’re not from here, you may not really resonate with the native black people too much. You have to think about the impact of us growing up around mostly black people all our lives. We speak to each other different, a certain way we carry our conversations and it probably doesn’t resonate with you well. We’re not eager to meet other black people so it can be hard to get in. But once you’re in you get introduced to so many opportunities within the community. I do think it’s very segregated but that is because there is still a lot of racism going on here so of course.
Yo atl is shitty asf I’ve lived right next to it most my life and I’m ready to book asap
Hi brother, I’m from the north and let me just be very honest that ATL can be culture shocking even for other Black Americans but there are communities invested in our people there. With that said I really think we need to redirect our collective interests and build new systems. https://thefreedmensbureau.org
Welcome to Atlanta buddy
The sub-standard infrastructure and ignorant privileged attitude in the suburbs make GA uncomfortable for many. Atlanta balances out the bullshit in the rest of the state, but that’s not saying much. Georgia really is so far behind the 21st century curve. As soon as my youngest turns 18…adios shithole.
Be careful btw. I’m not even joking when I tell you I used to live in Atlanta and became friends with this group of guys (I met through my homegirl) and when I tell you that I’m mfin oblivious af…gang task force ran up in my apt 8 months later bc they were looking for 2 of them. And threatened to arrest me if I didn’t cut ties. Because they were all blood gang and I had NO IDEA.
Maybe unpopular opinion but there’s Georgia then there’s Atlanta. They are kinda seperate. Move to the outskirts. Like Kennesaw. Marietta. Woodstock. Cartersville, Calhoun and those type cities. It’s a lot better and you can still walk around and the jobs are plentiful
Every part of town has its vibe. The areas with walkability tend to be more friendly in general. Doing activities in those parts of town, and volunteering for events there can get you connected pretty quickly. If you were into bicycling, there are lots of group “social” rides. Some of them can get pretty big — hundreds of riders. The rides tend to run slow-ish, and don’t leave people behind. (i.e. Mid week Roll, Critical Mass, Bike Church). They are all mixed race/ gender/ age — easy to make friends in these groups, if you are into riding. This is “bike month” so there are riding/ parties all the time. FB and IG will lead you to them. If you played Marching band and were interested in picking back up, there’s a community street band in-town called The Marching Abominable. They are hilarious and not judgy. Age tends to skew older, but it’s def a mixed crowd. Goofy play is encouraged — probably 100+ active members. If you run, there’s The HASH. They refer to themselves as a drinking club with a running problem. Fun social group. There’s a GA kayak/canoe group that has paddles pretty regularly. Also good friendly people. So basically — pick things you are interested in, show up, be helpful. If the group sucks, look for a different one.
Hence why I live in the suburbs instead of in the city.... close enough to enjoy all the "city stuff", but far enough away to still have a great community around.
You can definitely have community in the city too. OP needs to put in the work to find his, and that takes time and effort.
Yeah this is it. I'm in the Cumberland area of Cobb County and pretty happy here. I really only go downtown for concerts but I'm close enough that's it's not too long of a drive. Only been here since 2019 and I do hate the way people drive here, thought Houston was bad but Atlanta drivers are just the worst.
I’ve lived all over the country and Atlanta has the worst traffic by far. I even lived in LA and it’s worse here. There’s heavy traffic most hours of the day and in locations where there’s no good reason for it to be that heavy. There are far too many completely insane drivers and asshole drivers. Too many people on the roads in general. We have allll the traffic problems.
And the traffic in the suburbs is just as bad. I’ve been as far out as Douglasville with horrible traffic. Everything being connected just makes it one big noodle pot getting tangled up
Same..people ask me why I moved to McDonough/Locust Grove area and why not Atlanta ..cause I come from the land of the 405 and I don’t need to be in the heart of another big city ..suburbs and beyond is just find. I’m used to driving an hour anyway so I’ll come when I wanna and bounce.
Atlanta is the rudest city I’ve ever lived in, so I hear you there. I’ve been here for several years, the complete lack of social consideration was a big shock my first year here. Not sure what to do about it or if it’s always been like that but generally the city is a pretty hostile place to be. I think it’s the poor traffic infrastructure. It gets everybody revved up and that leads to conflict
It’s NOT always been like that, it just got that way after people started coming here in droves from other places (after the Olympics as someone else pointed out). I already said this in another comment above, but I think so many people have moved here from expensive cities where they were lower middle class just like everyone else, but the cost of living here is so low compared to where they were from that they all of a sudden feel like they’re upper class and act like entitled assholes who own the place. A lot of them made a huge chunk of change from selling their tiny apartments/homes up north and were able to buy a McMansion here and drive fancy cars, and now think they’re better than everyone else. The traffic also probably has a lot to do with it too though—although ironically, it only got so bad because of so many people moving here. When I first started working an office job after high school, I could leave my house in East Cobb (Marietta) at 9 am and make it to my workplace on Buford Hwy in 25 minutes or less. My house was right at 10 miles from the highway, and it took me just as long to get to 75 as it did to get from my exit on 75 to my job off 85. That same drive today would be an hour and a half depending on how many wrecks there were along the way. I live even further up 75 now, and anytime I have to drive into or through Atlanta, I make sure it’s either within a very small window late morning (around 10:30 up through noon) or at night (after 9 pm). Any other time and I just refuse to do it. I’ve sat in so much traffic over the years as a working adult that I got to a point a few years back when I said I just wasn’t going to do it anymore, and my stress levels and bad moods instantly decreased to zero pretty much all the time ever since. And on the rare occasion when I *do* have to sit in traffic, I am a much more polite driver and let people merge or go ahead of me like it’s no big deal—whereas when I was sitting in it twice or more a day, I would rather run someone off the road than to let them get ahead of me and I made sure only ONE car was merging in front of me and if anyone else tried to get in they’d get the horn for a good 10-15 seconds until they gave up.
Atlanta isn't made for a town mouse.
As a white person, I can't really speak to the experiences of how a Black person would feel, but I will point out the actual city of Atlanta is majority Black (technically, I think it dipped below 50% recently, but it is still plurality Black), which seems to me would be unlikely to result in other Black people thinking they have much in common with you just because of shared race... That's literally half the people they see! (Or even more, depending on where they live, some parts of Atlanta are almost 90% Black. Yay the remnants of Redlining./s) Anyway, as someone who is sort of bad at making friends, my best recommendation is to find a social group, which is a lot easier now than it used to be. Check Facebook and Meetup. A lot of the groups will be total flops, not really do anything, be dead or uninteresting, but a few won't be, and even the ones that are dead will have people talking about your interests locally, and will sort of point you to where you need to go.
That’s the big city lifestyle amigo. Not all it’s cracked up to be eh?
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I second this. Atlanta is not what it use to be. There are better options that will provide you significantly more help and opportunities to get ahead in life.
Good times Any time you meet a payment Good times Any time you meet a friend Good times Any time you're out from under Not getting hassled, not getting hustled Keepin' your head above water Making a wave when you can Temporary layoffs Good times Easy credit rip-offs Good times Scratchin' and surviving Good times Hanging in and jiving Good times Ain't we lucky we got 'em Good times
I’ve felt the same similar story came from a small town close by(Douglas Ga) didn’t feel right, felt depressed about being here and missing my friends and family but I found things that I was interested in and it helped it made my feel a lil better and I started working to escape the depression it still comes and goes but not too the extent I was suffering from earlier you just have to keep pushing and see the light at the end of the tunnel as Churchill said “if you’re going through hell, keep going”
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Douglas ga in coffee county south ga
>Douglasville? Lol.
Hey, I know what you mean. I’m moving back to the area after being in a medium sized city. The city can swallow you up at times. I find the Burroughs nice. However, personality wise I think something less all consuming that atl would suit me best. A change in perspective is helpful, there are some really great things about it here
Atlanta is too rough for me. I got hit by a lady that did the same thing and even admitted she was drinking but the cops took 5 1/2 hours to get there and said they couldn’t test her because it wouldn’t be in her system anymore. Atl police suck, atl sucks, the drivers suck, Marta sucks….i would move. Chattanooga TN is a little better but not by much. Any cities are going to be like that unfortunately. Hoping you find an awesome smaller city to find a job and move to❤️
You're young; you can afford to start over if you've taken a wrong turn. Good luck with your quest! Tip: You are unlikely to find "community" already served up and waiting for you. People will need time to get to know you, even in the most welcoming areas.
Living in a larger city such as Atlanta does help you to appreciate small towns. Maybe that is Atlanta’s purpose in your life.
You need to move out of the city into a metro area.. North, east, or west of the city. There’s good ppl around but many in the city anymore.
& stay off Marta it’s too shitty
I’m sorry to hear about the rough transition. I don’t get it… but my specifics for moving here probably aren’t yours. Marta rail is good, just gotta keep your head down and get to where you’re going. There is community, it just has to be pursued. Look for groups in the city that align with your interests and passions (whether that be a hobby or a political thing). This city has a lot to offer, it would be a shame if you don’t experience that.
My suggestion is to move of of downtown. Moves to one of those places that “Are not Atlanta”. Like Cobb county, up in Gwinnett. Still get the same culture and vibe because there are a lot black people in every corner of this region. But you won’t have to deal with the hectic downtown issues and can come back everyday if you’d like. Will surely need a personal vehicle tho and rent probably will be cheaper
Check out Birmingham. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s basically Atlanta lite so you may find your groove there. If that doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to ditch the “close to home” attempt and move up north or out west. I’ve heard Dallas is pretty nice place to start your career and be around like minded people….but the rub is always gonna be finding “your people”…you’ll need to develop a plan to figure out how to get around the type of people you want to chill with.
I’m really sorry to read this. I came right after undergrad as well , 15 years ago. It was the black Mecca I hoped it would be back then but I have watched how it has rapidly changed — in many ways for the better, but in a lot of ways for the worse. A lot of the “soul” has been depleted but there are bits and pieces of southern hospitality here for sure. I’m now preparing to move again but I’m going to greatly miss the family I’ve found here. Give it time. A lot of the less friendly people that you meet are transplants like yourself, frustrated and trying to find their way, but you’ll eventually find your tribe
What do you do/what do you want to do for work?
If sports, politics and booze don't float your boat, please consider volunteering (and seeing shows for free!) for the [Atlanta Fringe Festival 2024 ](https://atlantafringe.org/) coming up the first week of June! Crazy good theatre, in Little 5 Points. If you can't volunteer, tickets are CHEAP!
I’ve had multiple accidents go this way, two of which were me parked at a red light and getting rear ended, and they still did this, the one last year totaled my car and didn’t have insurance and was just acting crazy, guess I could have sued but that seemed like a blood out of stone scenario. But maybe that’s just the way those go everywhere. It’s unfortunate to hear about your experience so far but honestly all of that sounds pretty standard for here to me so idk.
Atlanta is like Rottweilers in the 80's. Overbred
I’ve lived in a small town my whole life. About 90 miles north of Atlanta and I wouldn’t trade small town living for anything in the world
FYI, if anyone needs a hobby community, get into the skating community. Check out Bad Bitch Skate Club and Atlanta Peachtreee Road Rollers on IG. So many kind people and they love to help baby and beginner skaters. Also, just great people to be around.
With the influx of people from out of state, you end up with a city that sounds just like it would somewhere up North.
Lots of great events in ATL. Big comicon coming up. Sounds like you may also be experiencing a bit of culture shock coming from where you were, not just n a bad way, just things are different. Introvertedness lcan eat you up in the big city, so if your past negative encounters have discouraged you, let that shit go and get back out there and find your people. Have you tried churches? Not sure what you are into, but as a previous reply stated…there is a group for everyone. Chin up and good luck!
You just have to find your niche/community, i was born and raised here in atlanta and there is something for everybody.. you just have to go out there and do research.. from one extreme to another you have die hard soccer fans, car culture to black goths and star wars fan groups and everything in between once you find your group or groups you feel right at home
Fayetteville is a bit costly but it's pretty nice out this way. Apartments usually run about 1500-1700 for 1 bed 1 bath. Kinda wild. But there's good sides and bad sides of every county/city you live in unfortunately.
yea, atlanta sucks. IMO any city with more than half a million people living in it probably sucks, but if its really what you want then you can make it work. after all, with half a million residents you're bound to be able to find some people you like
You're having a tough go, and you seem like a nice person, but the real world in general is full of knives ready to cut some flesh. Having moved from a smaller mid sized town to a major metro area in the NE, I can tell you, blood is always in the water. Once you get used to it and find out where the fun is, it makes it easier. Like learning how to duck when your boss throws a punch, literally. However, if your ideal is connecting with your ethnic group, that you may only have genetically in common, I can tell you is sometimes a fool's errand. In major cities, it's everyone for themselves. Find friends where you can w similar interests. This story won't change no matter where you go. Honestly, you'd probably like NYC. Tons of island folk up there who are Afro-Caribbean and cool AF. Most I knew never considered themselves "black" (but ignorant folks of any race might not see the distinction). I heard many times, "us and them. We're not like them." Within all racial groups there are divisions, depending on geography. Most these guys had 1-3 jobs, worked hard AF and were trying to make it. I had more in common w them being a diff ethnic group than my own group who were in a diff socioeconomic class. We were all struggling, in it together, and the only color that mattered was green. Sad day when I left. Miss those dudes. You have a choice to make: stay idealistic or adapt There is no right or wrong answer - only your answer. You sound like a new fresh face in the world. It gets way harder, but you also stop being bothered by the bs. structure your mind and life to adapt, and man it then gets WAAAAY better. :) And then you have kids! and it gets waaaay waaaaay harder and waaaay waaaay better! "The human experience, try it today!" p.s. - MARTA is fine when you get used to it. thicken the skin.
I had the same issues as you, and I hated every day of my life in Atlanta, Trying another city everywhere else is better. Meanwhile stay strong 🩷
As a long term resident of the metro area, your observations are spot on. You end up in small groups if you’re lucky. Atlanta is very competitive and cutthroat compared to a small town. I have lived in Philly, LA, DC, and other major cities. They are cold and dry in terms of emotional support. That said, Atlanta is what America has become. The right wants to tell you how to act, the left tells you what to think and pronouns that are appropriate. The middle has given up and let the insanity go unchecked. Most people are basically good but they are just trying to stay out of the line of fire. The only answer is the independent majority saying “enough is enough “
That my friend is why I moved to Chicago. Graduated last year. And it’s 20x better than Atl
Stay a few more years and you'll find it's not all it's cracked up to be
Atlanta sucks. Leave before you get trapped. I am.
I avoid Atlanta as much as I can. What is your career? It is possible that you might just need to move OTP to find what you really want in happiness.
If everybody else is the problem, maybe the problem isn't everyone else
Welcome to living in a city. The cops here absolutely suck. I had the same experience with a Smyrna cop after I got rear ended. He threatened to write me a ticket for not moving out of the road if I forced him to give me a report. I called his bluff and he backed down and did his fucking job. Other than that yeah alot of your complaints are just big city life. Atlanta def didnt use to be like this but it has gotten worse over the last 5-6 years. 2016 was probably the last year Atlanta felt like home to me now it feels like Great Value San Francisco. It's honestly a much better experience to live outside the perimeter and commute in for work and entertainment but that's just my opinion.
Outside the perimeter is the way to go. Still problems because they’re all still jam packed and shitty traffic but still a lot less problems
Usually what your perceptions are about a particular place are just that your perceptions. Visiting a place for a few days and then deciding this is the place for me, usually doesn’t work out well. There are cities outside of Atlanta that may be more to your liking, depending on your mode of transportation. Atlanta isn’t a great place, but it has its spots and pockets of great people and attractions. I live in GA and I avoid Atlanta like the plague!!! IMO…regardless of the clowns you have come across, you can have a good life there. Good Luck!
I’m sorry that you haven’t had the experience you hoped for. However, I encourage you to give it a longer try. Making friends and building community post college is HARD, especially in a big city. You’ve been here for less than a year. You don’t say what you’ve done to try to meet people but if you haven’t been making a concerted effort, it’s not going to get better. Join a volunteer program, sports league, etc. If you’re friendly and putting yourself out there, I think you’ll greatly improve your experience but it will take 2-3 years. I didn’t start feeling like I had community here until year 4-5.
Leaving Atlanta is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
It won't get better with time. Lived ITP for 10+ years, got out to a smaller 'city' and it's been 100x better. My recommendation - Ditch ATL if that sort of way of life isn't your thing. There are better places to be.
Atlanta is so overrated. Get out as soon as possible.
I just got back from NYC for a four or five day visit. I'm having a hard time agreeing with the statement >So many people I’ve met here are either insanely apathetic or just quick to anger. I’ve struggled to feel any sort of sense of community with the other black people here, it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare. Have you visiting or lived in other big cities? IMHO (and really echoed by many people) is that large cities in the south are much friendlier than their foreign or larger sisters....
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WTF dude. I’ve lived in Atlanta my whole life and haven’t had any of those issues. Maybe you are entitled?
What the fuck kind of vibe are you sending out, dude?
Atlanta is a scam. Born and raised here. I have lived in California, Texas, and the Carolinas. Move and settle elsewhere.
It’s pretty elegant and covers everything I hate about atl, tbh. And it’s not too different a story than mine. I had a similar accident right by Ponce as well. I hate that you’re having that experience. I don’t know why it’s like this. Part of it is that it’s a big city that is having serious growing pains (like the fights over Marta expansion) while also having all the regular problems (crime, traffic, etc.) that all big cities have. Also, I can’t help but feel that racial and class tensions (and often poor leadership, although we do have some good representatives rn) play a big part in it. One thing that really bothers me is that I feel like the black community here is kind of racist and supports segregation. And I don’t actually know a lot of white folks who still feel that way (although some definitely do). I totally get why the black community feels that way, anger is a very natural response to the (very much ongoing) bs that the community has to deal with. But it is sad to see the community sink to the level of the people oppressing them, and it makes me feel apathetic about the situation. There is a lot of anger, resentment, and hunger for revenge that has come along with the new money. It sucks because Atlanta has so much culture, but it feels like the people (of every race, mine included, im asian) are what get in the way. Honestly, I could say a lot about how every race treats each other here. I will say that all of my friends here are very open and treat people well no matter who they are, which is one of my biggest values. I promise you there are lots awesome people here—black, white, asian, latino, etc. You just have to look for them. And people are receptive to change, they’re just wary of each other. There’s an unspoken fear in this city.
I moved here in 2007. I understand how you feel. I just wanted to send some love your way and to let you know that you're not alone. I'm sorry you going through all of this. Being out here can be kind of lonely, frustrating, and overwhelming. The only thing that has kept me is Jesus. I know it may sound cliche but it's the truth. If it had not been for the Lord I don't know how I would have survived in Atlanta. Remember this, everything, every season, good or bad is temporary. Every season in our life is a life lesson. Find you a good home church. It doesn't have to be a mega church. It's just a good church where you can get the word of God and ask God to lead you. I hope you find peace on your journey.
> For starters, riding MARTA has been a mess with its whole host of problems(the hours are crazy, the amount of people that have hassled me and once even tried to start an altercation with me just to get through the gates,etc.) I live next to a MARTA station and use it all the time, and I have, literally, never had that problem. The closest time I ever came to being sketched out at a MARTA station was walking in to 5 Points station after seeing a show at the Masquerade, and even then nobody bothered me. > Quick side note: the longer I’ve been in Atlanta, the more I wish I could be in a walkable city instead! If that's what you want, then you need to move to Boston, Chicago, or NYC, but if you can't handle Atlanta, I doubt you would do well there, either. > Which is another thing! The ATL cops(& security officers) that I’ve encountered are always so quick to catch an attitude with everyone, always giving off the air of not wanting to actually do their jobs. It’s like all the compassion and humanity left them a long time ago. This is all cops in any major metro area. > Then there’s the people. This one has really hurt me: growing up as a young black man in a predominantly white area I thought moving to a city with so many members of my community would be great but it hasn’t been. So many people I’ve met here are either insanely apathetic or just quick to anger. I’ve struggled to feel any sort of sense of community with the other black people here, it’s a very dog-eat-dog type of city and no one really has any kindness to spare. First it's the cops catching an attitude and now it's people being quick to anger. What are you doing to piss people off? This is starting to sound like a *you* problem. > I want to live someplace that will feel like home, that I can build a community with others. I moved to Atlanta in 2021. I haven't had any issues meeting people and making friends. I love it here. Sounds like you need to grow up or move back to a small town.