« Austin, Nichols Sorta Landmarked Post-Renovation Neergard Goes Toy Shopping »

December 22, 2008

Atlanta All The Way

atlanta-skyline-1208.jpg"We just couldn't do it anymore," said Public-relations executive Scott Merritt, 35, who, along with his teacher wife and two kids, left New York for more-affordable Atlanta. "Eventually we had to say enough was enough. It was just no way to live, and I could see no way out." Merritt, who made an "above average" salary as a PR exec, and his family joined an estimated 40,000 New Yorkers who opted for the warmer, and more affordable, climes of Atlanta between 2000 and 2005. [NY Post]




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:15 AM | Comments (46)
Categories: Quality of Life

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/7726

Comments

Lot of places in USA where I think would be fine to live.
The suburbs of Atlanta sound more like a nightmare.
Plus - the article says the wife is a teacher..what is a teacher paid in Georgia compared to NY? Plenty of experienced ones I know make close to $100k.

Posted by: Petebklyn at December 22, 2008 10:33 AM

Where the hell is Greenlawn, LI???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 22, 2008 10:34 AM

Good F----- Ridddance.

Seriously - Atlanta? One of the main reasons to live in NYC is because you DON'T have to get in your car to go anywhere.

Posted by: Rookie at December 22, 2008 10:38 AM

have you even SEEN the Real Housewives of Atlanta!?! gack. tho i did love NeNe :)

*Rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 22, 2008 10:41 AM

good for them and good for nyc. one less family to coward everything in.

Posted by: armchairwarrior at December 22, 2008 10:42 AM

oh they are from Greenlawn, LI. who the frell cares.

Posted by: armchairwarrior at December 22, 2008 10:44 AM

I'm loving the holiday spirit here today.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 22, 2008 10:46 AM

"One of the main reasons to live in NYC is because you DON'T have to get in your car to go anywhere."

Yep, keep chuckling smugly to yourself when the MTA service cuts kick in.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 22, 2008 10:47 AM


"Forced to live in his parents home"... arrghhhhhhhhhh...
Give me a break...

Posted by: bren at December 22, 2008 10:49 AM

Petebklyn...exactly how long have these teachers been at it and where do they teach that pays them close to 100 large? I know a teacher with a PHD who has been at it for a about 12 years and doesn't make that much. I taught for a year and even with my J.D. (which according to NYCDOE pay scale is equal to a PHD) I only made 52k.

I have also considered heading to Atlanta, but have some doubts about the transportation issue. I don't drive (I've never had a license - ever!) and rely on my blue and white limo (aka the B63 bus).

Rob - did you hear NeNe is broke? Ha!

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at December 22, 2008 10:50 AM

Atlanta is a hell hole. If I had to move back to the south there are a number of other places I would pick.

Posted by: Santa at December 22, 2008 10:51 AM

Looks like you need to be a teacher for a mighty long time before you hit $100k. Can anyone decipher this chart?

- http://www.uft.org/member/contracts/moa/salary_schedules_html/index.html

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 22, 2008 10:52 AM

well, she followed him from phoenix out to california
and then she passed out on the bed
and all the little things he never even asked her for
she simply smiled and shook her head

Posted by: Biff Champion at December 22, 2008 10:56 AM

My in-laws are in Marietta GA and its a 16 lane+ highway from Atlanta to Marietta. I think it's about 15 miles. It takes an hour and a half each way at rush hour. Although there is mass transit, it's not in widespread use, even IN the city.

And don't believe what they way about the "new" south - it's still segregated for a all practical purposes. There are some good things about the area, but I don't think they outweigh the negatives.

Posted by: Stonergut at December 22, 2008 10:57 AM

It's a good thing New York is not a segregated city!
..wait, nevermind.

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 11:00 AM

NeNe is broke!?!? :( how did that come to be? she has definitely been milking her 15 minutes tho. i hope it works out for her. they should fire miss jay on top model and replace him with nene. america's next top model definitely needs some new blood anyway.

i thought the suburbs of atlanta were really crime ridden these days? is that not the case? i guess that's why it would be cheaper. i would think it's easier to live in crime infested part of a big city than it would be to live in a crime infested suburb. could you imagine getting chased for miles by roving street gangs (cul de sac gangs?) with no around!? sounds scary to me. crack treehouses?

ive never been down south. my grandmother is stuck living down there in south carolina and she absolutely HATES HATES HATES it. she is convinced everyone down there has some form of mild retardation.. i told her no, they are just slow living down there. and health care down there is terrible too apparently.. well i guess in the area where she lives. she really wants to move back up here badly (to the jersey city / north bergen area where she is originally from) but she cant (nor i) afford it so she's on a senior citizen housing waiting list.

sorry i totally went all tangent there. is there an open thread today?

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 22, 2008 11:00 AM

rob, see this...
http://highbridnation.com/2008/12/04/nene-of-the-
real-housewives-of-atlanta-gets-evicted-husband-greg-is-
a-fraud/

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at December 22, 2008 11:06 AM

thanks insert! i love it!!! “It’s none of your business!…are financial able [sic] and stable to live where ever we feel fits.” you go NeNe girl!

*Rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 22, 2008 11:10 AM


NYC teachers don't make as much as surrounding areas (and this article was not about a NYC family - nor does the article say that the 40k people moving to Atlanta area where from city).

here is pay chart for White Plains - not the highest paid district. Also keep in mind the these are 'base' salaries.

http://jd2718.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/teacher-pay-scale-white-plains-ny/

Teachers get paid extra for just about every extracurricular.
I have friends building up fat pensions who are in their last 3 years of working.

Atlanta just seems like a sprawl with little redeeming it.
For that area of country I'd go for Savannah or Charleston.

Posted by: Petebklyn at December 22, 2008 11:12 AM

OMG, how can they survive there without the crown moldings?

Posted by: Gravis at December 22, 2008 11:15 AM

good for them
the days of NYC, or America for that matter, being the greatest place on earth are long, long gone

i like to hear people who think outside the box a little and make a move like this. while i wouldn't choose Atlanta personally, there are many great places to relocate where your entire worth (finincially speaking and otherwise) isn't based dedicated to your housing.. (i realize that blasphemy on this blog)

Posted by: blackstoner at December 22, 2008 11:37 AM

My parents live in Atlanta and it's terrible! That being said, they are retired, bought a 7 bedroom house for $500k (don't ask me why 2 empty nesters need a 7 bedroom house...maybe they are planning on opening a B&B...) and the weather is MUCH BETTER (none of this -4 below windchill nonesense). However, as the poster indicated above, the negatives (lower salaries, terrible traffic, retarded people) outweigh the positives. The sad part is, the skyrocketing cost of living in NYC will force a lot of people to move to places like Atlanta (Charlotte, Houston, etc.). When you make over $250k a year ("rich" by Barack's standards) and you can't buy a house in New York City...that's not a good sign!

Posted by: FtGreeneCorey at December 22, 2008 11:56 AM

Well said Corey. When even affluent people (who are taxed as such) cannot afford a regular house in the city, it is time to examine one's options. There is a big, and surprisingly beautiful country out there. Frankly, it is Brooklyn that is a bit subpar. Not to mention over-hyped.


Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 12:27 PM

I would rather live in Vladivostock...

Posted by: wasder at December 22, 2008 12:36 PM

sam...what's your problem today???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 22, 2008 12:36 PM

Dave,
I'm cranky today, you're right.
I will go have lunch.


Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 12:45 PM

White and overweight. They'll fit right in.

Posted by: 11201 at December 22, 2008 12:49 PM

There are a lot of great places in the world to live. I would not put Atlanta high on that list, but that is just my opinion. I for one could only live in or near New York City. It is where my family, friends, and job are. I would be sad just about anywhere else. I am glad these people moved out of New York. More room for me!

Posted by: Brownstonebabe at December 22, 2008 12:58 PM

As usual, bad, skewed reporting from a NYC daily. These people are not "New Yorkers" they're from Long Island and yes, the property taxes on Long Island are too high especially for somebody who wants a 4 BR house with a swimming pool for only $275K. These people just made the worst investment they could make. The far suburbs of Atlanta are worthless. They should have bought a smaller, 2BR or 3BR condo in a much better location. As for Blackstoner saying New Yorkers have all their worth in their house, well uh, looking at their income, so do these people. Difference is they won't see any return on the investment in the far suburbs of Atlanta even over a long period of time.

If you must live in the South, Raleigh/Durham has a good job market and economy, always rates high on best places to live, and has more affordable historic houses centrally located. In Atlanta, unless you're wealthy enough to live inside Atlanta in one of the better neighborhoods (which costs as much as buying a condo or brownstone in Brooklyn if not Manhattan) it's just not worth it because the commute from the suburbs is a nightmare. A full 1.5-2 hours each way as somebody said.

Posted by: traditionalmod at December 22, 2008 1:03 PM

> White and overweight. They'll fit right in.

- http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/1304000.html

Atlanta (city), Georgia
Black persons, percent, 2000: 61.4%

Don't get out much, 11201?

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 22, 2008 1:04 PM

Hey SnarkSlope,

I lived in Atlanta for three years--how familiar with the city are you?

The article clearly states that they live in the suburb of LOGANVILLE. Yes, the city of Atlanta is largely black, but no one considers Loganville, a suburb 50 miles outside the city limits, a part of Atlanta (city).

Loganville (again, where the family Merritts live) is 92% white.

Research poorly much, SnarkSlope?

Posted by: 11201 at December 22, 2008 1:24 PM

research poorly OFTEN.

Posted by: dittoburg at December 22, 2008 1:26 PM

Exactly, 11201. Long Island makes these people "New Yorkers" the way Loganville makes them "Atlanta" transplants. Way to go, NY Post.

Posted by: traditionalmod at December 22, 2008 1:30 PM

But but but they said poplulation would be 9M by 2030 and everybody wants to live here.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at December 22, 2008 1:34 PM

"I lived in Atlanta for three years--how familiar with the city are you?"

Familiar enough not to make the mistake of spending three years there.

But I kid, I kid...

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 22, 2008 1:43 PM

I'd take Atlanta any day over...most parts of L.I., Manhattan and Ohio - speaking of other places to live. Brooklyn is definitely overrated and overpriced and headed in the direction of a soul-less non-descript inburb..note the nasty new restaurants popping up all over the place?

So Whats wrong with driving everywhere and NOT coming home to live in a box that costs $550,000? (Talk about retards)

I particularly don't like the south either ...too slow. Meth addicts living right next door and everybody ignoring them.

Posted by: The Who at December 22, 2008 1:54 PM

"Familiar enough not to make the mistake of spending three years there."

Snap!

Posted by: cobblehiller at December 22, 2008 2:19 PM

I once had the misfortune of living in Atlanta for a few months--most awful place I've ever been in for any extended period.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at December 22, 2008 3:25 PM

I hope they won't mind the high crime rates and lack of culture.

Posted by: sebb at December 22, 2008 4:42 PM

Seems as though all of your heads need to be pulled a wee bit further out of NY...

1) Who cares if they are from L.I., or not...

2) This might just be a very good investment for this family. Atlanta has been growing as the 'commercial hub' of the south. Traffic is horrendous, yes.... but, this is not going unnoticed by city officials and others. The Atlanta Beltine has been proposed and is well on its way toward implementation (22 miles of rail that circles the center of the city- and more). At least it's a step in the right direction for Atlanta. http://www.atlantada.com/adaInitiatives/beltline.jsp

Posted by: lala at December 22, 2008 4:43 PM

I ran both the NY and ATL divisions of a Co. and when I would have a meeting in NY we'd go to the conference room I'd pound out the meeting have 2 or 3 questions and then everyone would get things done quickly with few speed bumps.

I would schedule 2X the amount of time for the ATL office and maybe it's because I was speaking NY English instead of Southern English but I would be met with blank stares and NO questions....That is until they couldn't get the work done and I'd have to coach each of them through things step by step. There was also quite a bit of sexism and it took me quite a while to earn the respect of the men in the office who initially referred to me behind my back as "That Yankee Bitch". I kid you not! It was unbearably infuriating.

Thank god we were able to grow that office large enough for me to unload them onto someone from ATL.

I wouldn't move there if you tripled my last salary.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 22, 2008 5:02 PM

"The Atlanta Beltine has been proposed and is well on its way toward implementation"

Excellent news. All cities need to expand mass transit options. But with shattered municipal budgets and (admittedly temporarily) cheap gasoline, will this happen any time soon?

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 22, 2008 5:05 PM

some of u morons need to have ur heads examined."Atlanta is a hell hole".Atlanta is a solid city with a crime rate about half of what it is in Brooklyn.

Posted by: buckfast at December 22, 2008 6:18 PM

Well we've never been to Atlanta but from most of the comments here it seems as if we aren't missing much. NYC is by far the best city in this country and for us personally we will rather live in a smaller house than a large house in a dead & barren place. Love driving but only as a recreation so traffic will simply rule out Atlanta or even LA.
Our salary will increase by 30% anywhere in the South but $$ isn't everything. Having said that the AMT and city taxes are killing us...we don't even look at the pay stubs anymore:(
Bob Marvin why was it so bad in ATL? I know the folks there are lousy supporters of their sports teams.

Posted by: pierre de taille at December 22, 2008 8:47 PM

I think Brooklyn is like Paris and the South Seas island paradises combined. Never has mankind produced such beauty and harmony in an urban landscape. This is why our little shithole apartments in slummy waterbug-infested buildings sell for over $600,000.

Posted by: Inigo at December 22, 2008 9:57 PM

I grew up in ATL. I've lived in ATL, DC, Chicago, New Orleans (pre-Katrina), and NYC.
I'm even here now for the holidays with my parents. Allow me to share a few thoughts:

1. It's a car-based city.
2. The traffic is pretty bad.
3. The crime is very localized in a few areas--much more so than NYC.
4. There is a lot of white/black division along economic lines. However, there is a large black middle class very similar to NYC.
5. Employment is a lot more scattered around the metropolitan area.
6. The growth over the last 10 years has been shocking. They've just been developing further and further out financed by the Mutant Real Estate Bubble.
7. There are more chain-based restaurants, but there is good food if you know where to go.
8. The shopping is really good. It has more retail per capita than any other major city.
9. It has a few whole foods instead of a toxic hole.

It's just an entirely different way of life.

Posted by: slick at December 23, 2008 3:14 AM

Post a comment

Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.

Latest Restaurant Additions