Living in Georgia

Hi travellers!

I have lived in Atlanta Georgia for 1,5 year from 2002 until 2004. It was the best time of my life, seriously! There are a lot of Europeans living there, so you will not have any issues mixing with Americans or Europeans.
Atlanta is not as exciting as San Fransisco or Miami, but it has its charms, with the Coca Cola head quarters, many hotels, great parks, Peachtree street with Hardrock Cafe and many shopping opportunities!
The MARTA is the public transportation, you can compare it with the Underground in London and it takes you everywhere you need to be... Renting a car is pretty cheap and is a great way to discover other cities and states..... be prepared to hit very long, boring and lonely highways, just like in the movies... Living costs are okay, I shared a three bedroom flat with two other girls in a Summit, which suited us very well, as there was a pool and gym in the complex for all to use.
Our summit was in the Lenox area, which is about 30 minutes from the city centre, but still close to shopping malls, supermarkets and cafes. I just dont know if it still exists, as its been 5 years since I left...
Cost of living in general is average, can compare it with Europe actually, maybe even a bit cheaper.
Atlanta is a safe city and there are many places where you can go out, if thats what you are looking for.
As I was single, I cannot tell you the cost of schools, but my colleagues were finding it okay.
Americans put a lot of value in family life, the Sunday is baseball day, a whole family outing with friends etc... They do know how to enjoy life.
Everything is also much bigger than in Europe: the cars are big, the shopping malls have big food courts where a family of four can all have a different dinner/ lunch, chosen from all the stands around the tables, the tips have to be big too, as waiters only earn 3 dollars an hour....

Hope this helps!

K

I am an American but have lived in Europe and am currently living in the Atlanta area.  I am from up north though so living in Atlanta has been like living in another country. 

The weather is pleasant.  People are pleasant for the most part.  Schools are dependent on the area where you are living.

The cost of living is a bit cheaper than most places in Europe.  There are even some European groceries where you can find items you might miss from your home country. 

As far as assimilating...there have actually been books written about this subject because living in the south has its challenges, particularly for women.  The women from the south smile alot and are friendly on the surface but it doesn't mean they want to be your friend.  People from elsewhere aren't used to that and see the southern hospitality as an invitation to friendship, when oftentimes it is not.  It can be treacherous for those not used to dealing with these southern belle types. It is advisable to tread cautiously until you get a feel for how things really are.

That said, everyone maintains a friendly public personna which makes shopping, eating out, etc. very pleasant usually.  People from other parts of the country and other parts of the world usually find the social friendliness very refreshing. 

You will likely enjoy living here.  If you play tennis, you will find a group of friends quickly as nearly every neighborhood has tennis courts.  Football is also big in the south...watching that is, not playing. 

Atlanta has quite an international mix of people these days and it shouldn't be too difficult to find some European friends to socialize with as well.

Auf Wiedersehen!