Atlanta is my second home. I spent every summer and some winter and spring vacations of my childhood there. I grew up there as the city was growing. It was once (and still really is) a Southern town.
I am surprised at people who have never been to Atlanta and think of this city as some "great" place with no crime, no ghettos, etc. When I tell them of driving through one housing project after another and the crime there they don't believe me. Atlanta is just like every other major city with a large concentration of black people. You have your good and you have your bad.
I would say do extensive research regarding which part you would live in because it is a really diverse and large urban sprawl of a city. There are some really great areas to live in and raise a family but, you still have the roads and the traffic and the people.
The people are very, very diverse. There are people there now from all over and then there are many people who have never traveled outside of the state and still give the city that "small southern town flavor". At a family reunion few years ago, I remember walking through the neighborhood we "grew" up in and everyone on their fronts waving "hey". It was very refreshing and made me smile and wave "hey" back at them. It's not like that all over. The area where my hotel was reminded me of Miami!!! Then again, it depends on the neighborhood and the part of the city you are in.
