Calling all Southerners

[AGDLynn]

Just got back from Huntsville. It seems like a big yet small city, esp. compared to Atlanta.

Went downtown Friday and Saturday nights...both were practically deserted. Good that there weren't traffic jams, lol. Didn't seem to be much shopping.

Granted that we didn't go into a lot of residential areas but most houses we saw were ranch-style, built in the 60-70's. Scary that a lot had burglar bars on them.

Drove out to Madison, AL and loved it!! Could see myself living there.
Decatur and Athens were okay...

Checked out Cummings Research Park area..nifty looking company buildings.

Back to Huntsville...other than the historic districts downtown, I didn't see any cute boutique, hang-out type parts of town like the Virginia-Highland pat of Atlanta.

http://www.virginiahighland.com/

[DreamfulSpirit]

I live in Raleigh, well actually...in the suburb of Cary. I grew up here and I can't imagine calling any other place home!!

[epchick]

I have a question after reading this whole thread. I told my mom that I was thinking of moving "to the South" (yeah I don't consider El Paso the south, I barely consider it part of TX...lol) and she cautioned me automatically.

I guess my mom's had some bad experiences (of course this was back in the late 70's, early 80's) traveling in those areas.

I'm like my grandmother---i'm more open to visiting places i've never been. My mom told me that she and my grandmother visited Louisville (i wanna say it was in the mid- 90s, but I'm not sure) and my grandmother wanted to take the bus & just ride it to see where it took her. The front desk person told her it wasn't safe.

Call me naive or whatever, but is it still like that in many places? I know all cities have their bad areas, but I'm used to a city that, even in the "bad" areas, you can still walk around and feel relatively safe.

[AGDLynn]

"Adlanta" has good and bad parts. So, let me know where you're thinking and I'll try to steer some info your way.

Actually, the City of Atlanta isn't that large but Metro-Atlanta is a whole lot bigger, lol.

I live south of the Atlanta Airport but grew up near Athens (where U of Ga).

I agree with others..I want to move to their city too, lol.

L

[sjsoffer]

This thread is awesome because in a couple of years, the bf and I are moving South. Where depends more on grad school than anything, though.

[Fleur de Lis]

I love living in Nashville. I grew up in Atlanta, and it's a lot like that without the traffic, two-hour security lines at the airport, over-bloated city feel, etc. My visitors are always amazed at how NICE people are here. There is a ton of culture (obviously a huge music scene) and pretty much any store you could want. And you are right to think of relocating to the south - anyplace the DMV employees say "can I help you, ma'am?" instead of "NEXT!!!" has my vote. Plus, no income tax!

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally Posted by Fleur de Lis

I love living in Nashville. I grew up in Atlanta, and it's a lot like that without the traffic, two-hour security lines at the airport, over-bloated city feel, etc. My visitors are always amazed at how NICE people are here. There is a ton of culture (obviously a huge music scene) and pretty much any store you could want. And you are right to think of relocating to the south - anyplace the DMV employees say "can I help you, ma'am?" instead of "NEXT!!!" has my vote. Plus, no income tax!

I agree with all of this And I also grew up in metro-Atlanta and love Nashville so much more!

[baci]

I am so thankful for all your responses. I appreciate each and every one of them.

I am spending a nice portion every day researching various places and today I started incorporating some of the earlier suggestions. There is so much to read and take in and it takes a great deal of time.

As I said before, I welcome any information! Thank you all so much.

[ZTABullwinkle]

It is not the deep south, but have you thought about the Hampton Roads area of Virginia? (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk)

[hazelle]

Darlin' get used to it...that is what they say alot in the south...went to school in Kentucky and it is hard to beat....southern charm and super basketball for your hubby to enjoy..not to mention the Derby and super mint juleps...

if not there, how about the days of Scarlett and Rhett and Charleston or any city along the South Carolina coast....just so charming and laid back....but the houses there are pretty pricey if available at all...and you also have to learn to pick seafood espeicially crabs....

Good luck and if I can offer any other suggestions....I hate snow...would give my right arm to be in Charleston with some cool breezes...

Cheers!!

[DSTRen13]

I'm originally from Fayette County, GA, have also lived in midtown Atlanta and south Cobb County, GA, and currently reside in Savannah, GA. Depending on what you're looking for, there are pros and cons to all of these, of course I would be happy to help answer any questions if I can.

One thing that's pretty important --- while the smaller Southern cities are wonderful, Atlanta is one of the few places in the country right now that has a decent job outlook. Many people are moving into the metro area from all over right now because of that. In Savannah, we have a good amount of available jobs in engineering and medical fields --- in other areas jobs are few and far between.

[minDyG]

I'm going to give props to Chattanooga. If I were finished with school, I would move there in a heartbeat. It's a GREAT town.

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by minDyG

I'm going to give props to Chattanooga. If I were finished with school, I would move there in a heartbeat. It's a GREAT town.

Ooh, I LOVE Chattanooga! I don't know what it is exactly, but that city has just got a great vibe and it is so pretty

[baci]

hazelle, when you say "Charleston or any city along the South Carolina coast....just so charming and laid back....but the houses there are pretty pricey if available at all"-
Just how pricey are they and are they in demand?

[scbelle]

Originally Posted by baci

hazelle, when you say "Charleston or any city along the South Carolina coast....just so charming and laid back....but the houses there are pretty pricey if available at all"-
Just how pricey are they and are they in demand?

Lots of people want property in Charleston proper or coastal areas, so the demand is very high. Prices range from the $700,000 upwards to multimillion dollar homes found in Isle of Palms or Kiawah... Summerville, which is about 20 minutes inland from Charleston has a depressed market right now, so you could probably find some great deals. I have found one myself that I'm looking into purchasing for retirement. I don't know about the specifics of the market for the coastal areas right now. I'm sure there is some demand, but I don't know if it's outpacing the supply right now or not, given the economy.