Atlanta, so far.
We’ve now lived in Atlanta for about 9 months, parts of which have flown by and parts of which have dragged. I would say that our overall opinion of life here is. . . mixed. We (especially I!) spent the first couple of months comparing our lives here to life in the District, until we realized that really is an “apples and oranges” comparison. How we “like living in Atlanta” has to be evaluated on its own merits, so here are some of our thoughts:
PROS of living in Atlanta:
- Family. We REALLY appreciate living near family. Having support and help with the kids is invaluable, and we love that our children are getting to know their Oma and Opa so well. They get to see them at least once a week, which is wonderful. (It also means they get chocolate at least once a week, which they find wonderful.) For me, it’s been fun to develop a more adult relationship with my parents. If we move out of the area after this year, this is what we will miss the most, hands down.
- Church. We’ve been attending North Avenue Presbyterian Church since mid-summer and are grateful for this community. Though we still miss WCF (our church in DC), we have felt extremely welcomed and loved at this church since the moment we walked through the doors and have been grateful for the teaching and care we have received. We also admire the local urban outreach and the care for individuals we have witnessed at NAPC.
(As a funny side-story: I grew up in a Presbyterian church here in Georgia, and once a year, our youth group came up to Atlanta to participate in a feed-the-homeless event at NAPC. One year, my dad came along as a chaperone after a night of being on-call at the hospital. He was unshaven and had an old army-surplus coat on. . . and was offered a meal by a teenager from a different church who assumed he was homeless!)
- Apartment. We have enjoyed the extra 200 square feet (compared to our house in DC) and the significantly lower cost of living in Atlanta. We also have tons of natural light and a view of the downtown skyline, which is especially beautiful at sunset. We’re in a great neighborhood and also appreciate not having to do any maintenance, yard work, repairs, etc.
- Weather. Though it’s not the warmest place on earth, right now we are grateful that we have sunny, 60+ degree days in January, while our friends in DC are digging out from yet another snowstorm!
- Schools. If we do end up in Atlanta beyond this year, we already know that we could send Simona to Kindgergarten at the local public school. Plenty of moms at her preschool have older kids there and are very, very enthusiastic. No worries about getting into charter schools or affording private tuition!
- Georgia Aquarium. My dad bought us annual passes as a consolation for giving up the free zoo in DC, and we have definitely gotten our (his!) money’s worth! (Thanks, Dad!) There are tons of neat animals, and we have enjoyed being able to make frequent trips.
Sometimes these visits have included stops at the playground or Olympic Ring fountain across the street at Centennial Park.
(We ended up purchasing a family zoo membership, too, and have spent our fair share of time there as well!)
CONS of living in Atlanta:
- Apartment. Yes, this makes both lists. Sharing SUCH close living spaces is not necessarily kid-friendly. Especially with a two-year-old in residence who prefers running, jumping, hopping, or climbing to walking. Our downstairs neighbors have had more than their share of noise from here. On the other hand, they smoke, so we are subject to their nuisances, too. We’ve also learned that an end-unit allows for lots of light but also lets in ALL the noise of the parking lot, pool (drunken fun at 3 AM this summer!), tennis courts, dumpsters being emptied (usually around 6 AM on Monday mornings), etc.
- Weather. Again, a mixed bag. Though it’s beautiful today, we still do have some more extreme weather. This month’s snow/ice storm paralyzed the city for a week, while the summer’s heat was more intense and lasted longer than in DC. With fewer (free) indoor play options (that don’t drive our neighbors crazy!), weather has become a much bigger factor in our ability to get out kids’ energy!
- Non-walkability. As mentioned, we live in a great part of Atlanta, and we chose it for its supposed “walkability.” But with sidewalks like this:
it’s difficult to navigate a stroller or learn to ride a bike or trike. We also live on a much busier road than in the District, so walking is not quite as pleasant or kid-friendly. Nevertheless, compared with most of Atlanta, our neighborhood is wonderful. Without a stroller, we can make it to Simona’s preschool, two playgrounds, two grocery stores, the post office, and the library without a car. (I think this is replicated virtually nowhere else in Atlanta.) If we stay here, we will end up needing two cars– a negative for the environment, our wallets, and the healthier, neighborhood-based lifestyle we appreciate.
One final thought:
Each city has its own “normal”– in DC, it was seeing the White House or Capitol, for example. Here, it’s the fact that our two year old can identify iconic “Atlanta” brands, such as Chick-fil-A, Coke, and Delta.
Thankfully for Caleb, though, Simona still thinks the Walgreen’s “W” is for the Washington Nationals, and Andreas walks around the house in his Nats t-shirt saying, “Let’s go Shnationals!”
