So, I might be moving to Georgia

My employer queried me on potential taking an assignment in Georgia, west of Atlanta, near the Alabama border, for a period of 2-3 years, which I interpreted as 3.5 years.

As a dyed-in-the-wool Yankee, that doesn't like heat, biting poisonous insects, southern drawls, and high humidity, how much am I gonna hate my life?

From what I briefly investigated online, I expect I'd likely end up living in Douglasville or within 20 minutes of there on Interstate 20. I know that Atlanta SCCA is solid, and I think Road Atlanta and Barber Motorsports Park are both within a two hour drive. I guess it'd be a good excuse to ask for a raise and then buy a used race car and start running IT or at least track days... learn me, wise GRMers of the South.

Awesome man!

I have some friends who say they'd quit if they were asked to relocate, but I'd jump at the opportunity, hell, I'd take a pay cut for the opportunity to try someplace new.

Embrace it!

You might be a little miserable in the heat but the food is better .

You are also only a bit over an hour from Little Tallageda which hosts plenty of track days. Huntsville, Birmingham, Chattanooga and Atlanta all have autocross and aren't too far away.

You work for Honda right? Cause I think they run a couple of Accords. I have seen them at the Birmingham events.

And like most northerners, once you get here you won't want to leave. JK There are quite a few people in the area that are from other parts of the country, so you won't be totally alone. Come on down, it is great here.

Come join us for autox in the region, always good to have more people involved. Club racing side is pretty good too, I wish I could afford to road race, have to stick with autox for now.

LainfordExpress wrote: As a dyed-in-the-wool Yankee, that doesn't like heat, biting poisonous insects, southern drawls, and high humidity, how much am I gonna hate my life?

Uh, at least a little bit? We don't have a shortage of those things down here.

I've lived in Georgia all my life and traveled a good part of the world (been all over Europe, went to Japan for a month) and I still like it here. I dunno if that says something good about Atlanta or that I just have low standards.

Plenty of stuff to do in the area, no matter your interests. You have to actually try though, as most of it isn't in the suburbs where it sounds like you'll be staying. Be smart and calm with traffic, plan your fun, avoid I-20 squids and life will be good.

According to my wife (another transplant) you get used to the heat, humidity and sinus season.

I love me some southern girls and southern BBQ.

beans wrote: I love me some southern girls and southern BBQ.

Beer man. You forgot the beer.

Yankee: someone from the North.

Darn Yankee: someone from the North visiting down here in Heaven, USA.

Damyankee (and yes it's all one word): one of those Northerners that stays.

I never realized the Civil War was still ongoing until I moved to the South.

Yes, there are hillbilly asshats, but there are jerks everywhere. You'll be pretty close to Chattanooga which is a great town if you can deal with the hipsters. The countryside is beautiful, and the heat isn't any worse than the worst days in OH. (pretty bad though)

I'd watch out for schools if you have kids. The biggest difference I've noticed being in FL is the standards for education are much lower here than they are up North. There are good schools down here, but they are the exception.

Joe Gearin wrote: I never realized the Civil War was still ongoing until I moved to the South.

There's still some bitterness about that.

DoctorBlade wrote:

Joe Gearin wrote: I never realized the Civil War was still ongoing until I moved to the South.

There's still some bitterness about that.

There's a lot of bitterness from both sides of the slavery coin.

Screw the heat. You go from you air conditioned house to your air condition car and to your air conditioned work sight. Then the reverse after work, You might stop off at an air condition bar for a cool libation.

moparman76_69 wrote: There's still some bitterness about that.

There's a lot of bitterness from both sides of the slavery coin.

I was born in Indiana and grew-up in Connecticut, until the family moved to Georgia when I was16.

While I can only speak from my personal experiences, racism was/is far more prevalent and obvious above the Mason-Dixon Line. That's why I prefer using the phrase "War of Northern Aggression".

One should always consider the metro Atlanta area as an oasis of culture. Once you get 30-40 miles outside the perimeter, things change. Not always in a bad way but they do change. Life slows down a bit and so does the rate of speech.

Use good manners, apply the words "Sir" and Ma'am" with respect and anyone will fit right in.

Sounds like there'd be a temporary stipend for housing, etc. There's issues related to the whole thing that give me pause that I probably shouldn't elaborate on here. I guess, where should I live? What's the motorsports scene? Sounds like closer to Atlanta is better, but I'll be working is Tallapoosa.

When I think of Douglasville, I think of meth heads.

Everyone else is pretty spot on. I really like Pheller's stand on the subject. I would almost take a pay cut to try something new. I hate living a stagnant life.

Atlanta is a pretty good place as far as being in the middle of a bunch of tracks. Barber, Road Atlanta, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Little Talladega, Carolina Motorsports Park, Roebling Road, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway. Those are just the ones I can think of that I have been to.

If you hate a southern drawl, you may not want to come. Of course there are many different drawls, some of which i hate.

A word of advice, we don't care how you did it back home.

spitfirebill wrote: A word of advice, we don't care how you did it back home.

Well, that's comforting. Especially considering I'm pretty sure the purpose of my assignment is to show them how we do it back home.

You will absolutely hate it with a purple passion. Stay up north. Please.

The only things worse than snow birds, are transplants.

Anti-stance wrote: When I think of Douglasville, I think of meth heads.

Hmmm... that sounds like something I want to avoid. My cursory investigation resulted in me thinking Douglasville was probably the southern version of Bellefontaine, Oh, another place I don't really want to live.

So if not Douglasville, where? Someone here that's been to the this plant says Villa Rica is pretty decent. Keeping in mind I'd be working in Tallapoosa and probably will be autocrossing as much as possible in Atlanta, what are the cities I should look at?

Right now my commute is just under an hour, and I'd been looking for houses in an area that would not quite cut that in half. I'd prefer a no more than 40 minute commute, give or take.

I've been here for 25 years. I'm still just a damyankee. (I lived here 20 years before anyone had the guts to tell me the difference).

The ATL area is not bad. It's kind of a Northern city in the South.

Good motorsports activities.

When you are ready for some culture, you can come a little further south and visit me. From my house, you can always hear banjoes.

Douglasville area= meth central. Do you have kids, wife??

LainfordExpress wrote:

Anti-stance wrote: When I think of Douglasville, I think of meth heads.

Hmmm... that sounds like something I want to avoid. My cursory investigation resulted in me thinking Douglasville was probably the southern version of Bellefontaine, Oh, another place I don't really want to live. So if not Douglasville, where? Someone here that's been to the this plant says Villa Rica is pretty decent. Keeping in mind I'd be working in Tallapoosa and probably will be autocrossing as much as possible in Atlanta, what are the cities I should look at? Right now my commute is just under an hour, and I'd been looking for houses in an area that would not quite cut that in half. I'd prefer a no more than 40 minute commute, give or take.

First: WELCOME!!! Jesus Christ. A lot of E36 M3ty stereotypes being perpetuated here.

To answer your question: I wouldn't want to live anywhere in that I20 West area. Marietta/Smyrna area is decent. Contrary to the stereotypes thrown out here, the farther north you can go, the closer you get to REAL "civilization" as far as I'm concerned. No crime...violent or otherwise. Genuinely kind, helpful people, regardless of your skin color.

Ever see that Chappelle skit about trying to shed stereotypes? People bend over backwards up here to show people "That's not us."

As far as motorsports go: E36 M3 dude, regardless of where you land, RA, AMP, and TGPR, as well as auto-x's should be a short drive.

Just keep in mind, Atlanta (while I love it) is not GEORGIA. Look at a voting map for 10 seconds, and you'll see what I mean. I'd stay out of the "blue" areas if I were you.

Again, WELCOME!!! Hong Norrth would love to take you out for beers upon your arrival!

Mike

You'll enjoy the south.

You'll make fun Of people for being from the south. They'll make fun of you for not being from around there. And then you'll all have a beer nd the world will be right.

You'll be fine. I lived in sc for a while and have friends from Canada touching upstate New York that now work in Huntsville for Honda.

Just be genuine and enjoy the different pace of life