Might be moving to Atlanta

The_Veg · Nov 6, 2008

I'm thinking about making this move for a variety of reasons. I have family and friends in the area and have hung out there for years, but never lived there.

So as a motorcyclist in general and BMW rider in particular, what pros/cons/highlights/perks will I find there? Last I heard, there were two BMW dealers to choose from when I need parts, and good riding is not far to the north.

montana · Nov 6, 2008

Do you know Ken and JoAnne Murray? They are Atlanta Motorcycle Schools ( www.jkminc.com ), Ken taught Skirt how to lift a fallen bike and JoAnne is quite a rider, too. They are on- and off-road riders.

If you don't know them, just contact them, anyway. They are great folks and you'll get a lot of ATL info from them. Tell them I said Hi!

hlothery · Nov 6, 2008

The traffic in Atlanta is horrible.................................oh, wait.......you live in Dallas.

Never mind!

PAULBACH · Nov 6, 2008

Sent a PM to Visian. Georgia is his part of his territory.

adamceckhardt · Nov 6, 2008

hey veg-

over a year ago you and I shared some thoughts on career jumping. got any fresh ideas in atlanta? I moved to new hampshire- ski lift mechanic (same as I ended up doing in montana after i left the car business)

adam

lancew · Nov 7, 2008

I'm a small-town guy and hated Atlanta, mostly because of the traffic. Just too big-city for me - I read in Smithsonian a few years ago that the Atlanta metro area is now larger than the state of Delaware. I worked near the Fox Theater and it could easily take an hour to drive to Jimmy Carter Blvd in rush hour, fifteen miles away. I didn't think much of it as a place to live, but once you get out of town it's a GREAT place to be a motorycle rider.

But the riding is fantastic. Pretty much year-round, depending on how much you like "cool" weather. You can take a weekend trip anywhere in the Southeast, from DC to Florida to New Orleans. Even a short day-trip can get you to some of the most incredible roads anywhere- mountain roads, low-country, or right to the Ocean, easy. Two BMW dealers, and I was always very happy with both of them.

ps- don't miss Harold's BBQ, down near the federal pen (on mccollough, maybe?). it's a temple to the art of old-school barbecue. The code-phrase is "pork plate, off the shoulder, half in/half out, wwith sweet tea and cracklin' bread please". :eat

LENRT1200ST · Nov 7, 2008

The_Veg said:
I'm thinking about making this move for a variety of reasons. I have family and friends in the area and have hung out there for years, but never lived there.

So as a motorcyclist in general and BMW rider in particular, what pros/cons/highlights/perks will I find there? Last I heard, there were two BMW dealers to choose from when I need parts, and good riding is not far to the north.

North GA has some of the most beautiful and challenging roads in the US. Depending on where you're located in the metro ares, its a 2 hour journey to nirvana.

Atlanta is one big parking lot during rush hours, as anyone who's flown in to ATL can attest. That being said, GA has some of the most deserted roads I've ever experienced, once you slip the bounds of Atlanta metro proper.

BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, located in Marietta is my dealership. I have had great service and advise from these folks. Blue Moon BMW is also in the area, and although I have not used their service shop, I can say that anytime I've contacted them for advise or information they've been excellent.

I love the fact that even though GA is a southern state, there are still four seasons. The fall colors can be very pretty, and fewer bugs during evening riding. Boy was I not prepared for the (spring and summer) bug! :banghead

But, that's another story. Winters are mild compared to NE Ohio, so the riding season is nicely extended.

PM me when/if you're in the area or come for a visit. We'll go for a spin. I'm located about 2.5 hours from Atlanta, in central GA, but we could meet half-way as a jump-off point.

Len

Visian · Nov 7, 2008

The_Veg said:
I'm thinking about making this move for a variety of reasons. I have family and friends in the area and have hung out there for years, but never lived there.

So as a motorcyclist in general and BMW rider in particular, what pros/cons/highlights/perks will I find there? Last I heard, there were two BMW dealers to choose from when I need parts, and good riding is not far to the north.

hey veg - we moved our family here in 1980. since then, atlanta has gotten way huge, and i am really looking forward to moving to NC.

the riding in the north georgia mountains is very good. however, since the advent of stunt porn and the increasing popularity of saving lives, the whole area is unrideable on the weekends. it is good during the week, though, if you're able to do that. NC is much, much better.

commuting here purely sucks, especially on a bike. i thank God every day that i work from home. riding a motorcycle here on the freeway is dangerous as hell just about any time, but at least there are the HOV lanes.

people here used to be very nice. not so much any more. in traffic, people are particularly agressive.

if you are going to move here and need to work in atlanta, consider looking IP (inside the perimeter) where the traffic isn't quite as bad. but only do this if you're a cosmo kinda person.

otherwise, i would highly recommend the northwest side of town, way out, like cartersville or rome. that's bmw of atlanta's side of town, too. prices are lower out that way and all the stunters are over in the mountains.

or the northeast side of town. but it's getting really crowded/expensive out there... even as far out as dahlonega. i have been in near traffic jams when riding in the morning on 985 near cornelia.

the riding is good out both those ways, the people are normal, and as long as you don't have to commute into town during rush hour.

sorry to sound not so positive, but i thought i'd write realistically.

ian

The_Veg · Nov 7, 2008

adamceckhardt said:
hey veg-

over a year ago you and I shared some thoughts on career jumping. got any fresh ideas in atlanta? I moved to new hampshire- ski lift mechanic (same as I ended up doing in montana after i left the car business)

adam

Adam, the idea at this point is to take shelter at my dad's house and then figure out what to do for a living. I've been in the engineering-consulting side of healthcare for six years, but just like most other fields, it's in a hiring freeze right now- and I've got the bigger challenge of having to parlez transferrable skills, rather than direct experience (my prior work was VERY specialised and I already know that I'll need to find something else). Here in Dallas, nobody wants to hear about transferrable skills- just about your experience doing the exact job. This is one of the things I've hated about living here since the beginning.
The business in which I've been a partner for a few years is collapsing and I'm in a financial crisis. It's not so much the particular city that draws me as that I have family there who are willing to take me in while I recover, regroup, and figure out how to re-invent myself.

The_Veg · Nov 7, 2008

lenrt1200st said:
North GA has some of the most beautiful and challenging roads in the US. Depending on where you're located in the metro ares, its a 2 hour journey to nirvana.

I'd be starting out at my dad's house down in the Grant Park area, but should I choose to stay in town long-term and find a place of my own, I have no idea what part of town I'd wind up in.

Atlanta is one big parking lot during rush hours, as anyone who's flown in to ATL can attest.

Click to expand...

I lived in Alabama until 1997 and I can remember how great it seemed just before the olympics and all those highway project were FINALLY finished and getting around was easy- but my understanding is that right after the olympics, about 2 million more people moved there in a hurry. Since I've visited once in a while since '97, I haven't seen much of local traffic.

BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, located in Marietta is my dealership. I have had great service and advise from these folks. Blue Moon BMW is also in the area, and although I have not used their service shop, I can say that anytime I've contacted them for advise or information they've been excellent.

Click to expand...

My only dealing with either of them was a visit to Blue Moon a few years ago to gawk at the antiques and buy a T-shirt, but the people there were very nice to deal with.

I love the fact that even though GA is a southern state, there are still four seasons. The fall colors can be very pretty, and fewer bugs during evening riding. Boy was I not prepared for the (spring and summer) bug! But, that's another story. Winters are mild compared to NE Ohio, so the riding season is nicely extended.

Click to expand...

The seasons are something I miss from my old days in the southeast. It's hot here most of the year, not much autumn, then it's cold for a little while. I also miss the trees and hills!

PM me when/if you're in the area or come for a visit. We'll go for a spin. I'm located about 2.5 hours from Atlanta, in central GA, but we could meet half-way as a jump-off point.

Click to expand...

Sounds good!

Click to expand...

177195 · Nov 7, 2008

Hey Veg,if you make the move,hop on the Batbike and make your way to Boxerworks,i Watkinsville,a bit south of Athens. Great roads in that area,and be sure to say hi to Nathan for me..

The_Veg · Nov 7, 2008

Visian said:
hey veg - we moved our family here in 1980. since then, atlanta has gotten way huge, and i am really looking forward to moving to NC.

I'm already in a really huge and rapidly sprawling area, so I'm not too worried about it. Where in NC are you going?

the riding in the north georgia mountains is very good. however, since the advent of stunt porn and the increasing popularity of saving lives, the whole area is unrideable on the weekends. it is good during the week, though, if you're able to do that. NC is much, much better.

Could be worse I suppose.

commuting here purely sucks, especially on a bike.

Can't be any worse than Dallas.

i thank God every day that i work from home.

Not an option for me. I sure wish it was, but I'm not skilled in any field in which it's a possibility.

riding a motorcycle here on the freeway is dangerous as hell just about any time, but at least there are the HOV lanes.

Sounds just like Dallas.

people here used to be very nice. not so much any more. in traffic, people are particularly agressive.

Sounds just like everywhere.

if you are going to move here and need to work in atlanta, consider looking IP (inside the perimeter) where the traffic isn't quite as bad. but only do this if you're a cosmo kinda person.

In my visits over the years I've rarely been outside 285. I do like all the cool stuff that big cities have to offer though, so that's probably where I'd be anyway. My dad lives near Grant Park and I'd be staying with him for a while initially.
I have no idea if the move would wind up being a long-term thing or not, just depends on how things work out. I've told myself for the entire eleven years I've lived in Dallas that I'm not staying here for life, and now that I'm about to lose my shirt here it's as good a time as any to break out and start over somewhere else.

otherwise, i would highly recommend the northwest side of town, way out, like cartersville or rome. that's bmw of atlanta's side of town, too. prices are lower out that way and all the stunters are over in the mountains.

I'll make a note of that. I can't say I've ever been out that way.

or the northeast side of town. but it's getting really crowded/expensive out there... even as far out as dahlonega. i have been in near traffic jams when riding in the morning on 985 near cornelia.

I'll make a note of that too.

the riding is good out both those ways, the people are normal, and as long as you don't have to commute into town during rush hour.

I've had to deal with getting into and out of (or across and past, in the case of some non-local clients) Dallas already, so nothing new.

sorry to sound not so positive, but i thought i'd write realistically.

I think these things are the current reality just about everywhere in our country.

The_Veg · Nov 7, 2008

Oznay said:
Hey Veg,if you make the move,hop on the Batbike and make your way to Boxerworks,i Watkinsville,a bit south of Athens. Great roads in that area,and be sure to say hi to Nathan for me..

I've been to Boxerworks before, great place indeed. Matt is a good friend of mine. If you stop by the Boxerworks forum, I'm The Veg there too. :wave

Visian · Nov 9, 2008

The_Veg said:
I think these things are the current reality just about everywhere in our country.

well, i recently have had the opportunity to spend some time in a couple other cities, and i am not sure i agree.

i commuted during rush hour for a week in st. louis... no problem. i'd do it on a bike. the volume isn't bad and the drivers seem way more courteous than atlanta.

was also in columbus ohio for two rush hours. very nice.

i've spent maybe a month's time in st. louis consulting, and i have to say that i really like the area.

i also rode through bloomington, indiana... incredibly nice.

so you'll be living in grant park. that area is and smack dab in town and regentrifying . if you like that sort of thing. :ha

oh, you'll be damn near the vortex in little five points for bike night each thursday.

other areas i thought of over the weekend while remembering your post. millegeville, ga is a nice area and has a lot of healthcare business. it's south and east of atlanta by a ways, very nice people... a tad far from the good riding in the mountains.

hope it works out for you.

ian

Rinty · Nov 9, 2008

moving to Atlanta

The business...is collapsing...TheVeg

Sorry to hear this, Ben. I seem to recall that the business involved medical gases, which, I would have thought, should be a safe endeavour.

Good luck in your fall back and re group. I well remember hitting the mattresses in my home province in 1981, after the feds passed the National Energy Act. It was awful.

The_Veg · Nov 9, 2008

Visian said:
so you'll be living in grant park. that area is and smack dab in town and regentrifying . if you like that sort of thing.

Yeah tell me about it! When my dad moved there 20 years ago his house was freshly renovated, the first one in house section of the neighbourhood. Now it's due for renovation again. He just had some work done, and maybe I can help too.

oh, you'll be damn near the vortex in little five points for bike night each thursday.

I've heard The Vortex is good, but never had the chance to stop in.

other areas i thought of over the weekend while remembering your post. millegeville, ga is a nice area and has a lot of healthcare business. it's south and east of atlanta by a ways, very nice people... a tad far from the good riding in the mountains.

My dad lived in Milledgeville for a while before ATL (he was psych staff at CSH)...I spent a few summers in Mudville...

hope it works out for you.

Thanks Ian. It's just about my last resort.

Might be moving to Atlanta

The_Veg

D'OH!

montana

New member

hlothery

New member

PAULBACH

New member

adamceckhardt

Guest

lancew

Have bike, will travel

LENRT1200ST

New member

Visian

look out!!!

The_Veg

D'OH!

The_Veg

D'OH!

177195

New member

The_Veg

D'OH!

The_Veg

D'OH!

Visian

look out!!!

Rinty

New member

The_Veg

D'OH!

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