Moving to Georgia(Atlanta)

[montalo]

I know we have a few people from Georgia on here, so good place to ask.

So I'm looking for a teaching job, and seriously considering Gwinnett County.

So, what's Atlanta like, especially for a Northerner to get used to (buffalo, pittsburgh are places where I have lived)

 

[Iconodule]

Two of my friends are art teachers and live in Atlanta currently. They're from the Philadelphia area. They didn't seem to have much trouble getting used to it, other than the heat. I get the impression there's a fair amount of neat stuff to see and do around there. Chances you'll meet a lot of northerners down there too.

 

[kurtismjohnson]

I live here! Welcome! Are you considering living in Gwinnett County? Or just teaching there? One thing that will take getting used to is the traffic, and Gwinnett sees some of the worst of it. (Im sure pittsburg and buffalo have traffic too, but this will be worse.)

Atlanta for years was in the top 5 worst cities for traffic, but after checking the newer polls from 2015 just now out of curiosity, it seems to have moved down a few notches. (I find it hard to believe, though.)

Im afraid i cant help with the teaching gig, as I dont know of anything. There are plenty of Churches in the metro area though. If you feel like heading downtown, you can visit my parish.

www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/

Let me know if you have other questions, or if I can help at all.

 

[Maria]

Not only the heat, but the chiggers can be very oppressive.

If you sit or walk on grass, beware as those chiggers can quickly burrow into your legs and ankles and cause sleepless nights for a week or two.

However, I found the humidity to be similar to that experienced in New Jersey (Bergen County).

 

[Mor Ephrem]

What are "chiggers"?  I have a guess, but I want to see if I'm right. 

 

[kelly]

What are "chiggers"?  I have a guess, but I want to see if I'm right.

Insects.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

What are "chiggers"?  I have a guess, but I want to see if I'm right.

Insects.

...what kind?

 

[DeniseDenise]

What are "chiggers"?  I have a guess, but I want to see if I'm right.

Insects.

...what kind?

the itchy burny kill them with fire kind....


better?

 

[Mor Ephrem]

What are "chiggers"?  I have a guess, but I want to see if I'm right.

Insects.

...what kind?

the itchy burny kill them with fire kind....


better?

Since I'm not Charles Martel, yeah. 

 

[Maria]

Chiggers are not insects as they have eight legs. They are related to mites. Yes, the kind that carry the seven-year itch.

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/chigger-bites

Chiggers are tiny members of the arachnid family. Although they are extremely small in size, their bites pack a powerful punch. They’re so tiny that you probably won’t notice when they jump from that tall blade of grass onto your skin. You won’t feel it as they hitch a ride right into your home. When you eventually do feel them, however, they can make you itch like you’ve never itched before.

Only the larvae bite humans. They tend to choose warm, moist areas of the body. Chiggers have claws that help them grab onto skin. The chigger then attaches its mouth to the skin and injects saliva. The saliva contains an enzyme that breaks skin cells down to liquid form. Your body responds by hardening skin cells around the saliva, creating a tube (stylostome) through which the chigger sucks the dissolved skin cells. Chiggers can stay attached and feeding for several days before falling off.

 

[Iconodule]

On second thought, don't move to Atlanta.

 

[montalo]

Thank you, for all your help

EDIT: Timon, im PMing you some personal things



How expensive are things down there, such as gas, rent, groceries and the like?

 

[kurtismjohnson]

Ill just add, Atlanta is a great city, especially the "in town" neighborhoods where I live. There are a TON of young, creative, hip entrepreneur types moving  to the area. (Not the smelly kind who work part time at coffee shops while trying to make it as "painters" or something dumb... People who are actually starting businesses, helping to restore some of the older hoods.)

The older, beautiful historic neighborhoods that have been considered "ghetto' and "dangerous" for years are making a comeback, and have been for the last decade. Lots of people moving to the urban areas! Although, thats a trend across the country, but Atlanta is one of the few major cities thats still somewhat affordable to live in.

The suburbs are going to be just like the suburbs anywhere else. Gwinnett is an extremely large county with a HUGE range of demographics.

And yes, chiggers suck. But I persoanlly have a bigger problem with mosquitoes. Can hardly even enjoy this nice weather...

Ill shut up now. Just bragging about my city. Ive been to a lot of cities, but theres something about this place I love. And honestly, I hate the heat, humidity, chiggers, mosquitoes. But I dont care. I promise, its great.

 

[Maria]

Ill just add, Atlanta is a great city, especially the "in town" neighborhoods where I live. There are a TON of young, creative, hip entrepreneur types moving  to the area. (Not the smelly kind who work part time at coffee shops while trying to make it as "painters" or something dumb... People who are actually starting businesses, helping to restore some of the older hoods.)

The older, beautiful historic neighborhoods that have been considered "ghetto' and "dangerous" for years are making a comeback, and have been for the last decade. Lots of people moving to the urban areas! Although, thats a trend across the country, but Atlanta is one of the few major cities thats still somewhat affordable to live in.

The suburbs are going to be just like the suburbs anywhere else. Gwinnett is an extremely large county with a HUGE range of demographics.

And yes, chiggers suck. But I persoanlly have a bigger problem with mosquitoes. Can hardly even enjoy this nice weather...

Ill shut up now. Just bragging about my city. Ive been to a lot of cities, but theres something about this place I love. And honestly, I hate the heat, humidity, chiggers, mosquitoes. But I dont care. I promise, its great.

Is there any way to stop chiggers? Altadena, here in Sunny California, has a chigger population too. I avoid that area like the plague. If one where to step on the nice green grass area adjacent to the sidewalk, within minutes, chiggers will jump on board.

It appears that chiggers were imported into Altadena from the Deep South.

So, what can be done as protection? I usually carry CedarCide, but it must be applied constantly to kill those critters.  I tried the Badger Anti-Bug Balm, but that does not stop those chiggers.

 

[Maria]

I found these demographics regarding chiggers along with an ad for Chigg-away.

Does it work?

http://www.chiggaway.com/ChiggerCountry.htm

 

[IXOYE]

It seems there is a nice parish, St. John's located in Atlanta.  I have been to their website many times and even saw a video about the many relics of saints in the church.  I assume after the departing of the last rector the relics are still located there.

 

[IXOYE]

I live here! Welcome! Are you considering living in Gwinnett County? Or just teaching there? One thing that will take getting used to is the traffic, and Gwinnett sees some of the worst of it. (Im sure pittsburg and buffalo have traffic too, but this will be worse.)

Atlanta for years was in the top 5 worst cities for traffic, but after checking the newer polls from 2015 just now out of curiosity, it seems to have moved down a few notches. (I find it hard to believe, though.)

Im afraid i cant help with the teaching gig, as I dont know of anything. There are plenty of Churches in the metro area though. If you feel like heading downtown, you can visit my parish.

www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/

Let me know if you have other questions, or if I can help at all.

I see now Timon beat me to mentioning St. John's.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

Does Roundup work with chiggers?

 

[kurtismjohnson]

It seems there is a nice parish, St. John's located in Atlanta.  I have been to their website many times and even saw a video about the many relics of saints in the church.  I assume after the departing of the last rector the relics are still located there.

Yes, the relics are still here!! Fr. Jacob (memory eternal!) had quite the collection. Unfortunately, we dont see the majority of them, as theyre usually behind the iconostasis. However, Fr. Tom, our new priest, mentioned he wanted to set more of them out more often for veneration.

 

[kurtismjohnson]

Ill just add, Atlanta is a great city, especially the "in town" neighborhoods where I live. There are a TON of young, creative, hip entrepreneur types moving  to the area. (Not the smelly kind who work part time at coffee shops while trying to make it as "painters" or something dumb... People who are actually starting businesses, helping to restore some of the older hoods.)

The older, beautiful historic neighborhoods that have been considered "ghetto' and "dangerous" for years are making a comeback, and have been for the last decade. Lots of people moving to the urban areas! Although, thats a trend across the country, but Atlanta is one of the few major cities thats still somewhat affordable to live in.

The suburbs are going to be just like the suburbs anywhere else. Gwinnett is an extremely large county with a HUGE range of demographics.

And yes, chiggers suck. But I persoanlly have a bigger problem with mosquitoes. Can hardly even enjoy this nice weather...

Ill shut up now. Just bragging about my city. Ive been to a lot of cities, but theres something about this place I love. And honestly, I hate the heat, humidity, chiggers, mosquitoes. But I dont care. I promise, its great.

Is there any way to stop chiggers? Altadena, here in Sunny California, has a chigger population too. I avoid that area like the plague. If one where to step on the nice green grass area adjacent to the sidewalk, within minutes, chiggers will jump on board.

It appears that chiggers were imported into Altadena from the Deep South.

So, what can be done as protection? I usually carry CedarCide, but it must be applied constantly to kill those critters.  I tried the Badger Anti-Bug Balm, but that does not stop those chiggers.

I dont know how to kill them. I imagine any pesticide would do the trick, but a new wave of them would return shortly after. Honestly, chiggers arent really on the forefront of peoples minds here. They arent THAT big a problem. In fact, I rarely even think about them. Maybe, if youre in the woods or doing yard work, youll have a few bites when you come back in. I still say mosquitoes are a bigger issue.

EDIT: Id be more afraid to live in Arizona where there are tarantulas and large scorpions.

 

[converted viking]

Does Roundup work with chiggers?

Roundup is a herbiciside so probably not.

Viking

 

[Alpo]

Insects.

...what kind?

the itchy burny kill them with fire kind

I approve your approach to taxonomy. Why my biology classes weren't like this.

 

[Tikhon29605]

So, what's Atlanta like, especially for a Northerner to get used to (buffalo, pittsburgh are places where I have lived)

1.  Long summers, long falls, short MILD winters where snow is rare enough to be a curiosity, and long springs beginning early.
2.  Much more sunshine in the winter than you are used to.
3.  Your car will last forever here because there's no road salt.
4.  Property taxes are a FRACTION of what you paid in the Northeast.
5.  Central Air Conditioning is standard everywhere and makes the heat much more bearable.
6.  The Georgia and South Carolina beaches are just a few hours drive away.
7.  The Georgia and North Carolina mountains are also just a few hours drive away.
8.  Florida vacations are less expensive because its much closer now.
9.  You can get a DIRECT flight from Atlanta to almost anywhere in the world (making international travel more affordable)
10.  There are people from all over the WORLD and the USA here.  You will be able to find a group of friends you like.
11.  Although Atlanta is in the Deep South, a lot of the time it doesn't feel like it.  I often get a more "general American" vibe in Atlanta than an old Southern one.
12.  If you want the Deep South experience in full, visit Augusta or Savannah.  They are older and feel more "Southern."
13.  Learn to enjoy sweet iced tea.  It can help you survive here.  The caffeine keeps you from getting sleepy in the hot, muggy summers. And the sugar gives you the energy to get up and do what needs to be done.
14.  Learn that "barbeque" is a FOOD, as in "We're having barbeque for supper."  What you referred to as "the barbeque" up north is "the grill" in Atlanta.
15.  There is a Waffle House at every exit.  In fact, I think it is the law in Georgia.
16.  Atlanta is BIG.  And it is spread out and sprawling. And there is no discernible logic to the layout of its roads. If you've ever been to Chicago and liked a city laid out on a grid pattern with square blocks, prepare to be disappointed. There is nothing of that here.
17.  With 5.5 MILLION people in the Metro area, it is the 9th largest city in the US.  Neighboring South Carolina (the whole state) has only 4.8 million people. 

 

[Mor Ephrem]

Does Roundup work with chiggers?

Roundup is a herbiciside so probably not.

Viking

Bless you. 

 

[kurtismjohnson]

So, what's Atlanta like, especially for a Northerner to get used to (buffalo, pittsburgh are places where I have lived)

1.  Long summers, long falls, short MILD winters where snow is rare enough to be a curiosity, and long springs beginning early.
2.  Much more sunshine in the winter than you are used to.
3.  Your car will last forever here because there's no road salt.
4.  Property taxes are a FRACTION of what you paid in the Northeast.
5.  Central Air Conditioning is standard everywhere and makes the heat much more bearable.
6.  The Georgia and South Carolina beaches are just a few hours drive away.
7.  The Georgia and North Carolina mountains are also just a few hours drive away.
8.  Florida vacations are less expensive because its much closer now.
9.  You can get a DIRECT flight from Atlanta to almost anywhere in the world (making international travel more affordable)
10.  There are people from all over the WORLD and the USA here.  You will be able to find a group of friends you like.
11.  Although Atlanta is in the Deep South, a lot of the time it doesn't feel like it.  I often get a more "general American" vibe in Atlanta than an old Southern one.
12.  If you want the Deep South experience in full, visit Augusta or Savannah.  They are older and feel more "Southern."
13.  Learn to enjoy sweet iced tea.  It can help you survive here.  The caffeine keeps you from getting sleepy in the hot, muggy summers. And the sugar gives you the energy to get up and do what needs to be done.
14.  Learn that "barbeque" is a FOOD, as in "We're having barbeque for supper."  What you referred to as "the barbeque" up north is "the grill" in Atlanta.
15.  There is a Waffle House at every exit.  In fact, I think it is the law in Georgia.
16.  Atlanta is BIG.  And it is spread out and sprawling. And there is no discernible logic to the layout of its roads. If you've ever been to Chicago and liked a city laid out on a grid pattern with square blocks, prepare to be disappointed. There is nothing of that here.
17.  With 5.5 MILLION people in the Metro area, it is the 9th largest city in the US.  Neighboring South Carolina (the whole state) has only 4.8 million people.

nice summary. i highly recommend visiting Savannah. One of my favorite cities anywhere. Augusta... ehhh. I'd go to Athens instead.

 

[Cyrillic]

(Not the smelly kind who work part time at coffee shops while trying to make it as "painters" or something dumb... People who are actually starting businesses, helping to restore some of the older hoods.)

Despite how passionately I despise hipsters, I'd rather have ten of the "smelly kind" in the area than one of those boring fellows who do nothing but drive up the rents. At least the former are usually genuinely interesting people who know how to enjoy life.

It's the difference between Charles Ryder and Rex Mottram.

More Bohemians please.

 

[Maria]

Ill just add, Atlanta is a great city, especially the "in town" neighborhoods where I live. There are a TON of young, creative, hip entrepreneur types moving  to the area. (Not the smelly kind who work part time at coffee shops while trying to make it as "painters" or something dumb... People who are actually starting businesses, helping to restore some of the older hoods.)

The older, beautiful historic neighborhoods that have been considered "ghetto' and "dangerous" for years are making a comeback, and have been for the last decade. Lots of people moving to the urban areas! Although, thats a trend across the country, but Atlanta is one of the few major cities thats still somewhat affordable to live in.

The suburbs are going to be just like the suburbs anywhere else. Gwinnett is an extremely large county with a HUGE range of demographics.

And yes, chiggers suck. But I persoanlly have a bigger problem with mosquitoes. Can hardly even enjoy this nice weather...

Ill shut up now. Just bragging about my city. Ive been to a lot of cities, but theres something about this place I love. And honestly, I hate the heat, humidity, chiggers, mosquitoes. But I dont care. I promise, its great.

Is there any way to stop chiggers? Altadena, here in Sunny California, has a chigger population too. I avoid that area like the plague. If one where to step on the nice green grass area adjacent to the sidewalk, within minutes, chiggers will jump on board.

It appears that chiggers were imported into Altadena from the Deep South.

So, what can be done as protection? I usually carry CedarCide, but it must be applied constantly to kill those critters.  I tried the Badger Anti-Bug Balm, but that does not stop those chiggers.

I dont know how to kill them. I imagine any pesticide would do the trick, but a new wave of them would return shortly after. Honestly, chiggers arent really on the forefront of peoples minds here. They arent THAT big a problem. In fact, I rarely even think about them. Maybe, if youre in the woods or doing yard work, youll have a few bites when you come back in. I still say mosquitoes are a bigger issue.

EDIT: Id be more afraid to live in Arizona where there are tarantulas and large scorpions.

Men rarely get bitten by mosquitoes and chiggers, or if they do get an occasional bite, they do not seem to notice it. Whenever my hubbie goes to Altadena, he rarely gets chigger bites, but he brings the critters home to me on his clothes, and I get bitten when I do his laundry. Per some scientists, this is a hormonal issue. Chiggers and mosquitoes appear to be more attracted to the fair sex.

 

[TheTrisagion]

Even the insects are sexist.  What hath God wrought!

 

[Alpo]

Despite how passionately I despise hipsters

Please don't despise me. You need to let your inner hipsters loose. We all know that dep down in your mind you'd love to wear skinny jeans and silly pullovers instead of suits in public. It's all right, nothing wrong with that. We are here for you.

 

[Cyrillic]

you'd love to wear skinny jeans

I'd rather be hanged than wear any kind of jeans, let alone skinny jeans.

 

[TheTrisagion]

you'd love to wear skinny jeans

I'd rather be hanged than wear any kind of jeans, let alone skinny jeans.

Me too. I much prefer sweatpants or nylon shorts.  I suspect neither of those were things you had in mind though...

 

[Cyrillic]

you'd love to wear skinny jeans

I'd rather be hanged than wear any kind of jeans, let alone skinny jeans.

Me too. I much prefer sweatpants or nylon shorts.  I suspect neither of those were things you had in mind though...

How are nylon shorts even comfortable? They look like garbage bags.

 

[TheTrisagion]

I checked the tag. They are polyester. I love them.

 

[Cyrillic]

Kilts are obviously the best. They provide the ventilation that trousers don't.

 

[TheTrisagion]

I would go for that except I greatly enjoy propping my feet up on desks and the view for others would be quite dreadful.

 

[MalpanaGiwargis]

There are several Orthodox parishes in Gwinnett Co. - St. Mary of Egypt (OCA) in Norcross, St. James (Antiochian) in Buford, St. Mary (Romanian) in Dacula, etc. There are several in Atlanta proper as well. The Eastern Christian presence has grown considerably in Atlanta in recent decades.

 

[Tikhon29605]

There are several Orthodox parishes in Gwinnett Co. - St. Mary of Egypt (OCA) in Norcross, St. James (Antiochian) in Buford, St. Mary (Romanian) in Dacula, etc. There are several in Atlanta proper as well. The Eastern Christian presence has grown considerably in Atlanta in recent decades.

St. Mary of Egypt is a particularly wonderful parish.  It is built out of wood in an A frame style and has the feel of a log church of the Russian North inside.  Every inch is covered by icons inside. Another thing that gives it a "Russian" feel is no pews but plenty of oriental rugs. The priest is Father Peter Smith, a delightful, warm, and kind man. Last time I checked, the parish had a large number of recent immigrants from Russia and has a dual language Sunday School: one in English and one in Russian.  Check it out.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

The priest is Father Peter Smith, a delightful, warm and kind man.

 

[Tikhon29605]

The down side of Atlanta is mostly what you'd expect in any city of several million people:

1.  Traffic jams and road congestion that rival Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington.  Prepare to wait and be annoyed.
2.  Endless urban sprawl from a city that is incredibly spread out over a dozen counties.  Prepare to drive a LONG way to get wherever you want to go.
3.  Smog and air pollution, mainly from automotive exhaust, not so much from industry. I notice it particularly in the summer time when they've had lots of hot weather and no wind.  This grey-brown dome of smog covers downtown Atlanta.  In the suburbs, you don't notice it as much.
4. Don't let the crime statistics scare you.  Sure Atlanta has bad crime, in certain areas.  But the suburbs are quite safe and normal.
5. Don't expect a lot of historic architecture like Savannah, Charleston or other southern cities.  Most of Atlanta's growth came after 1960 and most of it is steel and glass skyscrapers.
6. Expect sheer panic and terror from the locals on the rare occasions that snow is predicted. A mere flurry in Atlanta can cause widespread panic, lead to near riots in the grocery stores over who gets the last loaf of bread or gallon of milk. God forbid you work downtown, then the city gets perhaps 2 inches of snow, and your workplace closes early and you have to drive home in the mess.  Then you will actually MISS Buffalo and its efficient snow removal and level-headed people who realize a little snow is not the Apocalypse.

 

[Alpo]

6. Expect sheer panic and terror from the locals on the rare occasions that snow is predicted. A mere flurry in Atlanta can cause widespread panic, lead to near riots in the grocery stores over who gets the last loaf of bread or gallon of milk. God forbid you work downtown, then the city gets perhaps 2 inches of snow, and your workplace closes early and you have to drive home in the mess.