With the Holidays almost upon us, it’s time for some self-reflection. And to hear what other people—crazy or not—have to say about Atlanta in general.
Tripadvisor, that vast depository of online tourist critiques, summarizes “the capital of the new South” as a blend of inimitable historic places, opportunities for ambitious people of all stripes, and increasingly cosmopolitan sensibilities. “Atlanta is on fire,” Tripadvisor posits. “And this time it's a good thing.”
But what do the people of Atlanta, both old-timers and new arrivals, have to say?
For that, we ventured into general Atlanta reviews on places like Niche, a ranking and reviews website. Niche’s overall grade for the city is 4.5 of 5 stars—not too shabby—based on more than 1,100 reviews.
Below, find the most scrumptious nuggets of personal opinion we found, each with a little dash of context. None have been condensed or edited (apologies) in any way:
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A comma-happy “Terrible” rating from two years ago:
“Atlanta, Georgia is a horrible place to live, crime is very high in the city and it’s coming to the suburbs of Atlanta, people are rude, the summer is very hot and humid, lots of rain and storms, the city is dirty and homeless are everywhere, traffic is one of the worst in the nation after LA. If you like a good quality of life don’t move to Atlanta.”
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The internet’s most puzzling one-star rating:
“I was born in Atlanta so I see a lot of the good & the bad, but just as most cities you must be aware of your surroundings. There are some very nice souls in Atlanta from all over the US which we have heavy congested traffic but overall I love Atlanta.”
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Two stars and strongly opinionated:
“Concrete city. No parks and the city is dirty. You can have a strip club next to a waffle house, next to a home depot, next to an apartment, next to a fast food place. there has been no zoning to make things look nice and streets are full of pot holes. Road system is terrible with no road planning. Everyone cuts through neighborhood roads to try and get home. It is pretty in the spring and are still affordable for a metro city.”
ESB Professional/Shutterstock
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WTF:
“I've lived in the Atlanta area for 28 years. It's a great place, don't come. I love this town, I can't wait to leave it. For a giant city, it has a ‘small town’ feel- you can be a big fish in a small pond, just pick your niche. It's a sprawling, smoggy hell. It's the city in the trees- you climb a hill, and look- more effing trees. You don't have dementia, every neighborhood really looks the same, and the streets have the same names. Corporations own this town. Lots of work, lots of money- highest income disparity in the country. This is a city of stark contrasts, low art and high greed, and I love to hate my city. I've peed all over this town, in gas stations, Lululemons, and QT cups- it's mine.”
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Not impressed:
“Atlanta isn't whats its praised to be. The bus service is horrible. The buildings are made bad as well.”
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A transplant-hater vents:
“Atlanta is over packed and over congested. The traffic is horrible. It’s becoming fast paced. Not good drivers and in some areas the rent is too high for the type of living they provide. People from other states moved here and just won’t go back lol. It’s okay if you are young and like to be moving around a lot. It’s becoming little hollywood as they say.”
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One of the aforementioned transplants:
“Atlanta is a dope place everyone should check out. I just moved here, going on two years now and I don't have much to complain about. Diversity is abundant and very beautiful to see compared to cities like San Francisco.”
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Slightly disillusioned:
“It's a very nice and safe city. It is kept very clean from the streets to the houses. There is very little homeless around the area and the streets barley have any crime around. I would recommend anyone to go and visit and live there.”
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Sounds like fate:
“I have fallen in love with Atlanta since relocating here last summer. I found my love here, my career and my place in life here. My mental peace is everything to me and I found love for research and freelance writing as well. I have now been published on several social media platforms and officially registered my business with the state of Georgia.”
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Bienvenue!
“I actually love Atlanta. I came in last year from France. I easily integrated the community. I love going to the parks, museums, aquariums. Obviously, I visited the Martin Luther King historical site and the World of Coca Cola. One thing I would change is the installation of public transportations. I don't see any buses, streetcar lines or even subways in the city. It would benefit the city by giving charm and saving the planet.”
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To end on a high note …
“Atlanta is not cheap but it sure is lovely. Trees galore, diversity, good food, great community. If you have the means I highly recommend.”
• Report: Atlanta is 3rd fastest growing metro, but (relative) affordability remains (Urbanize Atlanta)
