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Goodbye Houston, Hello Atlanta


ssullivan

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Well the boyfriend and I have decided to make it official and live together. Of course, since he's in Atlanta and I'm in Houston, that means at least one of us has to move. He's just taken a great new job, and my job lets me live literally anywhere I want, so I'm picking up and leaving Houston for Atlanta in a couple of months. And, we're in the process of buying an awesome loft condo in an old warehouse building. So, lots of changes happening... guess I'll have to start HAIF'ing from Georgia.

It will be hard to leave Houston, where I've lived for over eight years, and Texas, where I've always lived. But this is the right thing for me at this point in my life, and thanks to the many friends, family, and work clients I have in Texas, I'll be back on a very regular basis.

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Well, I'm hoping things work out for you and wish you the best.

Maybe you can do some AAIFing? <Looks at editor meaningfully>

You know me-- always willing to start a new project if people are willing to help. I already have http://AtlantaArchitecture.info online. If anyone wants to help out with a forum for it, let me know.

And sully, you will be missed around here. I know there's no reason to say goodbye, especially considering the number of HAIFers who already HAIF from Atlanta. But it feels like something that should be said.

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I will definitely look forward to your musings on Atlanta. The cities share so much in common that it will be interesting to get your perspective on things after having lived in Houston for so long.

Good luck and post pics of the loft building!

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Hopefully you still check out what's going on in Houston on HAIF from time to time. Have fun in Atlanta. A great city.

Thanks! It is a city that's definitely growing on me. I know our long-term plan is not to stay there, but I anticipate if all goes as planned, I'll be calling Atlanta home for the next 4-5 years.

May peace be with you. And be sure to go easy on the water over there. That water battle is destined for the supreme court.

I'll do my best on the water. At least it's been raining lately so the water situation isn't quite as dire as it was back in October and November. The BF and I did take a drive up to Lake Lanier back in early November and it was stunning to see how low the lake was. If it gets too bad, I might just have to start smuggling in bottled water on my business trips each week and selling it on the street for a hefty profit margin. <_<

And sully, you will be missed around here. I know there's no reason to say goodbye, especially considering the number of HAIFers who already HAIF from Atlanta. But it feels like something that should be said.

Don't worry about saying goodbye -- I'll still be on HAIF.

I will definitely look forward to your musings on Atlanta. The cities share so much in common that it will be interesting to get your perspective on things after having lived in Houston for so long.

Good luck and post pics of the loft building!

Yes, they are very similar cities in a lot of ways; and very different in others.

And I will get some pics of the loft posted eventually. It's a great space -- nearly 20 ft. ceilings, exposed brick walls, ceilings open to the support structure above, large windows, and a couple of skylights. We both fell in love with it and knew it was the place for us. Now hopefully all the details work out and in just over a month we'll close the deal. It's in a great location too -- very close to MARTA, Little 5 Points, Edgewood, and East Atlanta Village.

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Good luck and enjoy. No doubt you will spend your first few months driving everyone around you crazy by pointing out how much better things are in Houston. :D

On that note, I'm hoping you be able to show us the nicer side of Atlanta that many of us have never had an opportunity to see.

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Best of luck on the move. I've always enjoyed your posts! I hope you stick around and provide another ex-pat opinion.

Thanks KinkaidAlum! I'll still be on HAIF very regularly and am planning to remain on the moderators team. Houston will always be a special place to me, and I'll still have a lot of interest in how things are going here.

Good luck and enjoy. No doubt you will spend your first few months driving everyone around you crazy by pointing out how much better things are in Houston. :D

Haha! I'm already guilty of that Subdude. But some of the new friends I've made in Atlanta tend to tell me how much better everything is there than Houston.

Congratulations on the move and may this stage in your life find many new wonderful adventures.

Thanks houstonmacbro!

On that note, I'm hoping you be able to show us the nicer side of Atlanta that many of us have never had an opportunity to see.

I'll do my best Jeebus. My opinion of that city has certainly improved; two years ago I would never have considered moving there. But there are some nice points to Atlanta. I'm looking forward to exploring it even more.

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:lol:

I'm picturing CityKid09 going on a temper tatrum around his house right now.

Any why do you guys think that? Trae you are the one thats in love with ATL. There are just lots of things about Atlanta that I like.

*MARTA

*The tree lined freeways without development along them or feeders

*The growing entertanment industry

*The hills

*Black Mecca

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I don't make threads about Atlanta, showing how much "better" it is than Houston.

Oh, and Houston isn't a Black Mecca... :rolleyes:

But back to SSullivan leaving Houston...

I know Houston is a black mecca, just that being a black mecca is on the top of what Atlanta is known for.

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Any why do you guys think that? Trae you are the one thats in love with ATL. There are just lots of things about Atlanta that I like.

*MARTA

*The tree lined freeways without development along them or feeders

*The growing entertanment industry

*The hills

*Black Mecca

Amen to the trees instead of feeders part. Houston's image would be enhanced greatly if we didn't have all these feeders lined with low-end businesses.

MARTA is good, too. The ridership is decent, although still pretty low.

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Well, MARTA is good if you're going to work in Downtown, Midtown, or Buckhead, or going to the Airport. But overall the MARTA rail system is a glorified park and ride, especially when you consider the fact that about half the stations are surrounded by acres of parking and not very easy to get to without a car. We're already planning to use it some for me to get to the airport and my partner to get to his new job (which is in an office adjacent to the Medical Center MARTA stop). But while the closest MARTA stop to the condo we're buying is only 0.6 mile away, it involves walking along the street paralleling the tracks that has no sidewalk. The distance is fine; it's the fact that it's such a pedestrian unfriendly environment to get there that makes it unwalkable. So we'll be taking a car to MARTA and parking it in the lot there most of the time. But I doubt we'll do something like take MARTA to go out to eat or meet friends for drinks; it's just not convenient for that type of activity.

And yes I'd love to make it to a HAIF event before I leave. I'll check my calendar and throw out some dates that I'll be in Houston on weekends in the next couple of months to see if we can get something set up. It always seems that previous events have been during the week while I'm gone for work, or on weekends I've been in Atlanta.

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Well, MARTA is good if you're going to work in Downtown, Midtown, or Buckhead, or going to the Airport. But overall the MARTA rail system is a glorified park and ride, especially when you consider the fact that about half the stations are surrounded by acres of parking and not very easy to get to without a car. We're already planning to use it some for me to get to the airport and my partner to get to his new job (which is in an office adjacent to the Medical Center MARTA stop). But while the closest MARTA stop to the condo we're buying is only 0.6 mile away, it involves walking along the street paralleling the tracks that has no sidewalk. The distance is fine; it's the fact that it's such a pedestrian unfriendly environment to get there that makes it unwalkable. So we'll be taking a car to MARTA and parking it in the lot there most of the time. But I doubt we'll do something like take MARTA to go out to eat or meet friends for drinks; it's just not convenient for that type of activity.

By the way some here glorify it as what our METRO should be, you make it sound as if what we have isn't half bad.

Amen to the trees instead of feeders part. Houston's image would be enhanced greatly if we didn't have all these feeders lined with low-end businesses.

I'd love tree lined feeders too, but you have to admit that our feeders helps create Houston's unique atmosphere - for better and worse.

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By the way some here glorify it as what our METRO should be, you make it sound as if what we have isn't half bad.

I'll reserve final judgement until I'm actually moved and have been living there for a while, but in many ways, I'd rather have our light rail for shorter trips than MARTA. In concept, it's far more useful, especially once it's built out with more lines. I could see Houston offering a MARTA-like system for suburban commuters though, as a replacement and enhancement to the current bus based park and ride system.

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Happy travels! Good luck in the ATL. Remember, I-285 is like 610, so don't do like former Atlanta Brave Pascual Perez did in 1982 and get lost and circle Atlanta twice and miss out on the game.

And take a few dozen cases of these. ;)

215.JPG

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Well, MARTA is good if you're going to work in Downtown, Midtown, or Buckhead, or going to the Airport. But overall the MARTA rail system is a glorified park and ride, especially when you consider the fact that about half the stations are surrounded by acres of parking and not very easy to get to without a car. We're already planning to use it some for me to get to the airport and my partner to get to his new job (which is in an office adjacent to the Medical Center MARTA stop). But while the closest MARTA stop to the condo we're buying is only 0.6 mile away, it involves walking along the street paralleling the tracks that has no sidewalk. The distance is fine; it's the fact that it's such a pedestrian unfriendly environment to get there that makes it unwalkable. So we'll be taking a car to MARTA and parking it in the lot there most of the time. But I doubt we'll do something like take MARTA to go out to eat or meet friends for drinks; it's just not convenient for that type of activity.

And yes I'd love to make it to a HAIF event before I leave. I'll check my calendar and throw out some dates that I'll be in Houston on weekends in the next couple of months to see if we can get something set up. It always seems that previous events have been during the week while I'm gone for work, or on weekends I've been in Atlanta.

The last time I was in Atlanta, I rode MARTA everywhere I wanted to go. We flew in from IAH into ATL and from there rode MARTA downtown and everywhere else. I noticed that it did pass lots of neighborhoods once you go farther from the city.

If Houston had this type of system I would ride when ever I am down there. Parking spaces are hard to find or cost too much in Houston hot spots.

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I know Houston is a black mecca, just that being a black mecca is on the top of what Atlanta is known for.

Would you mind defining the term "black mecca," please. I don't understand what you mean. It can't be from a city government standpoint (you know the people who run the city), as evidenced by the following list of council members. http://www.houstontx.gov/council/gallery.html.

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