During the first year I lived in Atlanta I was waiting on a MARTA train and the man next to me recognized a friend of his across the train tracks. They shouted a conversation to each other, and I still remember their parting words. They started talking about Atlanta and the man next to me said, "Atlanta sucks you in. Hard to leave once you're here."
I admit, I never thought I'd be here this long. Sure, it has its issues and quirkiness, but recently I really had the chance to step back and appreciate some of the perks of living here...those perks that probably keep most of us around:
- Mild, often sunny winters
- Maybe two scenic snow falls and no shoveling of anything
- A beautiful spring season (especially if you don't have allergies)
- Giant trees
- Lots of young people and trendy/edgy/fun places to hang out
- Diversity that isn't overwhelming (one perk of sprawl)
- Relatively affordable housing as compared to other large cities
- Diverse employers and work opportunities
- Good and plentiful restaurants that aren't chains
- Lots of patio dining
- Airport with competitive prices and direct flights to just about anywhere in the world
- At least there is a train
- Many options for driveable weekend trips to the mountains or to the Atlantic or Gulf coast
- Piedmont Park - who else is lucky enough to have someone like Paul McCartney perform in their backyard?