[Motley]

I received a call from a "headhunter" this afternoon. They're looking for someone to fill positions in the Boston area and in the Atlanta area. I just happen to be one of the very few people (maybe a dozen others) on the continent qualified for the jobs.

Which would you choose, Atlanta or Boston?

 

[Speed3]

I'm from the Boston area. Boston is a fun city, but getting very congested. And there are a lot of Massholes. Don't know much about Atlanta, but it's got to be warmer than Boston in the winter.

 

[TonUp]

Longer winter in Boston. But if you like winter sports, VT, NH and Maine are close by.





Ton Up!

 

[iandel]

G'day,

Do you want (a) warm riding weather or (b) cold riding weather?

Do you want (a) southern comfort or (b) tea?

Do you want to be closer to (a) the Tail of the Dragon or (b) Cape Cod?

If you answered (a) for the majority of these questions then head to Atlanta. If you answered (b) to the majority then got to Boston.

 

[GleaminTwin]

I would go with Boston, IMHO seems to me like more of a real city with less suburban sprawl surrounding it. From what I hear the traffic surrounding Atlanta is a nightmare. Also, the humidity in Atlanta during the summer would be very bad. I don't mind dry heat, but throw in humidity, especially if you're riding a motorcycle, and I can't take it. I'd wind up staying inside with the A/C on. Plus, Boston has Fenway Park, which is just a beautiful historic stadium, I'm a Yankees fan, which means I'm not a Red Sox fan, but I can appreciate beauty, which Fenway Park has. Also, there's a really nice Little Italy section of Boston, and they have excellent seafood restaurants all over the city as well.

 

[letsxplor]

Don't know much about Boston...but Atlanta traffic is horrific. Boston may be too...

Do you like heat or cold? Atlanta usually only gets cold weather (regular sub-freezing nights) in the months of December, January, and February. And sometimes not all of those months. The No. Georgia mountains are a quick drive away and are very pretty - I would think you'd have a longer riding season in Atlanta, IF you can stand riding in high humidity and heat.

Personally, if I had no family ties elsewhere, I'd probably choose Boston - just for the experience.

 

[TonUp]

Boston


Closer to LACONIA Bike Week in NH, and Americade in NY. Also great roads!

Atlanta is closer to Daytona and the Dragon!





Ton Up!

 

[97sprint]

I live 30+ miles north of Boston, on the New Hampshire/ MA state line.

Traffic blows in either city. Atlanta drives faster, we have massive gridlock. Pick one or the other.
Boston and Atlanta both have great nightlife--tie.
Both have great food, restaurants, dufferent styles but both good or great---tie


Taxes are high as is cost of living here. I can't say about Atlanta, so you decide.

Schools, if yo uhave kids, most of the schools in MA, non college are pretty good. Colleges, well we have some of the best.

I love Atalanta, the 6-8 times I've been there, I had a blast........I think some great bars


Around Boston, again I'm north of the city, I can be on some great uncongested mountain, twisty roads in 30-45 minutes.
Mount Washington is about an hour north of me.
I can be IN the Atlantic ocean in 35 minutes.

So depending on the pay scale compensating for the higher
cost of living, your call. Me I'll go with Boston.

Oh an insurance in MA is regulated by the state, so we are one of, if not the highest cost for car/auto insurance.

 

[Silverado57]

Having lived in Taxachusetts, and visited Hotlanta a few times...

Atlanta! :-D

 

[Oyster]

Not having lived in Mass, but Maine, and just returned from a trip to Hotlanta...I vote for Mass. The distance to the GA mtns was nice and all, but it certainly was not the NE!!

 

[Scrambler900]

Well there is good hockey in Atlanta right now (for a change), if that matters. The Thrashers are doing well in the southeastern conference.

But Atlant's traffic sucks, because unless you choose to live in downtown Buckhead, you'll not want to live anywhere else there unless its in a satellite community that requires a lot of commuting to get to work, the airport, etc. And the summers will suck too, if you're not a big fan of heat and humidity.

As a true southerner, I'd still pick Boston if that was my choice.

 

[Motley]

Thanks guys, so far it looks like Boston is getting the nod.

I've never been in the Boston area, come to think of it I've never really been in New England at all. I have been to Atlanta quite a few times though and I'm kinda partial to the South in general (sorry Yanks). I do like the idea of being able to ride pretty much year round, I'm sure that's not possible in the northeast.

It's a bigger, privately owned company that is recruiting in the Boston area and I think the renumeration would be better.........did I mention that I'm partial to the South and the idea of riding year-round?

Thanks for the input............y'all.

 

[Wombat]

Motley.

Mate, toss it all in and come live in Hawaii.
No more winters.
None of this more or less riding BS...ride all year round.
:-D

 

[Motley]

No way Wombat, I was born an' bred on a small island, it doesn't take long until there are no new places to ride to.

 

[stevent]

I'd take Atlanta myself, I lived in Montreal for years as a tad and was Home ported in Virginia in the Navy, we went up to Boston pretty regularly on the ship and camped out in Cape Cod every year as a kid. It's really nice up there but built up and probably getting a lot worse plus it's cold as a well diggers boots and muggy in the summer.

With Atlanta the weathers nice and hot most of the year and humidity don't bother me as much as cold and damp does, both areas are built up but I think once you get out of town there'd be better riding in the south and you can go to the gulf coast if you want to hang out at the beach, plus people in Boston talk funny and think they're Irish........

Head South My Boy.........

:upthumb:

 

[HeyMan]

I've lived in Georgia for a long time. It can be real nice depending on where your job is and where you live. The cost of living is cheaper here, you get way more for your money, and there's great riding (year round) in the North Georgia mtns.

 

[tba-golfer]

Stay in Canada.

No Tim Horton's in Atlanta.
Bobby Orr's time in Boston was years ago.

:-D

 

[daytonacharlie]

Motley,
I've lived in the Atlanta suburbs all my life (51 years). Everything everybody says about our traffic is true, it's brutal. I live 35 miles east of downtown and work from home so traffic is a non-issue for me. Atlanta has a lot of great surrounding communities and about the cheapest real estate for a major city in the country. My guess is you can get twice the house for the money in Atlanta that you can in Boston that is if you're interested in buying a home. You might be wanting an apartment, I don't know. If you have kids, the schools are excellent in Atlanta's surrounding counties, but that's highly dependent upon the section of town you're in.

True the humidity is bad but you can ride 12 months a year. I do.
Granted it's cold as hell here sometimes in the winter but we're talking 20's for a week and no snow to speak of. I would imagine Boston is a frozen tundra for months at a time (don't know, never been there in winter) but I've watched the weather channel enough to know Bostonians dig out of some pretty serious snow. Snow blowers? NO THANKS!!! I've been there in the summer and it seems like a decent place but I didn't spend enough time there to have an opinion.

If your job is downtown then you'd probably want to live downtown but it's not that far to get out into the country in any direction from downtown. The mountains are an hour away, the Smokies, the Dragon and the Blue Ridge Parkway are 2-1/2 to 3 hours max.
I don't know what they want for property taxes up nauth but I'm sure the cost of living and gasoline are cheaper here too.

If you decide to come south we'll be glad to welcome you to a Ratlantans pack meeting.

cheers,
dc

 

[Motley]

Wow! Thanks for the great feedback guys. It seems Atlanta has got a few boosters here too.

Traffic wouldn't really be an issue as I currently commute 80 miles one way into and out of Toronto.

The office in the Boston area is actually in Worcester and the mill in the Atlanta area is north of the city at Cartersville. I would imagine the cost of living maybe somewhat lower in the Cartersville Georgia area than in Worcester Mass.

It seems insurance is expensive in Mass. but it's not that great here in Ontario either, but what about health insurance? What are the costs as related to health insurance and how much of your income would that consume?

 

[RT]

If your self insured good luck. Health Insurance is eating up small business. You might want to check rates with National Association for the self employed. Think that is the correct name. Either way it's not cheap.

If your going to be in Cartersville would move to GA. Lived in Atlanta (Sandy Springs) for several years during the 90's and traffic was hell 24/7. Liked the area north of town but so does everyone else as sprawl takes over. But will be that much closer to mountains for weekend runs.

Grew up in Florida and swear there is no hotter summer than a summer in Atlanta. Often days of heat index over a 100 and not a breath of air. Suggest you take of fly fishing and spend time on the streams, much cooler.

Good luck