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Reasons I love and hate Atlanta


I have many reasons to love Atlanta. This city is my home. Atlanta is the place I see myself chasing my dreams and achieving my goals. I have lived in many cities and countries. Each one unique in its own way but nothing compares to Atlanta. Being a young black woman in America, this city is the perfect place for me. I have been to other major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and I find that the economic growth of Atlanta is exactly what I need. That is why I am going to list a few reasons I love Atlanta with a little bit of hate. You can’t have one without the other. 


I LOVE ATLANTA BECAUSE OF THE…

People
I have had moments when the place I am in is amazing although the people around me are not welcoming. Atlanta is a culturally diverse city therefore I feel everyone can find a piece of themselves. Even though the state of Georgia leans more conservative, Atlanta is one of the most progressive cities in the US. Southern hospitality holds true and in some cases, it can be a little too much but I’ll rather overbearing kindness than nothing at all.

Opportunities
The opportunities in Atlanta are endless especially if you work in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, media and communications or film and television. It has become a running joke that Atlanta is the next LA or LA on a budget. A lot of production companies choose to film movies and TV shows in Georgia because the cost is drastically cheaper and they can find amazing talent in Atlanta. A big moment for the city was the recent opening of Tyler Perry Studios and the amazing projects that will be created in that space. I also love Atlanta because it is not too saturated. This is the perfect time to come and make something of yourself. Compared to LA or New York, Atlanta offers the same or similar opportunities without the unhealthy amount of competition.

Music & Art
I do not even need to elaborate on this but we all know that Atlanta is one of the biggest hubs for Music. Especially, if we are talking about Hip Hop and Trap music. There is so much raw talent in this city and I love when I see it highlighted in the mainstream. Music and art go hand in hand. They feed off one another and the art scene in Atlanta is stunning and you can see it simply by driving around. There are so many forms of art. You can catch a show at the Fox theatre, bike through the Beltline to admire the wall installations, or spend your evening at Uptown Comedy Corner laughing until you can't breathe. 

Food
I don’t know about you but a deciding factor when I want to visit a city is food. Since the people of Atlanta are diverse, so is the food. You can find anything from a full plate of injera and doro wat at Desta Ethiopian Kitchen or curry goat with a side of plantains at Natty's Jamaican & Soul Food Restaurant. There is even a French Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Buckhead. The options are limitless. 

Travel
The last reason, I love this city is Hartsfield-Jackson airport. I know… that is an odd reason. I love to travel although I do not like connecting flights. The beauty of Atlanta’s airport is it’s home to Delta airlines. There are also countless airlines that fly through Atlanta therefore when I travel I am not limited to where I want to go or the route I have to take. I also love the layout of Hartsfield-Jackson, even though most people find it confusing because of the train, which gets you to each terminal. You can still walk although it is a pretty big airport… so the choice is yours.

I HATE ATLANTA BECAUSE OF THE...

Traffic 
If you know me, I am not a fan of driving. I like taking drives and listening to music but if I have to be in a car for more than one hour I get irritated. That mentality doesn’t help when you live in Atlanta. There has been a high influx of people moving to Atlanta and more people equals crowded roads. There is also a lot of construction to expand the roads and build more exits on the highways. Although, that just adds to the traffic. I am eagerly waiting for the day the construction is done but knowing this city that day may never come.  

Public Transportation
I love cities like New York and Chicago because of their public transit system. You can get anywhere by trains or walking. That is not the reality in Atlanta. We have good old Marta but she doesn’t always get the job done. Marta is Atlanta’s public transit system. We have pretty good trains but the routes do not get everywhere therefore you may still need to Uber or bus to the station and that can take a long time. Another reason Marta isn’t thriving is because everyone and their mama loves their cars. The South in general is known for being big in everything. From the people to the landscape. Unlike New York (which has limited space), Atlanta is very spread out therefore walking can take a while. Everyone in this city apparently loves to drive (except me) therefore public transportation is not the best if you are trying to move around many areas of the city. I recommend getting a car or living close to where you work. 

Photography - @derabear, Edit & Animation - @marvelingmind (me)
Photo location - Switchyards Downtown Club 
151 Ted Turner Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30303