Fastest Growing U.S. Metros: Atlanta tops all

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by dave8721

I dont think that Climate has much to do with it, for example DC grew faster than Miami or LA. And both Miami and LA had very negative domestic migration patterns. Its more people leaving expensive cities for sprawly cheap cities like Atlanta, Houston & Dallas.

What do the fast growing metros (Pheonix, Atlanta, Houston, Tampa, & Dallas) all have in common? They are cheap for housing compared to other large metros. Its no mystery here folks...

Yes, I think housing cost is the primary factor.

[tdawg]

you don't buy a house in a city where you don't have a job people. It's job growth.

[BnaBreaker]

I wish the growth in Atlanta would slow down, for it's own sake. The city really needs a chance to catch up to all of the growth that has been happening there over the past few decades. I know some overly sensitive folks will take this as a knock on the city, but I assure you it is not. It would be a great thing if Atlanta, and many other cities, could temporarily stop growing so their infrastructure and transportation systems and the like could catch up to the growth. Obviously I don't realistically think that this would happen but ya know, it is what it is.

[DBR96A]

Using the weather as an excuse to move is lame. I lived in Athens, GA for 10 years. The average high temperature there in January is 53, and the average low is 32. That means it freezes on an average January night. Also, while 53 is too warm for snow, it's still too cold to be comfortable, or to be conducive to outdoor activities. As far as I'm concerned, if it's going to be too cold to be "comfortable," then it may as well be cold enough to snow, because snow is at least nice to look at, unlike yellow sod and dead trees.

Before I lived in Athens, I lived in Pittsburgh. I remember days in January when the temperatures were in the 60's. I also remember going to a Q-Zar lock-in in Atlanta in January 2003. Low temperatures in Atlanta were in the single digits that night. It was cold enough that they had to turn the heat on in the arena, even though people were running around.

People who hate snow are pussies, as far as I'm concerned.

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

I dont know, winter in chicago and places up north can totally suck while you are in it. But once its over, you notice that it wasn't so bad. And I hate cold weather more than most, I spent a lot of my time growing up in a tropical country.

Moving just for the weather is a lame excuse imo, there have to be other factors involved. I always joke with my fiance that we should move to Miami or something when it starts getting cold, but I know we probably aren't ever going to leave chicago. We like this city too much to let the cold weather affect us like that.

I find it hysterical that people equate snow storms worse than living under the threat of hurricanes.(South Atlantic States..Florida...Gulf Coast) and tornados (how many times do you hears deaths from them in the south...as opposed to the north?). I've said it before and I'll say it again....people don't wind up in FEMA trailers after a Nor'easter. The snow falls...it gets plowed and shoveled...it melts...no harm...no foul. I'm sure people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast would have much rather dug out from a blizzard than have their towns wiped out by a hurricane.

BTW....it's easier to stay warm than it is to cool off.

I hope most SunBelt boosters don't think that this rapid growth will last forever. As has been the history of this country...things change and people find a new place to migrate to...to which at some point we'll come full circle and Detroit and Buffalo will be the "It" places to be....

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by PhillyNation

BTW....it's easier to stay warm than it is to cool off.

Exactly. You can be naked and still be hot as a crotch. lol

[Tuckerman]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

I wish the growth in Atlanta would slow down, for it's own sake. The city really needs a chance to catch up to all of the growth that has been happening there over the past few decades. I know some overly sensitive folks will take this as a knock on the city, but I assure you it is not. It would be a great thing if Atlanta, and many other cities, could temporarily stop growing so their infrastructure and transportation systems and the like could catch up to the growth. Obviously I don't realistically think that this would happen but ya know, it is what it is.

BnaBreaker

You make a good point. When the older cities like Chicago and NYC were growing at phenomenal rates there was also a consciousness about the “commons” that seems to be lacking now. When you think of Chicago you think of the great expositions, the Midway, the waterfront the great philanthropic museums like the Field Museum etc. Same with NYC, great philanthropic gifts that build the Met, the Frick, etc. It is hard to imagine current day entrepreneurs setting aside a piece of land like Central Park for a park. The real estate is just worth too much. Of course there are current day examples like the Getty in LA or the Aquarium in ATL, but these are few and far between in relation ship to the explosive growth. A similar point could be made for rapid-transit infrastructure now versus 100 years ago.

[Sulley]

Snow doesn't do any damage? Tell that to the people of Buffalo circa October 11, 2006. Just sayin'...

Also, when is this big migratory change going to happen?

As for me, I'd much rather be warm and have my central AC going. Ugggh, I can't BELIEVE that it's snowing in Buffalo in APRIL.

These gray, cold days get so depressing. At least it isn't 3 degrees anymore though...

[brickell]

Do people really think that Buffalo and Detroit will "rise" again?
Fine places I'm sure but they've been left behind, like a Charleston or New Orleans, they will most likely continue being large cities, but lacking the importance and standing they once did. New boomtowns will emerge based on who knows what (Vegas, San Diego, Miami) , but those are as likely in today's small and medium sized cities as they are in the old players. I'm not saying it's a north/south thing just an unknown thing.

[bobcat]

I think most people here are still pretty young so cold weather may not be such a big deal, but for a lot of older folks with lots of physical ailments the weather can make a HUGE difference in their quality of life. This needs to be taken into consideration because senior citizens may be the fastest growing segment of the population.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by brickell

Do people really think that Buffalo and Detroit will "rise" again?
Fine places I'm sure but they've been left behind, like a Charleston or New Orleans, they will most likely continue being large cities, but lacking the importance and standing they once did. New boomtowns will emerge based on who knows what (Vegas, San Diego, Miami) , but those are as likely in today's small and medium sized cities as they are in the old players. I'm not saying it's a north/south thing just an unknown thing.

I totally agree! I think places like Buffalo, Detroit, etc., have a lot more working against them than just "bad" weather (bad is in " " because that is all relative). It's the politics, the taxes, the mentality, the lack of solid job growth...THAT is what keeps people moving away from these places. Until they fix themselves, the bleeding will continue to happen.

Weather is a factor for ATL's growth I am sure, but it's not *that much* different than NYC, south (there is no arguing that Chicago, MN, Boston, etc., is on the colder end of the spectrum). But it all comes down to jobs, housing and cost of living. Whether you like ATL or not, you have to give credit where credit is due: people and companies don't just fall into places, they are lured there.

But all you growth boosters out there, be very leery...it has just as many (if not more) cons than pros...

[Mr Roboto]

Originally Posted by bobcat

I think most people here are still pretty young so cold weather may not be such a big deal, but for a lot of older folks with lots of physical ailments the weather can make a HUGE difference in their quality of life. This needs to be taken into consideration because senior citizens may be the fastest growing segment of the population.

A very good point. People are living much longer in todays world.

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Exactly. You can be naked and still be hot as a crotch. lol

I loathe the hot weather. That week I spent in Houston during August 2000 was the most miserable summer weather I ever experienced. I'd rather deal with the snow.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Exactly. You can be naked and still be hot as a crotch. lol

LOL. But anyway, heat stroke is no joke. I have had 2, and they kind of hits you fast...you dont know how much danger you are in until its too late.
When its freezing, you body goes numb and skin becomes painful and changes different colors, you know you are in deep shit and go inside or put on more layers.
Cold weather takes longer to kill you than heat does, easily. You really have to be brain dead one day or in a awful, unfortunate situation to freeze to death.

Drink your water people...I was fortunate to realize it enough to get to the hospital but that was only because I had one a few years earlier. It takes weeks to recover from a heat stroke to do physical activity. At least for me.
Really hot, humid weather makes me nervous because of the heat strokes. It can hit you so fast.

[tdawg]

I'd take a summer in atlanta any day over our sweltering, smelly, sticky NY summers. At least in atlanta there is abundant air conditioning everywhere. Ever stood on a subway platform for ten minutes in August in NYC?!?

[Stratosphere 2020]

Originally Posted by tdawg

you don't buy a house in a city where you don't have a job people. It's job growth.

Well you put sense in people in this thread, thank you for doing that!

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by Willis McGahee

Snow doesn't do any damage? Tell that to the people of Buffalo circa October 11, 2006. Just sayin'...

Also, when is this big migratory change going to happen?

As for me, I'd much rather be warm and have my central AC going. Ugggh, I can't BELIEVE that it's snowing in Buffalo in APRIL.

These gray, cold days get so depressing. At least it isn't 3 degrees anymore though...

Fine...we know you hate Buffalo. We know you hate the North. That is your preference and your opinion but that does not mean one area is that much better than the other when it comes to weather. That storm was a fluke...but it still wasn't quite like the devastation the south takes during hurricanes. I'd also would rather suffer through a cold, gray day than having to dodge a tornado that is prevelant in the south this time of year. So..each area has their weather pros and cons.

When will it happen? That's hard to say. Thirty years ago nobody gave Atlanta a second thought, Seattle and trendy would never have been spoken in the same sentence, New York was broke and in disarray and everyone thought California was the promised land.

[Sulley]

I don't hate the north - but Buffalo is a different story all together

Don't YOU hate the South?

BTW, Atlanta had a 30% growth rate in the metro 30 years ago, so apparently a lot of people were thinking about it then as well ...

[GTviajero81]

I have lived in Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, and now Atlanta. And my favourite out of the three? Atlanta, hands down. Why are people moving here in droves, as the latest Census report has shown? Because we have almost everything needed, and if it's not here you can get it rather quickly. Let's look at it:
1) Cool winters, with a few days to make you feel sorry for our fellow Northern countrymen. I relish the idea that I can be in Fargo with a lovely high of -8 in late February and get to Atlanta with temps hovering in the upper 60s (or even 91 degrees about 3 weeks ago in ATL).
2) Long summers. I can go hang out with friends at the lakes around the State or enjoy nights out grilling from early March to early November. Awesome!
3) Beaches. I know most of you all are like, "WHAT?!?" But it's true. The closest beach would be Tybee Island outside Savannah, about a 4 hours drive. Pensacola is 4.5 to 5 hours away, Tampa is 6, Naples about 7 and change. Going to the beach for us in Atlanta is a nice little weekend getaway. If you can afford to fly there, then SAV becomes 40 mins, PNS becomes 55 mins, and Tampa just about one hour. Awesome!
4) Skiing. "WHAT?!?!" Believe it or not we do have skiing in the South. North GA mountains is about 1.5 hours way and N.C. is 2 to 2.5. Again, totally doable in a day, but great for a short weekend trip.
5) Jobs. You hardly ever hear anyone in Atlanta complaining of not being able to find a job. Jobs are easy to come by here. In any level. And with so many institutes of higher education in the Metro area? Gosh, it's so easy to earn an MBA or Master's Degree here on your own time.
6) Housing Costs. So what it's cheaper to live here? Is it somehow better to pay out the arse for housing? It is still so cool to know that one can get a condo at Twelve Centennial Park (Downtown Atlanta) starting at US$190K (those might have sold out already). People complain that we are materialistic here in Atlanta --- it may because we have more disposable money for luxury items and for fun!
7) Airport. I can fly to five out of the seven continents non-stop. And take the subway there. And only take 15 minutes from downtown with the train station RIGHT in the airport. Not too many other places can claim that (with the exception of O'Hare, but that is a 45 min trip from the Loop, and DCA is not International).
8) Cost of living. You folks up North seem to enjoy paying such high prices for gasoline. And groceries. And entertainment. I love that I can pay (as of today) 2.37 for petrol and enjoy a pitcher of margaritas on an outdoor patio in April for 5 bucks.

So you see there are many reasons why people move here. I wish folks would also differentiate between the Atlanta suburbs and the city itself. Living in the city I can get to anything I really want with our public trans. We have everything that is in the suburbs now. I can't tell you the last time that I really had to either drive or take the train outside of our Perimeter to buy anything. Yeah, if I wanted to go to buy guns for hunting then yes, but since I could not even tell you the start of any of the hunting seasons then I obviously have no need to go to any of these type of outdoor stores.

And driving in rain is WAY more preferable to driving in snow. Most folks may not be able to drive well in the snow down here, but we can sure drive the heck out of rain. Thunderstorms? Bring 'em on! We'll still be screaming down the freeways at 70mph (with a few folks messing it up for the rest of us).

Here is something for locals. Don't you also love how when someone let's you get in front of them in traffic or turn in front of them how we wave to acknowledge them? I sure as heck didn't learn to do that in driving school back in NYC.

Let the counterpoints begin!

[Stratosphere 2020]

Originally Posted by PhillyNation

Thirty years ago nobody gave Atlanta a second thought, Seattle and trendy would never have been spoken in the same sentence, New York was broke and in disarray and everyone thought California was the promised land.

How times have changed. But prior to visiting Atlanta for the first time in 1996, I thought it was a dirty rundown city where the Olympics were being held. I was pleasently and positively surprized after my visit.