Anyone who knows me understands how much I can miss Chicago at times, but as the years pass by with my address not having the zip code start with 606--, memories start to fade as Atlanta stays in the limelight.  People wonder what I’m still doing here in a place that doesn’t snow.  While I don’t think I want to spend my entire adult life here, the fact remains I have to tip my cap to this city for several reasons.

First the drawbacks – the lack of mass transit, the stifling heat from June to August, southern “culture”, uncontrolled growth (i.e. subdivisions that don't account for local impact on roads and schools), horrific air quality, and a landlocked city hundreds of miles from a large shoreline are things that Atlanta can be justifiably picked on for.  Having a ballpark that can’t figure out how to serve a goddamn hot dog that isn’t cold or with a bun that isn’t stale is almost the tipping point for me.

Here’s the thing though.  With the exception of a few stellar cities, Atlanta is just like any other American city.  Yes it has it’s warts but it’s also a very livable place.  Living in a relatively new city (thanks to General Sherman’s “fire party”) with a lower cost of living than most cities its size means that most of its transplanted inhabitants live like kings and queens.  Ask anyone who has moved from either coast or expensive cities like Chicago and they all tell you that their standard of living is so much better down here.  The beautiful hilly scenery (at least when compared to the Midwest), the cosmopolitan local area that has spawned some great cultural places to enjoy, the extended mild autumn and spring, abundant jobs in a lot of industries, and the population growth that creates more opportunities are all reasons that I think Atlanta is understandably a place a lot of people come as a living destination.  I know for a fact that, at least in my industry, the pay rate is significantly higher than in Chicago and cost of living is much lower here, making it for the time being a “no-brainer”.

On top of all of that, with a 3 year old in the mix, it’s not just about me anymore.  So while I may not be head over heels with Atlanta and probably won’t retire here, my family’s standard of living is much better than a lot of cities and that counts for a heckuva lot on the Scoreboard of Life.  Moving somewhere else isn’t an option if it means going backwards in quality of life, which is what would have happened had we moved back a few years ago. 

Plus, I really don’t want to give up my penalty box job.  It’s funny that the one thing I’d miss from moving from this southern city is actually hockey related.