What exactly makes Atlanta, GA so great?

The city of Atlanta is located in the northern part of Georgia, surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  The city is the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and often ranked as the 15^th largest economic center in the world.  After the major Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta earned the motto “too busy to hate,” reflecting the city’s more progressive attitude, and also the business culture of the city itself. You could never regret moving from Chicago to Atlanta!

Is it Hot in Atlanta?

The weather in and around Atlanta is very much a typical southern climate, with hot and humid summers, and cool, damp winters.  Summer highs are often seen in the upper 90s, with a few days breaking 100 degrees. The area receives about 50 inches a year, with an average of at least 1 inch of snow each winter. Overall, Atlanta is much warmer than Chicago, and with that, the weather is much more suited for outside play for the entire family.

Parks and Recreation in Atlanta

While the city of Atlanta offers only about 5.6% of the city’s public space for parks and recreation, compared to the national average of 10%, at least 64% of Atlanta residents live within a ten minute walk to any given park. Alongside that fact, the Trust for Public Land has ranked Atlanta as the 31^st best city in the United States for its parks and recreational area availability, and upkeep. Piedmont Park is the city’s most iconic park located in Midtown, and directly adjacent is the Atlanta Botanical Gardens which houses several formal gardens, including a Japanese garden and a conservatory for many exotic types of plants.

The “Tree Canopy”

Atlanta is known internationally as an incredibly green city, unlike the concrete jungle of Chicago. The main street of the city is not only lined with trees, but also named after a tree. Immediately after the main downtown strip, the buildings give way to hundreds of acres of forests going into the city’s suburbs. Atlanta is also home to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, which is a major arts and crafts festival that happens through downtown. In 2009, National Geographic named Atlanta the “Place of a Lifetime” for its prominence of greenery. The amount of plants found in Atlanta is much unlike what is seen normally in Chicago, where much of everything is concrete or a building. 

Educational Opportunities in Atlanta

Students in the Atlanta area are served by the Atlanta Public School System, which enrolls around 55,000 students within 106 public schools. In 2009, the APSS received a bad title in lieu of a cheating scandal that caused several teachers and administrators to lose their jobs. Since the incident, however, the APSS has added new teachers, and established new policies that have given the school system amazing scores, and a very promising future. Alongside the growing public education system, there are over 30 colleges and universities in the city. Due to the incredible amount of higher education institutions in the city, many have considered Atlanta to be a major center for education. 

What is the economic situation in Atlanta?

Atlanta is ranked as the 8^th largest economic center in the country, and the 17^th largest in the world. Although the economy in Atlanta is generally diverse, the local economy settles into a few general industries. Overall, corporate operations, logistics, media, and technology are the largest parts of the entire Atlanta economy. Since the 2008 recession, Atlanta has suffered a large loss, but has also recovered greatly. In fact, the city has recovered so much that it was considered by Forbes to be one of the Best Places for Business and Careers. Atlanta has made a great recovery since the 2008 economy, and for the most part, things have gotten much better throughout the entire Atlanta area. Chicago, for the most part, still remains with large levels of unemployment, and a high amount of its residents under the poverty line.

Make the move to Atlanta today!

U-Pack^® can help you make an affordable long distance move to Atlanta with prices that are often comparable to truck rental! Get a free moving quote and see how much you can save. Or check out our list of service centers to find a location near you.

Welcome to beautiful Atlanta, GA!

The city of Atlanta is truly a gem of a city. Located in the northern part of Georgia, the city is characterized by beautiful year round weather, a healthy economy, city-wide greenery, and a growing educational system. You will never regret making the move from Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA!