Atlanta is sooo LA, Just Smaller
So, I went to LA a week ago. I spent five days exploring the city, seeking neighborhoods, and community. I found it to be a lot like ATL, almost like a bigger sibling. If you doubled Atlanta's population the cities would be nearly identitical in their problems and diversity. I noticed the similarities more after my return than while I was there. For instance, while I don't dwell on Atlanta's smog, I saw it two days this week - only bothering to notice after having been in LA. It was a light haze hanging over the city like a soft filter on a lens. When people talk about LA traffic and Atlanta traffic there are only a few degrees of separation. To test it, commute from GA400 to EAV on a Friday afternoon. The neighborhoods -- and their states of yuppie-dom -- from Los Feliz, to Silver Lake, to Echo Park are very similar to the stretch from Virginia-Highland, to L5P, to EAV. The people were surprisingly warm just like the weather. And weather was a strange topic. Folks in LA think Atlanta is cold -- I set them straight. There are two very big differences -- the proximity to the ocean (though don't go in the water), and the prices. LA is as expensive as New York for housing. My suggestion - visit Silver Lake and Los Feliz.