I moved to Atlanta for a job. It was not a good fit. Atlanta is, indeed, deep south in many ways. Confederate flags and gun-racks in pickups.
They say the weather is moderate – that means hot and sweaty in the summer requiring 100% air conditioning, and cold/frosty in the winter – freezing rain, snow, sleet, frozen pipes. And the locals do not know how to drive if there is snow/ice/sleet. Schools shut down for a week because of 2 inches of snow the time I was there.
It’s also high crime. Maybe this has changed, but it was definitely high crime when I was there. My car was broken into twice in the less than 4 months I lived there. I talked to coworkers, and they told me the “trick” was to leave your car unlocked so the thieves didn’t have to break the window to get in and steal your stuff. In other words – there will be thieves… but you can limit the damage they cause. I also had a package stolen off my front porch, and what I suspect would have turned into a mugging if my neighbor hadn’t come out. I lived a few blocks from Piedmont park – in an expensive area.
My biggest issue was the two-faced sugary sweetness they call southern hospitality. If you’re perceived as a yankee – they won’t like you. They will be SWEET to your face, while stabbing you in the back.
In CA we vapidly wish each other “have a nice day” – but we kind of mean it. It’s superficial, but not mean. There, you worry about poison in the sweet tea if they’re nice to you. They are sweet to your face, but mean behind your back. It’s hard to describe, but tangible.
I’ve lived in 4 states (CA, WA, PA, and GA). I got along great, socially in the other 3… but GA was too much for me…
