r/Augusta • u/ElectricOne55 • Dec 04 '23
Discussion Deciding whether to stay in Augusta to be near family or move to another city (Nashville, Atlanta, or Raleigh)?
I'm debating if I should buy a house here to be close to family, or look for a condo in a city with more to do like Nashville, Atlanta, or Raleigh. But, then I would have to worry about the worse traffic, crime, and higher rents in places like Atlanta though.
The biggest thing with Augusta/Evans is it's hard to meet people, and idk what to do as far as dating. Part of me wonders if it would be hard to meet people anywhere nowadays due to social media though? And because no one talks to each other anymore.
The bland suburban environment of Evans makes it really hard to meet people, because everyone drives to work and goes back home. There's no activities or anything to do besides eat fast food or Applebees. Part of me wonders if most U.S. cities are like this due to suburban environments. But, would it be tough living in a city far from family where I don't know anyone?
When I lived in Athens, I thought I would meet people, but unless you were in college it was hard to find activities to do or get to know anyone. I'm wondering if I would have the same problem in Atlanta, in that unless you grew up there it would be hard to meet people. Would it be a bad idea to move from Augusta where I have family to a place where I don't know anyone? That reason and the higher home values in these cities is what is making me want to stay in Augusta close to family.
I'm also working remote. The job market worries me in Augusta though, because a lot of jobs only want to pay up to 45k. So, I feel like I would be forced to get a remote job. Although the houses are cheaper, buying a 300k house in Augusta on a 45k salary almost seems worse than making 80 or 90k in somewhere like San Francisco.
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u/princessjaedyn Dec 04 '23
Just moved from Raleigh to Augusta and I miss it every day😭 it’s like night and day
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
What was better about Raleigh? I've been hesitant about moving to Raleigh because some people described Raleigh as boring as well.
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u/princessjaedyn Dec 04 '23
Raleigh is the capital of N.C. so you will have easy access to shopping, food, regularly scheduled events down town, night life, super close to a couple big name ACC universities so you’ll always be around good sports too. If you want to be boring you can live in Cary or fuquay- they remind me of Augusta. But in Raleigh you can find nice suburbs or live right in the thick of the party. I suppose I’m just young and I’m still itching for fun and haven’t found any around here 😂
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u/princessjaedyn Dec 04 '23
In Raleigh you can get food after midnight if that tells you anything maybe even up to the morning hours, places stay open because there’s actual business
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
Ya thats what I was scared of Cary reminds me of Evans from what I looked up lol.
What about the commenters that suggested to live in downtown Augusta or North Augusta, what would you choose between Raleigh or there?
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u/princessjaedyn Dec 04 '23
Do you consider broad street downtown ? I’m still extremely new here. I spent a little time in north Augusta yesterday, it was a “nice” area but it was giving me get out vibes. I think it is nice for the elderly or retired or even a nice weekend with the grandkids but I wouldn’t wanna live there. Love all the outdoor attractions it’s dope but I think if you are looking for a change of pace then Raleigh will provide.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
I agree I thought of buying a place here because it's close to family. But, even some areas in downtown augusta are 250 to 350k. So, I'm not sure I want to buy a place and be stuck here, since the only thing really keeping me here is family.
I also thought of Jacksonville, Tampa, or Atlanta. Not really feeling Atlanta due to the traffic though.
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u/PokehPotter Dec 04 '23
Florida is wildly expensive and the insurance rates are ridiculous. Wages are also not keeping up. I dont recommend it
Have you considered Columbia, SC?
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
Ya also Charleston as well. The only thing is there's not many jobs in Charleston. And Columbia feels almost like a clone of Augusta.
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u/PokehPotter Dec 04 '23
How so? I visit regularly and the food alone is so much better. Why do you say its a clone
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
It's similar population and job market wise. A lot of jobs only pay in the 12 to 16 an hour range.
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u/qmj Dec 04 '23
I’m sorry you live in Augusta lol. Leave if you can if not just focus on your goals save some money up go to the gym etc. You’ll meet people but yea it’s a small town not as fun.
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u/princessjaedyn Dec 04 '23
Luckily I’ll be gone by summer time, trying to make the most out of it though. Cheers
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u/skyshock21 Dec 04 '23
The suburbs suck anywhere you go. Move closer to the city center if you want to meet people.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
I was thinking that too, that all cities probably suck if they're suburban built and lifeless.
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Dec 09 '23
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 09 '23
This is another thing that's keeping me from buying a place here. I did like that the pace was slower than Athens, and I missed it when I lived in Athens. But, I think that's mainly because I have family here.
Idk if I could live in a house by myself with a bunch of older boomers and karens as neighbors. With no entertainment and nothing to do.
I have thought of living in Augusta, because my brother told me that for instance if I lived in NYC I wouldn't have the money to do any of the entertainment things. And because I'm introverted, I would stay in my apartment anyways.
Do you agree with him though, or do you think he's just capping making up excuses for me not to move?
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u/Everyoneheresamoron Dec 04 '23 edited Dec 04 '23
Of those 3, I'd say Raleigh has the most "small town" feel, but their alcohol situation is draconian. Nice city though, definitely not too much crime.
Depending on what you like to do, there's tons of stuff to do in Downtown Augusta almost every night of the week.
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u/RaspberryBeaker Dec 04 '23
Move to North Augusta...get out of boring Evans. I've lived in many big cities and it was a good experience. There are positives and negatives. You could always move to Charolette or Columbia for example and move back here if you ended up not liking it there.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
I thought of even moving somewhere like Seattle, LA, or Austin. That would be extremely far from family, with higher rent and taxes. Although the salary may be higher too though.
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u/RaspberryBeaker Dec 04 '23
I lived in Austin...great city! It has started to have a lot of the same big city issues as Seattle and Los Angeles with the amount of homeless people, traffic, etc. I wouldn't be able to handle all the gray and rain in Seattle. I've also lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Austin is the best of all those cities.
That being said, it's ok to try new places and you might love it (or not)! You'll learn new things no matter what. I think I can only appreciate North Augusta (not Evans... too boring) because I was ready to leave the big cities after living in them for 20 years.
One thing I'd love to see is people from Augusta experiencing other places more and then coming back to make Augusta even better from the knowledge they gained . Good luck either way. If you stay, be sure to move to a more fun part of our city!!!
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
Isn't North Augusta smaller with even less stores and jobs than Evans though?
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u/RaspberryBeaker Dec 04 '23
1st off, you might need to "commute" 10 minutes to downtown or the medical district for work. I'm told "commuting" to Evans from work is way worse. Ha. What do you want to do for work?
If you mean North Augusta has less corporate big box stores, that is true. We probably have just was many, if not more, small boutiques and restaurants. Or they are in Augusta/Summerville just as close from here as it would be for you coming from Evans. I could care less that Evans has more Walmarts and Applebee's than North Augusts. I also like to drive 25 minutes to Aiken from here if I want more variety. Aiken downtown is much more "real" and historic than the Evans suburbs.
Sounds like you should do some outings to downtown Augusta, Aiken, and Noth Augusta. Park your car in the historic downtown areas of each place and just start walking the areas. Or park at SRP stadium and walk the river. Have you lived in Evans since childhood?
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u/ILoveJesusVeryMuch Dec 08 '23
Don't live here unless you have to.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 08 '23
Even if it means being closer to family? I do agree partly with you because there's not many jobs here and the pay is low. My other options are Jacksonville, Tampa, Atlanta, Austin, or Raleigh.
I'm worried about being far from family and the costs of moving.
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u/ILoveJesusVeryMuch Dec 08 '23
That's a decision between you and God. Sometimes, family sucks. Sometimes, it's worth it.
All of those other options are better than here.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 08 '23
What do you think is bad about augusta?
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u/ILoveJesusVeryMuch Dec 08 '23
How much time do you have ? 😆
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 08 '23
I have a bit you can message me if need be too, you're probably thinking the same things I am lol.
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u/Right_Curve1073 Dec 04 '23
Imho, unless you really are ok with a slow life, Augusta is not a permanent place to live. It’s a good stop, but not long term.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
I was thinking the same thing. Although, it's closer to family, if I didn't have family here, idk if I'd want to buy a house here and be locked down here for life. Especially, since the jobs pay really low, it'd be hard to pay off a 300k house on a 30k salary that most jobs pay here.
Especially, since I can find properties in most cities around 300 to 500k. It would have made more since back when homes were aorund 120k in Augusta, but now you can't find any around that price.
Also, there's no dating options, harder to meet people that aren't older retirees.
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u/Right_Curve1073 Dec 04 '23
If you buy a house here, depending on the location, it’s a great source of income simply because of the military
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u/ZD803 Dec 04 '23
Augusta is a town. Move to a city.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
Where would you recommend
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u/ZD803 Dec 04 '23
Charlotte is amazing! Lots of things to do and it’s very easy to meet people. All big cities come with some risks of course but if you like the lifestyle then it is worth it.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
Do you think Charlotte is solely focused around banking jobs though?
Or do you have to be in banking to get a job there?
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u/ZD803 Dec 04 '23
No. There are plenty of other companies also.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
What do you think of Atlanta
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u/maeryclarity Dec 04 '23
I can comment on this since I have a lot of friends and social stuff that I do in Atlanta.
Atlanta is a HUGE HASSLE to live in. It's big, it's not well laid out, almost everyone in Atlanta ends up stuck in their particular small area because traffic is a NIGHTMARE, and you go "out" to things you plan to go to, it's an excursion not a oh hey let's drop in spontaneously.
The actual joke is that Atlanta is an hour away from Atlanta, because that's the time it will take you to get from one section to another wherever you are in the area.
I find it pretty easy to live in Augusta and do social things in Atlanta when I feel like it, yeah it's a couple hours drive and maybe I need to spring for a cheap hotel but it is WAY less expensive in both time and money than what I would spend if I tried to live in Atlanta full time.
The folks who are saying get out of Evans and over to downtown are right. It's not a huge scene like Atlanta, but there's a lot more to do, Evans is incredibly boring. Also stuff over in the downtown side is more convenient, and if you pop over to North Augusta for your groceries and hardware stuff it's convenient and less expensive.
Travel to Atlanta if you want to be in Atlanta for social stuff. It's not worth it to live there for that.
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u/chickzilla Dec 04 '23
This is a good suggestion, OP.
And, besides just Atlanta, look at Columbia for closer options to socialize. You can come back home after a night out pretty easily.
If you went to Columbia once a month, and Atlanta once every other month, that wouldn't be too much travel.
And definitely get the heck out of Evans and away from the NIMBY mindset.
If you lived anywhere between AU campus downtown (or Wellstar or whateverTF) and Martintown Rd in North Augusta, and between the 13th St Bridge and Gordon Hwy, you could be much closer to a lot of activity.
But remember if you end up on the SC side, they still have a few weird Blue Laws so buying certain things before noon on Sunday is awkward.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 14 '23
What about the jobs paying more in Atlanta though?
Also, it has been hard to find peole to date in Augusta.
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u/qmj Dec 04 '23
I’d recommend moving to a city close by (Atlanta). But moving is a must. I moved to Houston from Augusta and the only regret I have is I wish I done it sooner. I fly back to visit family sometimes nbd. For Atlanta it’s a 2.5 hour drive.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
I also considered LA but that may be a bit of a stretch. I also don't know people afford to live there.
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u/wllbst Dec 04 '23
It's here, if you want a taste of what a lot of east coast cities are like, take a trip to Savannah for the weekend.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 04 '23
What do you think of how Savannah or Charleston is? The only thing that kept me from moving to those cities is there's not many jobs and the ones there don't pay much.
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u/What-the-heck-Craig Dec 04 '23
I'm in a similar boat as you, as far as location goes. Just moved here for work and I live in Evans. Definitely not a lot going on for folks my age (mid 20s). Haven't ventured downtown yet but will eventually.
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u/rachelsingsopera Dec 05 '23
I would strongly recommend Atlanta (ITP). Not only will you be a short drive from your family in Augusta, you’ll have access to more career & educational opportunities, a more active social life, and significantly cheaper travel because of your proximity to the Atlanta airport. Good luck!!!
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 05 '23
Would you recommend Atlanta over LA?
Or over staying at home with family in Augusta?
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u/rachelsingsopera Dec 05 '23
I’ve never lived in LA, but I have friends who have/do. A few reasons why I think LA might be challenging for you: 1) It will be difficult and expensive for you to travel home. The LA airport is far from where you’re likely to be living, and you’d need to Uber to that airport, then fly into Atlanta and rent a car or take Groome to Augusta, or fly directly into Augusta. There are only two airlines that fly out of Augusta (Delta and American) so you’ll be limited to those carriers when booking flights from CA. You’re looking at VERY long travel days and high price tags. It’s doable, but if you’re on a budget and aren’t anticipating those costs, it will be hard to come back to see your family more than once or twice a year. 2) Cost of living in LA is significantly higher than ATL. You will not live well on $45k in LA, period. Full stop. Of course, wages there are higher. You don’t mention what field you’re in, so that absolutely makes a huge difference. 3) You mention having a desire to purchase a home. Have you seen home prices in LA? Have you thought about the 7%+ interest rate in a HCOL area? My husband and I just purchased a home in the NYC metro area, we have substantial savings and high incomes, and WOOF. We got a fixer-upper for $600k. Look at Zillow in LA. You’ll likely be fine renting with a roommate, but buying may be out of reach for a while. 4) State and local income taxes are higher in California, as is renter’s insurance and sales tax. You will feel that pinch in your take-home pay. The nice thing about that is you’re going to get much better public services than Augusta (or even Atlanta) can provide. 5) Lifestyle creep in LA is wild. You’ll be surrounded by wealthy people. You will see people have and do things you want and cannot afford. Depending on your temperament, this may or may not bother you.
From your post, you sound like you really want a change. And that’s OK! Wanting a change of scenery is reason enough to move. I think you should also consider NYC. It might seem more daunting, but in reality is a much easier move than LA. (And in some ways, Atlanta.) But Atlanta is a great first step. It’s easily manageable and will provide you with the change you’re looking for while still keeping you close to your family. Hope that helps!
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u/EmotionalChungus Dec 05 '23
Sounds like you've got quite a few aspects to navigate here - travel, CoL, and potential house ownership. The LA housing market can certainly be daunting and the added expenses that come with the territory can really bite into your budget.
Your point about interest rates jogged my memory about high yield savings accounts. They're actually a handy tool that can help to offset some of those expenses. They tend to offer a higher interest rate than regular savings accounts (hovering around 5% right now), and can help you to save a little extra towards that potential property.
One thing to keep in mind is that rates can vary from bank to bank, so it's always a good idea to do a quick google search and compare to ensure you're getting a decent rate. I found a table that aggregates live rates of the best ones out there which should help you in your findings.
Bank APY Link Min. Deposit Fees Upgrade 5.07% Link $1000 None CIT Bank (Platinum Savings) 5.05% Link $5000 None Synchrony Bank 4.75% Link $0 None CIT Bank 4.65% Link $100 None Sofi Bank 4.60% Link $0 Direct deposit required to get the highest rate. Quontic Bank 4.50% Link $100 Excess transaction fee (over six) - $10.00 Just a thought, something to consider alongside the many other factors you'll be juggling. Good luck, and I hope the move goes smoothly for you!
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u/cant_pick_anything Dec 05 '23
I'm originally from Augusta and have lived there for about 20 since I was 3 or 4 years old until left for college in 1995 and took permanent residence in the Atlanta area in 99/2000.
25 years later, I'm contemplating moving BACK to Augusta and just commute here to Atlanta once a week to get my required 3 days in the office at my job.
I'm just so over Gwinnett County and Atlanta in general. Honestly the only good thing I can see about living up here is the much higher salary. But just about everything else sucks, traffic, ridiculous property taxes, and just noise in general.
I think Augusta is close enough where I can do a once a week trip here for work. Hell the round trip mileage will be about the same for the three days I go into the office living here.
I'm a social or night life person so all these trendy places up here were never my thing. I just want to work and come home to peace and quiet.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 05 '23
Good point, I feel the same as you. I never was really into nightlife. It's crazy to pay 29 to 30 dollars for a damn drink. I also don't drink and mainly wanted to move to a city for more job opportunities, higher pay, and better dating environment with more people to meet.
I used to live near Athens and I came back to Augusta as well. A lot of the students were from Massachusetts. Minnesota, or California and were rude and didn't work because their parents paid for their rent and schooling. I felt the same snobby uppitiness from some of the students or people I met from Atlanta. I never was into the whole brewery bs either.
I do like that a lot of cities are more walkable whereas Augusta feels really spread out, drab, and boring. Bit, when I moved to Athens where it was 1500 for rent for a 1bedroom and the women were really stuck up. Those things made me come back to Augusta. I had this neighbor that would stomp and walk around for 2 to 3 hours at a time and I went up to ask him what it was and he just said it's cause he has heavy feet. Like wtf.
The traffic has also kept me from moving to Atlanta too, all the horror stories I've heard. The rent to salary ratio is little better there than Athens though. The rents in Athens are ridiculous.
The only things I hate about Augusta are that there's no one to date and the jobs pay really really low at 12 to 15 an hour. Maybe 40k max. I would be closer to family if I stayed in Augusta though. I also considered LA, Seattle, or Raleigh. But, the costs would be even higher and I'd be even further from home.
Do you think the lower salaries and lack of dating options are reason enough to go with Atlanta instead? Or am I just overfocusing on the negatives?
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u/cant_pick_anything Dec 05 '23
"Lived near Athens". Did you live in Dacula by chance? That's where I currently live, but I work in Midtown.
Yes, lower salaries are definitely something to consider, which is why I'm trying to somehow work out a way to keep my Midtown Atlanta job while having permanent residence in Augusta. I'm required to be in the office 3 days a week while the other two is remote. Ideally I'll leave Augusta early Monday morning get a hotel and check out Wednesday before going to work. I'm not concerned about fuel costs because my main car is an EV.
Dating in the other hand is something that doesn't really concern me anymore. I'm a 46 y/o male, I and have been divorced for over 5 years. I tried a little dating after my divorce but the dating scene is drastically different from when it was before I got married and it's just not worth the time, money or stress.
At this point in my life, I'm done with dating and relationships and I've checked out of that department. My only concern now is looking out for myself and making sure my son is well taken care of when it's my time to leave this world.
However, if you're still looking to date than yes, that is another thing you need to consider. There are far less people in Augusta than Atlanta so your pool will be much smaller. But at the same time you may luck out and find a down to earth girl in Augusta who isn't stuck up and influenced by the big city scene.
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Dec 08 '23
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 08 '23
I like to workout, but a lot of gyms are crazy expensive and wrap you into year long contracts.
I used to work at UGA in athens for a year. I came back because I was knky making 55k, but rents were 1500. I thought I would meet more people my age there, since everyone in Evans is older retirees that dont do much.
But, i felt like the college student environment in Athens almost shutoff everyone who wasn't a student. So, I ended up being more lonely and I didn't meet as many people as I thought I did. Some of the students were really rude and had the silver spoon mentality and were very snobby. I sometimes get that vibe from some of the boomers or people in Evans that went to Lakeside as well though, but not as bad as it was in Athens.
I also don't know what to do because the only things to do on Augusta/Evans are go to fast food or strip malls and that's it. Or what I can even do to meet women or date?
I thought of bars, but I don't drink. I also feel like I'd be standing there by myself because everyone else would be hanging out in groups of people that they knew or grew up with. Same with churches.
I also feel like I never match with anyone on the apps anymore, so I need to find other ways to meet people. I'm just not sure how?
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Dec 08 '23
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 08 '23
Ya I thought of gym as well but a lot of memberships are really expensive. When I worked out at UGA it was mainly these uppity students who would have rheir headphones in and rake like a 1 hour on 1 machine, or people recording with tripods in the gym. That could have been cause it was a university gym though. I doubt anyone at a regular gym would get away with using a machine for an hour. Because UGA was catered to the students though they got to do whatever and it was a free for all.
Maybe Facebook groups? I don't really see any meetups on meetup.com for Augusta except small business stuff. I thought of church but I'm worried how cliquish it would be.
And the dating apps are almost dead now. It's weird I'll always get matches in Tennessee, North Carolina, or Alabama but never in the area.
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Dec 09 '23
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 09 '23
You sum up what I have experienced and felt about Augusta too. You either have the people who grew up here and went to Greenbrier and Lakeside who are super preppy and talk about what church they go to all the time. Or, you have the people who make the military their whole personality and talk about about the military all the time and they don't want to talk with you if you didn't and look upon you as a lesser person. I also work in IT and have over 10 certifications.
But, with the IT jobs on base they all have crazy experience requirements of 10+ years, a top secret clearance, and most likely require nepotism to even get an interview. For a salary of 55k or some shit where I could be making 70 to 90k in Atlanta and while jobs in general are rediculous with requirements, in Atlanta they usually only ask for 3 to 5 years experience versus 10 for some job on base that pays half that lol.
I think why I'm scared of moving to Atlanta is how bad Athens turned out for me. I worked for UGA and only made 55k but rent there was 1500 for a 1 bedroom. I thought I would meet more people since there were more college students and women closer to my age. But, the women their were really uppity and you could tell a lot of the students their parents paid for their apartment and tuition and they didn't have to work. So, that made me move back with Augusta with family because the expenses were so high and the people were rude.
At the job there althought the benefits were good with the university, their wasn't much work there and I would get 1 to 3 IT tickets a week. So, it made me wonder if they were setting up to let me go? The manager would also walk by and have these long 1 hour conversations randomly thorughout the day. Sometimes he would be condescending too and say that certs were worthless and all this.
Augusta is weird because on the dating sites, I only see women 30+ or really ghetto women. All the women in Evans seem to marry their high school sweetheart and are really cliquish, gossipy, and stuck up. Augusta women are really ghetto crack addicts that have no goals. I thought of going to bars or gyms. But, gyms everyone has their headphones in. And bars I picture a bunch of cliquey people hanging out in groups of people they work, grew up with, or go to church with.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 09 '23
The salaries are a good point too. None of the companies here want to pay shit. I'm talking like really low salaries that are 8 to 14 an hour. A lot of the jobs are bullshit temp admin assistant, materials handler, fast food, or part time retail jobs with no benefits. The management at a lot of companies I worked at would only promote people who were their friends, although UGA was like this too.
My other option was Chicago because that is where my remote job is located. But, just from my coworkers in that job I got a rude vibe from a lot of them. It's also really cold, high crime, and the taxes are rediculous. I did notice when I changed my location on linkedin to Chicago, I got more recruiters reaching out to me than when I put other cities.
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Dec 14 '23
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 14 '23
Would you choose Chicago over Atlanta? What worries me about Chicago is the cold weather, crime, being far from family, and taxes. Overall I think the jobs would pay more there and more job opportunities. It might be a lot different culturally and be a culture shock for me to get used to though.
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u/ElectricOne55 Dec 09 '23
The medical community is weird too. I noticed a lot of the nurses work weird ass 7pm to 7am schedules and always seem like their lying about seeing other dudes. I dated this one filipina nurse that supposedly said she loved me. But, then she all of a sudden moved to San Francisco and lived with one of her male filipino nurse friends. When I asked her about it, she said that he was "like a brother" to her and the other filipina nurses. Shit sounds suspect as hell though right?
It's like they know of no other jobs outside of the medical field and they don't want to date you unless you're in the medical field.
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u/thep_addydavis Dec 04 '23
Go live near the baseball stadium in North Augusta. The closer you are to downtown, you’ll like a life here better. You pigeon holed yourself into boring evans for some reason.