Airbnb will build a new tech hub in Atlanta

I grew up in metro Atlanta and studied at Georgia Tech. The state government subsidizes college education for grads with a certain GPA (HOPE Scholarship). However, I (and most CS grads I knew) left Atlanta for better paying jobs in NYC/Bay Area/Seattle/Austin. I always wondered why the ATL tech scene was 'underdeveloped' compared to comparable sized cities like Seattle and Austin, despite having major research institutions (Georgia Tech and Emory) to anchor it.

This is what I mean by 'underdeveloped':

- Most software dev job postings (as of May 2018) have SPECIFIC tech stack requirements. This to me is a red flag. Most recruiters in 'developed' tech cities assume that software development skills are transferable and that technology stacks/frameworks/languages can be learned.

- The salaries offered were still very low compared to comparable COL locations like Austin

- No major FAANG presence to put upward pressure on local developer wages

> I always wondered why the ATL tech scene was 'underdeveloped'

I lived and worked there for a while there.

* Most of the tech jobs are out in burbs like alpharetta ect.

* City is just not great. There isn't much to do.

* Feels a bit old school and traditional.

* No access to snow for skiing , to the ocean for surfing, mountain biking trails are decent but not great.

* Music scene is not good. I don't like to listen to country , rock ect.

* I always feel a little scared to drive outside ATL into GA, Alabama. Confederate flags, churches in the gas stations. I've heard some stories from my friends. I admit that this might be an irrational fear.

This seems to be a post about how Atlanta isn't right for you. The city has plenty to do...multiple sports teams, the beltline is ever expanding, lots of parks, an active population, the weather is proper for at least 80% of the year, the music scene is diverse...the city itself is diverse.

If you want to ski, fly to Colorado and ski...if you want to be a ski bum, yes...Atlanta is not for you.

And yes, it has its downsides...it is sprawling, public transportation is not good, it can get very hot in the summer, crime can be high, and generally many of the problems that large metro areas deal with.

> lots of parks

I have to disagree, after living in West Midtown Atlanta for the past 3 years. There's one large park (Piedmont) downtown, but beyond that I have to drive 30mins-1hour for any park of comparable size.

You’re wrong, within 15 minutes you have Grant Park, Centennial, Freedom, Candler, Chastain.

If you drive 30-60 minutes you get to dozens of bike and hiking trails in big parks.

Not to mention all the trees everywhere and pocket parks.

The parks aren’t necessarily the best in the world or anything, but there’s lots of space and more than most major cities. One thing is that the parks aren’t built up around very much like other cities.

On the weekend when there's no traffic, it's easy enough to drive to a park, sure. During the week, when I would want to relax outdoors after work, all the parks you mention are a 30+ minute drive in stressful rush hour traffic.

(it's also worth mentioning that for my first 1.5 years in Atlanta, I couldn't even afford a car, so my options were limited to Piedmont Park and the Georgia Tech campus)

In rush hour traffic from the Atlantic Station area, according to Google Maps:

Grant Park: 26min drive Centennial Olympic Park: 15min drive (I did go there all the time but it's not really a park? plus tons of car noise nearby) Freedom Park: 34min drive Candler Park: 28min drive Chastain Park: 28min drive

I'd occasionally go to the park along Collier Road or to Memorial Park (both 15-20min drive in traffic), but both are surrounded by deadlocked rush hour traffic for most of the afternoon.

I think the lesson is maybe that I should've chosen to live in the Little 5 Points area or somewhere east of Piedmont, but that would mean sacrificing my ~5min bicycle commute to the Georgia Tech campus where I was going to school at the time.

In the end Atlanta's car culture really grated on me, so I left.

That said, I think Atlanta is on a positive trajectory. I'm excited to see how the Microsoft campus impacts the western part of the city. I imagine in 15-20 years it could be a really appealing city.