Perhaps my passion for this city is based wholly on personal experience and growth. But that's what it should be based on, right? Would I have become the same person had I chosen Houston, Brooklyn, the Bay Area, or anywhere else? Would my friendships have stayed the same, would my hand have made the same marks? Difficult to answer such huge what if's. All I know is what I've experienced and here in Atlanta, I've gone through what feels like a decade of growth.
Atlanta is what some would call a “starter” city: relatively easy living standards, a flourishing job market, and a sense of hospitality that makes everything feel a bit cozier. For me, it's become a “staying” city. I can see myself actually sustaining a long life here without compromising comfort or opportunity. It's a city that is unpretentious and young enough to allow outsiders to make a splash, a difference. Oh, and it's also pretty dang beautiful.