NYT has an article about what life in Alpharetta, GA is all about. Anyone who grew up in suburbia will most likely feel a bit of nostalgia when reading this article, but it also accurately paints a picture of what I dislike so much about the area I grew up in. Quick background – Alpharetta is one of those megasuburban areas – about 35 miles north of Atlanta, with a population around a quarter of a million of people, it’s filled with strip malls, SUVs and soccer moms. Good times.

The article is the story of one family who was transferred here for the husband’s work, and their subsequent adventures while living here. It’s funny though, I do have one major difference from the family profiled in the article: while they came to Atlanta for work and have no ties there, the only thing that would make me want to move back to suburban Atlanta are my ties to the area – I grew up there, and most of my family and friends are from there. Ironic, I suppose, given a good 8 out 10 people I know from Atlanta did not grow up there.

Heck, I can’t name more than 5 or so people I know that grew up in greater Atlanta. While most people come to Atlanta for work and are gone as quickly as they came, I’m curious to see if I could be one of the rare few who can be FROM Atlanta and still live there for the majority of my life. I guess first step is moving back there, eh