A die-hard New Yorker makes the move to the ATL — and likes it

So, I landed a job, packed up my sublet apartment in Queens, crammed the car with my music and movie collection, clothes, shoes and Bible (you know, the important stuff) and never looked back. Well, sort of.

For fear of turning into that person who says in every conversation, “ ’Cause back in New York ...” I really try hard not to compare Atlanta to New York.

Instead I’ve learned to make do with Chick-fil-A instead of the halal/fried chicken spot, Peachtree (all 71 of them) instead of Broadway and tricked-out Cadillacs instead of yellow cabs.

But because the New York culture is ingrained in me (I’ve lived there my entire life, sans college), I slip up at times and point out, to whoever will listen, the differences between the city so nice they named it twice and Hotlanta.

While I know it is pointless and annoying to compare the two cities (after all, Atlanta is not New York, it’s, well, Atlanta), please bear with me as I share my observations.

1. I like pizza, deli sandwiches and bagels, but not pizza, deli sandwiches and bagels made in Georgia. Please know that I really do appreciate the “N.Y. style” effort, but I will never be satisfied with the knockoff. Who wants Hershey once they’ve tasted Godiva? And it’s not just that the taste is off (perhaps not enough grease); it’s the overdone décor of these shops (no fork is needed for pizza and it should come in a brown paper bag, not a box), the service (a slice or bagel with cream cheese should only take minutes to prepare) and the attitude (move faster and less smiling). Or maybe it all just boils down to that New York water thing after all.

2. I’m accustomed to traffic. Please understand, I hail from the city that is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for worst traffic, but somehow Ga. 400 and I-85 seem a lot worse than the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Belt Parkway in New York. And why does Atlanta traffic reach tragic proportions when it rains or snows? That car you see swerving in and out of lanes with the horn blowing is me, an aggressive driver accustomed to slowing down only for law enforcement, not elements like rain and (1-inch) snow. I did consider MARTA but quickly realized it causes greater frustration and angst than driving.

3. After a month in Atlanta I realized that double parking was something unique to New York City. Parking is horrible in all five boroughs. People plan their social calendars around alternate street parking rules. I remember the first time I pulled up in front of Publix here in Atlanta, my sister Tanya (she’s lived in ATL for 10 years now) said, “We’re not in New York. There are plenty of parking spots.”

4. I’m no different from most people in my love for nice weather. In fact, I might be more appreciative as winters can be harsh in NYC. New York has a lot to offer but it rarely has perfect 70-degree sunny days in the middle of March. While I love the mild winters in Atlanta, I wish the summers were less Hades-like.

5. I heart New York, and Atlanta. Despite complaints, whining and endless comparisons to “back home,” I have found a certain peace and solace in the city of Atlanta.

At this stage of my life, the cost of (Southern) living, slower pace, influx of upwardly mobile people, weather, endless opportunities and oh, Krispy Kreme, make Atlanta’s peach a little sweeter than New York’s apple.

Lakeia Brown is a freelance writer in Atlanta.