The Real Housewives of Atlanta

[candor]

Not to take this too far off the subject, but the more I see of Atlanta, the more I like it. I went on a small, 100-passenger Mediterranean cruise by myself a few years ago (How pathetic is that? Don't answer), and there was a large and friendly group of Atlantans on board who insisted I have dinner and drinks with them. It was like dining with a dozen Paula Deens. I loved them and the whole Southern vibe. I'm curious how the summers are -- on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being so humid you melt on the sidewalk? Any locals care to share?

[pretlitdev]

It's hotter than you can believe. Do you come from the east coast? If not, the biggest problem that most people have is the humidity-there are days when it's so humid that you're dripping with sweat by 9 am. 90+ days are not uncommon and it feels worse with the humidity. And, unlike where I live in East Tennessee, there's barely any breeze to cool it down. Spring is absolutely miserable, with the amount of pollen turning everything yellow, and it pretty much stops raining, period, by the time summer rolls around. Which means everything stays yellow, and Georgia is back in a drought. I think of 18 years growing up in Atlanta, only about 16 were drought free years. You can't wash your car or water your lawn, and I've heard in recent years, they've even worried about having enough drinking water.

Any breathing problems? Atlanta is a bad place for it. There's a smog alert pretty much every day in the summer. And it's awful to get around. There are so many highways and so many cars that traffic's always an issue.

If you're looking for a visit to Georgia, I'd suggest Savannah. It's on the ocean, so it doesn't feel as hot in the summers. It's got as many amazing restaurants as Atlanta, and it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen (A lot of Forrest Gump was filmed in and around Savannah, as well as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) Think oak trees with Spanish Moss, houses with porches and columns, etc. They have a great St. Patrick's Day as well as an Oktoberfest, and if you're looking for southern charm and hospitality, you'll definitely find it there.

[luvsginger]

It's hotter than you can believe. Do you come from the east coast? If not, the biggest problem that most people have is the humidity-there are days when it's so humid that you're dripping with sweat by 9 am. 90+ days are not uncommon and it feels worse with the humidity. And, unlike where I live in East Tennessee, there's barely any breeze to cool it down. Spring is absolutely miserable, with the amount of pollen turning everything yellow, and it pretty much stops raining, period, by the time summer rolls around. Which means everything stays yellow, and Georgia is back in a drought. I think of 18 years growing up in Atlanta, only about 16 were drought free years. You can't wash your car or water your lawn, and I've heard in recent years, they've even worried about having enough drinking water.

Any breathing problems? Atlanta is a bad place for it. There's a smog alert pretty much every day in the summer. And it's awful to get around. There are so many highways and so many cars that traffic's always an issue.

If you're looking for a visit to Georgia, I'd suggest Savannah. It's on the ocean, so it doesn't feel as hot in the summers. It's got as many amazing restaurants as Atlanta, and it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen (A lot of Forrest Gump was filmed in and around Savannah, as well as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) Think oak trees with Spanish Moss, houses with porches and columns, etc. They have a great St. Patrick's Day as well as an Oktoberfest, and if you're looking for southern charm and hospitality, you'll definitely find it there.

Savannah is definitely on my list, it sounds like my type of place. The characters in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were real and most of them still reside in Savannah, like Chablis...remember him/her? Also, isn't that where Paula Deen and her sons live and operate restaurants?

[Margaritaville]

Savannah is definitely on my list, it sounds like my type of place. The characters in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were real and most of them still reside in Savannah, like Chablis...remember him/her? Also, isn't that where Paula Deen and her sons live and operate restaurants?

Yup And her brother's seafood restaurant is close by as well, I believe. It is on my list of places I want to vacation someday. My brother-in-law was there a couple of years ago on business and said he tried a couple of different times to eat at Paula's restaurant, but the lines were just too long (around the block, he said).

How far is Savannah from Atlanta? I mean, since the housewives don't actually reside IN Atlanta, are they closer to Savannah or further away? Anyone know?

[candor]

It's hotter than you can believe. Do you come from the east coast? If not, the biggest problem that most people have is the humidity-there are days when it's so humid that you're dripping with sweat by 9 am. 90+ days are not uncommon and it feels worse with the humidity. And, unlike where I live in East Tennessee, there's barely any breeze to cool it down. Spring is absolutely miserable, with the amount of pollen turning everything yellow, and it pretty much stops raining, period, by the time summer rolls around. Which means everything stays yellow, and Georgia is back in a drought. I think of 18 years growing up in Atlanta, only about 16 were drought free years. You can't wash your car or water your lawn, and I've heard in recent years, they've even worried about having enough drinking water.

Any breathing problems? Atlanta is a bad place for it. There's a smog alert pretty much every day in the summer. And it's awful to get around. There are so many highways and so many cars that traffic's always an issue.

If you're looking for a visit to Georgia, I'd suggest Savannah. It's on the ocean, so it doesn't feel as hot in the summers. It's got as many amazing restaurants as Atlanta, and it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen (A lot of Forrest Gump was filmed in and around Savannah, as well as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) Think oak trees with Spanish Moss, houses with porches and columns, etc. They have a great St. Patrick's Day as well as an Oktoberfest, and if you're looking for southern charm and hospitality, you'll definitely find it there.

I've grown up on the West Coast, and every time I go to New York or D.C. in the summer I think I'm gonna die. I think I'd like the culture -- and I definitely want to visit Savannah -- but I'd probably melt in the South. Too bad.

[Bunny555]

NeNe, 41, also noted that the eviction notice does not have her name on it, adding “you don’t know my relationship with Greg so be careful what you report!”

I wonder what she meant by that comment. Is she insinuating that they aren't a couple? I'm confused.

[pretlitdev]

Savannah is (as best as I can remember) 3-4 hours from Atlanta. The last time I was there was in freshman year of high school when we buried my great uncle, so years ago. As far as where the housewives live(d)- Nene was just evicted from that house in Duluth. My father lives in Lawrenceville, which is in the same county, and he has about a forty minute drive into the city. I think the distance for the other housewives is comparable. Of course it really depends on the time of day/which direction you are going as to how 'far' everything is, but in the past fifteen or so years, more people who are able to are opting to live outside the city limits-Duluth, Kennessaw, Stone Mountain, Marietta, Lawrenceville.
*Note* Just looked it up and it seems as though Kim and Lisa also live in Duluth. Sheree is in Sandy Springs, which is about the same distance, and DeShawn is in Alpharetta. I grew up in Decatur and used to work in Alpharetta right out of high school, and it was about an hour drive. Of course, I was skirting the edge of Atlanta, and I'd say, again, from ALpharetta into the city is around a 30 minute drive. The thing about Georgia is, everyone in North Georgia pretty much tells people they are from Atlanta because it's the only place in the state most people know about. When I first moved away, I could always tell is someone had really spent time in Atlanta because when I'd say "I'm from Atlanta" they'd ask "what part?"


I looked up some of the restaurants in Savannah as it's been so long since I've been there. If you want AMAZING food, try the Olde Pink House. I can't believe it's still there-I remember eating there when I was in 6th grade and visiting with my aunt and cousin for Oktoberfest. It had, bar none, the best desert I've ever eaten in a restaurant.
Another great place is Snapper's, which in addition to having great snapper, had a really fun way of recycling. They had a backyard where they'd leave out food that would otherwise be thrown away, and a bunch of racoons came up to eat. There were huge windows that you could watch out of (though obviously customers couldn't go back there. Very fun for a kid.

[lakergirl1]

I wonder what she meant by that comment. Is she insinuating that they aren't a couple? I'm confused.

I've been wondering the same thing. Who knows with that woman? Maybe her entire life as shown on the show was staged?

[Veruka]

Not to take this too far off the subject, but the more I see of Atlanta, the more I like it. I went on a small, 100-passenger Mediterranean cruise by myself a few years ago (How pathetic is that? Don't answer), and there was a large and friendly group of Atlantans on board who insisted I have dinner and drinks with them. It was like dining with a dozen Paula Deens. I loved them and the whole Southern vibe. I'm curious how the summers are -- on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being so humid you melt on the sidewalk? Any locals care to share?

I moved from Ohio to Atlanta last year, so I had to make the transition from what my dad used to call "air conditioned Summers" to an Atlanta summer. It was not nearly as bad as I anticipated. Yes, it's hot. But summer lifestyles are also adapted to deal with the heat. Outside activities are scheduled recognizing it will be hot. Air conditioning is standard rather than an option. So the general lifestyle adapts to the heat. And, it is very much worth noting that the return for the hot Summer (which essentially lasts two peak months) is absolutely glorous tempreatures in the Spring and Fall. Pretlitdev is right that the pollen in its peak is very bad. But that is about a 2 week window. The great temperatures for the Springtime last much longer than that. So like with any climate, there are tradeoffs. I have loved the city from the moment I arrived, and have not questioned my choice for a moment. I'd take 2 bad months of heat over 4-5 months of potential snow ANY time. You never have to shovel heat.

[biggbaddgirl]

I caught the entire season (plus reunion show) on the marathon they ran a few days ago on the Oxygen network. Boy, were these women full of drama or what? Nene is my favorite but her being so loud all of the time would turn me off. I actually have a friend who's somewhat like her and she's always fun to be around but sometimes I have to stay away and have a little break.

I liked Lisa but there was a phoneyness about her that turned me off a bit. Deshawn seems sweet but a little dumb. Sheree and lying Kim can have each other.