Try to remember this: When it comes to "big cities," etc., it's not the city you're going to be living with, it's the people. If the people are trustworthy and morally upright, you'll have a great time. If the people are sneaky and dishonest, what does the city's skyline now mean to you? You have to live with the people, so that will make the difference between a home and a place to live.

OK, you make some good points here. But it's not that I ever had anything bad happen to me in Buford. I lived in that area briefly, as I have in other parts of the country. My main point was that before I moved there, I had several people tell me how great it was to live down there, but it just didn't live up to the hype. Here are the specifics:

– Traffic is horrible when you are trying to get around in the Metro Atlanta area (worse than LA, Phoenix or NYC – I've spent considerable time in each area). A commute might take 5 minutes one day, and one hour the next (no kidding).
– Shopping, restaurants and entertainment are not convenient – Very little in the way of 'cool downtowns' like you might have in say, Stamford, CT or the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, MI. Instead, you have a bunch of strip malls, and you have to drive considerable distances to get anywhere. Plus, locals like to brag about the 'Mall of Georgia' – Go to any other metropolis, and the malls are much, much, much better (e.g., the shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago). And the actual city of Atlanta doesn't offer that much either – if you want a real big city experience, you're much better off in Boston, Chicago or San Franscisco.
– Weather has been touted as a key factor by many – here's what you should expect: The summers down there are very hot, humid and uncomfortable. Combine that with the current ongoing drought conditions (although things have improved), and it's a dangerous combination. You don't get 4 seasons, you get 2: mildly warm, and scorchingly hot.

I would recommend that you spend more there, before making the decision to move your entirely family – I'm not saying don't do it, just take time to be sure. And as far as the New York comment – true, it's not perfect. But you have crime everywhere, including Buford. Plus, you don't have to live right in NYC, like me. There are many great communities surrounding the area – Stamford, CT is a terric place to live and raise a family.

As some of the others pointed out, too – in the South you need to be prepared for droughts and hurricanes (or at least the residual effects of the hurricanes) and very rough Spring storms. Just think carefully before moving – the grass is not always greener down South.

Even though you all have had good and bad experiences just remeber that no matter where you go that is going to happen. Bad things happen and if you have had bad experiences in that city or state then you are going to down anything good that is said about that particular place.

I hate Twinsburg which isn't far from cleveland because i was homeless for three years when I lived there, but deep down i didn't want to be there in the first place.

When I visited Buford it was the greatest experience of my life thus far. I was stressed out about everything in Cleveland and when I got to Buford I forgot everything and I was so relaxed. No more aches and pains, of course every city has it's down falls but the good out weighed the bad which is why i plan to move myself and my family there.

So just take the time to think about this… just becasue you had a bad experience is that any reason to mark the city as a horrible place.

In response to the guy from New York, I wouldn't move there if you paid me, unless you were going to pay for me to live there (the cost of living is extermely high)and when I went there to visit I was warned about all of the horrible things that could happen to me if I wasn't cautious while walking around.

When we first moved down there, Lake Lanier was touted as a great boating/ vacation/recreation area. What a joke!! Most of Lanier is a third-rate dump at best (when it actually has water), and can't hold a candle to Michigan's Great Lakes or other magnificent lakes and waterways around the U.S., such as Long Island Sound, or the inlets and harbors in the Pacific Northwest.

Furthermore, speaking of water, there is an ongoing drought that is expected to continue for some time. I don't know what criteria your using to establish Buford as a top location, but access to adequate water is pretty high on my quality-of-life index. Especially in an area where the summers are very long, very hot and very humid.

I realize that your organization is biased toward the area since you're located in downtown Atlanta – but beyond that, I really can't understand the appeal of the place. There are many places throughout the U.S. that are much, much better.

You really need to re-think your rankings.