I defitenly agree with Leticia. I love being on the outskirts, but not to far from 'city life'. It depends on how close you want to be to everything and of course, your budget. Are you looking for an apartment, townhome, or house? Are there certain things you would prefer to be closer to? They are building lots of new condos and lofts downtown, but of course come with the downtown price.
I actually live on the outskirts b/c the taxes are lower, we got more house for less $ (not to mention I cant reach out and touch my neighbors house,lol), and its quieter. Wherever you go in Atlanta, you will pretty much run into traffic,lol, so there's no avoiding that. I've only lived here for about 4 1/2 years, and still get lost b/c there are so many different areas! lol Thank goodness for my FI, he was born here, so that helps!
But I actually moved here b/c of a job offer, and the company actually paid for me to relocate, so dont give up on that. You just have to find the right company ;~)
If you want, I will try and find some 'moving to atlanta' pamphlets/magazines to send to you, if you think that will help.
Here are a couple of links that may get you started:
Moving to Atlanta Georgia - A Relocation Guide from the AJC | ajc.com
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce - Newcomer Information
KNOWAtlanta.com :: Spring 2008
List of suburbs/surrounding areas: Georgia Bigger Cities (over 6000 residents) - Real Estate, Housing, Schools, Residents, Crime, Pollution, Demographics and More