Why I'll always be...ITP

Oh, the age old ITP or OTP debate...Most are fiercely passionate about which side they're on, and so, it is important to tread lightly on the subject, so you don't unintentionally (or intentionally-maybe you just like to offend folks)offend someone. I will likely offend, it seems to be something I do often and quite well, so I'm just going to accept the gifts god gave me and go with it.

ITP=Inside the Perimeter OTP=Outside the Perimeter

Now, being from Cairo, where there is no perimeter, just the rich neighborhood, the hill and the country, I was not privy to this whole ITP/OTP war or the stigma that is associated with choosing one side or the other. When I moved to Atlanta, I wanted to live as close to my work as possible, as the only thing worse than living in the wrong neighborhood is traffic.

So my first apartment was a cute little 700 square foot 1 bedroom, I could make it to work in just under 4 minutes.

Cute, right?
Only problem, I was OTP. Granted, I was only like 1/4 of a mile OTP, but I was OTP none the less. My friends wouldn't come over because it was "too far". I felt isolated. Alone. I fell into a deep OTP depression-I was living in the land of arby's and wal-mart, when I longed for genki and phipps plaza. I vowed, on that summer day in 2005, I would be an ITP-er, come hell, high water or a stint in a "transitional neighborhood".

Now, if you live OTP, thats ok. The schools are more consistent. You can buy a 3000 square foot house in East Cobb for like 250,000, maybe less. Taxes are a lot lower. You're closer to the outlets and midevil times. You can live next door to the real housewives of atlanta (because none of them actually live in atlanta)!!!

But guess what I can do that you can't? I can walk to MARTA, I can walk to bars AND I can walk to Lenox or Phipps (which means I can avoid traffic and parking congestion caused by OTP-ers). I work OTP, which means, when I drive to work, I am going against traffic (because for some reason, people that live OTP work ITP) and I am laughing at all you fools sitting in traffic on PIB! hahahahahaha!

Husband and I can go to dinner at a Buckhead restaurant and rub elbows with Andre 3000 or Tom Selleck any time we want-no planning here (you know, who's going to drive? how are we going to get home if we have a couple of drinks? how are we going to get our car in the morning if we have to take a taxi? how much is a taxi from buckhead to roswell? 100 bucks??!!! nevermind, I won't drink).

Yes, for real, I met Tom Selleck. I told him I loved him in "3 Men and a Baby" and shook his hand. Softest hands I have ever felt in my life.