Mega Mart Gwinnett Place opens Oct. 8 (Atlanta, Duluth: house, neighborhood, buyer)

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Wow. I lived in Duluth for several years when I was a kid. Back then it was a typical Southern, backwater exurb. I remember Gwinnett Place as being your average, everyday suburban mall (think Ridgedale in MN). Now it's Little Korea! It's really changed. I have to get back there for a visit someday.

KAZOOPILOT, I tried to tell you this in another thread awhile back. You really DO need to come back and visit. You would not recognize the place.

Closing in on 1 million residents, Gwinnett County is the most diverse county in Georgia and one of the most diverse in the nation. One in four residents of Gwinnett County WAS BORN OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES! Whites ceased to be a majority in the county about 10 years ago, and today make up only about 40 percent of the population, with blacks, asians and hispanics accounting equally for the other 60 percent.

Gwinnett's economy is so large, it's considered a "sub market" of Metro Atlanta, with its own professional sports teams (Georgia Force, Gwinnett Braves) and convention and entertainment venues (Gwinnett Arena). The Gwinnett Daily Post is the second-largest newspaper in the state, with Sunday circulation around 120,000. Gwinnett even has one of those "Arabian Knights" dinner theater things.

The area around Gwinnett Place Mall, the area where you grew up, has gone through some tough times as two more huge malls have been built further up I-85 -- Discovery Mills and Mall of Georgia. Some areas of Gwinnett have, unfortunately, suffered from urban decay, gangs, high crime and the like. But the county leadership seems determined not to let Gwinnett follow in the history of DeKalb and that's a good thing.

Gwinnett County Schools are the largest system in Georgia, and remain one of the best despite rapid growth and changing demographics. Some high schools in Gwinnett have more than 4,000 students.

So yes, you need to come visit. It would really put things into perspective.

[Newsboy]

SHHHH!!! Don't let all the Atlanta haters on C-D hear this stuff ... it will blow their minds!

[ericsonga]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

KAZOOPILOT, I tried to tell you this in another thread awhile back. You really DO need to come back and visit. You would not recognize the place.

Closing in on 1 million residents, Gwinnett County is the most diverse county in Georgia and one of the most diverse in the nation. One in four residents of Gwinnett County WAS BORN OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES! Whites ceased to be a majority in the county about 10 years ago, and today make up only about 40 percent of the population, with blacks, asians and hispanics accounting equally for the other 60 percent.

Gwinnett's economy is so large, it's considered a "sub market" of Metro Atlanta, with its own professional sports teams (Georgia Force, Gwinnett Braves) and convention and entertainment venues (Gwinnett Arena). The Gwinnett Daily Post is the second-largest newspaper in the state, with Sunday circulation around 120,000. Gwinnett even has one of those "Arabian Knights" dinner theater things.

The area around Gwinnett Place Mall, the area where you grew up, has gone through some tough times as two more huge malls have been built further up I-85 -- Discovery Mills and Mall of Georgia. Some areas of Gwinnett have, unfortunately, suffered from urban decay, gangs, high crime and the like. But the county leadership seems determined not to let Gwinnett follow in the history of DeKalb and that's a good thing.

Gwinnett County Schools are the largest system in Georgia, and remain one of the best despite rapid growth and changing demographics. Some high schools in Gwinnett have more than 4,000 students.

So yes, you need to come visit. It would really put things into perspective.

Great post! There really is a lot going for Gwinnett currently, and there is huge support behind it. Not only to continue, but to truly strive for the best.

Also, not to be a stickler, but there are a few things in your post that need to be corrected. Gwinnett only became a majority-minority county last year; 2009. We are 49.8% white as of last year. Also, the dinner theater is Medieval Times at DISCOVER (as in the credit card) Mills mall.

Once again, great post though!

[OctoberMoon]

My husband and I have visited this area a couple times since we moved to the Atlanta area, and I was really impressed by a lot of what Gwinnett County has to offer. Coming from Los Angeles myself, I enjoy diversity and I saw a lot of here there.

I'm still a little sceptical about Mega Mart. I saw it from the outside when we visited that mall and it looked like one of those cheapy-mart type places that sell knock-offs and low quality brands. I'm curious to see the inside sometime and will make a point to stop by there at some point. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Newsboy, thank you for that info! That is really interesting info.

[northstar22]

Newsboy, great post! Gwinnett is majority-minority now?!?! That BLOWS MY MIND! I remember going to elementary school in Gwinnett and being the ONLY black (I'm actually mixed with black, white and Native) kid in the ENTIRE SCHOOL. I was one of TWO minority kids in the entire school. Now it's majority-minority? Wow, how things can change.

I remember the Discover Mills Mall when it first opened -- there really wasn't much to it, just a couple of low-end, shopping center type stores. It sounds like it's really expanded.

So most of Gwinnett is ghetto now? Duluth is mostly Korean? Do most people think of it as its own metro, or is it still considered part of Atlanta? I know with a population of 1,000,000, it's equal with Hennepin County in population, only without the benefit of a large anchor city (Minneapolis).

[mrdkb]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Newsboy, great post! Gwinnett is majority-minority now?!?! That BLOWS MY MIND! I remember going to elementary school in Gwinnett and being the ONLY black (I'm actually mixed with black, white and Native) kid in the ENTIRE SCHOOL. I was one of TWO minority kids in the entire school. Now it's majority-minority? Wow, how things can change.

I remember the Discover Mills Mall when it first opened -- there really wasn't much to it, just a couple of low-end, shopping center type stores. It sounds like it's really expanded.

So most of Gwinnett is ghetto now? Duluth is mostly Korean? Do most people think of it as its own metro, or is it still considered part of Atlanta? I know with a population of 1,000,000, it's equal with Hennepin County in population, only without the benefit of a large anchor city (Minneapolis).

Ghetto? HECK NO

[mrdkb]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Newsboy, great post! Gwinnett is majority-minority now?!?! That BLOWS MY MIND! I remember going to elementary school in Gwinnett and being the ONLY black (I'm actually mixed with black, white and Native) kid in the ENTIRE SCHOOL. I was one of TWO minority kids in the entire school. Now it's majority-minority? Wow, how things can change.

I remember the Discover Mills Mall when it first opened -- there really wasn't much to it, just a couple of low-end, shopping center type stores. It sounds like it's really expanded.

So most of Gwinnett is ghetto now? Duluth is mostly Korean? Do most people think of it as its own metro, or is it still considered part of Atlanta? I know with a population of 1,000,000, it's equal with Hennepin County in population, only without the benefit of a large anchor city (Minneapolis).

Whites are still the majority in Gwinnett - meaning the largest race. The the other races make up abt 50% of the county. And guess what the last names are of the Valendictorians of Gwinnett County Schools? Guess why Gwinnett County Schools rank better the other counties.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Newsboy, great post! Gwinnett is majority-minority now?!?! That BLOWS MY MIND! I remember going to elementary school in Gwinnett and being the ONLY black (I'm actually mixed with black, white and Native) kid in the ENTIRE SCHOOL. I was one of TWO minority kids in the entire school. Now it's majority-minority? Wow, how things can change.

I remember the Discover Mills Mall when it first opened -- there really wasn't much to it, just a couple of low-end, shopping center type stores. It sounds like it's really expanded.

So most of Gwinnett is ghetto now? Duluth is mostly Korean? Do most people think of it as its own metro, or is it still considered part of Atlanta? I know with a population of 1,000,000, it's equal with Hennepin County in population, only without the benefit of a large anchor city (Minneapolis).

1. No, most of Gwinnett is not ghetto at all--not in the least.

2. No, Duluth is not mostly Korean--it's just that Atlanta's burgeoning Korean community is centered on Duluth/Eastern Johns Creek and then it stretches southwest through parts of Norcross and into Doraville.

3. Gwinnett is not it's own metro. It is a key element/part of Metro Atlanta.

4. You need to read this link:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/14783608-post83.html


5. And you should study this map:

http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps-m...map121109b.pdf

[Newsboy]

I didn't mean to imply Gwinnett is all ghetto. By the strictest definition of the word, I don't if any of it is truly "ghetto." But some areas have seen serious decline -- mainly the Jimmy Carter Blvd corridor, parts of Norcross, and Gwinnett Place Mall. Also, parts of South Gwinnett / Snellville are starting to see spillover from Stone Mountain and Lithonia. The large majority of Gwinnett is still very liveable, just much more diverse -- and traffic clogged than ever before.

My bad on the minority-majority population thing. I may have been thinking of the school system enrollment? It did cease to be majority white about 10 years ago if I recall. But the qaulity of education in GCPS hasn't declined, and that's the important thing.

[mrpanda]

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

My husband and I have visited this area a couple times since we moved to the Atlanta area, and I was really impressed by a lot of what Gwinnett County has to offer. Coming from Los Angeles myself, I enjoy diversity and I saw a lot of here there.

I'm still a little sceptical about Mega Mart. I saw it from the outside when we visited that mall and it looked like one of those cheapy-mart type places that sell knock-offs and low quality brands. I'm curious to see the inside sometime and will make a point to stop by there at some point. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Newsboy, thank you for that info! That is really interesting info.

OctoberMoon, I've visited LA K-town, Garden Grove, and Irvine many times and I am more impressed with the new K-town development that's happening in Duluth (Gwinnett).

I am hoping that the Mega Mart becomes a big success. Back in the 80s and 90s, majority of the large korean companies based their head quarters in LA and NYC, now i think the new trend will be that the large Korean companies will be basing their headquarters in Atlanta.

5 years ago, I purchased into a new subdivision development next Sugar loaf Country Club.. I had no idea that i bought into a subdivision where 50% of my neighbors are Koreans. No Doubt.. Atlanta, especially Gwinnett County is the new "It" place where there is a thriving Korean Community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axHIlY_e-OU