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Old 01-30-2011, 12:29 PM
 
Location: ATL
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Which school has done more for the city of Atlanta as far as adding more foot traffic in the city, building developments over parking lots, etc?
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Old 01-30-2011, 12:44 PM
 
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I think the expansion of Georgia Tech definitely helped make Midtown a more desirable place to live in. There still are a lot of shady parts near GSU.
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Old 01-30-2011, 02:41 PM
 
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Tech houses over 8,000 students on campus and many others live in Home Park. I've heard of some living in Techwood Homes on the other side of campus but they leave soon after. You'd think the presence of Tech students would gentrify Home Park but a lot of the places are run down and they do have crime, even home invasions. I used to live there and had one break-in, stealing my TV, shoes, and a worthless watch (I bet he didn't know that and the TV didn't have remote control. Bad news at the pawnshop ) and one guy walked right into my room. Luckily he was non-violent and I showed him the door. My Chinese housemates, bless them, were not that careful to make sure the doors are locked.

Students go out on the town to do stuff but generally the GT campus is isolated and the Greek community helps to keep students on campus. The Student center, Library, and a new cafeteria on North Avenue are 24-hours so GT students have even less reason to venture off into town which is kind of sad if you spend all your time on campus . Tech has built some stuff on the west side of campus but it is still dead and GT's presence contributes little. Tech Square is perhaps the most GT has contributed to intown living as it is part of the city grid. It brought life to an otherwise dead area of town. Plus the Fifth Street bridge/park is interesting. It has greenspace and shields you from the interstate below. Plus in summer they shut the street down and show free movies with free popcorn. Not ideal conditions for movie viewing but hey it's free. There used to be a shuttle to the Kroger on Howell Mill Rd but now that there is a nearby Publix in Midtown, close to Tech Square with a Stinger bus route, it is no longer necessary.

The other contribution GT makes is through its City Planning program which obsesses over Atlanta . GT was heavily involved with Atlantic Station and originated the Beltway project through a student's Master's thesis.

Georgia State is a relative newcomer in comparison. Prior to the last president, Carl Patton, GSU pretty much rejected the city putting up barriers, restricting access points, and other obstacles to discourage anyone loitering. Still, it was impossible to keep the non-GSU element out. After its initial growth spurt in the 1970s GSU didn't expand much.

Carl Patton took down the barriers and GSU is much more embracing of the city but doing so cautiously. The blocked entrance points were opened and campus is more open to the street. Right now there is an effort to widen the campus sidewalks thus narrowing the streets and structuring the street to slow traffic down. GSU is also expanding with new buildings and dormitories. GSU can now house over 2,000 students with more planned.

I think GSU will need many more students on campus to make an impact but since they are literally in the city and not a campus island, GSU will probably affect Atlanta's city life more. But it is expensive and GSU is not as rich as GT.
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Old 01-31-2011, 08:56 AM
 
Location: ATL
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^^^ I Agree
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Old 01-31-2011, 09:54 AM
 
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Georgia Tech has done more to increase the numbers of ****ty-tipping patrons at local restaurants, for sure.

/tech grad AND former waiter at a restaurant 4~ blocks from tech campus lol.
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Old 01-31-2011, 04:53 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spotch View Post
Georgia Tech has done more to increase the numbers of ****ty-tipping patrons at local restaurants, for sure.

/tech grad AND former waiter at a restaurant 4~ blocks from tech campus lol.
But we make up for it when we graduate and get paid .
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Old 01-31-2011, 05:43 PM
 
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Originally Posted by gtcorndog View Post
But we make up for it when we graduate and get paid .
I doubt it. You won't be hanging around Tech and there is a good chance you'll go out of state. And when you do visit, you'll reminisce by "dining" at the Varsity.
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Old 01-31-2011, 08:04 PM
 
Location: San Francisco
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Georgia Tech has 8,347 students living on campus and another 10,000 students and 1,000+ faculty living in nearby Midtown, Homepark, Centennial Park, or Midtown West. Tech grads are also responsible for half of the buildings/developments in downtown through north Atlanta. As long as GSU is a predominantly commuter school, then it won't even compare. I can guarantee you that Tech students support more Midtown businesses than GSU students support downtown businesses.

Just have to reiterate that Tech brought Zipcar to Atlanta, is responsible for the idea of the Beltline, and is largely responsible for many other huge projects like Atlantic Station and even the Streetcar.

Might I also add that without Tech, someone else would have had to develop the four largest downtown hotels, Peachtree Place office towers, and Suntrust Plaza. That's all via one Tech grad.

Might I also add that Tech Square is thanks purely to the generous contributions of Tech grads into a GT Foundation wholly owned subsidiary that still manages much of the development. Tech Square so far beats anything GSU has done.

Lastly, I am a Tech grad and I tip better than anyone I know. Don't lump us all together And no self respecting Tech student would dine at The Varsity

Not that Tech's Greek community even acknowledges the off campus environment outside of party houses in Homepark or Va-Hi, GSU's Greek community is even worse. They had the opportunity to build something halfway decent and a little attractive. Instead, this is what was built:



And just to paint this picture, Tech grads are very prominant in local F500 top management/boards. As a result, there is a strong connection between our large corporations and contributions to entities/organizations/venues that are in or promote the urban core. Without Tech, many of these companies would either not exist or not be located in Atlanta, and if they were, there would not be the same charitable tie between our corporate world and community development.
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Old 02-01-2011, 02:13 PM
 
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Originally Posted by MathmanMathman View Post
I doubt it. You won't be hanging around Tech and there is a good chance you'll go out of state. And when you do visit, you'll reminisce by "dining" at the Varsity.
Ha ha. I did move away, but I came back 5 years later. I do make 1 trip a year to the Varsity just to remember why I don't go more often
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Old 02-02-2011, 09:15 AM
 
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I won't debate who has done more for the city, but I wonder what downtown would be like if not for GSU. Really, they have saved downtown from a blight of empty buildings: the old Ford dealership on Piedmont, two hotels off Piedmont near the Hilton, Suntrust Tower on Woodruff Park. I have been on faculty there for 10 years and I have been amazed by the changes in that relatively short period.
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