How would you describe Atlanta's cultural scene as compared to say... NYC, Boston, Seattle, SF, etc? (Dallas: fit in, gated)

[northwinds]

Maybe we can have a keg party in the Rose Garden and work out all these problems. I'll call Michelle and get a tentative date...

[muxBuppie]

Originally Posted by northwinds

The police officer was right in not apologizing.......

How so?

[northwinds]

Originally Posted by muxBuppie

How so?

The cop was doing his job to try and protect Gates' house from an apparent burglary. Gates in turn became belligerent toward the cop and he was arrested after several warnings from the cop. Here's the police report:

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Police%2...s%20arrest.PDF

My parents taught me that it was never a good idea to verbally assault a police officer....even when you think you are in the right. Has proven to be sound advice as I have never been arrested...unlike Mr. Gates.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by northwinds

The police officer was right in not apologizing.......

If a cop catches you messing around in your home at 12:44 in the afternoon and the best you can do is show him your ID and claim that it's your house, are you okay with him handcuffing you and hauling you down to the station?

[northwinds]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If a cop catches you messing around in your home at 12:44 in the afternoon and the best you can do is show him your ID and claim that it's your house, are you okay with him handcuffing you and hauling you down to the station?

Yep, if I continue to act like a complete ass-clown after my identity is confirmed and the cop is leaving. Instead, I would be thanking the cop for responding to the "burglary" call so quickly and helping to keep my neighborhood safe.

[arjay57]

Well, that sounds fair enough.

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by fkrodw

Virtually no craft beer, sweetwater is good though. I'm sure the insecure "locals" here will point to this or that pub, but it's not like what you are thinking. Atlanta is about quantity, not quality. Think Dallas. Vritually no mountain biking, some cycling but watch out because cars do not stop for people let alone bikes.

Dude, Atlanta is no Denver, but it ain't no city-on-the-plains Dallas either. It's located an hour's drive from the Appalachian Mountains. There is a huge mountain biking community here. Even people who don't like Atlanta have to admit that it's a great city for outdoor recreation, mostly due to its geographical features (topography, climate, etc.). Hiking (ever hear of the Appalachian Trail), wakeboarding (ever hear of Lake Lanier?), kayaking (ever hear of the Chattahoochee?), jogging--you name it and there's a club for it.

In Atlanta you won't see many rednecks, but you will see a huge black urban presence. Some people like that, others not so much.

Well, if they don't like it, then they may as well scratch almost every other east coast city (minus Boston, as has been established) off the list. Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City--they all have a lot of urban black residents. No one is expecting Atlanta to be San Diego.

And of course you forget to mention that Atlanta's black population plummeted over the last decade, while its white, Asian, and Hispanic populations boomed.

Outside of Atlanta you will see redknecks and NASCAR.

Outside of Atlanta, you will simply see more transplants, albeit those transplants are of the suburbanites-with-kids variant. Beyond them, yes, there are rednecks, but what reason do people have to go out in the sticks anyway?

If you are considering Austin vs Atlanta, thats no contest.

I admit, Austin is pretty cool, but it doesn't really have that big city feel. It felt like Athens on steriods.

[BringBackCobain]

To the OP:

If I could define Atlanta's "cultural feel" in one word, it would be this: paradoxical. Yeah, Atlanta's in the South, and there are elements of Southern culture still present (mostly just friendliness and hospitality), but the majority of its culture is made up of elements that cannot be found anywhere else in the South. So, in that sense, it really isn't Southern at all. Or perhaps it is Southern, but Southern in the most sophisticated (or diluted, depending on your POV) form possible.

Another problem is that the city has changed so much in recent years that outsiders really don't know what it is, or rather what it has become. People always want to pigeon-hole Atlanta as the wanna-be big city without any big city amenities. That may have once been true, and even as recent as the 90s. But anyone who has seen Atlanta's progress and how it's changed in the last decade cannot make that argument with a straight face.

Lastly, just like every other major city, the "cultural feel" varies greatly by the area. If you're an ex-Frat dog who's into SEC girls, head to Buckhead. If you're an urbanite who's into fine art and glass buildings, head to Midtown. If you're a granola who's into going green and Phish, head to Virginia-Highland. If you're a struggling contemporary artist, head to West Midtown. If you're a hipster, head to East Atlanta. If you don't know what your are, but you know you're not normal, head to L5P. Of course, these are generalizations, and hipsters have pretty much taken over every area south of Ponce, but the point is that I see no reason why you couldn't find what your looking for in Atlanta.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by kirkwoodhipster

I actually found Atlanta to be quite similar to Seattle, culturally, than Houston or Dallas.

Hasn't been my observation at all.

[northwinds]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

To the OP:

If I could define Atlanta's "cultural feel" in one word, it would be this: paradoxical. Yeah, Atlanta's in the South, and there are elements of Southern culture still present (mostly just friendliness and hospitality), but the majority of its culture is made up of elements that cannot be found anywhere else in the South. So, in that sense, it really isn't Southern at all. Or perhaps it is Southern, but Southern in the most sophisticated (or diluted, depending on your POV) form possible.

Another problem is that the city has changed so much in recent years that outsiders really don't know what it is, or rather what it has become. People always want to pigeon-hole Atlanta as the wanna-be big city without any big city amenities. That may have once been true, and even as recent as the 90s. But anyone who has seen Atlanta's progress and how it's changed in the last decade cannot make that argument with a straight face.

Lastly, just like every other major city, the "cultural feel" varies greatly by the area. If you're an ex-Frat dog who's into SEC girls, head to Buckhead. If you're an urbanite who's into fine art and glass buildings, head to Midtown. If you're a granola who's into going green and Phish, head to Virginia-Highland. If you're a struggling contemporary artist, head to West Midtown. If you're a hipster, head to East Atlanta. If you don't know what your are, but you know you're not normal, head to L5P. Of course, these are generalizations, and hipsters have pretty much taken over every area south of Ponce, but the point is that I see no reason why you couldn't find what your looking for in Atlanta.

Too funny....and accurate....BBC you know you're city.