Why Midtown Atlanta is much better off then Downtown Atlanta (Columbus: apartments, rental)

[Ant131531]

I hate to admit it, but i think Atlanta needs to gain white power again to change the core of Atlanta.

[afonega1]

I agree that downtown(the area South of 5 points on Spring and Peachtree Streets need help.However I see that the issue is the City of Atlanta moroso than private investment.Even then is not a dirty trashy area as it is the buildings that need attention. Five points station is ALWAYS free of trash and debris.Its the station that needs to be torn down.That 70's decor mixed with Doric columns is not helping the issue.Orange and Brown has gotta go!!

[cqholt]

They already tried to revitalize The Underground and make it a great nightlife attraction and it was a fail.

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They tried to make Underground something that its not, a mall. The plaza needs to have more green and less pavement. South Downtown is cut off from the government buildings forming a wall between Downtown and South Downtown. South Downtown needs more greenspace. The area has great potential and I think if the MMPT and new Falcons Stadium get located around the gulch it will help the area out.

Its the station that needs to be torn down.That 70's decor mixed with Doric columns is not helping the issue.Orange and Brown has gotta go!!

Hopefully the station will get a face lift as part of the MMPT project. The concrete bunker is a little depressing.
Fairlie-Popular is a cool area with some bars, just gotta know where to look.

[Galounger]

I think Downtown's struggles stem from the nature of the neighborhoods that are adjacent to it. It's bordered to the North by Midtown but the residential neighborhoods bordering it on all other sides are pretty rough. (to the West atleast there is some gentrification taking place but a long way to go.)

Midtown on the other hand is bordered to the North by Buckhead to the East by some very nice neighborhoods and to the South by Downtown. The neighborhoods to the West are somewhat rough but on the rise.

Of the other attractive Downtowns I've seen such as Downtown Denver and Downtown Columbus, Ohio they all shared the distinction of having for the most part fairly nice (or atleast decent) residential neighborhoods adjacent to them. This is what separates them from Downtown Atlanta and this is the problem I think would greatly improve Downtown the most if it addressed it. How can we expect Downtown Atlanta to not be some what "Hood" when about 3/4ths of the surrounding residential neighborhoods are the "hood".

If there were attractive middle class housing type neighborhoods to the South and West of Downtown, I just about guarantee you that Downtown would become a completely different place.

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Agreed. I think the Fairlie poplar district is amazing and has that quaint feeling to it that you fine in the northeastern cities....It's mainly the East and southern parts of downtown that need redeveloping.

A lot of buildings in downtown can have mixed used to it and there are many parking lots that can be re-developed. THERE ARE A LOT OF PARKING LOTS. Get rid of them ugly things.

I agree with you about Fairlie Poplar, especially Broad Street. It reminds me a bit of Thayer Street in Providence (near Brown University) or parts of Cambridge, MA.

As for the parking...it may be unattractive, but the parking spaces are needed for all the people who work in downtown office buildings. I do think most of the parking garages would benefit from a major facelift though.

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

I hate to admit it, but i think Atlanta needs to gain white power again to change the core of Atlanta.

Oh, here we go. Really, you should learn to phrase things in a somewhat less flame-inspiring manner.

[Onthemove2014]

Lol.

"White power" to fix downtown.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by researchnerd

Oh, here we go. Really, you should learn to phrase things in a somewhat less flame-inspiring manner.

Yeah, I said it in a bad way, but apparently, 3 people agree with me as I got 3 rep just for that comment alone.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Yeah, I said it in a bad way, but apparently, 3 people agree with me as I got 3 rep just for that comment alone.

I really don't think it has to do with the color of the politicians' skin. I think perhaps it may have to do with the entrenched power base that governs Atlanta at a particular time. What we need is a change to a group of political leaders who want to and are willing to risk a bit of political capital to encourage and foster change. I feel certain that this can be said of any political body. We can certainly say that "Washington needs fixing" but I don't think that has to do with the fact that the vast majority of Washington politicians are white old stubborn men. I think it simply has to do with the entrenched powers being unwilling to change for fear of losing their comfortable jobs. Just my opinion.

[ATL Urbanist]

Interesting thread. As a downtowner myself, I'm entirely biased, but I truly believe that most of the woes of this area could be alleviated by a significant increase in residents. Which is a chicken/egg conundrum, of course, because there are more amenities for living in Midtown and Buckhead to draw new residents in. How do you qualify building residential amenities like grocery stores without the people there to do the shopping?

I'm no expert and I can't suggest a way to make it happen, but we need more people living here to make downtown more of a welcoming place to people on a 24 hour basis. I'm pretty bummed that there are no new residential properties on the horizon for downtown, especially since there are so many being built in Midtown and Buckhead.

All I can do is point out that, in my experience, this is a very cool place to live if you're into the city life. Great transit access, gridded streets that are easy to walk, good sidewalks, lots of police presence (City of Atlanta, GSU & Marta police as well as the downtown ambassadors). And if you're looking for restaurants at night, I recommend White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails, Alma Cocina, Lunacy Black Market and Peasant Bistro. Meehan's and Park Bar are pretty good bars.

I can even recommend it for families. I live here in Fairlie-Poplar with my wife and kid and we have a lot of fun. Woodruff Park has the new playscape for playing and a big grassy field. Centennial Park is not far. And my kid has plenty of sidewalk for learning to ride a push scooter.

Year after year, little changes: Atlantans outside downtown don't go downtown for restaurants often. To get more and better options, there needs to be a bigger set of built-in customers via residents.

As for groceries, I can get most of the stuff on my list between CVS, Boxcar Grocer, Sweet Auburn Curb Market and Reuben's Deli (for sliced meat and cheese). But we've got jack squat for buying good beer and wine and many other things. I'll keep hoping to read about a new residential development being built downtown. I need some more neighbors.