Georgia "brand" needs makeover, some argue (Atlanta, Columbus: best cities, insurance)

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by SteveTime

Yeah its like Atlanta trys to fool you by have all their skyscrapers in a single line makes the city looks more urban than it really is.
It's like a single file line of skyscraper instead of true density.and walkability. But don't get me wrong there some real architectural gems there

If Atlanta had all of the skyscrapers in downtown alone, then Atlanta skyline would be better IMHO and it would get more respect from people. It's really just a 2-3 block wide line of gapped highrises and skyscrapers....you don't really feel like you're in a big city with skyscrapers lining the street for miles. It could be a disappointment to many people who want that big, big city experience. The BoA tower isn't even at street level lol.

Even Houston has a more impressive downtown area to me. It feels more like you're in a large city with the building density alone...but it is pretty dead in the daytime and night and Atlanta beats Houston in vibrancy.

[Saintmarks]

The linear development of downtown and midtown is because of the importance of the Peachtree address. If the Beltline comes into full fruition (meaning a complete transit loop to go with parks and trails) I see this making Atlanta one of the most unique cities anywhere. I hope and pray Atlanta NEVER goes to a full urban block after block of mid-rises.... maybe let the area from downtown thru midtown grow like this, but leave the nice neighborhoods be! Have pockets of denseness but if the whole thing is paved over into a massive grid, yuck.

To those that can't find things to do, I would imagine you would be bored in any city. What makes a city a great experience is to find a network of friends and family that you can share the experience with. Yes, New York would be exciting, but if I were there alone and had no connections, I would get bored there too in a week.

Any city is what you make of it and a city is a close group of people. If you dont reach out and connect with other people, might as well go live in the woods.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

The linear development of downtown and midtown is because of the importance of the Peachtree address. If the Beltline comes into full fruition (meaning a complete transit loop to go with parks and trails) I see this making Atlanta one of the most unique cities anywhere. I hope and pray Atlanta NEVER goes to a full urban block after block of mid-rises.... maybe let the area from downtown thru midtown grow like this, but leave the nice neighborhoods be! Have pockets of denseness but if the whole thing is paved over into a massive grid, yuck.

To those that can't find things to do, I would imagine you would be bored in any city. What makes a city a great experience is to find a network of friends and family that you can share the experience with. Yes, New York would be exciting, but if I were there alone and had no connections, I would get bored there too in a week.

Any city is what you make of it and a city is a close group of people. If you dont reach out and connect with other people, might as well go live in the woods.

Don't waste your time, Saintmarks. ANT has already made it known time and time again that he cares NOTHING about the history of Atlanta. He doesn't want to hear the "why's" behind anything having to do with Atlanta because, in his own words, "it's not interesting."

So he just continues trolling and restating the same empty reasons why he doesn't like Atlanta, completely uninterested in knowing or understanding the reasons why it developed like it has. He wants Atlanta to be just like Philadelphia and New York -- and is probably just as unaware why those cities are the way they are today, too.

History does not exist in a vacuum. It builds upon itself. To understand the present, we must understand the past. When it comes to Atlanta and Georgia, ANT has no understanding of either. Save your breath.

[Saintmarks]

Don't worry newsboy, I'm stating it for the others that will come and read the thread. Not casting any of my pearls before.... well, will let those who know the phrase finish it off.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Yeah, if you look at the Atlanta skyline, you would think you were in an incredibly vibrant, energetic and walkable city and that there would be many people on the street under those skyscrapers, but it really isn't the case.

Atlanta is a top 5 skyline for me in the U.S., but nowhere near top 5 for urbanity.

well, that's one thing i can agree with— downtown and midtown haven't reached enough density to have a world-class vibrant urban core yet. but if you look at the census density maps, midtown is at around 20,000 people per square mile, and that's larger than anywhere else in the southeast for certain. for scale, houston is around ~10,000 people per square mile at its densest and nyc is at around ~175,000 people per square mile at its densest.

what people don't seem to understand about atlanta is that it is ultimately a work-in-progress. none of us are claiming that atlanta is a finished city. atlanta is still growing rapidly and we're filling in the gaps in midtown and downtown as we speak. we have a lot of work to do. the reason i love atlanta is because of what's already here, the wide variety of environments you can enjoy just within a square mile. midtown is relatively exciting and somewhat urban— go less than a mile west and you're in tanyard creek park, seemingly miles away from anything at all:



go two blocks east in midtown and suddenly you're in a victorian neighbourhood:



walk a couple of blocks west from 5th street and suddenly, without even realising it, you're on the campus of georgia tech:

ga tech campus - Google Maps

and there are countless more examples of these little bizarre enclaves that you never knew were there— atlanta has so many secrets and hidden spots that it's astounding. the reason i love atlanta is because of the sheer potential for the dynamic between these neighbourhoods. imagine a chicago level density in midtown with forested parkland on both sides, you have everything you could possibly need— there's no reason to escape the hustle and bustle of the city because all you have to do is walk a couple of blocks over.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by SteveTime

Yeah its like Atlanta trys to fool you by have all their skyscrapers in a single line makes the city looks more urban than it really is.
It's like a single file line of skyscraper instead of true density.and walkability. But don't get me wrong there some real architectural gems there

As has been stated by sensible posters before me, Atlanta's linear highrise development was not random or a deliberate attempt to create a smoke and mirrors effect for visiting rubes. By and large it developed that way to protect the historic neighborhoods that flank Peachtree from Downtown to Buckhead. But then, it would require a modicum of intellectual curiosity to grasp this.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

The linear development of downtown and midtown is because of the importance of the Peachtree address. If the Beltline comes into full fruition (meaning a complete transit loop to go with parks and trails) I see this making Atlanta one of the most unique cities anywhere. I hope and pray Atlanta NEVER goes to a full urban block after block of mid-rises.... maybe let the area from downtown thru midtown grow like this, but leave the nice neighborhoods be! Have pockets of denseness but if the whole thing is paved over into a massive grid, yuck.

...

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

As has been stated by sensible posters before me, Atlanta's linear highrise development was not random or a deliberate attempt to create a smoke and mirrors effect for visiting rubes. By and large it developed that way to protect the historic neighborhoods that flank Peachtree from Downtown to Buckhead. But then, it would require a modicum of intellectual curiosity to grasp this.

This.





Atlanta's linear skyline is a signature feature--and it is totally awesome. Atlanta does need to work on the street life/vibrancy, but that will come with time.


Atlanta's juxtaposition of linear hyper-urbanity and bucolic historic neighborhoods is truly remarkable--and unlike anything in the world.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by aries4118

This.





Atlanta's linear skyline is a signature feature--and it is totally awesome. Atlanta does need to work on the street life/vibrancy, but that will come with time.


Atlanta's juxtaposition of linear hyper-urbanity and bucolic historic neighborhoods is truly remarkable--and unlike anything in the world.

Too right, Aries...its an aspect of this city that visiting friends from my NYC days find remarkable. It's funny for me for me to juxtapose their positive attitudes about Atlanta to the negative ones expressed here.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

...It's funny for me for me to juxtapose [NYC Friends'] positive attitudes about Atlanta to the negative ones expressed here.

[Newsboy]

Piedmont Park + Ansley Park + Midtown Skyline = One of the most stunningly beautiful urban districts in the world!

How the Atlanta haters can't recognize this is beyond me.