Downtown Study Group results (Atlanta, Auburn: crimes, dorm, gated)
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Rocco Barbosa
Thanks for the positive & optimistic posts you entered here on the 18th. Yes, there are a few Debbie Downers here who think that anyone who isn't a downer is a homer. For them it's A to Z with nothing in betweeen for a mid ground viewpoint.
They don't realize how the "sour" comes through loud & clear in nearly everything they write.
I'm very aware of the multitude of problems facing metro Atlanta & am not one to want to gloss them over but nevertheless I wanted to leap out of my chair and yell, "Yes!", in response to your post @ 10:40 pm that evening.
As for Underground, my brother was in town recently & I took him to Underground one afternoon amidst our visit to the State Capitol.
It was first visit there in perhaps 15 years & I was peasantly surprised by what we encountered at Underground. I'd been led (by downer propaganda?) to believe that it was mostly vacant, and a filthy & a depressing place. It was none of that!
Certainly it could use some leasing up, particularly in the vacant areas near Upper Alabama Street. Also more nightclubs & restaurants would be welcome but overall it surprised me quite positively.
If the issues of the area surrounding it can be effectively dealt with & improved, perhaps there is a brighter future ahead for Underground again. I say this as a 34 year resident of the metro area who has seen Underground lurch along in it's up & down history & am not deluded.
I specifically visited the management office & spoke to a couple of people there about the complex & one of them took me to the visitor's center area on Upper Alabama where I spoke to the director of that center. She was courteous, kind & knowledgeable & pleased that someone showed an interest in Underground.
Additionally, she was able to lay to rest the "lie" that a forum member in Birmingham has written & refused to back down on when I challenged him in his claim that Underground had "burned" in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict.
The visitor director was in Underground in another capacity when the mob rushed through that afternoon before heading out & up to hit Macy's, etc. on Peachtree St. So, I was happy to learn from her that I was correct & that Underground had not 'burned."
With negative yarns like that one being spread on the Birmmingham forum, Underground has a hard p.r. road to climb.
As for Underground, my brother was in town recently & I took him to Underground one afternoon amidst our visit to the State Capitol.
It was first visit there in perhaps 15 years & I was peasantly surprised by what we encountered at Underground. I'd been led (by downer propaganda?) to believe that it was mostly vacant, and a filthy & a depressing place. It was none of that!
Certainly it could use some leasing up, particularly in the vacant areas near Upper Alabama Street. Also more nightclubs & restaurants would be welcome but overall it surprised me quite positively.
If the issues of the area surrounding it can be effectively dealt with & improved, perhaps there is a brighter future ahead for Underground again. I say this as a 34 year resident of the metro area who has seen Underground lurch along in it's up & down history & am not deluded.
I specifically visited the management office & spoke to a couple of people there about the complex & one of them took me to the visitor's center area on Upper Alabama where I spoke to the director of that center. She was courteous, kind & knowledgeable & pleased that someone showed an interest in Underground.
Additionally, she was able to lay to rest the "lie" that a forum member in Birmingham has written & refused to back down on when I challenged him in his claim that Underground had "burned" in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict.
The visitor director was in Underground in another capacity when the mob rushed through that afternoon before heading out & up to hit Macy's, etc. on Peachtree St. So, I was happy to learn from her that I was correct & that Underground had not 'burned."
With negative yarns like that one being spread on the Birmmingham forum, Underground has a hard p.r. road to climb.
after dealing with family from alabama over this weekend who i thought were trustworthy, i've come to realize that outside a few small enclaves in northern alabama, just about every white person in alabama is a racist, so when it coms to folks over there i wouldn't take anyone's opinion very seriously especially when it concerns majority-black areas.
just about every white person in alabama is a racist
I don't know who your parents are, or who you associate with in Alabama, but I can assure you that many educated people in metro Birmingham are not racist.
I'm really sorry that whoever you have dealt with has left you with this impression. I will admit that there does seem to be more racism in Alabama than in Atlanta, but I would definitely not say that just about every white person in Alabama is racist. None of the people there that I associate with are. Or if they are, they're such closet racists that I don't even know about it.
I don't know who your parents are, or who you associate with in Alabama, but I can assure you that many educated people in metro Birmingham are not racist.
I'm really sorry that whoever you have dealt with has left you with this impression. I will admit that there does seem to be more racism in Alabama than in Atlanta, but I would definitely not say that just about every white person in Alabama is racist. None of the people there that I associate with are. Or if they are, they're such closet racists that I don't even know about it.
our definitions of racism may be very different— you don't have to be a shaved head, cross-burning, lyncher to be a racist.
there are a lot of people who view black people as perpetuating their own oppression, that racism is "over" and they should "get over it" and so on. the same people also oppose things such as affirmative action and promote "anti-voter fraud" laws that are designed to keep minorities from voting. many of these same people seem to espouse a general view of "racial equality" and may believe that "all men are created equal" and other broad-sweeping statements, but when it comes to the specifics their beliefs often always oppose those broader ideals. i would define those people as "racist". hell, there are a ton of racists who live in atlanta— i worked for one— but it seems to be a lot less common here.
it's a lot more common in modern society than many white people realize. hollywood movies often communicate racist stereotypes and perpetuate the idea that black people are stupid, violent, unable to solve their own problems by themselves, and need a "white saviour" to get their s**t together. films such as "the blind side" still get academy awards and accolades even though they openly communicate these racist ideals.
the next time you watch a movie, especially a comedy or "uplifting film", see how black people are depicted. they're almost always depicted as being "thuggish", violent, ignorant, and unable to solve their own problems without a white person. another tactic is the opposite— there's a stereotype called the "magical negro" where the only black person in the story appears to have some unnatural psychic abilities that make them seem almost angel-like. although these are less offensive, they still communicate unrealistic ideals about black people, seeing them as foreign and bizarre, always fitting to a certain definition of a person.
after dealing with family from alabama over this weekend who i thought were trustworthy, i've come to realize that outside a few small enclaves in northern alabama, just about every white person in alabama is a racist, so when it coms to folks over there i wouldn't take anyone's opinion very seriously especially when it concerns majority-black areas.
There are a few people in that state that have open minds, but the majority are closest prejudice. But we must remember that a black middle class is non-existent in that state, so most Alabamians associate poverty and crime with african americans.
Let's get this thread back on topic before big daddy gregg shuts it down.
PS. I lived in Florence and Birmingham.
our definitions of racism may be very different— you don't have to be a shaved head, cross-burning, lyncher to be a racist.
there are a lot of people who view black people as perpetuating their own oppression, that racism is "over" and they should "get over it" and so on. the same people also oppose things such as affirmative action and promote "anti-voter fraud" laws that are designed to keep minorities from voting. many of these same people seem to espouse a general view of "racial equality" and may believe that "all men are created equal" and other broad-sweeping statements, but when it comes to the specifics their beliefs often always oppose those broader ideals. i would define those people as "racist". hell, there are a ton of racists who live in atlanta— i worked for one— but it seems to be a lot less common here.
it's a lot more common in modern society than many white people realize. hollywood movies often communicate racist stereotypes and perpetuate the idea that black people are stupid, violent, unable to solve their own problems by themselves, and need a "white saviour" to get their s**t together. films such as "the blind side" still get academy awards and accolades even though they openly communicate these racist ideals.
the next time you watch a movie, especially a comedy or "uplifting film", see how black people are depicted. they're almost always depicted as being "thuggish", violent, ignorant, and unable to solve their own problems without a white person. another tactic is the opposite— there's a stereotype called the "magical negro" where the only black person in the story appears to have some unnatural psychic abilities that make them seem almost angel-like. although these are less offensive, they still communicate unrealistic ideals about black people, seeing them as foreign and bizarre, always fitting to a certain definition of a person.
I've been thinking in regards to this thread since it was posted and this quote really made me ponder:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLondoner
I don't agree that Midtown is holding Downtown back...if anything, having your sister neighborhood thriving can only mean good things for Downtown.
Get the core right and this city can fly.
From a development perspective I think this is absolutely the reason why downtown lacks - because Midtown gets all the attention. And the reason why Midtown gets all the attention and is booming is simple IMO - Midtown focuses on Midtown residents and not on tourists or suburbanite day trippers/commuters.
I would love for the underground to be turned into something that benefits and draws residents to downtown, most especially a grocery store/market place (even a farmer's market), banks, vendors markets, art studios/galaries, more non-franchised restaurants, and just to be a sort of underground historic, artsy hangout out spot for the growing college crowd from GSU, downtown residents, and that will draw a steady crowd that benefits business owners.
I think in general, people over think things in downtown Atlanta and especially for the Underground. It is such a unique place and it is like people just want to turn it into "just" a tourist attraction or some sort of entertainment district instead of utilizing its history and uniqueness to create something special for people who spend the majority of their time in downtown Atlanta.
I do feel the MMPT will and would be beneficial, but Atlanta focuses way too much development on tourism and suburbanites who may want to come visit some "site" in the city. Atlanta needs to focus downtown for Atlantans and downtown residents. As someone who works a bit in development and who is assisting my own neighborhood in regards to trying to create a development plan that will get a serious look by the city, I am just frustrated and surprised at how much it seems that Atlanta doesn't want to be great for its citizens. It wants to be great for tourist and suburbanites. And FWIW, I have no issues or qualms with any of those demographics (suburbanites or tourist, they are welcome and wanted IMO in Atlanta) but downtown should be for Atlanta residents, students, and business owners and the ideas for development should be primarily pushed by those groups/people. We already have everything any tourist or suburbanite could want in regards to visiting interesting sites.
I also feel the development authority for the city does a poor job in pushing downtown development along with projects and master plan initiatives for many neighborhoods in the city itself. They are very frustrating IMO and are the primary reason why downtown has not been turned around like it could and should have been especially since downtown is included in the Westside TAD. Maybe I am getting too technical but the authority could easily issue an RFQ (request for qualifications) for interested developers to partner with the city to revitalize the area surrounding Five Points and include the Underground. I don't doubt that they have done a lot of projects but I don't think planned developments in the past to include the needs of residents and those who primarily use the downtown area. In Midtown - they do this. The Midtown community it seems is always taken into consideration. But, I will stop my long diatribe.
Development in downtown should be spurred by those utilizing downtown every day. Downtown has a lot going for it and the Underground is a valuable asset that is underutilized and that could be completely turned around with strategic implementation plan to address the needs of downtown residents and business owners.
it's a lot more common in modern society than many white people realize. hollywood movies often communicate racist stereotypes and perpetuate the idea that black people are stupid, violent, unable to solve their own problems by themselves, and need a "white saviour" to get their s**t together. films such as "the blind side" still get academy awards and accolades even though they openly communicate these racist ideals.
How dare them make a movie about a real-life event!!
As to the rest of your post, all I can say is wow you would make a wonderful MSNBC anchor.
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