Why did the Texas cities zoom so far past Atlanta? (Dallas: unemployment rate, school)

[vwgto]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

As a former Houston homeowner, property taxes more than make up for it.

The secret is to make a lot of $, and buy an inexpensive house - - though few go for the small house....

[CravingMountains]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Good God. Dont you have a tumbleweed to chase somewhere? I'm glad the Atlanta posters have the good grace to stay out of your boring forum.

I live in Atlanta now. I just moved here last week from Florida.

[AtlantaIsHot]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

So I've been looking at the Houston development recently and notice that their development in the metro is far more than Atlanta, despite the fact that Atlanta still has more than the vast majority of cities in the U.S.(Atlanta is #5, Houston is like #2 or #3). In fact, there are rumbling of two supertalls being built in Houston, one 102 story mixed used tower(This will make it the tallest tower outside of NYC/Chicago instead of the BoA tower here in Atlanta.It's going to be 1200-1400 feet) and another 60 story tower and I'm just thinking wow...why is Houston and Dallas so prosperous at the moment? Why did they survive and weather the economic collapse so well? Atlanta's metro has been growing so fast, but it just doesn't feel nowhere near as prosperous as those cities are. Only recently have we gotten a mass scale project pre-proposed(the 3 skyscraper project in Midtown), but still doesn't feel anywhere as epic as a supertall.

These cities were once pretty close, but now it's not even close...soon enough, Houston and Dallas will be a tier above Atlanta.

Well first of all, the premise of your whole argument is highly irrational and your title is purposefully emotionally charged to negate Atlanta. Texas cities have *NOT* zoomed past Atlanta. Atlanta remains one of the very fastest growing metro areas in the nation. The updated estimates show that Atlanta's greater area is now home to 6.3 million people, only slightly smaller than Houston. The metros of Dallas and Houston were larger than Atlanta's at the beginning of the high growth periods after WWII. Atlanta's growth outstripped them both in the 1980's and 1990's, narrowing the gap. They were more evenly matched in the 2000's because Atlanta slowed slightly. Atlanta's growth slowdown is the result of the building bubble which saw more construction in Atlanta than most other cities. This had a much greater impact on Atlanta's economy than those two. However, it should be said that Dallas and Houston ALSO suffered declines in the Gross Metro Product during the recession. I don't know what makes people want to give up on Atlanta. You people think just because the metro hits a little bump in the road that it's all over with. Atlanta is dead. Atlanta is doomed. Atlanta has had collapse before. It's future is much more bright than those two Texas cities. Atlanta has advantages neither of those do. It's not only the county seat but also the state capital. That gives a certain stability those two will never have. Atlanta is also the second largest employment center for Federal jobs. It's the largest concentration of government jobs outside Washington, DC. Atlanta is also a major media center (#3 after LA and NYC), while Dallas and Houston aren't. Atlanta is also a bigger educational center than those two. I don't see any reason why you and your ilk should even be paid attention to. Given your "Atlanta sadly" comment and your overall anti-Atlanta biases and Atlanta-bashing, why should anyone even read what you write?? Atlantans should shun you, ostracize you, and run you out of town on a rail.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by MattieJensen

Atlanta is tiny vs Houston.

You make it sound like Atlanta is the size of Birmingham compared to Houston which just is not anywhere near true.

I've already discussed the size comparison on another thread from a few weeks ago and don't feel like rewriting it.

Atlanta is smaller than Houston, but not that much smaller. In fact, the Atlanta TV media market is larger than Houston's.

[CravingMountains]

Originally Posted by AtlantaIsHot

Well first of all, the premise of your whole argument is highly irrational and your title is purposefully emotionally charged to negate Atlanta. Texas cities have *NOT* zoomed past Atlanta. Atlanta remains one of the very fastest growing metro areas in the nation. The updated estimates show that Atlanta's greater area is now home to 6.3 million people, only slightly smaller than Houston. The metros of Dallas and Houston were larger than Atlanta's at the beginning of the high growth periods after WWII. Atlanta's growth outstripped them both in the 1980's and 1990's narrowing the gap. They were more evenly matched in the 2000's because Atlanta slowed slightly. Atlanta's growth slowdown is the result of the building bubble which saw more construction in Atlanta than most other cities. This had a much greater impact on Atlanta's economy than those two. However, it should be said that Dallas and Houston ALSO suffered declines in the Gross Metro Product during the recession. I don't know what makes people want to give up on Atlanta. You people think just because the metro hits a little bump in the road that it's all over with. Atlanta is dead. Atlanta is doomed. Atlanta has had collapse before. It's future is much more bright than those two Texas cities. Atlanta has advantages neither of those do. It's not only the county seat but also the state capital. That gives a certain stability those two will never have. Atlanta is also the second largest employment center for Federal jobs. It's the largest concentration of government jobs outside Washington, DC. Atlanta is also a major media center (#3 after LA and NYC), while Dallas and Houston aren't. Atlanta is also a bigger educational center than those two. I don't see any reason why you and your ilk should even be paid attention to. Given your "Atlanta sadly" commentand your overall anti-Atlanta biases and Atlanta-bashing, why should anyone even read what you write?? Atlantans should shun you, ostracize you, and run you out of town on a rail.

This is not a good thing. It is one of the reasons Atlanta has had such a hard time getting passed the recession. Federal jobs are being cut and we can only expect that to continue. The days of Reagan, Clinton, and Bush throwing up government jobs left and right is long gone.

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by CravingMountains

This is not a good thing. It is one of the reasons Atlanta has had such a hard time getting passed the recession. Federal jobs are being cut and we can only expect that to continue. The days of Reagan, Clinton, and Bush throwing up government jobs left and right is long gone.

If that were the case DC wouldn't be booming or doing well.

[bhammaster]

Originally Posted by AtlantaIsHot

Well first of all, the premise of your whole argument is highly irrational and your title is purposefully emotionally charged to negate Atlanta. Texas cities have *NOT* zoomed past Atlanta. Atlanta remains one of the very fastest growing metro areas in the nation. The updated estimates show that Atlanta's greater area is now home to 6.3 million people, only slightly smaller than Houston. The metros of Dallas and Houston were larger than Atlanta's at the beginning of the high growth periods after WWII. Atlanta's growth outstripped them both in the 1980's and 1990's, narrowing the gap. They were more evenly matched in the 2000's because Atlanta slowed slightly. Atlanta's growth slowdown is the result of the building bubble which saw more construction in Atlanta than most other cities. This had a much greater impact on Atlanta's economy than those two. However, it should be said that Dallas and Houston ALSO suffered declines in the Gross Metro Product during the recession. I don't know what makes people want to give up on Atlanta. You people think just because the metro hits a little bump in the road that it's all over with. Atlanta is dead. Atlanta is doomed. Atlanta has had collapse before. It's future is much more bright than those two Texas cities. Atlanta has advantages neither of those do. It's not only the county seat but also the state capital. That gives a certain stability those two will never have. Atlanta is also the second largest employment center for Federal jobs. It's the largest concentration of government jobs outside Washington, DC. Atlanta is also a major media center (#3 after LA and NYC), while Dallas and Houston aren't. Atlanta is also a bigger educational center than those two. I don't see any reason why you and your ilk should even be paid attention to. Given your "Atlanta sadly" comment and your overall anti-Atlanta biases and Atlanta-bashing, why should anyone even read what you write?? Atlantans should shun you, ostracize you, and run you out of town on a rail.

6.3 million people? Are we including Rome and Athens for the "Greater Atlanta area"?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by CravingMountains

I live in Atlanta now. I just moved here last week from Florida.

Great. Welcome to our fair city.

[R1070]

Originally Posted by bhammaster

6.3 million people? Are we including Rome and Athens for the "Greater Atlanta area"?

If I remember correctly Metro Atlanta is roughly 700 or 800k people smaller than Greater Houston. For some reason I think I saw Atlanta at 5.4 million and Houston at 6.1 or 6.2 million people and I know that Houston is currently growing faster.

[CravingMountains]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Great. Welcome to our fair city.

I like it so far!