Disappointed in Midtown Atlanta (Decatur, Boston: apartment, neighborhoods, living in)

[shunketsu]

I recently visited Atlanta for the first time to see if it was a place I would potentially like to work in. I visited a lot of the city's core neighborhoods (and some suburbs). I knew that Downtown Atlanta had a weak reputation for the size of the metro area and that the metro area is incredibly sprawled out. But I kept on reading and hearing that Midtown Atlanta was a relatively vibrant, urban neighborhood-- good for young professionals (a category I belong to).

When I actually got to Atlanta, Downtown was basically what I expected it to be but Midtown was a big disappointment. It was fairly sterile, un-lively the two times I visited, and after-hours most of the pedestrian activity on the streets seemed to be recreational (i.e. jogging or walking a dog) instead of utilitarian. There was a lack of sidewalk dining and the few tables that were out were all vacant, even though it was 70 degrees with no humidity when I was there. I think Peachtree Street itself is a problem: it's too wide and the speed limit is too high. This really makes sitting on a bench or at a table unpleasant, so I can see why practically no one would want to sit outside even on days with good weather. My recommendation to the CoA would be to reduce the speed limit and narrow the street (and widen the sidewalks or add bike lanes instead).

Piedmont Park was nice, but I have decided to cross Atlanta off my list as a potential work location. I used to live in a town of 20,000 people in Europe that was more vibrant than Downtown & Midtown Atlanta...

I hope to revisit the city and metro area in a few decades and see the results of change and progress!

[primaltech]

So basically, for some reason you thought Atlanta was London, and it turned out that Atlanta was Atlanta. Well, for shame, Atlanta, for shame! FYI, you could have saved yourself some time and money and just used Google Maps street view.

Atlanta is a really fantastic place, and there are tons of people walking around everywhere around the city on nice days, and tons of people dining outside. You just have to know the city to know the parts and pockets where most of the pedestrian activity is (not much of that on Peachtree St- a road that is indeed a cars-oriented corridor). A few hours just doesn't cut it at all. I've been around here almost 33 years and I'm still learning things about the city and finding new and interesting places.

Atlanta is Atlanta. It's not an old and densely packed core like Boston, it's an automobile-golden-age sunbelt city, based around the automobile. That is a simple fact, and is readily available information so I'm not sure why you were surprised.

With that said, 100% with you that I'd like to see things become more pedestrian and urban oriented, more human scale, especially in Midtown and Downtown. 1 car lane each way with low speed limit, no turn lanes, wide sidewalks, and bike lanes, and bus only curb lanes. It's not up to me, but if it were up to me, I'd make Peachtree St (and every street in the city), more like its awesome smaller immediate neighbor one block away, Crescent Ave:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7845...7i13312!8i6656

Ahem, note the people walking around and dining outside here.

Did you see Broad St? Fairlie Poplar District?

Did you visit and get a good feel for areas like Virginia Highland:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7831...7i13312!8i6656

Did you ride MARTA to Decatur, and walk around downtown, see all the activity there?

The other huge thing, if you want to see a lot of activity, you need to check it out on a Saturday, on a 75 degree day in May or in the fall. People are at work during the week, they're not out glamorously walking around.

But yes, with that being said, it's got a very long way to go to be an urban and pedestrian oriented city. Needs to orient things around humans instead of cars, in order to achieve that goal, if that is your goal. Some people love driving and hate walking, so maybe in their eyes Atlanta is perfect just as it is.

Comparisons are all relative, and don't be mistaken and lazily uninformed, and you won't be disappointed.

[shunketsu]

Originally Posted by primaltech

So basically, for some reason you thought Atlanta was London, and it turned out that Atlanta was Atlanta. Well, for shame, Atlanta, for shame! FYI, you could have saved yourself some time and money and just used Google Maps street view.

Atlanta is a really fantastic place, and there are tons of people walking around everywhere around the city on nice days, and tons of people dining outside. You just have to know the city to know the parts and pockets where most of the pedestrian activity is (not much of that on Peachtree St- a road that is indeed a cars-oriented corridor). A few hours just doesn't cut it at all. I've been around here almost 33 years and I'm still learning things about the city and finding new and interesting places.

Atlanta is Atlanta. It's not an old and densely packed core like Boston, it's an automobile-golden-age sunbelt city, based around the automobile. That is a simple fact, and is readily available information so I'm not sure why you were surprised.

With that said, 100% with you that I'd like to see things become more pedestrian and urban oriented, more human scale, especially in Midtown and Downtown. 1 car lane each way with low speed limit, no turn lanes, wide sidewalks, and bike lanes, and bus only curb lanes. It's not up to me, but if it were up to me, I'd make Peachtree St (and every street in the city), more like its awesome smaller immediate neighbor one block away, Crescent Ave:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7845...7i13312!8i6656

Ahem, note the people walking around and dining outside here.

Did you see Broad St? Fairlie Poplar District?

Did you visit and get a good feel for areas like Virginia Highland:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7831...7i13312!8i6656

Did you ride MARTA to Decatur, and walk around downtown, see all the activity there?

The other huge thing, if you want to see a lot of activity, you need to check it out on a Saturday, on a 75 degree day in May or in the fall. People are at work during the week, they're not out glamorously walking around.

But yes, with that being said, it's got a very long way to go to be an urban and pedestrian oriented city. Needs to orient things around humans instead of cars, in order to achieve that goal, if that is your goal. Some people love driving and hate walking, so maybe in their eyes Atlanta is perfect just as it is.

Comparisons are all relative, and don't be mistaken and lazily uninformed, and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the reply. I never said I thought Atlanta would be like London; that is a straw-man's argument. I live in NC so I am familiar with Southern cities, but I feel Atlanta's core is weaker relative to its metro size than even other Southern cities. I saw Crescent Ave and while I like that it's narrower than Peachtree St., it's still a bit sterile. I visited the other places you mentioned and they were also mediocre, especially Downtown Decatur.

Also, I did visit Midtown on a Saturday and it was 70 degrees with no humidity. A city like Copenhagen is lively and full of street-life in its center even on weekday nights and when the temperature is cold. Outdoor dining and socializing is made possible with the extensive use of blankets and heaters--but even in chilly Denmark it's there. Not to mention Copenhagen is a much smaller urban area than Atlanta population-wise.

Looks like I won't be living in the South for much longer!

[primaltech]

Comparing the Southern United States with Denmark is utterly ludicrous. I don't even know where to start with that. Maybe you don't understand all the huge cultural and historical and geographic differences that go into making Atlanta vs. Copenhagen a totally apples to oranges comparison? Again, let's just be clear that your disappointment is your fault and not Atlanta's. You had incorrect expectations, apparently. Midtown Atlanta is simply the place that it is, it's a cool place, and you apparently thought it would be something else? What exactly did you think would be different, and why did you think that?

Not sure what "sterile" or "mediocre" means as opposed to not sterile, or not mediocre. That's not descriptive or specific. I'm really not sure what your point of posting here, other than to troll.

As far as the kind of people who go on city forums to say "Hey, your city sucks", I'd say Atlanta's better off without you. So your decision sounds like a win-win for all parties.

[alco89]

If you're looking for a European-like city in America (ESPECIALLY in the South), you're going to be REAL disappointed 90% of the time.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by alco89

If you're looking for a European-like city in America (ESPECIALLY in the South), you're going to be REAL disappointed 90% of the time.

I mostly agree with the above. OP, you were mislead. Did no one tell you Georgia was a conservative state? I live in Midtown and like it just fine; it was the best of my options here. No good could come of comparing it to other places that I truly enjoyed living. The options are live where you liked or pick the best of where you move but don't expect them to be the same or even similar.

[brown_dog_us]

The OP posted looking for advice on places to visit and the first reply asked them to report back, so it's not unsolicited Atlanta bashing.

OP, Atlanta is a great place and a lot of people love it, but it sounds like it isn't what you are looking for. I think you might like a dense NE city or a W coast city like Seattle or Portland. Good Luck!

[wasel]

If you were looking for vibrant nightlife in Midtown you are a couple of decades too late.

I worked in Colony Square in the early 90s and the area was much different then...grittier, more interesting, lot of people walking around at all hours. Backstreet (a 24/hour gay disco) had a lot to do with it...the club drew in people from all walks of life (gay and straight) and I knew people of both persuasions who would drive in from the suburbs every weekend for assorted debauchery.

The old Stein Club was another popular haunt -- there is a long list of places from a bygone era.

Now these spaces have been replaced with very tall, shiny new glass-front buildings. It seems people want "human scale" Whole Foods and apartment living instead. That's fine, there's a market for it but there are tradeoffs. A lot of character has been lost.

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

I mostly agree with the above. OP, you were mislead. Did no one tell you Georgia was a conservative state? I live in Midtown and like it just fine; it was the best of my options here. No good could come of comparing it to other places that I truly enjoyed living. The options are live where you liked or pick the best of where you move but don't expect them to be the same or even similar.

LOL. That's a backhanded compliment if I ever saw one. "Well, it's really not bad...I mean if you HAVE to live here...."

I actually wish people didn't HAVE to live here if they didn't wish to. It's getting too crowded.

[Pemgin]

Why would you post this thread?

[wasel]

Originally Posted by shunketsu

Piedmont Park was nice, but I have decided to cross Atlanta off my list as a potential work location. I used to live in a town of 20,000 people in Europe that was more vibrant than Downtown & Midtown Atlanta...

Did you visit the other neighborhoods that were recommended in your other thread?