How "Cosmopolitan" Is Atlanta? (Brunswick, Buford: hotel, home, buy)

[KevK]

Atlanta is a southern version of New York City. It is the NYC of the south and has everything NYC has except cold winters and about 1/5th the cost!

[mg83]

Is that sarcasm?

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by mg83

If you want to compare Atlanta to INTERNATIONAL cities, then I wouldn't use facts like "it's the center for hip-hop and R&B". First, hip-hop originated in the boroughs of NYC... I mean maybe you can claim Atlanta is the center of "gangsta" and bling-bling rap... (save, OutKast).

LOL.. that did make me raise an eyebrow when I read it earlier - I too would hardly consider Rap and HipHop "cosmopolitan", or for that matter something to promote a city with (though they do).

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by KevK

Atlanta is a southern version of New York City. It is the NYC of the south and has everything NYC has except cold winters and about 1/5th the cost!

Everything except:

A good public transportation system within the city.
International neighborhoods close-in and walkable.
Two airports.
That "cosmopolitan" feel.
No regional (commuter) transit.
Not within close driving distance of other major cities/markets.

... etc etc...

It's within reason to say that Atlanta has more ammeneties than "other cities". You can use cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Knoxville, or even Nashville and Columbus for comparisons, but with regard to comparing Atlanta to NYC - no, that doesn't fly. Yes, we're cheaper and have warmer days and more trees, but overall, NYC is still much more of an international city in both look, attitude and FEEL.

[mg83]

Technically, three huge airports serve NYC.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by mg83

Technically, three huge airports serve NYC.

Oops. See? I'm not cosmopolitan. LOL

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Atlanta is a large city but I'd not call it "Cosmopolitan", myself.

The word Cosmopolitan means different things to different people, so no doubt some will disagree with me, but I consider a city to be cosmopolitan when you can FEEL the various cultures that live there. You really don't get that here. Atlanta is still even after all its growth, a "black and white" city. Black intown, White in the burbs. Events are either suburban (White) generic cookie-cutter events, or "celebrate the heritage" with the heritage always being African-American.

While we do have a lot of people from other countries living here, you do not FEEL it here. We have no Chinatown or Japantown worth speaking of. No little Havana. No South American festivals. Heck, even a Canadian maple syrup festival would be welcome! Until all of the other cultures who live here are embraced and highlighted, and there are distinct and organized areas where those cultures thrive and highlight themselves, then Atlanta will never really be anything other than a much more financially stable version of Detroit or Baltimore.

Examples of true cosmopolitan cities: New York, London, Toronto, Barcelona, and on a lesser scale but noticeable, San Francisco and parts at least, of L.A.

Maybe one day after complete overhauls in city leadership and if good planners and visionaries are put in the right spots, Atlanta will be a cosmopolitan city - but right now I just put it on my list of "big cities" and leave it at that.

I completely agree. Boston is more cosmopolitan than Atlanta--as is Philly, Chicago, and Miami. I lived in Atlanta for almost 3 years. It was the most racially divided area--black vs white. Lots of tension. Lots of other ethnic groups there too, but I always felt that they were not embraced by the city--just tolerated.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by KevK

Atlanta is a southern version of New York City. It is the NYC of the south and has everything NYC has except cold winters and about 1/5th the cost!

This is the most overused slogan--Atlanta is a southern version of New York City. It's a complete opposite city of NYC--hardly anything like NYC! The city of Atlanta has 7.7 million people LESS than NYC, Atlanta has little density, few tall buildings, landlocked, Atlanta has 4 "monorail" type transit branches, and has a metro area of 5 million vs 22 million for NYC.

It's really a ludicrous comparison. If people want to compare Atlanta to something in NYC, then Atlanta is a southern suburban New Jersey! That's actually more correct and the areas are similar. Jersey is more polluted than Atlanta, but it's a pretty good comparison.

[mg83]

Okay, and I know I'll probably catch heat for this one but... here's another way I think about it (this is besides the water point), but in reference to Atlanta being an international and cosmo city...

In addition to qualities like transportation, accessibility, walkability, history, natural beauty, progression, great authentic dining (notice I didn't use "expensive" dining), cultural diversity, etc, another trademark characteristic that many true international cities share is "tourism". Of course, the qualities I listed ultimately LEAD to tourism and people actually WANTING to visit...

Foreigners LOVE to visit New York, and Miami, and Chicago, and San Fran... but who comes here? I don't think I've ever met a foreigner taking "holiday" here to soak in the sites.

Even US citizens... are they honestly coming here on vacation?

[WestCobb]

Is the comparison of Atlanta to NYC a joke? Seriously. I'm new to Atlanta, but I keep hearing this. Huh? I'm from Los Angeles, went to school in Seattle, lived near Denver for awhile and none of these places were ANYTHING like NYC. NYC is a place unto itself. Wandering its streets for the first time, I felt like a hayseed taking in the bright lights .. which is funny because I'm from the second biggest city in the United States. For Atlanta to compare itself to NYC is just ridiculous pretension. I don't think I ever heard one Seattlite say his fair city was like NYC .. ditto for Denver .. and of course, no self respecting Los Angeleno would ever compare LA to NYC .. all of those cities are more like NYC than Atlanta, but none of them even come close. LA is a ticky tacky collection of strip malls and subdivisions. NYC is a veritcal megopolis of majesty. Please, Atlantans, QUIT pretending you are NYC. YOU AREN'T. You're not even LA, which is nothing to be .. believe me. But, if you would quit pretending to be something you're not, you could get on with being and becoming what you are ... a young city with some good prospects, room to grow and a lot to offer newcomers.