The Future of the ATL (Atlanta: insurance, schools, tax)
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I am hoping for a more positive future of Atlanta, but I don't really see it: gridlock traffic, more people moving in than people leaving the area, growing sprawl to the exurbs (though with high gas prices, this type of growth may slow down at least short term, or perhaps long term). I do like the fact there are definitely many other people here from everywhere. It makes things somewhat interesting.
Oh, about the ATL thing. One aspect of my IT job is that I deal with routers (Internet networking) - so often, when I see ATL in a router name, I do think of Atlanta because of that. ATL - shows up in router names (those initialisms are taken from the nearby airport names) SEA = Seattle, LAX = LA, etc. Just a different take here, of course.
I thought that you already confirmed that "ATL" is an abbreviation -- primarily. I think it is safe to say that the airport code chosen for Atlanta is it's abbreviation. When I look up "ATL" in this old 1987 dictionary (don't ask why I still have it), it says, "abbreviation of Atlanta". Just FYI.
More importantly, is it too late for South Dekalb? Is South Dekalb doomed to turn to an abyss of crime, lawlessness, hair salons, chinese take-out spots, and hot wing stands? What can be done to save South Dekalb?
I thought that you already confirmed that "ATL" is an abbreviation -- primarily. I think it is safe to say that the airport code chosen for Atlanta is it's abbreviation. When I look up "ATL" in this old 1987 dictionary (don't ask why I still have it), it says, "abbreviation of Atlanta". Just FYI.
More importantly, is it too late for South Dekalb? Is South Dekalb doomed to turn to an abyss of crime, lawlessness, hair salons, chinese take-out spots, and hot wing stands? What can be done to save South Dekalb?
Your premise is that all of south DeKalb is bad...there are actually some nice areas in the southern part of the county (ie Lithonia). I don't think developers would be investing in parts of south Dekalb if they thought the entire area was a total loss.
I tend to think of the areas between Memorial Dr and I-20 as the most problematic. I'm thinking over time, the neighborhoods south of Decatur city, East Lake and Kirkwood will begin to turn as well. You're beginning to see it south of Decatur (ie White Oak Hills).
Your premise is that all of south DeKalb is bad...there are actually some nice areas in the southern part of the county (ie Lithonia).
Interesting, most on the posters on this very site say that Lithonia is awful and that they would never live there. Most rant on and on about it's crime and "ghettoness". They say the school systems are horrible. Some (on this site) say that small pockets of Lithonia are decent, while the other areas of Lithonia are going to hell in a handbasket. Then many (on this site) say that it will only get worst as the low-income minorities leaving the city due to gentrification will flood unincorporated Decatur, Stone Mountain, and Lithonia with poverty and crime and that property values will inevitably plummet and that we all should get out if we fear for our quality of life, education, safety, and investments in our property. This is the picture that is painted of South Dekalb (ie Lithonia) except a few small, sparce pockets right next to Stonecrest Mall (which borders Rockdale moreso than the rest of Lithonia.) I want the area to improve badly, but the people on this site proclaim that it is hopeless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LovinDecatur
I don't think developers would be investing in parts of south Dekalb if they thought the entire area was a total loss.
What parts of South Dekalb are they investing in? I posted a thread about economic development in South Dekalb and the few people that replied basically said i was living in a fairy tale. I spoke of mixed-use developments like the plaza in East Atlanta on Caroline Street off Moreland, real restaurants that aren't just soul food, hot wing, fast food-type places, a good "Whole Foods" type grocery store like the ones that are in almost every other area of Atlanta except the ones that are predominantly African -American. I sent a thread about how to get these things in the southern end of Dekalb (Section 5) and i could practically hear the crickets in the background. It seems like nobody cares.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LovinDecatur
I tend to think of the areas between Memorial Dr and I-20 as the most problematic.
Are you referring to Covington Hwy, Panola Rd, Wesley Chapel, Indian Creek, Glenwood @ I-285, Snapfinger etc? If so, those are the areas that i am most concerned about. When will i be able to go to a good Thai restaurant on Covington Hwy, or to a "Noodles" or "P.F. Chang's" in Wesley Chapel, or even a "Moe's" or "Willy's" on Snapfinger? Why are people so scared to put new, better quality establishments in established predominantly black communities? If the build it, the people will come; but instead, "Zaxby's" and "Taco Bell/KFC" goes up every few blocks. If Lithonia has so much wealth (which i know it does), why doesn't anyone make quality investments in this untapped resource. They could make a killing...
Ultimately, would you live in Lithonia? If not, how to make it desirable to you?
And for the record, I always appreciate your commentary on the site "Lovin'Decatur", I love Decatur too. Our dream home would be in the City of Decatur. But i also love the areas of unincorporated Decatur, Lithonia, and Stone Mountain that need the most love...
Location: Originally from Cali relocated to Inman Park/Old 4th Ward/Westside Atlanta
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Makes you wonder...
Quote:
Originally Posted by equinox63
Interesting, most on the posters on this very site say that Lithonia is awful and that they would never live there. Most rant on and on about it's crime and "ghettoness". They say the school systems are horrible. Some (on this site) say that small pockets of Lithonia are decent, while the other areas of Lithonia are going to hell in a handbasket. Then many (on this site) say that it will only get worst as the low-income minorities leaving the city due to gentrification will flood unincorporated Decatur, Stone Mountain, and Lithonia with poverty and crime and that property values will inevitably plummet and that we all should get out if we fear for our quality of life, education, safety, and investments in our property. This is the picture that is painted of South Dekalb (ie Lithonia) except a few small, sparce pockets right next to Stonecrest Mall (which borders Rockdale moreso than the rest of Lithonia.) I want the area to improve badly, but the people on this site proclaim that it is hopeless.
What parts of South Dekalb are they investing in? I posted a thread about economic development in South Dekalb and the few people that replied basically said i was living in a fairy tale. I spoke of mixed-use developments like the plaza in East Atlanta on Caroline Street off Moreland, real restaurants that aren't just soul food, hot wing, fast food-type places, a good "Whole Foods" type grocery store like the ones that are in almost every other area of Atlanta except the ones that are predominantly African -American. I sent a thread about how to get these things in the southern end of Dekalb (Section 5) and i could practically hear the crickets in the background. It seems like nobody cares.
Are you referring to Covington Hwy, Panola Rd, Wesley Chapel, Indian Creek, Glenwood @ I-285, Snapfinger etc? If so, those are the areas that i am most concerned about. When will i be able to go to a good Thai restaurant on Covington Hwy, or to a "Noodles" or "P.F. Chang's" in Wesley Chapel, or even a "Moe's" or "Willy's" on Snapfinger? Why are people so scared to put new, better quality establishments in established predominantly black communities? If the build it, the people will come; but instead, "Zaxby's" and "Taco Bell/KFC" goes up every few blocks. If Lithonia has so much wealth (which i know it does), why doesn't anyone make quality investments in this untapped resource. They could make a killing...
Ultimately, would you live in Lithonia? If not, how to make it desirable to you?
And for the record, I always appreciate your commentary on the site "Lovin'Decatur", I love Decatur too. Our dream home would be in the City of Decatur. But i also love the areas of unincorporated Decatur, Lithonia, and Stone Mountain that need the most love...
It does make you kind of wonder...In college I had an apartment on Cascade Road (2000-2002) in the area next to the super nice enclaves going out west past the Home Depot/Publix/Applebees/Krogers/Papa Johns/Subway/GNC etc and I didn't understand that If this area is the supposed "SEAT of Black Wealth and Prosperity in Atlanta", then how come the area had no high end restaurants, furniture stores/movie theatres not even a high end car wash to speak of. The only major chain sit-down restaurants at the time was Applebees! That area has always had MAJOR income earners and I wonder why they couldn't attract any higher end restaurants and amenities besides a standard Applebees...It seems like developers have realized the huge mistake they made with overlooking the Cascade area and have responded by building up the Camp Creek Marketplace. With the CCMP doing so well so that may bode well for the future of South Dekalb and future areas that are predominately Black middle to upper class. The Cascade retail area is definately more built up than when I lived there but In my opionion it's still lacking somewhat for it's history, name and residents.
Last edited by Atlantasfinest; 07-09-2008 at 07:29 AM..
Interesting, most on the posters on this very site say that Lithonia is awful and that they would never live there. I want the area to improve badly, but the people on this site proclaim that it is hopeless.
What parts of South Dekalb are they investing in? I posted a thread about economic development in South Dekalb and the few people that replied basically said i was living in a fairy tale.
You find very quickly that many posters on this forum tend to paint with a very broad brush. On the other hand, there are many posters that will step in and hold their feet to the fire, insisting that they back up their opinions with facts.
I can only offer you my day-to-day observations of the area, as I often get off I-20 at Evans Mill Rd during peak traffic times and cut up through lower DeKalb to get home.
The naysayers ought to take a drive down Stone Mountain-Lithonia, S Hairston, and Wesley Chapel roads sometime...most of the areas around there are hardly the image of a ghetto that you might have in your mind. There are neighborhoods there that I wish I could afford.
I drive up Candler Road all the time, right through the heart of the neighborhood that concerns you. At first blush, it does feel blighted. But if you look a little closer, there are signs of life there...and I don't fear for my life when I drive through there. People on this side of town often make the trip to South DeKalb Mall to conduct business with the DDS office there. I can tell you that it is hardly the dismal place that many think it is. The mall is clean, well-run, and leased out...wonder of wonders. The employees there that I have encountered are very friendly, too.
As for Atlantasfinest's observation that retail development in the Cascade Road area wasn't 'following the money', it was spot on...that kind of development has been notoriously slow to the table in the majority black neighborhoods, even the upper-middle to upper class ones. In the last 15 years or so, there has been some change of direction with regard to this (thank you, Magic Johnson), but the perception that these areas are bad places to do business lingers...whether these perceptions are based in fact, I'm not qualified to say.
Last edited by LovinDecatur; 07-09-2008 at 08:04 AM..
You find very quickly that many posters on this forum tend to paint with a very broad brush. On the other hand, there are many posters that will step in and hold their feet to the fire, insisting that they back up their opinions with facts.
I can only offer you my day-to-day observations of the area, as I often get off I-20 at Evans Mill Rd during peak traffic times and cut up through lower DeKalb to get home.
The naysayers ought to take a drive down Stone Mountain-Lithonia, S Hairston, and Wesley Chapel roads sometime...most of the areas around there are hardly the image of a ghetto that you might have in your mind. There are neighborhoods there that I wish I could afford.
I drive up Candler Road all the time, right through the heart of the neighborhood that concerns you. At first blush, it does feel blighted. But if you look a little closer, there are signs of life there...and I don't fear for my life when I drive through there. People on this side of town often make the trip to South DeKalb Mall to conduct business with the DDS office there. I can tell you that it is hardly the dismal place that many think it is. The mall is clean, well-run, and leased out...wonder of wonders. The employees there that I have encountered are very friendly, too.
As for Atlantasfinest's observation that retail development in the Cascade Road area wasn't 'following the money', it was spot on...that kind of development has been notoriously slow to the table in the majority black neighborhoods, even the upper-middle to upper class ones. In the last 15 years or so, there has been some change of direction with regard to this (thank you, Magic Johnson), but the perception that these areas are bad places to do business lingers...whether these perceptions are based in fact, I'm not qualified to say.
Interesting commentary from Atlantasfinest and LovinDecatur. It is much appreciated. But what can be done to change that image and get quality businesses to invest in the area?
You find very quickly that many posters on this forum tend to paint with a very broad brush. On the other hand, there are many posters that will step in and hold their feet to the fire, insisting that they back up their opinions with facts.
I can only offer you my day-to-day observations of the area, as I often get off I-20 at Evans Mill Rd during peak traffic times and cut up through lower DeKalb to get home.
The naysayers ought to take a drive down Stone Mountain-Lithonia, S Hairston, and Wesley Chapel roads sometime...most of the areas around there are hardly the image of a ghetto that you might have in your mind. There are neighborhoods there that I wish I could afford.
I drive up Candler Road all the time, right through the heart of the neighborhood that concerns you. At first blush, it does feel blighted. But if you look a little closer, there are signs of life there...and I don't fear for my life when I drive through there. People on this side of town often make the trip to South DeKalb Mall to conduct business with the DDS office there. I can tell you that it is hardly the dismal place that many think it is. The mall is clean, well-run, and leased out...wonder of wonders. The employees there that I have encountered are very friendly, too.
As for Atlantasfinest's observation that retail development in the Cascade Road area wasn't 'following the money', it was spot on...that kind of development has been notoriously slow to the table in the majority black neighborhoods, even the upper-middle to upper class ones. In the last 15 years or so, there has been some change of direction with regard to this (thank you, Magic Johnson), but the perception that these areas are bad places to do business lingers...whether these perceptions are based in fact, I'm not qualified to say.
Interesting commentary from Atlantasfinest and LovinDecatur. It is much appreciated. But what can be done to change that image and get quality businesses to invest in the area?
Time and an organized group of people that care about the community (like you) for a start. After all, there's a regime change in DeKalb in the near future...people that want your vote are all ears. They should be answering your questions.
I am hoping for a more positive future of Atlanta, but I don't really see it: gridlock traffic, more people moving in than people leaving the area, growing sprawl to the exurbs (though with high gas prices, this type of growth may slow down at least short term, or perhaps long term). I do like the fact there are definitely many other people here from everywhere. It makes things somewhat interesting.
Oh, about the ATL thing. One aspect of my IT job is that I deal with routers (Internet networking) - so often, when I see ATL in a router name, I do think of Atlanta because of that. ATL - shows up in router names (those initialisms are taken from the nearby airport names) SEA = Seattle, LAX = LA, etc. Just a different take here, of course.
Not true at all many more people moving by far than moving away.stay factual.
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Makes you wonder...
