Old Atlanta

[Dignan]

I miss being able to go all summer without any smog alert days.

[Saintmarks]

Some of you have read how I'm in Texas now and I miss present day Atlanta. But, I too miss a lot of Atlanta from days gone by.

I remember as a kid the magical feeling of the downtown Rich's. Escalators, huge car garage, the pink pig, the multistory skywalk between buildings, that place made a 5 year old kid feel like he had seen it all.

I miss the fact that Atlanta wasn't so fractured in neighborhoods as it is now. I guess I mean that you could live in nice affordable middle class neighborhoods in the city limits or in close in DeKalb and feel it was a great place to raise a family. Now, to have that kind of lifestyle that is affordable and where there are good public schools, you have to go way out in the suburbs.

I miss some of the neighborhoods where we had family and friends in Southwest Atlanta, East Point, College Park, Belvedere Park to name a few, and it saddens me to see how they have deteriorated over the years. Those were really great neighborhoods in my memory during the 60s and 70s and the decline is sad. The same can be said for Five Points. The flip side of that is that the neighborhoods that have gotten better have also been priced outside of the abilities for most people I know to afford to live in, Morningside, Sherwood Forest, Druid Hills, etc. I guess Druid Hills was always above my family's bracket, but you get my drift.

I miss the rural character of the surrounding areas being taken out by suburban sprawl to such a complete degree. I know that Atlanta has benefitted from the growth since the 70s, in the day it excited me that we were moving from a regional city to a national and international city, but like has been already mentioned, I look back now and wish it could have been planned better and not so spawly (can I make sprawl into an adjective?).

LovinDecatur, you made me rember a lot of great things I had forgotten. Officer Don and Orvil the Dragon, that was a dream of mine to be on the Popeye Club, never made it! I remember WAGA had Mr. Pix as their in house kids show.

We lived in southwest Atlanta off Beecher Road when I was born but moved to Griffin soon after and then to Hogansville, so I never lived in Atlanta proper when I had a memory of it, but we were within an hour and went frequently. All during my youth, I always had at least one of my three older brothers living in Atlanta, so spent a lot of time there.

I miss the old Atlanta Flames. Haven't been able to warm up to the Thrashers.

I'm sad I never went to the World of Sid and Marty Croft in the old Omni International building, now the CNN Center.

I miss the pre Marta Underground. I miss the post Marta safe and clean Underground.

All in all, tho, I still love Atlanta, and so much is better than it was. If I had been of age during those years and could have experienced more, perhaps I could think of more. Sorry this has been so rambling, but I'm tired and not gonna edit. Blessings on you all!