A Theory About Atlanta (Rome, Cleveland: sales, home, find a job)

[blondandfun]

A lot of people defend Atlanta. A Lot. I have this theory about that. I think that Atlanta is a failed city. My theory is that most of the group is older and married and settled down (maybe that explains the barren sidewalks)? The other group that DOES like Atlanta is the young college-aged group who grew up out in the country and are so happy to be in a big city that they just say they love it. In reality, though most of these kids move off. I've seen it countless times and it's gotten to be such a cliche it's quite depressing.

For me personally, downtown Atlanta, is symbolically huge in my mind. How could you let the center downtown discrict of your city become what it is? How can you live with yourselves I ask you people who grew up here. Doesn't it make you feel like a failure? To everyone else, how do you like living in a failed city?

I just think we need to stop building residential and just STOP everything and see wait a minute, this is screwed up. You can't build your way out of your problems. This whole "midtown mile" thing quite frankly, pitiful.

You can't just keep telling people to move here and expect new construction to solve all your problems.

The only way to solve all the problems, sadly, would be if gasoline hit $10/gal. I think that all the highways the State built around Atlanta are the source of the problems.

Is anyone else as depressed about this place as I am? I don't like it here at all. I feel like by living in such a failed city too much longer, the ignorance of the people here is going to rub off on me.

Oh, and I'm sure I won't have a problem finding a job in another city.

[neil0311]

Well I guess you'd first have to define success to come to the conclusion that something has failed. What are the success criteria that you're using, and have you given any thought to the fact that not everyone may share your criteria?

As has been discussed "ad nuseaum" on this board, you have different groups of people who have moved to Atlanta and the metro area (which is 9x the population of the actual city itself). Not everyone came here for the same reasons or likes/dislikes the area for the same reason. I personally have lived in areas that you might think are paradise but I couldn't wait to get away from after many years. Is Atlanta perfect...no, but neither is any place.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

A lot of people defend Atlanta. A Lot. I have this theory about that.

I'm one of those people, blondandfun. But my motivations are pretty unique and I don't really know of anyone else like me here. Still, though I think I know what you're saying, I don't think I share your views exactly.

Anyway, I'm one of those natives (rare) who has moved away to other places, some bigger and some smaller, but have returned here again and again (even rarer) partly because until recently I had family members here, but also because of a certain je ne sais quoi about the place -- I don't know, some kind of an energy that's similar to LA and the West coast (the whole Sunbelt thing and all) but which is also uniquely Southern. In a way, I guess you could say I've always had a kind of fantasy about Atlanta rising to occupy for the South the same status that Chicago has always had for the Midwest, a true world metropolis to rival the New Yorks and Londons of the world, but that's plopped down in an otherwise rural and somewhat backwards space. Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out that way, but that's another story.

That said, I don't think I'd share your view that Atlanta is a 'failed city'. But maybe I need to hear more about what that means to you. What does a failed city do? Is it possible for a failed city to keep on going even after failing (like the proverbial cartoon character who goes off the cliff but doesn't start falling until he actually looks down), which I guess would be Atlanta, or does this mean something else to you? When I think of failed cities I think more of places such as Flint, MI, Detroit, maybe Buffalo in some ways, but certainly not Atlanta. Maybe you can help me better understand.

Finally, your assertion about the ignorance of Atlanta comes somewhat out of left field and it's not clear what you're basing it on and comparing it to. But I hope in saying that you're not falling into the trap of thinking that intelligence is by definition located in NYC and the West Coast cities, for example. Because if you believed that, that would in my view make you guilty of one of Atlanta's most tiresome -- and immature -- tendencies which is to view everything that is of NYC as automatically important and valid and worthy of being the paradigm to be imitated without any further reflection. But maybe I've got you wrong there. Anyway, look forward to your responses if you care to discuss further ...

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

Is anyone else as depressed about this place as I am? I don't like it here at all. I feel like by living in such a failed city too much longer, the ignorance of the people here is going to rub off on me.

Oh, and I'm sure I won't have a problem finding a job in another city.

"Delta is ready when you are"

[bayarea-girl]

OP, sorry to hear that you have bad feelings and a bad experience with GA. Where did you move from? GA is a tough place to be especially when you are a new comer and have little connections. Every place will have something you don't like. Where ever you end up, good luck to you. Just be open with your next venture and expectations of a place.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

The other group that DOES like Atlanta is the young college-aged group who grew up out in the country and are so happy to be in a big city that they just say they love it.

Younger people typically are more thrilled with urban living, regardless of the city - any big city will do when you're 18-24 in many cases. As you get older, you typically move further out and by the time you hit your 40s you are better able to weight the plus-vs-minuses of living in a large city.

Originally Posted by blondandfun

For me personally, downtown Atlanta, is symbolically huge in my mind. How could you let the center downtown discrict of your city become what it is?

When city residents vote people in positions of power based on things other than qualifications, this is what happens. Many citizens stay home thinking, "what's the point". I tell those folks to walk around Five Points for a couple of hours and to please remember this the next time an election comes around. Sometimes taking the time to vote is more important that going to your pilates class, but, not everyone seems to get that.

Originally Posted by blondandfun

The only way to solve all the problems, sadly, would be if gasoline hit $10/gal. I think that all the highways the State built around Atlanta are the source of the problems.

If gas ever hits $10 a gallon, people will go on fewer car vacations. A few people will car pool. Some more will ride MARTA and CCT to work. Compact and hybrid car sales will go up again until prices drop and then the sales drop again, etc. The only way to cause massive change would be perhaps if a large meteor would hit the city, and they had to rebuild everything from scratch, in which case, they would probably mess it up again anyway by rebuilding too quickly.

Originally Posted by blondandfun

Is anyone else as depressed about this place as I am?

I moved here in 1984, so more so than some other people who haven't lived here as long, I've seen Atlanta go from a "big small city" to an out of control sprawl monster. However, trends happen EVERYWHERE. Cleveland, Ohio was once a thriving city, as was Detroit, and look at them now. Times Square in NYC was once filled with porn and pawn shops and crime, yet, now it's a (relatively) clean family touristy area. L.A. was once "the" place to be, but many are disillusioned once arriving there now. Cities like Asheville and Austin are up-and-coming places to be. So, it stands to reason that after three or so decades of Atlanta being the golden poster child of prosperity and growth, that one day it will fall into decline. Eventually, maybe one day, it will rise back up as other cities fall and other rise. It's just the way things work since the days of Rome.

And um... tossing out comments about how "the residents" here are ignorant will indeed only get you offers of a plane ticket here. Might want to watch the insult tossing.

[blondandfun]

I think you could almost call Atlanta an abandoned city, like Detroit, as far as downtown is concerned. Just to see the looks on all the tourists faces today during my walk downtown was quite embarrassing to me, to be an Atlantan. I think that it is pretty ignorant for people to brush that off as if that's how it is and we accept it.

Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't downtown LA nicer than downtown ATL?
Also, remember that downtown LA is also accessible more easily with a grid system. Atlanta is only accessible by North/South Streets, Except North AVe and Atlanta Rd.

[Scott Summers]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

A lot of people defend Atlanta. I think that Atlanta is a failed city.
How could you let the center downtown discrict of your city become what it is? How can you live with yourselves I ask you people who grew up here. Doesn't it make you feel like a failure?
Is anyone else as depressed about this place as I am? I don't like it here at all. I feel like by living in such a failed city too much longer, the ignorance of the people here is going to rub off on me.
Oh, and I'm sure I won't have a problem finding a job in another city.

I'm not going to be defensive, at all. How's Atlanta a failed city? We haven't even reached our peak yet. About this downtown thing, you have to understand that all almost all of the established cities in the Midwest and Northeast have already been there and done that regarding the people loving the burbs thing; it'll naturally switch to where the young folks (me too) will end up seeing the burbs as a place for our parents so the city will get filled up (already happening). Atlanta's still changing so it's not a failure. No, I'm not depressed by Atlanta at all. I get not liking a place that's not home but you're not the first person who dislike ATL and won' be the last. I think you say people are ignorant because a lot of people don't agree with your claim that Atlanta's a failed city...also what are the people of Atlanta ignorant of? The US is in a recession and people losing jobs all over but I hope you can find a job quickly. I'm on the General US board more than I am on here and I know that people look down on what Atlanta is...it's so easy to see. The thinking is that if you're not on an lake, ocean, or bay then you are not worthy of anything, don't get me wrong I love those type of cities too but it's not the death sentence if you're not NY, BOS, DC, San Fran, NO, or Seattle. My theory on Atlanta is that more people will move here, we'll get criticized so much nationally that leadership will be forced to take on the unplanned sprawl, the city will become a better place to live. I'm tired right now but I'll post a better theory later on.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

I think you could almost call Atlanta an abandoned city, like Detroit, as far as downtown is concerned. Just to see the looks on all the tourists faces today during my walk downtown was quite embarrassing to me, to be an Atlantan. I think that it is pretty ignorant for people to brush that off as if that's how it is and we accept it.

Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't downtown LA nicer than downtown ATL?
Also, remember that downtown LA is also accessible more easily with a grid system. Atlanta is only accessible by North/South Streets, Except North AVe and Atlanta Rd.

Downtown was abandoned? What area were you walking around in? I'm sorry, I think your post is a bunch of crap...someone is unhappy with Atlanta overall and wanted to say something bad about the city. And we only defend the place when it needs defending - like when someone is OFFENSIVE about it.

I have never seen Downtown Atlanta abandoned. There are always people walking around certain areas Downtown...but like ANY downtown across the country, there are certain areas that aren't very busy after hours. All of NYC isn't busy at all times of the day, and neither is any other city. Think about it...then come back and complain some more.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

I think you could almost call Atlanta an abandoned city, like Detroit, as far as downtown is concerned. Just to see the looks on all the tourists faces today during my walk downtown was quite embarrassing to me, to be an Atlantan. I think that it is pretty ignorant for people to brush that off as if that's how it is and we accept it.

Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't downtown LA nicer than downtown ATL?
Also, remember that downtown LA is also accessible more easily with a grid system. Atlanta is only accessible by North/South Streets, Except North AVe and Atlanta Rd.

Blah, blah, blah. I've read your other posts. It's pretty clear that you're a habitual basher of the city, whatever you motivations. Bitter, party of one...