29 Places to Go in 2009 - Atlanta is #1 in U.S. (Albany: centers, airport)

[atlantaATL]

You know what these people just dont like Atlanta because everytime someone trys to bring something nice and positive about our city they come in here and just start bringing all this negative stuff i just dont understand

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

If Atlanta wasn't in the state of GA. Augusta, Savannah, Macon, & Columbus. Would be double or triple the size of what they are now. Those cities wouldn't have had to compete against ATL. For state funds when it comes to infrastructure, and other projects. Augusta metro population is 560,000. If there wasn't no Atlanta. That means Augusta would still be the capital. Our metro population would be 1.5/2.5 million easily. I know Savannah would be at 1.2 million probably. Columbus and Macon would be at about 600,000-700,000 people in their metro area.

There is already over 600,000 people within a 30 mile radius of Columbus. Georgia's cities would be larger, but there is no way Augusta would have 2.5 million people. Georgia's cities might be closure to the size of the cities in North Carolina, but I still think GA would be more like South Carolina.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by ATLCOL1

There is already over 600,000 people within a 30 mile radius of Columbus. Georgia's cities would be larger, but there is no way Augusta would have 2.5 million people. Georgia's cities might be closure to the size of the cities in North Carolina, but I still think GA would be more like South Carolina.

Columbus MSA is 286,000

Ga couldn't be like south carolina. Because Augusta would be alot bigger than what the SC cities are. It's already almost the size of them now. Greenville 613,828 Charleston 630,100 Columbia metro 716,030 Augusta 560,000

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I think he means economically. Without Atlanta, Georgia would be mississippi. Savannah = Biloxi, Augusta = Jackson, Columbus = Tupelo, Macon = Natchez, Athens = Oxford.

Outside of Atlanta, Georgia is a pretty poor state.

Thanks for the clarification. As the original thread was about an MSN listing or rating of places to visit and not about economic strenghts of southern states, I didn't get the sharp left turn.

I disagree with your synopsis as Georgia has had the wealth, resources and position within the region, that if Atlanta had never been founded, another would have ascended into its place: Macon geographically would make more sense, but could see Augusta, Savannah or Columbus rising to this position.

Perhaps Georgia would be more like a North Carolina where these 4 would be more like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston Salem. It would never have been a Mississippi. The location, topography, and natural resources would have dictated it as one of the premier southern states regardless of the position Atlanta holds now or would not have held if it had never existed.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Bulldawgfan

That list was paid for, no doubt in my mind. Washington D.C. and Atlanta? More like the top ten places to get mugged. An obvious joke.

Yes, HOW DARE anyone give props to Atlanta on this forum? Don't worry, the Texans will be here shortly to put a stop to this like they do on the US forum.

[meadgrad]

if atlanta hadn't been founded then there would still be a big city in the same area just 6 miles east called Decatur!...of course the Decatur residents in the mid/early 1800's didnt want the noise and pollution created by a big train terminal, so they nixed the railroad company putting the stop there.

kinda weird to think people back then thought of that stuff.

[south-to-west]

If Atlanta had not been founded, then Birmingham probably would have ascended to the commerce and transportation hub of the Southeast given its historical industrial might and central location relative to the rest of the Southeast.

Atlanta did not get to where it is now just by merely existing. It was rather the forward thinking and progressive leadership that the city has enjoyed over the past 150 years that has led to its prosperity. Historically, the business and political leaders of Atlanta had always put business and commerce first over ethnic divisions and resentment towards the industrial north. Rather than holding on to backlash sentiment against the North and isolating itself, Atlanta aspired to be one of the great American cities and subsequently a world-class city towards the end of the 20th Century. These are all historical aspects and patterns that have not been evident in the rest of the state.

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Columbus MSA is 286,000

Ga couldn't be like south carolina. Because Augusta would be alot bigger than what the SC cities are. It's already almost the size of them now. Greenville 613,828 Charleston 630,100 Columbia metro 716,030 Augusta 560,000

That's because Auburn/Opelika is its own MSA and it is only 25 miles west of Columbus. Columbus' numbers always look smaller than the area really is.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I think he means economically. Without Atlanta, Georgia would be mississippi. Savannah = Biloxi, Augusta = Jackson, Columbus = Tupelo, Macon = Natchez, Athens = Oxford.

Outside of Atlanta, Georgia is a pretty poor state.

The same can be said for Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc. Without those cities those states would be poor

[lolo2]

I think GA would be more like NC than SC, MISS, OR ALA.

LOL Morehouse college which was started in downtown Augusta. Would still be there so that would have been intresting.