Downtown Atlanta is scary! So many homeless and mentally ill (college, taxis)

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Meh....I guess because other than my weekend 10 milers I only go downtown when my son has a fieldtrip there...even though I am less than 4 miles away. Most of the "attractions" there aren't sustainable entertainment, meaning they're no good for repeated exposure. Except for Centennial Park. But even then...there are better parks to go to...Piedmont, Grant, Candler, Freedom...Chastain...

I mean, I would definitely tell a visitor to go check out downtown for a day. But I wouldn't recommend for anyone to stay there on a visit outside of a conference.

Maybe you haven't heard of these Downtown Atlanta attractions? Here are a few examples of Downtown sustainable entertainment (and certainly not all of them):

Rialto Center for the Arts
Balzer Theater - Theatrical Outfit
Shakespeare Tavern
The Tabernacle
Philips Arena
The Georgia Dome
GSU Cinefest
Imagine It! Children's Museum
Atlanta Museum of Design
The King Tut Exhibit
The Atlanta Civic Center
Agatha's Taste of Mystery Dinner Theater
The Castleberry Hill neighborhood - galleries, bars, restaurants, clubs, etc.
APEX Museum

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by suprascooby22

Your right Bill Campbell was a helluva guy, how could I have overlooked his glorious reign as Mayor of Atlanta! He is sorely missed and an example of a fine black Democrat that did many wonderful things for this city! LOL Plenty of other names could be given but I think Bill Campbell really is the best example of Atlantas leadership.

Thanks, we need some good old racist commentary.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Yeah, of course I've heard of all that...but a lot of those you'd only attend once (museum exhibits, etc). As for sporting events....well, I like sports, sure, at least football...but tickets are too expensive to go more than a couple times a year.

Like I said...I run the streets of downtown every weekend...it's not the same as places like Midtown.

Don't get me wrong...I am not a downtown hater. It just doesn't have the vibrancy of Midtown or L5P.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Yeah, of course I've heard of all that...but a lot of those you'd only attend once (museum exhibits, etc). As for sporting events....well, I like sports, sure, at least football...but tickets are too expensive to go more than a couple times a year.

Like I said...I run the streets of downtown every weekend...it's not the same as places like Midtown.

Don't get me wrong...I am not a downtown hater. It just doesn't have the vibrancy of Midtown or L5P.

Oh yes, you sound like a real supporter of Dowtown. I would hate to hear how you describe a place if you were "a hater" of it...

Those places ARE NOT one time deals. The shows obviously change at Tabernacle, Philips, the Dome, Shakespeare Tavern, Civic Center, Rialto, Balzer...the exibits at museums change as well...GSU Cinfest certainly doesn't show the same movie over and over. Are you aware of what you're saying? These attractions are CONSTANTLY changing!

[plessthanpointohfive]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Oh yes, you sound like a real supporter of Dowtown. I would hate to hear how you describe a place if you were "a hater" of it...

Those places ARE NOT one time deals. The shows obviously change at Tabernacle, Philips, the Dome, Shakespeare Tavern, Civic Center, Rialto, Balzer...the exibits at museums change as well...GSU Cinfest certainly doesn't show the same movie over and over. Are you aware of what you're saying? These attractions are CONSTANTLY changing!

Look, obviously I hate Atlanta...not. I love it here.

Tell me, how much time do YOU spend downtown?

I suppose my perception comes from the fact that I live so close to downtown yet almost never go there for entertainment. It's not that I don't go to exhibits and shows, etc. I do. I even go downtown when there's one that appeals to me. But that's not that often.

If I want to spend free time outside I'll walk half a block to Candler Park or bike over to Piedmont. If I want live music I'll walk down to L5P.

I'm not saying things don't HAPPEN downtown. But it's not like where I live where you can walk outside your house and catch a wave of stuff to do and ride it.

Perhaps once more people actually live in downtown I'll feel differently. But it's lacking the vibrancy of people who own it. I know there ARE people who live downtown and that's growing all the time. But it's just started and has to catch up to the rest of the city.

At the end of the day, it's not yet the best place to recommend staying during a visit.

[JPD]

Downtown is definitely getting better. It's still pretty dead at night, but nothing like it used to be. I went to the Rialto four or five years ago to see a concert and there was no place nearby to get a beer before the show (the Rialto does not sell beer), and even the convenience stores were closed (at, like, 6:30 pm), so I couldn't even brown bag it on the sidewalk.

Now there are two or three bars/lounges and several restaurants near the Rialto/Tabernacle.

[thedudewiththeplan]

I would agree that Midtown would probably be a better place to go to get a good pedestrian vibe. Underground is not the best place to go to avoid pandhandlers.

[reet4587]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Most of the "attractions" there aren't sustainable entertainment, meaning they're no good for repeated exposure. Except for Centennial Park. But even then...there are better parks to go to...Piedmont, Grant, Candler, Freedom...Chastain...

I agree that the aquarium and World of Coke are not for regular, "repeated exposure," but we're at Imagine It about every other weekend with our son and we love to run around Centennial Park -- I think it's a beautiful park and will only get better when they turn the rest of the water back on, barring more drought.

As for sustainable features, downtown really does need a proper grocery store, if only a small one. Ah, dreamy dreams.

Everyone who's skeptical of downtown's charms (well, everyone who isn't going to convulse at the occasional sight of a homeless person) -- come down to the Downtown Neighborhood Festival May 16-17 at Broad Street & Poplar Street, info at atlantadna.org. Give it a shot.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Look, obviously I hate Atlanta...not. I love it here.

Tell me, how much time do YOU spend downtown?

I suppose my perception comes from the fact that I live so close to downtown yet almost never go there for entertainment. It's not that I don't go to exhibits and shows, etc. I do. I even go downtown when there's one that appeals to me. But that's not that often.

If I want to spend free time outside I'll walk half a block to Candler Park or bike over to Piedmont. If I want live music I'll walk down to L5P.

I'm not saying things don't HAPPEN downtown. But it's not like where I live where you can walk outside your house and catch a wave of stuff to do and ride it.

Perhaps once more people actually live in downtown I'll feel differently. But it's lacking the vibrancy of people who own it. I know there ARE people who live downtown and that's growing all the time. But it's just started and has to catch up to the rest of the city.

At the end of the day, it's not yet the best place to recommend staying during a visit.

Why is it not a good place to stay? Because YOU don't choose to go there? That's not a good reason.

You're definitely backpedaling from your earlier statement that there is "nothing downtown". Now you at least admit that there are things that happen in Downtown Atlanta and there are sustainable attractions - just that you don't choose to go there. That's a VERY different story.

Are you even aware that 30,000 people live in the 4 square mile area that is officially Downtown? I'm pretty sure that may be equal to or more than the number of people who live in Candler Park...how many people are you waiting for to move to Downtown???

[plessthanpointohfive]

Originally Posted by reet4587

I agree that the aquarium and World of Coke are not for regular, "repeated exposure," but we're at Imagine It about every other weekend with our son and we love to run around Centennial Park -- I think it's a beautiful park and will only get better when they turn the rest of the water back on, barring more drought.

As for sustainable features, downtown really does need a proper grocery store, if only a small one. Ah, dreamy dreams.

Everyone who's skeptical of downtown's charms (well, everyone who isn't going to convulse at the occasional sight of a homeless person) -- come down to the Downtown Neighborhood Festival May 16-17 at Broad Street & Poplar Street, info at atlantadna.org. Give it a shot.

Absolutely downtown needs more corner groceries and more pubs. Sometimes after a 10 miler I end up near Centennial Park and I can't find a place to just sit and have a nice cold beer (not counting the overpriced ones from the park itself). Thing is, those are the kinds of things that exist once enough people own the area, ie, live there. Downtown is getting there...but it's not there yet or we'd see those things.

I like Centennial Park. We usually make a couple trips out there in the summer to play in the fountain. But, we live 3 houses down from Candler Park...and it's a nicer park...with a pool.

The only time we go to the Children's Museum is when my mother-in-law is in town. And my son is nearly 8 so he's not so hot on it anymore. Additionally, it's not cheap. I mean, I'm not a cheapskate by any means but doesn't it cost >$10 per person?

And that's sort of my point...a lot of the attractions downtown are kind of pricey and if you LIVE here you want a lot of low cost entertainment to fill in the spaces between the high cost entertainment. And you can't find that downtown....yet.

Because enough people don't live there...yet.

I WANT downtown to be like L5P or Candler Park, etc, and would happily support efforts in that direction.