Segregation (Atlanta, Dunwoody, Mableton: middle-class, apartment complexes, school district)

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by equinox63

But they do. Rich or more affluent people DO live around poorer less affluent people. Look at Old Fourth Ward, East Atlanta, Edgewood, Kirkwood, Grant Park, etc.

I have friends that live in Dunwoody and their house is directly off Buford Highway. Less than 1 mile. I'm not an authority, I'm just asking the questions.

The April 2008 issue of Atlanta Magazine says that many portions of Atlanta are just as segregated as they were when Dr. King was alive.

And why hasn't anyone explained the fulton and dekalb school scenario i mentioned...

You've raised some very good questions. I wouldn't hold my breath on them getting answered in any straight-forward sense, though. When it comes to race, both black and white people have flaws to iron out, and unfortunately both sides are too pre-occupied with protecting their egos and feelings to deal with these flaws in any meaningful manner. Most folks tend to intellectualize the issues too much in my humble opinion.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by equinox63

With each of the multiple races/ethnic groups making a similar income and enjoying the same standard of living? All the children (of various racial and ethnic backgrounds) that live in your neighborhood play and go to school together? Do you live in the East Atlanta/Grant Park area?

Yes , me and my neighbors get together alot. I assume we have similar incomes. The kids all play together, yes I am in the Grant Park area.

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by Merin

Yes , me and my neighbors get together alot. I assume we have similar incomes. The kids all play together, yes I am in the Grant Park area.

Yeah the Grant Park/East Atlanta area has grown to be quite diverse... However, there still seems to be a bit of economic disparity in the area as well... perhaps not where you live though...

[Merin]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Yeah the Grant Park/East Atlanta area has grown to be quite diverse... However, there still seems to be a bit of economic disparity in the area as well... perhaps not where you live though...

There is some economic disparity, but I believe that charter school does a good job of bringing together kids, from all walks of life. I honestly did not know how diverse this neighborhood was before moving in. I was pleasantly surprised.

[joe2000]

Every city in America is segregated including DC, NY, LA, etc

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by joe2000

Every city in America is segregated including DC, NY, LA, etc

Why do you think that is? Is it a good or bad thing in your opinion? What (if anything) should be done about it? (Specifically in Atlanta...)

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Yeah the Grant Park/East Atlanta area has grown to be quite diverse... However, there still seems to be a bit of economic disparity in the area as well... perhaps not where you live though...

There's going to be "economic desparity" anywhere. You're not going to find people making $1million/year living next to the fry cook at McDonalds- it's just not realistic to expect it. You'll normally find bands of income- for example, my development has homes ranging from $170k to around $600k- but you're not going to find $50k shacks too close to $2 million estates. I don't know what you're trying to find here.......

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

There's going to be "economic desparity" anywhere. You're not going to find people making $1million/year living next to the fry cook at McDonalds- it's just not realistic to expect it. You'll normally find bands of income- for example, my development has homes ranging from $170k to around $600k- but you're not going to find $50k shacks too close to $2 million estates. I don't know what you're trying to find here.......

I agree. In many neighborhoods, (due to the cost of housing and other factors) the residents are all roughly within the same economic situation, whether it's million dollar homes or $50,000 homes.

By economic disparity, i mean areas were the incomes of the residents vary wildly. For example, in the newly gentrifying intown areas, a completely remodeled $400,000 home can be right beside a worn old house that hasn't been changed since the 60's or 70's. Therefore, a fairly affuent person can live right next door to a poor family who've lived in the same house since grandma moved in in 1968. That's why i said that is more of an intown phenomenon.

Using your development as an example, are the $170 residences less kept, dirty, or otherwise undesirable? If not, that is not really the type of disparity i'm referring to. I'm really talking about two separate things. Real economic disparity (haves and have nots) in certain pockets (that coincide with intergrated communities)... And the primary point of the thread, broad racial disparity...

By racial disparity, I used the Dekalb and Fulton county example. The entire southside of both counties are predominatly black with lesser ammenities, and the northern end of both counties are predominantly white with relatively more amenities... (This is most evident IHMO in the school systems)

Everybody seems to be getting upset like i'm passing judgement or just pulling this stuff out of thin air...

I'm simply asking the forum if this racial and/or economic disparity is good or bad and what (if anything) should be done about it. That's all...

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by equinox63

By economic disparity, i mean areas were the incomes of the residents vary wildly. For example, in the newly gentrifying intown areas, a completely remodeled $400,000 home can be right beside a worn old house that hasn't been changed since the 60's or 70's. Therefore, a fairly affuent person can live right next door to a poor family who've lived in the same house since grandma moved in in 1968. That's why i said that is more of an intown phenomenon.

But that phenomenon will go away over time. The only reason people are shelling out $400k to live right next to that worn out house is because they know it's just a matter of time before the "poor family" sells it, and someone renovates it. The anticipated length of time and the % of homes that have already transitioned is what drives house prices in those areas- that's why some places can command higher prices- less "urban pioneering" required.

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

But that phenomenon will go away over time. The only reason people are shelling out $400k to live right next to that worn out house is because they know it's just a matter of time before the "poor family" sells it, and someone renovates it. The anticipated length of time and the % of homes that have already transitioned is what drives house prices in those areas- that's why some places can command higher prices- less "urban pioneering" required.

I understand your point and it makes a lot of sense. But no one has addressed the primary question of the thread about racial disparity across Dekalb and Fulton counties...

For example, is it more likely that if that poor intown family that sells their house is black, they are likely to move to the southern ends of Dekalb and Fulton? (If that is their only two choices - for example purposes...)

Conversely, why don't affuent whites move into the affluent million dollar communities of South Dekalb?

Some would say, poor schools. This leads back to the original questions, why are those school almost all Black? Why are the schools on the northern end almost all white? Is this phenomenon a good or bad thing and what if anything should be done about it?