What Happened to Gwinnett County? (Atlanta, Lawrenceville: apartment, neighborhoods, schools)

[City Fanatic]

What happened to Gwinnett County?

Not long ago, Gwinnett was envied for its up-and-coming growth, its robust economy, its desireable neighborhoods and schools.

Today, very few people brag about Gwinnett County.

Fewer people talk about its schools in a desireable sense.

Fewer people talk about its desireable residential areas.

Fewer people desire to live in Gwinnett. The same drop in desire can't be said for North Fulton or East Cobb. In the mid-90s, Gwinnett was seen in much the same regard as North Fulton and East Cobb, granted Gwinnett was never really as wealthy.

What happened?

[johnnyboy2008]

Tell me about it. 30 years ago it was all cow pastures.

[PotterGeek]

I love to brag about my area of Gwinnett County (NE). Schools are superb, we have the best park system in the NATION, and my area is extremely desirable (Hamilton Mill).

I guess it's like Fulton or Cobb. You call the desirable areas "North" Fulton or "East" Cobb. What about South Fulton or West Cobb? What happened to those areas? They are still in Fulton and Cobb, no matter how one tries to disassociate themselves....

[LovinDecatur]

It is a VERY large county, and one with problems. People tend to see the worst in it, and that's what sticks, unfortunately. DeKalb County seems to suffer from the same problem on here.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

It is a VERY large county, and one with problems. People tend to see the worst in it, and that's what sticks, unfortunately. DeKalb County seems to suffer from the same problem on here.

Exactly. The problem with Metro Atlanta is that we don't have many incorporated areas...so people lump Gwinnett all together...unfortunately.

For those of you who know Massachusetts...

it's like saying what's wrong with/what happened to Middlesex County? ...If one examines Lowell, Framingham, Waltham, etc...!

But Middlesex County includes Weston (the richest city in Mass), Cambridge (Harvard, MIT), Newton (very rich), Wellesley, etc.


Nothing happened/went wrong with Gwinnett...it is a very large area. Another problem is that people have always just said "Gwinnett" instead of East Gwinnett, North Gwinnett, etc. Gwinnett has so many nice parts: Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Sugarloaf, Suwanee, Buford, North Gwinnett, Mill Creek, Hamilton Mill, Dacula, Mountain Park, Five Forks, Brookwood, etc..

The only "questionable" parts of Gwinnett stretch from the Meadowcreek district inortheast in a line through the Berkmar area and then on to the Central Gwinnett district area.
Some might even try to throw the South Gwinnett and Shiloh areas in there, but these areas actually nice (especially the Shiloh area!)...the areas just have large black populations (and you know how many, many people view that...gasp!).

So, if Metro Atlanta was largely incorporated like it should be, we wouldn't be talking about Gwinnett as a whole...we'd say

"Wow, the towns of Lilburn and Lawrenceville have changed a lot and they are having some problems. But they border some really nice towns--Webb Gin Corners, North Stone Mountain, Five Forks, Collins Hill, etc..."

Sigh.

[ericsonga]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Exactly. The problem with Metro Atlanta is that we don't have many incorporated areas...so people lump Gwinnett all together...unfortunately.

For those of you who know Massachusetts...

it's like saying what's wrong with/what happened to Middlesex County? ...If one examines Lowell, Framingham, Waltham, etc...!

But Middlesex County includes Weston (the richest city in Mass), Cambridge (Harvard, MIT), Newton (very rich), Wellesley, etc.


Nothing happened/went wrong with Gwinnett...it is a very large area. Another problem is that people have always just said "Gwinnett" instead of East Gwinnett, North Gwinnett, etc. Gwinnett has so many nice parts: Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Sugarloaf, Suwanee, Buford, North Gwinnett, Mill Creek, Hamilton Mill, Dacula, Mountain Park, Five Forks, Brookwood, etc..

The only "questionable" parts of Gwinnett stretch from the Meadowcreek district inortheast in a line through the Berkmar area and then on to the Central Gwinnett district area.
Some might even try to throw the South Gwinnett and Shiloh areas in there, but these areas actually nice (especially the Shiloh area!)...the areas just have large black populations (and you know how many, many people view that...gasp!).

So, if Metro Atlanta was largely incorporated like it should be, we wouldn't be talking about Gwinnett as a whole...we'd say

"Wow, the towns of Lilburn and Lawrenceville have changed a lot and they are having some problems. But they border some really nice towns--Webb Gin Corners, North Stone Mountain, Five Forks, Collins Hill, etc..."

Sigh.

Awesome Post! I just don't really understand it. I agree that Gwinnett has changed, however, I really don't think it has changed for the worse. I think we as residents and our government need to do a better job of transitioning. Hopefully we can overcome some of this issues that have cropped up in west Gwinnett. I think that there are some very serious people who are really trying to make that happen. With the formation of the Evermore, Gwinnett Village, and Gwinnett Place CIDs tremendous things are starting to happen in those areas. Also, I believe that Lilburn is trying to form a CID.

Also, I think the actual cities of Lawrenceville and Lilburn are quite nice. I think the problem is more the areas around each of those cities that are in unincorporated areas that are the problem.

It's still a great county. Don't take my word for it. Come see!

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by ericsonga

Awesome Post! I just don't really understand it. I agree that Gwinnett has changed, however, I really don't think it has changed for the worse. I think we as residents and our government need to do a better job of transitioning. Hopefully we can overcome some of this issues that have cropped up in west Gwinnett. I think that there are some very serious people who are really trying to make that happen. With the formation of the Evermore, Gwinnett Village, and Gwinnett Place CIDs tremendous things are starting to happen in those areas. Also, I believe that Lilburn is trying to form a CID.

Also, I think the actual cities of Lawrenceville and Lilburn are quite nice. I think the problem is more the areas around each of those cities that are in unincorporated areas that are the problem.

It's still a great county. Don't take my word for it. Come see!

Thanks--

and you're right...within the city limits of Lilburn and Lawrenceville is very nice.

Unincorporated areas is what really hurts Metro Atlanta. A lot of the unincorporated areas that remain nice is really just by chance. East Cobb has remained nice because of the lack of apartment development that happened there...it could have been totally different (and the development started as being relatively upscale). North Fulton is mainly the way it is due to being in incorporated areas or near incorporated areas(and as we all know, all of North Fulton is incorporated now).

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by PotterGeek

I love to brag about my area of Gwinnett County (NE). Schools are superb, we have the best park system in the NATION, and my area is extremely desirable (Hamilton Mill).

I guess it's like Fulton or Cobb. You call the desirable areas "North" Fulton or "East" Cobb. What about South Fulton or West Cobb? What happened to those areas? They are still in Fulton and Cobb, no matter how one tries to disassociate themselves....

South Fulton is up and coming with lots of new development as well.It has been "a johnny come lately".The Camp Creek area,exploded out of nowhere.Fairburn is also quite nice.Cascade which is closer and in part of Atlanta is a very well to do area where some of the wealthiest A.Americans reside.

[cityrover]

anything south and west of suwanee is infested with non english speakers.

drug cartels love lawrenceville.

the last commissioner ran out everything in order to get his bribe money to let in all the walmarts and other chains everywhere they wanted to go.

it is a great county to shop in, but living not so much.

and you had to ask whats wrong with it? what isn't wrong with it?

[PotterGeek]

Originally Posted by afonega1

South Fulton is up and coming with lots of new development as well.It has been "a johnny come lately".The Camp Creek area,exploded out of nowhere.Fairburn is also quite nice.Cascade which is closer and in part of Atlanta is a very well to do area where some of the wealthiest A.Americans reside.

(Wasn't saying anything wrong with any of those areas...I was just making a point regarding the use of directionals when talking about desirable areas of certain counties)
So why do the residents say "North" Fulton? Or "East" Cobb? Why should they be ashamed to just say Fulton county or Cobb county? Or is it pretentious? Who really cares?

When someone asks where I live I don't say "Northeast Gwinnett," I just say "Gwinnett" county or Dacula. I'm not ashamed to live in Gwinnett, in fact, we love it here.