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My first impression of Atlanta was that it was Fairfax County in search of a Washington.
Like most tourists, you probably didn't experience much of the core of Atlanta outside of parts of downtown and Midtown. Otherwise, that observation is about as inaccurate as it gets. I said as much in the other thread when you and another poster made similar implications in comparison to Norfolk (and after this post, she/he had to take back their statement as far as Atlanta went).
Obviously. Also, NoVa burbs are a lot more diverse. Atlanta is more black and white.
NOVA is probably more diverse, but Atlanta's northern suburbs, especially Gwinnett, as more than black and white.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deluusions
PG county with a little more Caucasians. Nothing in NoVa.
That's not entirely true, as the non-northern suburbs of Atlanta consists of several counties with varying degrees of racial and socioeconomic composition.
Like most tourists, you probably didn't experience much of the core of Atlanta outside of parts of downtown and Midtown. Otherwise, that observation is about as inaccurate as it gets. I said as much in the other thread when you and another poster made similar implications in comparison to Norfolk (and after this post, she/he had to take back their statement as far as Atlanta went).
The soul/culture thing is something people should just agree to disagree upon because it means something entirely different in the DC area than what it does in Atlanta. Strong feelings from residents in both areas concerning that subject. A lot of it comes down to the fact that, historically, Blacks are in either city for entirely different reasons, and under completely different circumstances, which is an entirely different thread we can hash out all day. We can make similar arguments about metros as diverse as New York, Chicago, and Baltimore.
The soul/culture thing is something people should just agree to disagree upon because it means something entirely different in the DC area than what it does in Atlanta. Strong feelings from residents in both areas concerning that subject. A lot of it comes down to the fact that, historically, Blacks are in either city for entirely different reasons, and under completely different circumstances, which is an entirely different thread we can hash out all day. Similar arguments can be made about other metros that Blacks migrated to, and you can make similar arguments about metros as diverse as New York, Chicago, and Baltimore.
Well the 'soul' thing wasn't about Black culture in DC vs Atlanta in that thread I linked to, but was more so about character and soul in a general, historic sense. The people who think the city of Atlanta (not suburban Atlanta) lacks character and soul typically have very little experience with the city beyond small parts of downtown and Midtown. Otherwise, they'd know that Inman Park, Grant Park, L5P, O4W, Edgewood, Va-Hi, Poncey-Highland, Castleberry Hill, West End, West Midtown, EAV, Kirkwood, Cabbagetown, etc are as colorful, funky, edgy, and full of character as they come.
Well the 'soul' thing wasn't about Black culture in DC vs Atlanta in that thread I linked to, but was more so about character and soul in a general, historic sense. The people who think the city of Atlanta (not suburban Atlanta) lacks character and soul typically have very little experience with the city beyond small parts of downtown and Midtown. Otherwise, they'd know that Inman Park, Grant Park, L5P, O4W, Edgewood, Va-Hi, Poncey-Highland, Castleberry Hill, West End, West Midtown, EAV, Kirkwood, Cabbagetown, etc are as colorful, funky, edgy, and full of character as they come.
It is a similar argument because those are two different cities in two different parts of the country. The Mid-Atlantic, generally, is more Northern than it is Southern, and people from that area, or apologists for that area, tend to view the South through the same lens. But I do see the point you're making.
Truth be told the Mid-Atlantic has more similarities with other "Northern" areas (like the Mid-West) than one would like to think. So I would take it in stride and not get hooked into those types of arguments, because there isn't really anything to be gained from them.
It is a similar argument because those are two different cities in two different parts of the country. The Mid-Atlantic, generally, is more Northern than it is Southern, and people from that area, or apologists for that area, tend to view the South through the same lens. But I do see the point you're making.
Truth be told the Mid-Atlantic has more similarities with other "Northern" areas (like the Mid-West) than one would like to think. So I would take it in stride and not get hooked into those types of arguments, because there isn't really anything to be gained from them.
But Atlanta was being compared to Norfolk in that thread, and I'd say Norfolk is more like Jacksonville, FL than Providence.
But Atlanta was being compared to Norfolk in that thread, and I'd say Norfolk is more like Jacksonville, FL than Providence.
That's what I'm talking about.
Atlanta is nothing like Norfolk.
Norfolk is in a metropolitan area that it shares with 6 other cities. All seven cities, are there own counties. All of those counties are large. Then you have other suburbs on top of that.
Even with all of this Atlanta metro is like 36 counties, with about 3 times as many people as the Norfolk metro. That ends the argument. That is where I drop the microphone and walk away. That is how you have to deal with posters on C-D sometimes. There is no reason areas like Jacksonville and Providence even have to enter into the picture.
Atlanta is one city. Norfolk, depending on how you look it, could just mean Norfolk, but people are actually just talking about 7 small cities. But people on either side of the argument are going to see it their own way, and be in their own feelings, which they should, because that is where they live.
I got into a similar argument with someone in real life about Norfolk/Virginia Beach area before I moved here. The metro area in this argument was Northeastern Ohio, or Akron/Cleveland/Canton, or Cleveland CSA, whatever. They had some good points, I had some good points. We learned to agree to disagree. I ended up moving here, rather than go back to Ohio, on some other stuff I won't bore you with the details but I'm still here after 10 years.
If Atlanta has anything in common with any metro in Virginia it would be Northern Virginia, because DC, even though it has a larger population, is the Atlanta in that situation, and there are as many counties that form that CSA, if not more, in comparison with Hampton Roads which is a 7 to 12 county area. That is why I started the thread to begin with.
Norfolk is in a metropolitan area that is shares with 6 other cities. All seven cities, are there own counties. All of those counties are large. Then you have other suburbs on top of that.
Even with all of this Atlanta metro is like 36 counties, with about 3 times as many people as the Norfolk metro. That ends the argument. That is where I drop the microphone and walk away. That is how you have to deal with posters on C-D sometimes. There is no reason areas like Jacksonville and Providence even have to enter into the picture.
Atlanta is one city. Norfolk, depending on how you look it, could just mean Norfolk, but people are actually just talking about 7 small cities. But people on either side of the argument are going to see it their own way, and be in their own feelings, which they should, because that is where they live.
I got into a similar argument with someone in real life about Norfolk/Virginia Beach area before I moved here. The metro area in this argument was Northeastern Ohio, or Akron/Cleveland/Canton, or Cleveland CSA, whatever. They had some good points, I had some good points. We learned to agree to disagree. I ended up moving here, rather than go back to Ohio, on some other stuff I won't bore you with the details but I'm still here after 10 years.
OK, we're going off on unnecessary tangents now and they really have nothing to do with the topic at hand (and my point wasn't about the multinodal setup of HR versus metro Atlanta which centers on one city but rather the built environment/urban fabric and in that case, Norfolk is more Southern than Northeastern IMO). Just suffice to say that Atlanta was being seriously shortchanged on the point about character and soul, which is usually the case for people from ANY part of the country that have little experience with most of the inner core of the city. Once they get to see the REAL Atlanta, they typically change their tune on that point.
NOVA is probably more diverse, but Atlanta's northern suburbs, especially Gwinnett, as more than black and white.
That's not entirely true, as the non-northern suburbs of Atlanta consists of several counties with varying degrees of racial and socioeconomic composition.
Actually NoVa is a lot more diverse. We have a more prominent Asian population and especially Hispanic. Like I said the Atlanta region is more black and white compared to NoVa.
Actually NoVa is a lot more diverse. We have a more prominent Asian population and especially Hispanic. Like I said the Atlanta region is more black and white compared to NoVa.
We're not talking about the Atlanta region as a whole, just the Northern suburbs which are more diverse than the rest of the metro. Gwinnett County by itself is one of the most diverse counties you can find anywhere, for instance.
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