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Actually afonegal1 the only one of those things I as a non-American knew was associated with Atlanta was Martin Luther King. In my country you hear about Atlanta a lot but its not anything specific just nebulous stuff like its the best place for Black people to live in the US.
Whereas Houston I am sorry to say is probably thought by some people to be inter-changable with Dallas and of course everyone wears big cowboy hats and acts like JR Ewing.
Actually afonegal1 the only one of those things I as a non-American knew was associated with Atlanta was Martin Luther King. In my country you hear about Atlanta a lot but its not anything specific just nebulous stuff like its the best place for Black people to live in the US.
Whereas Houston I am sorry to say is probably thought by some people to be inter-changable with Dallas and of course everyone wears big cowboy hats and acts like JR Ewing.
Wow to that first paragraph. Honestly, you hear over there that ATL is the best place for black people to live? Except for the fact that there are quite alot of black people in ATL and surrounding areas, I fail to see why it is so great for black people? But then I'm not black...just seems there's alot of crap in ATL and areas to deal with!
Actually afonegal1 the only one of those things I as a non-American knew was associated with Atlanta was Martin Luther King. In my country you hear about Atlanta a lot but its not anything specific just nebulous stuff like its the best place for Black people to live in the US.
Whereas Houston I am sorry to say is probably thought by some people to be inter-changable with Dallas and of course everyone wears big cowboy hats and acts like JR Ewing.
Thats a fair assesment.I can understand your view.Thank you for you unbiased opinion.
Wow to that first paragraph. Honestly, you hear over there that ATL is the best place for black people to live? Except for the fact that there are quite alot of black people in ATL and surrounding areas, I fail to see why it is so great for black people? But then I'm not black...just seems there's alot of crap in ATL and areas to deal with!
The Metro Atlanta area has a large, educated black middle class population compared to many metros in the country. For a black person coming from a crumbling rust-belt city or some rinky dink town where there isn't much to do, Atlanta is one of the few cities in the country where upwardly-mobile blacks have reached critical mass. That means a lot to black people in this country that live in areas where blacks aren't doing so well. The only other city that I can think of where there is a large concentration of well-to-do black people is Washington, DC, and maybe Dallas or Houston. Chicago and LA have large black middle-class populations too, but they're not as popular to move to as DC/ATL/DFW/H-town. Black Enterprise Magazine and Ebony put out surveys and polls about this, and ATL or DC usually interchange between #1 or #2.
Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham also have large up-and-coming black professional populations as well...
Of course, there are divisions of the 'haves' and 'have-nots' like other cities. But Atlanta and DC are cities that have large enough AA Middle Class populations where the 'have-nots' have a perception that they have a chance to get out of 'the hood.' You may not see this as much in say, Cleveland or Detroit.
I have family that moved down here to Atlanta from the west coast of Michigan, and they marveled at how well blacks seem to be living pretty well here. To see something that tangible is a booster to a lot of blacks here.
FWIW, Houston has a large black middle/upper class population too. It hasn't reached the critical mass of Atlanta/DC, but it's up there...
The Metro Atlanta area has a large, educated black middle class population compared to many metros in the country. For a black person coming from a crumbling rust-belt city or some rinky dink town where there isn't much to do, Atlanta is one of the few cities in the country where upwardly-mobile blacks have reached critical mass. That means a lot to black people in this country that live in areas where blacks aren't doing so well. The only other city that I can think of where there is a large concentration of well-to-do black people is Washington, DC, and maybe Dallas or Houston. Chicago and LA have large black middle-class populations too, but they're not as popular to move to as DC/ATL/DFW/H-town. Black Enterprise Magazine and Ebony put out surveys and polls about this, and ATL or DC usually interchange between #1 or #2.
Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham also have large up-and-coming black professional populations as well...
Of course, there are divisions of the 'haves' and 'have-nots' like other cities. But Atlanta and DC are cities that have large enough AA Middle Class populations where the 'have-nots' have a perception that they have a chance to get out of 'the hood.' You may not see this as much in say, Cleveland or Detroit.
I have family that moved down here to Atlanta from the west coast of Michigan, and they marveled at how well blacks seem to be living pretty well here. To see something that tangible is a booster to a lot of blacks here.
FWIW, Houston has a large black middle/upper class population too. It hasn't reached the critical mass of Atlanta/DC, but it's up there...
Thanks for your reply. I've wondered, being from California, why black people would want to live here when there is alot of racial undercurrents going on. Seems like the west coast would be a safer place, but that's just from my opinion looking in
I know that people have been blowing a lot of smoke up Atlanta's hindside for a long time but it's time to wake up. O'k firs of all Atlanta is not up to the Challenge of Houston. Yes Atlanta is the hub of a large area of population but it is in no way a Houston.
1) First of all you guys don't even have water. Hello people can't live without h2o.
2)Traffic: Atlanta has Marta but still has horrible freeway infrastructure compared to Houston. The traffic is deplorable. Atlanta is WAY!! behind Houston in Future transportation solutions. Houston just passed a plan to include 5 new light rail lines. Lets face it Marta is an old outdated idea that is really behind the times.
3) Atlanta should be comparing itself to Phoenix not Houston. Houston and Atlanta really aren't in the same league. First overtake Phoenix then we can talk.
4) Atlanta has a lot more blight even in its suburbs. Atlanta is full of vacant homes right now and was much more affected by the housing downturn that Houston. A lot of Atlanta is run down and riddled with hoodlems.
5) Airlines are cutting jobs in Atlanta. EVEN THE WEATHER CHANNEL IS GOING AWAY.
6) Atlanta is crime ridden: even when the olympics were there Atlanta couldn't keep the crime under control.
7) Atlanta is not as developed as Houston. Just compare Buckhead to The Galleria in Houston or even better compare downtown Atlanta to downtown Houston. Houston wins hands down.
I know that people have been blowing a lot of smoke up Atlanta's hindside for a long time but it's time to wake up. O'k firs of all Atlanta is not up to the Challenge of Houston. Yes Atlanta is the hub of a large area of population but it is in no way a Houston.
Yes Atlanta is.
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1) First of all you guys don't even have water. Hello people can't live without h2o.
True. Atlanta went through a VERY serious drought not too long ago, and Houston having access to the water will definitely help it grow more and the future (seaports, etc.).
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2)Traffic: Atlanta has Marta but still has horrible freeway infrastructure compared to Houston. The traffic is deplorable. Atlanta is WAY!! behind Houston in Future transportation solutions. Houston just passed a plan to include 5 new light rail lines. Lets face it Marta is an old outdated idea that is really behind the times.
Definitely. Houston's plans seem to be moving forward, but of course after long delays. Atlanta's transit plans (LoveJoy, Beltline) seem to have stalled. MARTA is also having a hard time expanding as the suburban counties are iffy on it (except Gwinnett).
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3) Atlanta should be comparing itself to Phoenix not Houston. Houston and Atlanta really aren't in the same league. First overtake Phoenix then we can talk.
If you are talking metro areas, Atlanta already is larger than Phoenix.
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4) Atlanta has a lot more blight even in its suburbs. Atlanta is full of vacant homes right now and was much more affected by the housing downturn that Houston. A lot of Atlanta is run down and riddled with hoodlems.
Houston's home prices actually INCREASED during the downturn. Atlanta's decreased. So that means, Houston had a much healthier home market (and still does) than Atlanta. Not to mention, Atlanta builds in speculation, rather than going with the market (see the condo and office vacancy in Atlanta versus that of Houston).
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5) Airlines are cutting jobs in Atlanta. EVEN THE WEATHER CHANNEL IS GOING AWAY.
This is all airlines of course. Continental has constinently been rated America's best airline many times. Delta is a truck stop in the sky . The Weather Channel may not leave though. They spent a fortune on their new studios, but whatever NBC decides.
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6) Atlanta is crime ridden: even when the olympics were there Atlanta couldn't keep the crime under control.
I mean, the Olympics was a pretty big event. Can't control everything, but the bombing is stuck in everyone's minds.
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7) Atlanta is not as developed as Houston. Just compare Buckhead to The Galleria in Houston or even better compare downtown Atlanta to downtown Houston. Houston wins hands down.
It isn't. I think part of that is due to the hills in Atlanta, but it still isn't. Houston is denser city wise and urban area wise. Metro wise, Houston isn't, but only because Texas counties are larger and cover more land.
Downtown Houston has the same amount of office space as all of Intown Atlanta (Midtown, Downtown, and Buckhead), and Downtown Houston's vacancy is below 10%. Atlanta's is above 25%.
Uptown is definitely more built up than Buckhead, but both are weird in their developments (a strip center across the street from a highrise). Both are changing though, with Uptown seemingly doing better in the change.
True. Atlanta went through a VERY serious drought not too long ago, and Houston having access to the water will definitely help it grow more and the future (seaports, etc.).
Definitely. Houston's plans seem to be moving forward, but of course after long delays. Atlanta's transit plans (LoveJoy, Beltline) seem to have stalled. MARTA is also having a hard time expanding as the suburban counties are iffy on it (except Gwinnett).
If you are talking metro areas, Atlanta already is larger than Phoenix.
Houston's home prices actually INCREASED during the downturn. Atlanta's decreased. So that means, Houston had a much healthier home market (and still does) than Atlanta. Not to mention, Atlanta builds in speculation, rather than going with the market (see the condo and office vacancy in Atlanta versus that of Houston).
This is all airlines of course. Continental has constinently been rated America's best airline many times. Delta is a truck stop in the sky . The Weather Channel may not leave though. They spent a fortune on their new studios, but whatever NBC decides.
I mean, the Olympics was a pretty big event. Can't control everything, but the bombing is stuck in everyone's minds.
It isn't. I think part of that is due to the hills in Atlanta, but it still isn't. Houston is denser city wise and urban area wise. Metro wise, Houston isn't, but only because Texas counties are larger and cover more land.
Downtown Houston has the same amount of office space as all of Intown Atlanta (Midtown, Downtown, and Buckhead), and Downtown Houston's vacancy is below 10%. Atlanta's is above 25%.
Uptown is definitely more built up than Buckhead, but both are weird in their developments (a strip center across the street from a highrise). Both are changing though, with Uptown seemingly doing better in the change.
This is a much more fair assessment. Comparing Atlanta to Phoenix is one of the more stupidest things I've heard on this forum, considering that the metro areas of both Houston and Atlanta are about the same size, and both are larger than Phoenix by about 1 million people or so. And I'd say that Atlanta is miles ahead of Phoenix in terms of culture and diversity. I will say that Houston's art scene is better than Atlanta's.
I know a lot of Texans on these boards have a tendency to hype their cities up and turn a city-vs-city forum into a p i s s i n g contest, sometimes to the point of absurdity, but you've been one of the more balanced, fairer posters when it comes to this matter. WHether Houstonians and Dallasites like it or not, they have a lot more in common with Atlanta than other cities in America.
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Time to Wake up Atlanta
. The Weather Channel may not leave though. They spent a fortune on their new studios, but whatever NBC decides.