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Diversity really is no virtue in and of itself. Without checking the stats, I'd bet that metro Atlanta has higher per capita and household incomes than Miami.
I've heard the same thing about Houston, but I don't take it serious and go around as if it's something to be proud of. I'd rather Houston be 'Houston of the south" than New York of the South, I find slogans like that corny.
Besides how the hell can you be New York and Los Angels of the south, that makes no sense.
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JMT wrote: Frankly I don't think it's much of an honor to be called the "New York of the South" either. And I think it's downright insulting to call a place the "Los Angeles of the South" too.
Not offering an opinion at all on what is the "Capital of the South", but just to make a comment VERY MUCH agreeing with with what I perceive as the point Jluke and JMT make. That is, why do Southern cities/institutions/etc label themselves as ("fill in the blank" of the South"?)
As a quick backtrack...the reason I don't think there is any such critter as the Capital of the South is because the South is just too large and diverse a region. It is a loooong long way from Richmond, Virginia to El Paso, Texas, and the South is at least as much an "emotional" entity -- a special place of self-identication, and commonalities of history and culture (which obviously I share in) --as it is a purely economic/demographic one.
In fact, (did I say this was going to be a "quick" backtrack? Sorry, I lied! LOL) it always was, in many ways.. Even in the most bonding experience of all (the Confederacy), the "Trans-Mississippi Department" -- Texas, Arkansas and most of Louisiana -- always felt itself a bit left out and neglected in terms of attention being paid by the CSA government in Richmond. Perhaps that too is one reason why the idea of an "eastern" and "western" South developed (plus that much of the western South...Texas in particular, was settled after the War, and formed a certain distinct indentity).
Anway, back to the main point, many if not most native Southerners still identify with the "idea" of the South, and it being a distinct region..whatever other differences the different parts may have.
And I too find it a bit...what is the term...? Sad? Lamentable? Gawd forbid...even reflecting a bit of feeling of (misplaced) inferiority...? That places in the South have often touted themselves by way of using the standard of other parts of the country as that to strive for:
Georgia -- Empire State of the South. Galveston, Texas -- Wall Street of the South. Rice University (and many other Southern institutions) -- Harvard of the South. Birmingham, Alabama -- Pittsburg of the South. And etc. If this/these phraseology was solely indicitve of justitiable regional pride -- and our proud distinct identity? -- then I would be the first to put it all in neon lights. Unfortunately though, I think it still translates sometime into that we still feel ourselves in the national backseat...
Well, I say scr*w that. Hell, given that the South today is the place so many non-Southerners go to to find jobs and such...I venture to say that it ought to all be re-worded and reversed a bit..!
Atlanta's influence stretches into North Carolina, not far past Jacksonville, and out west towards New Orleans. I'd say Houston's influence stretches well into New Orleans. Dallas all over Oklahoma and some of Arkansas. I just think it's dumb to think one metro area of five million can influence an entire state of 18 million. That's not how it is in Florida.
That's debatable. There's a certain metro area just 200 miles to the north that has a huge influence on parts of North Carolina. Now maybe Charlotte is influenced by Atlanta. But Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, and the outer banks are more influenced by Washington D.C. than they are Atlanta.
You just don't get it, and obviously you pick and choose which subject to respond to. Regardless of what you may think or your opinion that Atlanta has no influence over Florida, it does, and in a huge way.
If you would re-read what I posted, I said that on a Federal Government level, Atlanta OWNS Florida. How hard is that to understand? Every single Federal agency that touches your life in you live in Florida (with the exception of NASA) is HQ'd regionally in Atlanta. Atlanta is the de facto FEDERAL CITY for the Southeast, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We're talking everything from the FDIC to the FAA, HUD, EPA, Justice Department, FBI, DEA, ICE, etc.
Remember the circus that was the Elian Gonzolez case? Where was the final stop prior to the Supreme Court once the case left Florida? Yea, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Downtown Atlanta.
Does that make things a little more clear?
Noooo. Its still not clear. How in the woooorld does atlanta own florida. Ok you said the whole thing about the FBI, DEA, ICE. I dont get all that. Isnt the FBI offices in DC? And since when is ICE headquartered in ATL? The drug enforcement agency is also now headquarted in ATL? hO W DOES EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES MY LIFE HEADQUARTERED IN ATL. Is that really true? I dont understand? We have huge wachovias and bank of america banks that are headquartered in charlotte. And I currently live in chalotte by the way. I sort of understand what you mean. You mean to say that all the southeast regional hubs are in ATL. Ok so I get that part, but you are GROSSSLY overexaggerating it. Like for instance what major companie down here did ATL bring down here that keep FLA'S economy on float. Like how does every aspect of life in FLA effected by ATL. Like for instance in South Florida they get there power from Florida Light and Power Is that headquartered in ATL? Electricity is very important for our daily lives. See what I mean. I understand ATL is a powerful southern city but you are severly grossly overexagerrating it. How ca what city of 400,000 effect a state of 18million. This state has been living off of tourism for many many years. Yes the southeast Hub of the federal reserve is in Atlanta but most of our money from the past century has been fueled by tourist and reetirees from up north for years. This isnt the 1950's. And if you want to go by that then I can say Houston is the capital of the south because when the hurricanes hit gas prices rose up everywhere. Including Atlanta. So therefore Houston influences aspects of your life also. Atlant has the larest and one of te most important airports in the world, but if there was another hurricane in Houston, tha would effect the prices of jet fuel needed and in some way effect the airports. Atlana IS important but dont grosly overexxargerate it PLEASE. Elian Gonzalez OK whatever. hOW DOES THAT AFFECT ME? One of the largest business in miami are the cruise ships and ports. Did ATL build that? If atlanta had a natural disaster and Downtown ATL were destroyed they would eventually move the banking hub to Charlotte. Charlotte is currently the 2nd most important city for banking in the USA. Also about miami, Miami has the second highest concetration of international banks in the nation. So thats more money from other countries. What does ATL have to do with that? Microsoft, Apple, both have there Latin American headquarters down in Miami. What does ATL have to do with that. We have alot of home grown technology companies down here like Citrix, Alienware(i know alienware wasnt a good example) and many others that thousand of people in this state work for. How does ATL influence that? So much cargo comes through the ports in FLA that affect the USA. Including ATL. So to say that ATL owns FLA is kinda weird. DHL US office is headquartered in Broward County. Also CSX Transportation company which is on of the largest railroad transportaton hubs in te south and, on the East coast is headquartered in Jacksonville. I'll agree with you on some of the banks because Suntrust is down here, and I belive it is headqurtered in ATL. But c'mon.
That's debatable. There's a certain metro area just 200 miles to the north that has a huge influence on parts of North Carolina. Now maybe Charlotte is influenced by Atlanta. But Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville, and the outer banks are more influenced by Washington D.C. than they are Atlanta.
There's no question: Charlotte is definitely influenced by Atlanta. The Triangle area (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) less so, but they tend to use Atlanta as a measuring stick in some regards.
Because for one thing, Florida overall has a ****-poor business climate and is woefully behind the rest of the region in attracting high paying white color jobs, and you know it. It is basically a very dismal economy for anyone that doesn't want to make a living waiting tables, working in a theme park or being a hotel clerk - particularly for the 4th largest State in the Country.
I am from Florida, so you aren't talking to some clueless rube here. I would have never done as well there as I have done in Atlanta, and hundreds of thousands of fellow Floridians that have moved here would tell you the same exact thing.
If you want to talk about the 2 states as whole? Im not trying to downplay ATL's importance here. Florida is number 4 on the list of cyberstates. I know plenty of people down here that work for high-tech white collar companies and ae doing just fine. What you say is subjective. Not everyone downhere feels this way. I know plent of people that moved out of FLA just to move back. Not one of my family members are in the service industry. And I know Georgia is important but as a state it is too dependent on ONE city. One thing I like about florida it has a large number of cities that have there own indentity and do there part to keep the state afloat. I will agree that there are certain aspects about the job market down here in FLA that I dont like, such as the pay down here.They dont pay you enough, in comparison to how much you got to pay for a house down here. But you and I know that if they were to lower the price of house in FLA to the same prices as ATL or any other state in peidmont for tha matter people would be fleeing here in droves. I know hundreds of people down here that are just happy where they are.
I buy all of my gas at QT, which is delivered to metro Atlanta by truck from the Port of Jacksonville. It really won't impact me anyway, I take the train just about everywhere.
Our public transit blows your little starter light rail line out of the water, and you know it. Get back to me when you have decent rail and respectable ridership for your sprawling mess of a metro.
And yes, it IS possible to get around Atlanta on rail - if you are smart/fortunate enough to live inside the Perimeter.
I personally think that houston has alot of influence over NO. When I lived in Texas pre-katrina there were still millions of people moving to TX from NO. And they loved TX.
We all know GA is important but FLA and TX are just too big to under that umbrella of ATL GA. People mentioned that thousands of people are moving out of FLA to GA. You all constatntly state that. Well why is FLA still bigger then GA by 9million people. If GA was the most attracive state then why didnt it pass FLA in population way back in the 80's. Let me rephrase GA is more attractive to people nature wise I guess because people love mountains and stuff lie that, but GA was a much larger state interms of population in the 50's and 60's but Florida boomed do touism and, that tourism has helped the economy of the US. Just look at the name recognition and the utline recognition of the 2 states people AROUND THE WORLD RECOGNIZE FLA everytime. Im not saying they dont recognize GA because they do. The olympics did alot for ATL, and plus miami never had an olympics. But lets be real FLA is evrybit as important as ATL GA, and you all know it.
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