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Old 03-03-2013, 06:48 PM
 
811 posts, read 1,047,533 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by espizarro View Post
I don't know, maybe Macon shows some activity that can get a driver going south or north from/to Atlanta, into some closeness to the urban feeling, but truth is that there is no "serious" urban feeling anywhere from mile 270 in I-75 FL to mile 220 in I-75 GA, which adds 470-270=200 miles in FL plus 220 miles in GA, 420 miles of rural areas besides Macon and Gainesville FL where you can see this somewhat signal of urban existence in the South.

Also, most people going from ATL-FL do not really see Macon, since I-475 passes west of the city.

At least I-75 in GA is way better than I-95, the opposite happens in FL. You don't really see Tampa from I-75, you have to take I-275 to see some serious urban life, because for some reason the part of I-75 you don't really believe you are in Tampa at all. I-95 passes through Jacksonville, WPB, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.
Take I-75 through Macon, and it looks considerably more developed. Try it next time. You might spend a few more miles, but you'll see what I mean. Don't simply take a trip here just to take a trip. Even with that said, you do get a peak at the suburban areas of Macon from I-475 at exit 3 and 9, where you can see the road that is home to the Macon Mall, as well as the exit around North Macon that offers some commercialized areas. However, most of the Macon area is east of I-475.

Actually, the metro Atlanta urbanized area begins at around mile 215 or so, about a mile south of exit 216, the first exit of McDonough heading northbound. Even then, there is suburban development in an exurban sense down in Locust Grove, about three miles south from that point.

Most people know that I-75 skirts the eastern edge of the Tampa metro, if they know anything about the area at all, in an real experience sense. There are places to the east, such as Brandon and Valrico, but most of it is to the west. So, yes, I-275 is your best choice for seeing that metro area.

Ocala offers a break from rural areas along the drive, as does Valdosta and Tifton, granted Tifton is small. Macon, Perry, and Gainesville have already been mentioned.
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Old 03-04-2013, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
7,574 posts, read 10,689,607 times
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I just wanted to expand on the railroad hub point and the benefits of Atlanta's location.

More specifically... Atlanta is where it is, because it is the northern most point railroad tracks going to the midwest, the northeast, outwest, and south to Florida can meet -and- prevent a more expensive mountain crossing.

It is why it is a major rail and highway cross-roads. The reason is grew so big early on is we can get raw materials and supplies from all of these different regions cheaper and more efficient than other places. So if a company needs a raw source from the midwest, materials from machined in the northeast, and raw materials from Texas.... we are a great place to locate.

We still rely heavily on Savannah and rail lines to/from there for international exports.

Quote:
Originally Posted by espizarro View Post
Yesterday I visited Atlanta, for the third time. 6.5-7 hours from Tampa. I have also passed by the Savannah area everytime I go to DC or NYC by car, so I have a perception of this state that is kind of unique among other states including where I live, FL.

Basically, there is not really anything BIG between Tampa Bay and Metro Atlanta along I-75. I'd say Gainesville, FL and Macon, GA show some "activity" but it is not anywhere close to Tampa or Atlanta. The thing is how the transition happens from Tampa to Atlanta.

But I will start in Miami, since I have been a lot around the I-75 corridor from Miami to Tampa.

In Miami, the environment is basically, Latin. Miami for me is basically the same thing as San Juan, PR, where I am from... Only bigger and more diverse, and without the geography SJ provides. As I mentioned in another thread (in the Florida category), two worlds are separated between SW Florida and SoFla, as SW Florida begins to acquire, slowly, the characteristics of the Southern culture. Yet SW Florida has some Latin influence still, which keeps strong until you get to Tampa. Tampa is where the strong South begins, and as you get closer to the GA border, that southern culture and atmosphere becomes stronger and stronger. The landscape also changes from stubborn flatness to rolling plains, and once you hit Georgia, past Valdosta then you can see the terrain switching from rolling plains to low hills.

Now the thing is that when you get to the GA border on I-75, and you read that sign reading the distances to Valdosta (quite nearby), Macon and Atlanta you don't get a grasp of how things are going to dramatically change in the interstate when you get close to mile maker 210.

Atlanta is the first big city you see ON I-75 and it is extremely different on what you can see on I-95 in Miami. You go along the interstate for 220 miles seeing, basically, nothing truly amazing, just the same thing all over, from north of Tampa, all the way to the Clayton County border.

I-95 in Georgia is another thing. It really never changes from the FL to the SC border. The same, and the same. I haven't been IN downtown Savannah anyway, but is at the end of I-16.

I have been explained why Georgia (as well as the Carolinas) have their biggest agglomerations so "inland", I mean, Atlanta, Columbia, Greenville and Charlotte are almost in the mountains, while Florida and Virginia in the other hand have their biggest agglomerations in the coast (Orlando is less than one hour from Cocoa) although there is not really any place in FL that far from the beach) but it feels strange for me maybe because I am Caribbean and I am used to water and not being landlocked.

Anyway, Atlanta seems a great city and metro area, the city itself looks kind of futuristic (with the addition of neon lights it would be somewhat similar to Japan cities) and I cannot say the same thing for Miami or any of FL's cities.
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Old 03-04-2013, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Tampa, Florida
666 posts, read 1,283,877 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
I just wanted to expand on the railroad hub point and the benefits of Atlanta's location.

More specifically... Atlanta is where it is, because it is the northern most point railroad tracks going to the midwest, the northeast, outwest, and south to Florida can meet -and- prevent a more expensive mountain crossing.

It is why it is a major rail and highway cross-roads. The reason is grew so big early on is we can get raw materials and supplies from all of these different regions cheaper and more efficient than other places. So if a company needs a raw source from the midwest, materials from machined in the northeast, and raw materials from Texas.... we are a great place to locate.

We still rely heavily on Savannah and rail lines to/from there for international exports.
Atlanta is located in an area where it lies kind of "central" area in reference to its proximity to various metro areas more specifically: Charlotte, Columbia, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Mobile and New Orleans, and it is not that seriously far from DC, Miami, Chicago, Indianapolis, the OH cities or Pittsburgh. Maybe this is why the busiest airport is located in Atlanta and not in New York, for example.

These are the distances from Atlanta to various eastern cities (Hours:Minutes) under 12 hours (time one person can drive one day if in good health)

Miami- 9:30
Tampa- 7:00
Orlando- 6:15
Jacksonville- 5:00
Mobile- 5:00
Birmingham- 2:15
NOLA- 7:00
Knoxville- 3:15
Nashville- 3:45
Savannah- 3:30
Charlotte- 3:45
Columbia- 3:15
Memphis- 6:00
Washington, DC- 9:45
Richmond- 8:00
Indianapolis- 8:00
Chicago- 11:00
Cincinnati- 6:45
Cleveland- 10:30
Columbus (Ohio)- 8:30
Louisville- 6:15
Pittsburgh- 10:30
Baltimore- 10:30
Raleigh- 6:15
Norfolk- 8:45
Dallas- 11:30
Houston- 11:45
St Louis- 8:15
KC- 11:45
Detroit- 10:45

Pretty much, Atlanta is is a good location if you need to drive somewhere within one day.
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Old 03-04-2013, 09:28 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
7,574 posts, read 10,689,607 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by espizarro View Post
Atlanta is located in an area where it lies kind of "central" area in reference to its proximity to various metro areas more specifically: Charlotte, Columbia, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Mobile and New Orleans, and it is not that seriously far from DC, Miami, Chicago, Indianapolis, the OH cities or Pittsburgh. Maybe this is why the busiest airport is located in Atlanta and not in New York, for example.
Pretty much. We use to make a point to tell everyone that the special thing about Atlanta is you are within a 2 hour flight of 80% of the US population.

Not too many places can say that, because large population centers are along that 2 hour periphery.

You can almost draw a perfect circle around Atlanta and hit Chicago, Miami, the Texas Triangle, and the middle of the Boston-NY-DC region.

But ultimately, it is the Appalachian Mountains that give us the ultimate efficiency at conducting business operations between multiple regions and limits some of our competition.
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Old 03-04-2013, 10:17 PM
 
Location: Tampa, Florida
666 posts, read 1,283,877 times
Reputation: 525
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
Pretty much. We use to make a point to tell everyone that the special thing about Atlanta is you are within a 2 hour flight of 80% of the US population.

Not too many places can say that, because large population centers are along that 2 hour periphery.

You can almost draw a perfect circle around Atlanta and hit Chicago, Miami, the Texas Triangle, and the middle of the Boston-NY-DC region.

But ultimately, it is the Appalachian Mountains that give us the ultimate efficiency at conducting business operations between multiple regions and limits some of our competition.
If we come to think about it... Atlanta should kind of be the capital of the United States. DC is way too east. But Atlanta is already overcrowded and "full" serving as the Fulton county seat, GA's capital and the economic hub of the South (because even if Miami is larger Miami is mostly touristic and entertainment, like L.A.) and if we add being in charge of the U.S. it would turn a real mess.
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Old 03-05-2013, 01:11 AM
 
Location: Georgia native in McKinney, TX
8,057 posts, read 12,780,227 times
Reputation: 6318
If you want to see the countryside of any southern state, you need to take a little longer and GET OFF THE INTERSTATE! You can be in a fairly built up area and still feel like you are in a rural area because the interstates usually have a fairly good buffer of vegetation. Pines grow so well in most of the south that most southern interstates have a "hedge" around them. You only see things at the exits and they start being the same after a while.

To get to know a region, plan a trip using an alternate, "non" interstate route. Go thru the smaller towns and county seats. Take a side trip to a state park or other scenic or historic attraction.

I know we are busy and always feel the rush to get there yesterday... I live under this pressure too. But I try whenever possible to take a different route to a repeat destination. Or go one route and return back a different way and see something a little different. It takes a little while longer but can end the boredom.

Sometimes I have found a great diversion even on a mostly interstate route when time is a premium is to find the US Highway that parallels it. They are usually built to very good standards, even if just two-laned, but since the majority of the traffic is on the interstate, the US Highway is almost deserted. You can go close to the same speed as the interstate without the traffic and the state patrol is usually not on the lookout for anyone there as they are focused on the interstate too. Sometimes an hour or even half hour of taking that parallel road breaks up a trip. You see more farm land, more homes and businesses, churches, cemeteries, schools, etc and get a feel for what life is really like.

Mile after mile of pine trees, with periodic exit ramps to gas stations, Motel 6s and McDonalds gets wearisome after a while.
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Old 03-05-2013, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Columbus,Georgia
2,663 posts, read 4,815,763 times
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I've always said Columbus had the route to Atlanta.


Columbus to Atlanta in 4 minutes - time lapse - YouTube

People who live in Tallahassee take US 27 and I-185 to Atlanta.
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Old 03-05-2013, 02:23 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
7,574 posts, read 10,689,607 times
Reputation: 6512
Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbuskidd92 View Post
People who live in Tallahassee take US 27 and I-185 to Atlanta.
??

When I make that cut from I-10 trying to go north to Atlanta I rive down 319 to Tifton and get on I-75 asap.
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Old 03-05-2013, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Georgia native in McKinney, TX
8,057 posts, read 12,780,227 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
??

When I make that cut from I-10 trying to go north to Atlanta I rive down 319 to Tifton and get on I-75 asap.
That seems like going way too far east. Columbus' route from Tallahassee is much more of a straight line.
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:33 PM
 
Location: Columbus,Georgia
2,663 posts, read 4,815,763 times
Reputation: 619


U.S. Route 27 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You'll get to Atlanta much more faster because traffic isn't horrible like on i-75.
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