Excluding ATL, What's the most "Gritty" GA city? (Albany, Athens, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Macon, Rome, Savannah, etc)

[oobanks]

MACON is the Largest City of over 150,000 people in this list to fit this Catagory. Please See this Quote from Wiki below.




Like many major industrial cities in the midwest and northeast, the city of Macon has suffered from urban decay, dilapidated bungalow houses and homes, high crime rates, air pollution from factories and urban blight which has caused flight from the city core to the more suburban portions of Bibb County and to more suburban areas like Houston County, just south of the city. This has played a major role in the conception of consolidation to combat the issues in a more unified manner. This has been more of an issue for Macon than Georgia's other 2nd-tier cities.

[xDarrylx]

Macon :-) Even though Columbus and Augusta have more people in their city proper; Macon has a more urban appeal, more historic districts and a deeper southern heritage. Macon has a stronger cultural heritage as well; example: even though James Brown is from Augusta, a Macon radio station and a recording studio in Macon was the first to play his music. Ray Charles by way of Albany; launched his Georgia debut in Macon. Little Richard = Macon born, raised & launched. Almond Brothers = dido. Otis Redding= dido. The first Ms. USA from Georgia= Macon.

Macon is grossly underrated and under appreciated today.
* The tallest hotel in Ga. outside of Atlanta was the Macon Hilton built in 1969 with 18 floors currently stand empty but is under renovation.
* The first enclosed shopping center (Mall) in state history= Westgate Mall of Macon
* The second largest medical center in the state MCCG
* The first all women college in the United States of America (Wesleyan College Macon)
* The largest Native American Monument in the United States of America (Ocmulgee National Monument)
* The Largest Copper top domed building in the world (The Macon city auditorium)
* More church's per square mile than any other city in the world behind the Vatican= Macon, Ga.
* 1999-2012 Macon Georgia's water was ranked number 1 (The best city water in the United States of America.)
* The Macon Centerplex is the largest convention center in Georgia outside Atlanta.
* Macon's night life; especially first Friday (every Friday), is simply amazing
* The Macon Mall at one time was the 3rd largest mall in Ga. behind The Mall of Georgia & Lenox Square, but it was the only in state history to have 6 anchors.

Ok,,, the down side:
* Macon is crime ridden by gangs, but unless you are involved in gang activity you're free to go and do as you please, just don't be oblivious to where you are or what you're doing.
* The Macon school system can be greatly improved; it's not the students.
* The Macon transit authority is a non-funny joke along with the news paper.
* Macon's unemployment is higher than the state average.
* Macon has too many abandoned houses.
* Macon has many haters; entire cities jealous of some of the good stuff I stated.

PS There is more good & bad ,but Macon is purely awesome.

[snowchaser2002]

I would say Albany as well.

[columbusgametro]

If your talking about on the crime level. I would have to say albany ga even though I have never been there or visited there I have heard many bad things about albany including racist problems and how poor it is.
So here's my order of the gritty cities and crime, poverty.

1.Albany ga is the worst city in the whole state for crime and poorest for poverty.

2.Number two on the list would be Columbus ga because of the high crime rate in the city that's why I rate it number two on the list and some poverty to but Columbus does have billion dollar 500 fortune companies and that helps out the city.

3.Macon ga because of the crime and has some comparable poverty to.

4. Augusta ga because of the crime and has some slightly poverty area's to.

5.Savannah would be the safest even though it still has crime to and just a small percent of poverty.

and I wouldn't add dalton or rome because there really not that big of cities.