Atlanta becoming the next Los Angeles? (Long Beach, Pasadena: house, neighborhoods, buyers)

[Brooklynlove]

Originally Posted by SoCal35

I see a similarity in the sprawling growth pattern...but that is more comparable to LA in say the 1950's. In addition, the City of LA has NEVER LOST population in the last 100 or so years. By contrast, Altanta (the City) lost population from 1970 to 1990.

Today the region is mostly built out with the mountains and sea making more suburban growth difficult. There are less natural boundaries to Atlanta's development.

Also, in real estate parlance, the City of Los Angeles has a very difficult "entitlements" process making it a relatively "supply-constrained" market where as in the Atlanta region you can build like crazy without much difficulty getting building permits. This correlates very well with real estate prices....where over the long run they rise in LA and in Atlanta they are more stagnant (or rise much more slowly).

All true, but for some reason I doubt that Atlanta will expand geographically to quite the same extent. The city of Atlanta itself is pretty well defined, and then is surrounded by suburbs. Given that the suburbs are becoming increasingly popular AS suburbs (meaning that home buyers and real estate developers alike are looking to buy up land for vast personal properties), I don't think the "city" itself is going to end up sprawling much farther.

Whereas Los Angeles has multiple nexuses, depending upon where you live, Atlanta really only has one general nexus: the Midtown and Buckhead areas, which are within very close range of each other. So while there are fewer natural boundaries that would hypothetically constrict the extent of growth in Atlanta, I think the nature of the city will ensure a relatively stable orientation to urban Atlanta itself.

[US-Traveller]

Originally Posted by BJfrmNYATLSOCAL

Ive noticed the rapid growth of Atlanta, from ten years to now it has changed dramatically. The suburban sprawl of both cities are the key factors. Do you see Atlanta in the nest 15 years becoming LA?

Yes! Atlanta is so much like the Southland. Atlanta has a culture of opulence and pretentiousness that is so much like Los Angeles that if there were no trees and you added a lot more Hispanics, at street level you might think you were in Los Angeles.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by Brooklynlove

Atlanta does have some superficial similarities to Los Angeles. It's more spread out than most cities, with mostly detached single family homes as opposed to high-rise apartments buildings. There's a lot of green, lots of trees, lot of park space. You really do need to have a car. And it has a similarly relaxed pace.

I rode my bicycle from the trucking terminal I was parked at in Decatur, to downtown Atlanta following some long, state HWY that was akin to the Arrow Rte going from the IE to East LA areas(?)

Anywho, the ride was about 50-55 miles roundtrip, about 1-1.5hrs either way depending on how fast I was going.

To me, the traffic, despite the lack of other bicycles I saw outside of downtown, was quite kick-back as far as myself riding properly on the road was concerned.

This notion that you need to a car to get absolutely everything done anywhere is overrated.

Now if you somehow managed to have kids and/or deal with hauling heavy tools around, then I get your point.

[SoCal35]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

Yes! Atlanta is so much like the Southland. Atlanta has a culture of opulence and pretentiousness that is so much like Los Angeles that if there were no trees and you added a lot more Hispanics, at street level you might think you were in Los Angeles.

Always nice to get the negative view from an outsider who is apparently so bored in his own hometown that he has to put down LA and Atlanta....or was just an insult aimed at LA..?? Not sure I really care.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

Yes! Atlanta is so much like the Southland. Atlanta has a culture of opulence and pretentiousness that is so much like Los Angeles that if there were no trees and you added a lot more Hispanics, at street level you might think you were in Los Angeles.

What? No trees in Los Angeles! Hows the culture in Winnetka, Illinois? Is it basically farm culture, sorta of hayseed and hick accents?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by californio sur

What? No trees in Los Angeles! Hows the culture in Winnetka, Illinois? Is it basically farm culture, sorta of hayseed and hick accents?

Wealthy Chicago suburb.

I.e. more anti-L.A. sentiment coming from Chicagoans.

[rxpwas]

Originally Posted by BJfrmNYATLSOCAL

Agreed, as is Atlanta, a city that when i first came to vist 10 years ago, was no where near what it is now. I call Atlanta the city in the trees because with all the urban and suburban development, there are huge amounts of people in those areas.
Now i cant agree with your point on mass transit as Atlanta has no real helpful plans for the traffic issues, there is a proposed light rail to mimic theyre beltway freeway 285 that will serve the communities inside of 285

Reason i say LA is because as with New York City, people dont move to these cities AS much as they did. The south has presented a better way of living that people are flocking to especially in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Miami.
The crime rate in Atlanta is on a steady increase and its repeating what happened in LA. Poor city dwellers are basically being taxed out to the suburbs, that were nice and safe are becoming crime ridden and quite dangerous especially on Atlantas westside.

A lot of traffic in Atlanta, besides the local traffic itself, comes from 1-75 (travellers and vacationers coming from as far as Michigan or Ontario, Canada, as well Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, etc. travelling to Atlanta itself, or much more likely, passing through on the way south to Florida, or much less likely, the Georgia Sea Isles, such as Jekyll Island, etc., or passing back through on way back north to said places). To lesser extent, 1-20 and 1-85 pass through there also (as toward Carolinas and points east and north, or toward Alabama and points southwest and west). Atlanta can be a nightmare to go through, especially at rush hour, even L.A. didn't seem as formidable (I've driven through both several times).

[SoCal35]

Yes, Atlanta does have to contend with more cross-state traffic. That said, the LA metro area is pretty packed with people.

What year was Atlanta founded as a city? LA was founded in 1781. I could look it up...but I will leave that to the OP or someone else.

[Brooklynlove]

Atlanta was settled in 1822. Interesting, I wouldn't have initially thought of LA as being older. Atlanta, having been totally razed in the Civil War, definitely doesn't have any centuries-old architecture or landmarks within the city. There's nothing like the San Gabriel Mission or the Bradbury building or anything like that within the city itself.

LA and Atlanta might actually be opposites in this regard, where the city of LA (especially in East LA and Pasadena) is well-established, but the areas on the perimeter of LA County are much newer and less historic. In Atlanta, the city itself in general feels feels fairly new (though there are several overlooked and well-preserved historic neighborhoods like Inman Park, Druid Hills, and the Virginia Highlands), but it's surrounded by a lot of well-established southern towns with historic squares and anti-bellum houses (like Newnan, Madison, parts of Marietta and Roswell).

Yet another reason why I don't think it's really an apt comparison. The differences between their historic influences (Spanish and Mexican for LA, deep south for Atlanta) are manifest in the atmospheres and architecture of each city. A brief drive down a highway in Atlanta can feel similar (because it's a highway...and sunny and green), but spend time walking around each city and they feel very different.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by BJfrmNYATLSOCAL

Ive noticed the rapid growth of Atlanta, from ten years to now it has changed dramatically. The suburban sprawl of both cities are the key factors. Do you see Atlanta in the nest 15 years becoming LA?

No. Atlanta is more like the next San Francisco. But the ghettoer version.