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Actually Atlanta was the murder capital of the nation for a couple of years around 1980 and was near the top for several years in a row with around 300 murders/year...crime was much worse back then and the perception of it was even worse - ala white flight.
Well, Atlanta is a big place. The murders weren't happening downtown -- in the 70s and 80s all the big accounting firms, law firms, banks, brokerage houses were downtown. Midtown and Buckhead were considered the boondocks as far as business goes and no top drawer outfit would have moved out there.
And you simply can't overlook the immense building boom downtown in the 70s and 80s -- nearly everything you see when look at the downtown skyline today was a product of that era. And that includes Portman's Suntrust Tower and the BOA. They were planned in the 80s, although not finished until around 1990. Since the 80s only a handful of new buildings have been added to downtown, and frankly nothing that really sizzles.
Fairlie Poplar was alive in those days, too. We had Woodruff Park, which had concerts nearly every day. Peachtree Center was a huge hangout for young people after work. There was fine dining at the Diplomat, the Ritz, several places at the Omni, the Midnight Sun, the Sundial, Herrens, Trader Vic's. The Mart was buzzing all the time, and downtown was busting out new mega hotels like crazy -- the Peachtree Plaza, the Marriott Marquis, the Omni, the Hilton, the Ritz. When have you seen anything to equal that?
Downtown shopping wasn't simply about the city's two flagship department stores, as fantastic as they were. The city has yet to experience anything like them again. But in addition, for men there was Muse's, Stockton's, Brooks Brothers, Zachary, Parks Chambers, and the like. For ladies the best stores, such as J.P. Allen, Regenstein's and Leon Froshin. The top jewelers and shoe stores were downtown. Top of the line car dealers were still downtown, as well as specialty shops for tobacco, haberdashery, and anything else. There were large cafeterias, sandwich shops, and lunch counters.
As far as white flight, that was largely a residential phenomenon.
If you didn't experience downtown Atlanta in the 1970s and 80s, you sort of missed its heyday. Things are coming back but it's nothing like the big city hustle and bustle of those earlier times. Downtown was the only game in town back then.
Yeah, but I don't think they were trying to do this with the HOF project. That wouldn't have made sense anyway.
How do you figure that?Every sense the younger France tool over,its been his goal to broaden the spectrum and image of the sport.Why not with its most visible tribute would they not there?As it would seem so far,it would have made sense do to its current trouble.
Well, Atlanta is a big place. The murders weren't happening downtown -- in the 70s and 80s all the big accounting firms, law firms, banks, brokerage houses were downtown. Midtown and Buckhead were considered the boondocks as far as business goes and no top drawer outfit would have moved out there.
And you simply can't overlook the immense building boom downtown in the 70s and 80s -- nearly everything you see when look at the downtown skyline today was a product of that era. And that includes Portman's Suntrust Tower and the BOA. They were planned in the 80s, although not finished until around 1990. Since the 80s only a handful of new buildings have been added to downtown, and frankly nothing that really sizzles.
Fairlie Poplar was alive in those days, too. We had Woodruff Park, which had concerts nearly every day. Peachtree Center was a huge hangout for young people after work. There was fine dining at the Diplomat, the Ritz, several places at the Omni, the Midnight Sun, the Sundial, Herrens, Trader Vic's. The Mart was buzzing all the time, and downtown was busting out new mega hotels like crazy -- the Peachtree Plaza, the Marriott Marquis, the Omni, the Hilton, the Ritz. When have you seen anything to equal that?
Downtown shopping wasn't simply about the city's two flagship department stores, as fantastic as they were. The city has yet to experience anything like them again. But in addition, for men there was Muse's, Stockton's, Brooks Brothers, Zachary, Parks Chambers, and the like. For ladies the best stores, such as J.P. Allen, Regenstein's and Leon Froshin. The top jewelers and shoe stores were downtown. Top of the line car dealers were still downtown, as well as specialty shops for tobacco, haberdashery, and anything else. There were large cafeterias, sandwich shops, and lunch counters.
As far as white flight, that was largely a residential phenomenon.
If you didn't experience downtown Atlanta in the 1970s and 80s, you sort of missed its heyday. Things are coming back but it's nothing like the big city hustle and bustle of those earlier times. Downtown was the only game in town back then.
Excellent write up, but I will go back to the 60's and it felt even more vibe, with the huge hippie area called "tight squeeze"
Well, Atlanta is a big place. The murders weren't happening downtown -- in the 70s and 80s all the big accounting firms, law firms, banks, brokerage houses were downtown. Midtown and Buckhead were considered the boondocks as far as business goes and no top drawer outfit would have moved out there.
And you simply can't overlook the immense building boom downtown in the 70s and 80s -- nearly everything you see when look at the downtown skyline today was a product of that era. And that includes Portman's Suntrust Tower and the BOA. They were planned in the 80s, although not finished until around 1990. Since the 80s only a handful of new buildings have been added to downtown, and frankly nothing that really sizzles.
Fairlie Poplar was alive in those days, too. We had Woodruff Park, which had concerts nearly every day. Peachtree Center was a huge hangout for young people after work. There was fine dining at the Diplomat, the Ritz, several places at the Omni, the Midnight Sun, the Sundial, Herrens, Trader Vic's. The Mart was buzzing all the time, and downtown was busting out new mega hotels like crazy -- the Peachtree Plaza, the Marriott Marquis, the Omni, the Hilton, the Ritz. When have you seen anything to equal that?
Downtown shopping wasn't simply about the city's two flagship department stores, as fantastic as they were. The city has yet to experience anything like them again. But in addition, for men there was Muse's, Stockton's, Brooks Brothers, Zachary, Parks Chambers, and the like. For ladies the best stores, such as J.P. Allen, Regenstein's and Leon Froshin. The top jewelers and shoe stores were downtown. Top of the line car dealers were still downtown, as well as specialty shops for tobacco, haberdashery, and anything else. There were large cafeterias, sandwich shops, and lunch counters.
As far as white flight, that was largely a residential phenomenon.
If you didn't experience downtown Atlanta in the 1970s and 80s, you sort of missed its heyday. Things are coming back but it's nothing like the big city hustle and bustle of those earlier times. Downtown was the only game in town back then.
Downtown was in a heavy decline by the 1970s...shopping was only a fraction of what it had been, and the murder rate/crime rate caused many people to stay away unless they worked there. It wasn't completely dead, but it isn't now either. Downtown was already a shell of it's former self.
I would say downtown's heyday was more in the 50s/60s. The 70s were full of desperate attempts to make downtown more attractive (urban renewal), and it was really the decade in which residents developed a more negative view of downtown.
Actually there have been some iconic structures and several entertainment venues added to downtown since 1990, along with a major expansion of Georgia State and dozens of residential options. I love downtown Atlanta as it is...of course improvements would be welcomed, but I don't have a problem with it the way it is today.
Downtown was in a heavy decline by the 1970s...shopping was only a fraction of what it had been, and the murder rate/crime rate caused many people to stay away unless they worked there. It wasn't completely dead, but it isn't now either. Downtown was already a shell of it's former self.
I would say downtown's heyday was more in the 50s/60s. The 70s were full of desperate attempts to make downtown more attractive (urban renewal), and it was really the decade in which residents developed a more negative view of downtown.
Actually there have been some iconic structures and several entertainment venues added to downtown since 1990, along with a major expansion of Georgia State and dozens of residential options. I love downtown Atlanta as it is...of course improvements would be welcomed, but I don't have a problem with it the way it is today.
I like the way downtown is shaping up these days, too, but you're misconstruing its history.
Simply put, Downtown was "where it's at" several decades ago. Of course the city proper was larger and denser in those days, but downtown was indisputably the center of regional activity back then.
Here's an example of the mind-blowing downtown building boom in the 1960s-1980s. Compare that to what has been built downtown since.
I like the way downtown is shaping up these days, too, but you're misconstruing its history.
Simply put, Downtown was "where it's at" several decades ago. Of course the city proper was larger and denser in those days, but downtown was the indisputably the center of regional activity back then.
Here's an example of the mind-blowing downtown building boom in the 1960s-1980s. Compare that to what has been built downtown since.
I give credit to our then provencial legislation which did not allow our big banks to expand outside of their home counties for many years. I think it was Gov. Busbee who finally changed that, but it was too late to save our big banks downtown. If only they had been allowed to grow beyond county and state lines, I think downtown would be a much different place today than it is. Just my humble opinion.
Well, Atlanta is a big place. The murders weren't happening downtown -- in the 70s and 80s all the big accounting firms, law firms, banks, brokerage houses were downtown. Midtown and Buckhead were considered the boondocks as far as business goes and no top drawer outfit would have moved out there.
And you simply can't overlook the immense building boom downtown in the 70s and 80s -- nearly everything you see when look at the downtown skyline today was a product of that era. And that includes Portman's Suntrust Tower and the BOA. They were planned in the 80s, although not finished until around 1990. Since the 80s only a handful of new buildings have been added to downtown, and frankly nothing that really sizzles.
Fairlie Poplar was alive in those days, too. We had Woodruff Park, which had concerts nearly every day. Peachtree Center was a huge hangout for young people after work. There was fine dining at the Diplomat, the Ritz, several places at the Omni, the Midnight Sun, the Sundial, Herrens, Trader Vic's. The Mart was buzzing all the time, and downtown was busting out new mega hotels like crazy -- the Peachtree Plaza, the Marriott Marquis, the Omni, the Hilton, the Ritz. When have you seen anything to equal that?
Downtown shopping wasn't simply about the city's two flagship department stores, as fantastic as they were. The city has yet to experience anything like them again. But in addition, for men there was Muse's, Stockton's, Brooks Brothers, Zachary, Parks Chambers, and the like. For ladies the best stores, such as J.P. Allen, Regenstein's and Leon Froshin. The top jewelers and shoe stores were downtown. Top of the line car dealers were still downtown, as well as specialty shops for tobacco, haberdashery, and anything else. There were large cafeterias, sandwich shops, and lunch counters.
As far as white flight, that was largely a residential phenomenon.
If you didn't experience downtown Atlanta in the 1970s and 80s, you sort of missed its heyday. Things are coming back but it's nothing like the big city hustle and bustle of those earlier times. Downtown was the only game in town back then.
Interesting write-up arjay. It is neat to read the opinion of someone who spent a lot of time in Atlanta in the 70's and 80's. I always kind of thought the heyday of the city (not the metro area) was in the 50's and 60's, with a low point in the 70's and 80's and a slow rise back in the 90's and 2000's.
I lived in New Orleans for several years as a youngster in the late 70's and early 80's and visited Atlanta fairly often b/c I had family in the metro area. To me New Orleans always seemed like the big city in a way that Atlanta didn't. Atlanta had some bigger buildings (and the Westin Peachtree was a wonder to my young self), but New Orleans was just packed with people and it seemed to bustle so much more. I was surprised when I learned how much bigger the atlanta metro was than new orleans b/c that didn't seem to jibe with what I saw with my eyes.
In the 90's I was in college only a few hours away and would make frequent trips to Atlanta. Atlanta got a lot of buzz in the 90's with the new additions to the skyline and of course the Olympics, but even then, when I went it always seemed like it needed more people/activity downtown (not during the Olympics of course, but when I would visit for other things). If we were downtown at night the place seemed pretty empty. And we would always shop in a big suburban mall not downtown.
These days with Centennial Park plus the Aquarium, CNN Center, World of Coke, etc there seems to me to be more going on downtown than in the 80's and 90's, but you are right that downtown now really has to compete with mid-town and buckhead.
Interesting write-up arjay. It is neat to read the opinion of someone who spent a lot of time in Atlanta in the 70's and 80's. I always kind of thought the heyday of the city (not the metro area) was in the 50's and 60's, with a low point in the 70's and 80's and a slow rise back in the 90's and 2000's.
I lived in New Orleans for several years as a youngster in the late 70's and early 80's and visited Atlanta fairly often b/c I had family in the metro area. To me New Orleans always seemed like the big city in a way that Atlanta didn't. Atlanta had some bigger buildings (and the Westin Peachtree was a wonder to my young self), but New Orleans was just packed with people and it seemed to bustle so much more. I was surprised when I learned how much bigger the atlanta metro was than new orleans b/c that didn't seem to jibe with what I saw with my eyes.
In the 90's I was in college only a few hours away and would make frequent trips to Atlanta. Atlanta got a lot of buzz in the 90's with the new additions to the skyline and of course the Olympics, but even then, when I went it always seemed like it needed more people/activity downtown (not during the Olympics of course, but when I would visit for other things). If we were downtown at night the place seemed pretty empty. And we would always shop in a big suburban mall not downtown.
These days with Centennial Park plus the Aquarium, CNN Center, World of Coke, etc there seems to me to be more going on downtown than in the 80's and 90's, but you are right that downtown now really has to compete with mid-town and buckhead.
Po-boy, I spent a few days in New Orleans last month, and was surprised by how urban and city-like it felt when compared to Atlanta. Now, I was in the financial district and the French Quarter, but those areas were very vibrant.
Downtown was in a heavy decline by the 1970s...shopping was only a fraction of what it had been, and the murder rate/crime rate caused many people to stay away unless they worked there. It wasn't completely dead, but it isn't now either. Downtown was already a shell of it's former self.
I would say downtown's heyday was more in the 50s/60s. The 70s were full of desperate attempts to make downtown more attractive (urban renewal), and it was really the decade in which residents developed a more negative view of downtown.
Actually there have been some iconic structures and several entertainment venues added to downtown since 1990, along with a major expansion of Georgia State and dozens of residential options. I love downtown Atlanta as it is...of course improvements would be welcomed, but I don't have a problem with it the way it is today.
Actually I have to partially disagree with you.Downtown Atlanta during MOST of the seventies was very vibrant.Underground Atlanta was the place to be.It really wasn't until after 1974 did things begin to slowly decline.
In 1968, the “city beneath the city” was given historic status. After a massive cleanup and renovation, Underground Atlanta opened as a retail and entertainment center in 1969."
From the Atlanta History Center archives
What happened in 1974?Maynard Jackson.The first black mayor elected in a major Southern city.
Remember Construction began on the MARTA system in 1975, with the first rail service commencing on June 30, 1979.If the city was experiencing so much decline,it would have never come to fruition.
The Atlanta Child Murders case in 1979-80, expedited greatly what had begun within few years after Maynard's first term.
By the eighties people had began to leave in doves
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