The NY Times: Stars Flock to Atlanta--Reshaping a Center of Black Culture (Sandy Springs: real estate, 2013)

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by readyset

And what I don't get as well is why people treat Atlanta like it's not a real city. The Black culture is important yes, but not only that, this young city can hang with the best of them. From Atlanta's nice modern architecture building boom to number of Fortune 500 companies, its low crime rate compared to Detroit, Baltimore and even D.C. If Baltimore just got one of Atlanta's skyscrapers and fortune 500 companies, some government officials head would explode.

People really take things for granted, when you live in places like Baltimore or Detroit or in a city that always seems to be losing and nothing big and positive ever happens, your eyes will open up.

They are just hating. If they hate Atlanta so much why are they always in our forums? I hate north Dakota but u don't see me posting in their forum

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by readyset

And what I don't get as well is why people treat Atlanta like it's not a real city. The Black culture is important yes, but not only that, this young city can hang with the best of them. From Atlanta's nice modern architecture building boom to number of Fortune 500 companies, its low crime rate compared to Detroit, Baltimore and even D.C. If Baltimore just got one of Atlanta's skyscrapers and fortune 500 companies, some government officials head would explode.

People really take things for granted, when you live in places like Baltimore or Detroit or in a city that always seems to be losing and nothing big and positive ever happens, your eyes will open up.

First, fortune 500 companies are way overrated. Most job growth in America comes from small businesses....and not fortune 500 companies. Secondly, what percentage of Metropolitan blacks live the city of Atlanta proper? What percentage of the entire metro area lives in the city of Atlanta proper? My point......its that focusing on the city proper is passe.....as most people in metro areas do not live in the city proper. Thus, focusing on the crime rate in the city of Detroit proper vs the crime rate in the city of Atlanta proper is a moot point if one lives in Southfield, Michigan and Lithonia, Georgia. Thirdly, I would take Detroit's downtown riverfront over 30 new skyscrapers....and the fact that I can go underground and end up in another country in less than 5 minutes. So yes....each city has its thing..

[SLIMMACKEY]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

My point is that one can find a good quality of life......without moving to the "black mecca". Atlanta has been the number one relocation destination for migrating blacks the last decade. Obviously people are voting with their feet assuming that one moves to improve their quality of life. I know a few people, with low job skills and on public assistance who somehow believe that their life is going to be a lot better once they move to Atlanta. Why? Its because someone put it in their head that Atlanta was the land of opportunity for black folks.

It would be foolish for someone to move to ATL based on that statement. But it would be more foolish to not come IF there is more opportunity for that person here than where they are. But it all depends on each individuals situation.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

I disagree that DC and Atlanta are "very different." I do agree that the networks are different in DC due to it being the seat of federal government and thus being home to many different organizations and institutions that rely on government, but let's not forget that Atlanta has one of the largest concentration of federal government jobs outside of DC, being the home of the Southeast regional offices of several federal government agencies as well as the CDC and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. And of course, there are the several F500 companies that are headquartered in the area. According to the most recent studies I could find, Atlanta's top tier university, Emory, has more (both in raw numbers and percentages) Black faculty, tenured Black faculty, and Black department heads than DC's top tier university, Georgetown. And for the record, I don't really consider jobs in journalism, law, and policy to be "cutting edge." To me, that refers more to the STEM disciplines, art, fashion, etc. I don't think either DC or Atlanta bests each other in those categories.

Have you ever lived in DC? There's a big difference between working as an AUSA in the Northern District of Georgia doing at best, qui tams, and working as an AUSA in D.C. where you're briefing far more novel and complex issues of Constitutional import. There's a big difference between having Delta Airlines as your largest client and having Goldman Sachs, A.I.G. and Blackrock as your largest clients. So yes, the jobs are far more "cutting edge." There are many more opportunities for blacks at the highest level of the game in Washington, DC. The same goes for New York City when it comes to finance.

A "federal government job" is not saying much. You could work as a ranger for the Park Service and be a federal employee. Not all federal jobs are created equal. Yes, there is the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, but the black guy (virtually no black women pursue Econ degrees post-grad) who busted his hump to earn his Ph.D. at Sloan is not going to Atlanta. He's going to Treasury or the Fed in DC or to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. You can't work in DOJ Federal Programs in Atlanta. Nor the SG's office. How many hedgefunds are in Atlanta compared to the New York and DC area?

So DC attracts much more talent than Atlanta, period. Unless you're talking about musicians, in which case, Atlanta wins hands down.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

First, fortune 500 companies are way overrated. Most job growth in America comes from small businesses....and not fortune 500 companies. Secondly, what percentage of Metropolitan blacks live the city of Atlanta proper? What percentage of the entire metro area lives in the city of Atlanta proper? My point......its that focusing on the city proper is passe.....as most people in metro areas do not live in the city proper. Thus, focusing on the crime rate in the city of Detroit proper vs the crime rate in the city of Atlanta proper is a moot point if one lives in Southfield, Michigan and Lithonia, Georgia. Thirdly, I would take Detroit's downtown riverfront over 30 new skyscrapers....and the fact that I can go underground and end up in another country in less than 5 minutes. So yes....each city has its thing..

Detroit is the worst dump in north American. Detroit had over 300 murders last year. We had less than 100. Anybody who moves to that dump is crazy

[tonygeorgia]

I wonder why the poor Blk men in nyc do not move to other cities that have more opportunity?

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

They are just hating. If they hate Atlanta so much why are they always in our forums? I hate north Dakota but u don't see me posting in their forum

I often like to see what people are talking about in other places. Since I lived in Atlanta I visit the Georgia forum sometimes. If you visit the Michigan forum you will note that the vibe is a lot different. I was interested, this time, in the reaction to the job losses in Georgia. I was doing some research and it just shocked me to find that Atlanta was still losing jobs.

Lastly, I would not confuse "not sharing your exuberance" with hate. I like Atlanta.......I was just not impressed with Atlanta.

[SLIMMACKEY]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Have you ever lived in DC? There's a big difference between working as an AUSA in the Northern District of Georgia doing at best, qui tams, and working as an AUSA in D.C. where you're briefing far more novel and complex issues of Constitutional import. There's a big difference between having Delta Airlines as your largest client and having Goldman Sachs, A.I.G. and Blackrock as your largest clients. So yes, the jobs are far more "cutting edge." There are many more opportunities for blacks at the highest level of the game in Washington, DC. The same goes for New York City when it comes to finance.

A "federal government job" is not saying much. You could work as a ranger for the Park Service and be a federal employee. Not all federal jobs are created equal. Yes, there is the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, but the black guy (virtually no black women pursue Econ degrees post-grad) who busted his hump to earn his Ph.D. at Sloan is not going to Atlanta. He's going to Treasury or the Fed in DC or to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. You can't work in DOJ Federal Programs in Atlanta. Nor the SG's office. How many hedgefunds are in Atlanta compared to the New York and DC area?

So DC attracts much more talent than Atlanta, period. Unless you're talking about musicians, in which case, Atlanta wins hands down.

I am not attacking you but can you quantify and otherwise prove as absolute these statements that you made? I see you are from the Bronx, and I split time between ATL and NYC....just saying that so that you know I am not an ardent cheerleader of either. There are other places I deem better than both in different respects but I live both places and like em.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by SLIMMACKEY

I am not attacking you but can you quantify and otherwise prove as absolute these statements that you made? I see you are from the Bronx, and I split time between ATL and NYC....just saying that so that you know I am not an ardent cheerleader of either. There are other places I deem better than both in different respects but I live both places and like em.

I don't understand why Nyc'ers are worried about Atlanta when half of the Blk men in new York are unemployed

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Detroit is the worst dump in north American. Detroit had over 300 murders last year. We had less than 100. Anybody who moves to that dump is crazy

lol.....less than 15% of the Greater Detroit areas 5.7 million population lives in the city of Detroit proper. Less than 15% of the greater Atlanta population lives in the city of Atlanta proper. Thus, please explain to me we you keep focusing on the crime statistics in a small section of the greater areas? yes....there were over 300 murders in Detroit, a city of about 750,000 people. However, there are about 5 million more people living in cities outside of Detroit where the crime rate is much lower. Besides, I know of some people who moved to Atlanta.....and got murdered. So whats your point?