Scenario: You OWN Georgia, and money is not an issue... What would you do? (Atlanta: sales, houses)

[AnsleyPark]

I'd by St. Johns and move there... Seriously, I think Psykomonkee (just above) has great ideas! Imagine how much safer we would be as a city and more beautiful, too!

[Psykomonkee]

I bet not many people would like this idea, but screw them. This is MY Georgia...

I would create 3 REAL "Red-Light districts" IN the city...

I would do it by redoing zoning laws, making it easy for all the current strip-clubs and adult clubs to easily move into the 1 of the 3 new Red-light districts, then shut down all their old sites. People like being in one, easy access location anyway, and the clubs are too spread out as it is... (For strip clubs outside of Atlanta, that's their business, I'm talking Atlanta, city specific strip clubs). No more, one here and one there, being like little risque drops in various classes of neighborhoods. They would instead have their OWN neighborhood. And with all of them around town, that would be a pretty large neighborhood, which would in turn become a major adult attraction for outsiders to visit the city for. AND it would be much easier to manage.

*Before moving them, I would first have some deemed historical, and they would get to stay in their locations because of what their location means to their long standing business. For example: Clermont Lounge, Magic City, The Cheetah & Blue Flame stay exactly where they are.
Others would be moved.

District One: The land between University Ave. SW, the I-85/I-75 Connector, The Beltline Southwest Trail and Metropolitan Ave (aka Stewart Ave). That plot of land would be bought, rezoned and reconstructed into one long stretch of over 20 clubs between Metro Ave and the freeway. Build a pedestrian ONLY strip right down the center making it easy for a person to walk from one club to the next without crossing any streets. And allow people to carry open alcoholic containers INSIDE the district. Easy for police to monitor, having it not be spread out. Also would be easily accessed from the Beltline, making it easy for tourists that visit the city to go there without using a car. Imagine all of the glowing neon lights over the trees as the beltline rides by...

District Two: The land between The Beltline Northeast Trail and Monroe Drive NE, accessed from Piedmont Ave NE, along a small creek. Again, easily manageable by police and accessable by Beltline. Will have a large undergound or deck parking structure next to Piedmont Ave.
This one would most likely service Atlanta's gay community. A red-light attraction for those coming to Atlanta to enjoy that atmosphere.

District Three: Being somewhere accessable via Beltline near Westside Park or Waterworks. In that general area of town. Would host a different crowd than the crowds visiting the districts on University and Piedmont. Would most likely be the more mixed/ecclectic crowd/district.

3 different adult/alternative night-life atmospheres. 3 different experiences, yet zoned into 3 easy to manage districts, allowing the neighborhoods the clubs once stood in to grow on without them. For example, in NW you have this area off Marietta with potential and some development going up... Then suddenly you have Body Tap... And nothing wants to build right next to Body Tap, cause nobody wants to buy next door to it. But it'll never go anywhere unless it gets shut down for another reason. Just move it to one of the red-light districts and it'll see an even bigger crowd to pull inside. While allowing that neighborhood to develop over it's former site.
The districts would also be a plus for those clubs no longer having to fight over drawing the money to completely different areas of the city. Instead, they'll have the same crowd that will most likely want to go in and out of each club, spending money at each. They would start to keep each other alive through their competing over one captive crowd.

And being that they would be constructed as developements, in the fashion that we do in Atlanta (kind of strip mallish, with parking structures and all. Imagine, with all the establishments facing INWARD away from the major streets, with a common area in the middle allowing people to carry drinks in that area, with the parking either underneath, or in parking decks along the major street/behind the inward facing clubs), it would aid in keeping the fallout (of crime, drugs and violence) from spilling out of the development into the nearest neighborhood. Would be LESS urban, I know, but would FEEL urban and feel better when inside the middle of the development, being able to walk from club to club and even people watch others walking from club to club. Could even be multiple levels at the Piedmont District. Like Kenny's Alley at Underground.
None of that retards peeling out in the parking lot causing ruckus. Not when they have to wait in line to exit the parking deck, or if they're getting back on the Beltline to go back to their car elsewhere.

And drawing a crowd to either of the 3 districts will NEVER EVER EVER be a problem. Not in Atlanta.


The Tour:
I would even create a club-hopping tour. Like some cities do "Pub-crawls" or "Bar-crawls" I'd create a new "Atlanta Red-Light Tour" which would charge visitors ONE price, and the guide would get all participants admission to each club on the tour. The group would visit all 3 Red-Light districts by using the Beltline, then visit Clermont Lounge, The Cheetah and Magic City. The tour would also allow the visitors to tailor their own experience, allowing them to cut out certain clubs and create their own package. That way, not everyone in the group HAS to visit Clermont or Magic City if they don't want to, because not everyone is comfortable in the same crowds. But with several tour guids per night, it would be easy to do.
And the tours would be done, via party van until the Beltline becomes a running reality. Actually, it will still have the party van/bus anyway to get to places like Clermont and Magic City.

[demonta4]

Exile all Cobb leaders to Mississippi.
Create the Republic of Georgia.

Make all the businesses at Cumberland and Perimeter relocate to Forest Park.

Create a homeless shelter at Cumberland once the businesses are gone. They would get free food, healthcare, and financial aid.

Destroy any neighborhood where you can't walk.

Destroy all interstates ITP

Put a giant Coke statue in Piedmont Park

Make Clayton County Water leaders of drinking water for the state.

Relocate all racists to Mississippi.

Put sidewalks on all streets everywhere

Expand rail

Make coke the state symbol.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Exile all Cobb leaders to Mississippi.
Create the Republic of Georgia.

Make all the businesses at Cumberland and Perimeter relocate to Forest Park.

Create a homeless shelter at Cumberland once the businesses are gone. They would get free food, healthcare, and financial aid.

Destroy any neighborhood where you can't walk.

Destroy all interstates ITP

Put a giant Coke statue in Piedmont Park

Make Clayton County Water leaders of drinking water for the state.

Relocate all racists to Mississippi.

Put sidewalks on all streets everywhere

Expand rail

Make coke the state symbol.

Should all irrational Cobb haters have to move to Portland? Of course you already said that racists have to go to Mississippi, so I guess the irrational Cobb haters would be going there?

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Should all irrational Cobb haters have to move to Portland? Of course you already said that racists have to go to Mississippi, so I guess the irrational Cobb haters would be going there?

Yeah, anyone who hates the citizens. If anyone says anything good about their government, they can join them in Mississippi.

[neil0311]

If I was "King of Georgia"...rather than figuring out new ways to increase the size of government and proliferate more government spending, I would eliminate the income tax. I would then eliminate as many barriers to citizens freely and productively taking responsibility for their own lives as I could, and foster any way to help small businesses take hold.

This is only hypothetical, but I would make GA better by letting citizens keep and invest more of their own incomes.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by neil0311

If I was "King of Georgia"...rather than figuring out new ways to increase the size of government and proliferate more government spending, I would eliminate the income tax. I would then eliminate as many barriers to citizens freely and productively taking responsibility for their own lives as I could, and foster any way to help small businesses take hold.

This is only hypothetical, but I would make GA better by letting citizens keep and invest more of their own incomes.

You ever seen Texas' property tax rates? Hint: You won't be hearing Rick Perry talking about them any time soon.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

You ever seen Texas' property tax rates? Hint: You won't be hearing Rick Perry talking about them any time soon.

Nope, but there are other states without income taxes that don't have outrageous property taxes. Plus, I was not advocating an increase in property taxes.

Hey, the exercise was "money was no object" and I could do what I wanted, so I went the other way from the big spenders. If others can dream up huge transit projects and getting rid of all highways ITP and other far fetched ideas (which is fine), then I thought I'd suggest something that is actually a very realistic and doable notion. In fact, I was surprised it got no play this year in the General Assembly (probably because it's an election year).

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Nope, but there are other states without income taxes that don't have outrageous property taxes. Plus, I was not advocating an increase in property taxes.

Hey, the exercise was "money was no object" and I could do what I wanted, so I went the other way from the big spenders. If others can dream up huge transit projects and getting rid of all highways ITP and other far fetched ideas (which is fine), then I thought I'd suggest something that is actually a very realistic and doable notion. In fact, I was surprised it got no play this year in the General Assembly (probably because it's an election year).

I gotta hand it to you, neil, you sure do like to beat the "limited government" drum hard.

Here's something to consider: The Myth of a Texas Tax Benefit - NetsDaily

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I gotta hand it to you, neil, you sure do like to beat the "limited government" drum hard.

Here's something to consider: The Myth of a Texas Tax Benefit - NetsDaily

Just keep in mind that TX is but one state without an income tax. We have two on our borders in TN and FL, and NH, WA, AK, NV, SD, WY also have none.

It's not a matter of beating a drum but reminding people that the money is earned by someone and taken by government in the form of taxation, and in most states (and federally) it's a very punitive form of taxation that stifles innovation and growth.

A consumption tax with appropriate exemptions and floors is a much better way to incent the right behaviors, and to remove the punitive edge of taxation of wages and investments.