A Brit from Leeds experience in Atlanta. (house, neighborhood)

[stillinthesouth]

Originally Posted by Galounger

What do you mean?

Going back to May she goes in depth on all kinds of Atlanta topics ranging from springtime here to the Final Four, Braves games, Dining out here and the variety of restaraunts, Shopping here, looking for an apartment here, visits to all the tourist spots, the list goes on and on.

Oh, OK - I didn't go back that far. The ones I saw were more about general impressions of American culture (Halloween, Christmas advertisements, etc.).

[arjay57]

A lot of people don't realize how amazing the Big Gray Rock is to foreigners.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by arjay57

A lot of people don't realize how amazing the Big Gray Rock is to foreigners.

Rather like Ayers Rock is to the Commonwealth.

[ATLondoner]

English town centers are hurting badly.......shops can't close quick enough and people are favoring big out of town malls....don't think we have it differently to you guys here in the states.

Loved reading the blog, so many similarities to my first couple of years here.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by ATLondoner

English town centers are hurting badly.......shops can't close quick enough and people are favoring big out of town malls....don't think we have it differently to you guys here in the states.

Loved reading the blog, so many similarities to my first couple of years here.

It seems like Tesco is doing to the British retail landscape what Walmart is doing to ours.
Even St. Petersburg, Russia is beginning to experience suburbia and bid box retail.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by ATLondoner

English town centers are hurting badly.......shops can't close quick enough and people are favoring big out of town malls....don't think we have it differently to you guys here in the states.

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

It seems like Tesco is doing to the British retail landscape what Walmart is doing to ours.
Even St. Petersburg, Russia is beginning to experience suburbia and bi[g] box retail.

Seems like these New Urbanists are fighting what places like Atlanta have been naturally gravitating to due to economic forces.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Seems like these New Urbanists are fighting what places like Atlanta have been naturally gravitating to due to economic forces.

Ummm... ?

Either you're not fully aware what new urbanism is or your confusing new urbanism with historical demand for urban vs suburban environments.

Many developments throughout the Atlanta region follow new urbanism principles and in many cases have been quite successful at attracting money into the area.

I'd also point out that the principles are also being used, albeit sometimes just in parts, in the suburban settings to a large degree.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Ummm... ?

Either you're not fully aware what new urbanism is or your confusing new urbanism with historical demand for urban vs suburban environments.

Many developments throughout the Atlanta region follow new urbanism principles and in many cases have been quite successful at attracting money into the area.

I'd also point out that the principles are also being used, albeit sometimes just in parts, in the suburban settings to a large degree.

Like the Big Box stores? The English town centers like Leeds seem to be the ideal that the New Urbanists are seeking. The suggestion was that the out-of-town malls are sapping the life out of in-town shops in Britain. Sort of what happened to Atlanta in the 1960s and 1970s. New Urbanism works against that but the earlier postings suggest that it works against the natural economic flow to lower cost.

[Galounger]

One of my question to the visitor from Leeds and all Europeans that live here for awhile would be are taxes in England really that outrageously high and debilitating when compared to American taxes as conservatives here would suggest?

Many here make the case that social services and government subsidized provisions like free health care and subsidized rail service are at the cost of crippling high taxation.

[chalvey]

Originally Posted by ATLondoner

English town centers are hurting badly.......shops can't close quick enough and people are favoring big out of town malls....don't think we have it differently to you guys here in the states.

Loved reading the blog, so many similarities to my first couple of years here.

Indeed, the same goes for Slough High Street. It's just declined over the years. A poundland, McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, and Pizza Hut. The stores are are generally lower quality and the local mall (Queensmere/Observatory is half empty). Mum used to shop at Adam's (closed down) & the River Island store only sells discount items nowadays. But they are trying to revitalize the area. The major problem comes from all the new indoor malls that have started sprouting about (Westfield, Bluewater, Cabot Circus, The Bull Ring, etc.)

Wish this was happening in more places: London 2012 Olympics: Leyton High Road gets new look that's more Notting Hill than EastEnders | Mail Online