Atlanta's not a world class city[CL Article] (Boston: live in, prices)

[2Easy]

Originally Posted by DaBurgh

How many of the "world class cities" were in near ashes 150 years ago?

San Francisco 1906 after the earthquake

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by Staysean23

What is considered a world class amentie.

According to a poster on City-vs-city:

Walking fast, taking taxis, bottle service at a lounge during happy hour. You know, all things you can't do in Atlanta...

[bizchick86]

Originally Posted by Staysean23

What is considered a world class amentie.

First of all, it requires actually having a city. Second, it's having a mentality to create a city.

Atlanta functions more like a collection of small town neighborhoods. And too many individuals in those neighborhoods think like NIMBYs protecting their small town instead of aiming to benefit the city as a whole.

Folks in the metro Atlanta area have historically and consistently voted against wide scale public transportation because they didn't want it in their backyard. Large festivals are disapproved because no one wants them in their backyard. Nightlife is abhorred because no one wants it in their back yard. Having a city requires people who think like people in the city do-- wanting amenities (i.e. public parks, public transportation, public spaces and events) that benefit the city as a whole. It's a mentality that requires a willingness to sacrifice minor, personal inconveniences if it means having a more vibrant, livable, cultured place to live.

[Pemgin]

Originally Posted by bizchick86

First of all, it requires actually having a city. Second, it's having a mentality to create a city.

Atlanta functions more like a collection of small town neighborhoods. And too many individuals in those neighborhoods think like NIMBYs protecting their small town instead of aiming to benefit the city as a whole.

Folks in the metro Atlanta area have historically and consistently voted against wide scale public transportation because they didn't want it in their backyard. Large festivals are disapproved because no one wants them in their backyard. Nightlife is abhorred because no one wants it in their back yard. Having a city requires people who think like people in the city do-- wanting amenities (i.e. public parks, public transportation, public spaces and events) that benefit the city as a whole. It's a mentality that requires a willingness to sacrifice minor, personal inconveniences if it means having a more vibrant, livable, cultured place to live.

Are you talking about the city or the metro?

[atler8]

Thank you for that @ 4:23 this morning Staysean.
The moaning & groaning we hear about Atlanta not being this or not being that gets old when it's done by folks who compare us to cities that were already MAJOR hubs & cities while Atlanta was still a regional hub city at the most. Let's use a sense of history when making comparisons please!
Case in point, I can't tell you how many times I used to go round & round w/ my Chicago native friends who had relocated here. They'd complain about how on so many fronts Atlanta fell short from the standards set by their former city.
I had 2 rejoinders for them:
1. At the end of WW2, the city proper of Chicago reached it's peak population of 3.5 million while Atlanta was a way smaller but still growing city of just over 300,000 residents within the city limits.
2. My other rejoinder was, if Atlanta failed to measure up on so many fronts as compared to Chicago, why did they move HERE in the first place & why were they still HERE?

My point is not to say that Atlanta is perfect. It's not & has plenty of warts that I grouse about. But that's standard for any place.
As I wrote earlier, it's important to maintain an honest sense of history when making comparisons. It's really nothing to get depressed over.

[bizchick86]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

Are you talking about the city or the metro?

Both

[glovenyc]

Originally Posted by bizchick86

First of all, it requires actually having a city. Second, it's having a mentality to create a city.

Atlanta functions more like a collection of small town neighborhoods. And too many individuals in those neighborhoods think like NIMBYs protecting their small town instead of aiming to benefit the city as a whole.

Folks in the metro Atlanta area have historically and consistently voted against wide scale public transportation because they didn't want it in their backyard. Large festivals are disapproved because no one wants them in their backyard. Nightlife is abhorred because no one wants it in their back yard. Having a city requires people who think like people in the city do-- wanting amenities (i.e. public parks, public transportation, public spaces and events) that benefit the city as a whole. It's a mentality that requires a willingness to sacrifice minor, personal inconveniences if it means having a more vibrant, livable, cultured place to live.

That about sums it up. I've noticed that in my short time living here in Atlanta, and it's holding back the entire metro. I'm not too worried about Atlanta becoming "world-class", because it's already a great place to live (although there is always room for improvement). However the mentality that exists, will continue to hold the region back with regards to becoming that world-class city title that many seek.

[EarlofCardigan]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

I'm slowly coming to realize Atlanta will never in the same tier as cities like NYC, SF, LA, and Chicago. When I look at those cities and realize how developed and established they are compared to Atlanta, it's pretty depressing to be honest.

Yeah, but try finding a nice home in those cities (other than Chi) for $600k or less and then you'll be elated with Atlanta.

[bizchick86]

Originally Posted by EarlofCardigan

Yeah, but try finding a nice home in those cities (other than Chi) for $600k or less and then you'll be elated with Atlanta.

I suppose that's the conundrum-- we want a world class city without the world class prices. However, somehow, Chicago is able to do it. I'm not sure why.

I was really baffled as to how a city of Chicago's caliber could be so cheap. I think Chicago is an ideal mix of urbanity and livability, both in the quality of life and cost of living. I'd hope Atlanta can work towards that as well.

[atler8]

biz
If you think about, the places that have regularly exhibited the greatest price pressures for the last few decades have largely been coastal areas, as in a bi-coastal East Coast/West Coast thing.
Chicago by virtue of being a Midwestern city, albeit a really huge one, has nevertheless generally escaped the sometimes manic price rises found on those 2 coasts or near them.