Is Gwinnett County overlooked as an ethnic foods paradise? (Tucker: relocating, metropolitan area)

[demonta4]

No but DeKalb and Clayton are. Gwinnett is often cited as the only diverse area in the metro.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by demonta4

No but DeKalb and Clayton are. Gwinnett is often cited as the only diverse area in the metro.

I haven't heard Gwinnett called the only diverse area but the most diverse. Even Cobb is diverse but not as diverse as Gwinnett.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

I haven't heard Gwinnett called the only diverse area but the most diverse. Even Cobb is diverse but not as diverse as Gwinnett.

People don't recognize other Atlanta areas for diverse retail and restaurants. Gwinnett is often stated as the only place in Atlanta that you'll find this.

[DJDeadParrot]

Especially since moving in 2 years ago, I've found the diversity of restaurant choices went much deeper than just the stuff in the Mall of Georgia or Gwinnett Place areas. Even if you only stick to Satellite Drive or PIB, there's more than enough choice in places to eat.

[jeoff]

We are Intown now, but still head up to Duluth for Chinese Hot Pot, the Indian mall on Church Street for---Indian, and the Buford Hwy area for everything else.

[J2rescue]

Gwinnett definitely has the diversity and variety of ethnic options that reflect that diversity. I do agree that Gwinnett may not necessarily be viewed as a food paradise because there are few restaurants that have gained the acclaim as many of those on Buford Highway. What makes Buford such a destination is the concentration of places in one general area as opposed spread over the entire county.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by J2rescue

Gwinnett definitely has the diversity and variety of ethnic options that reflect that diversity. I do agree that Gwinnett may not necessarily be viewed as a food paradise because there are few restaurants that have gained the acclaim as many of those on Buford Highway. What makes Buford such a destination is the concentration of places in one general area as opposed spread over the entire county.

If you look around the Gwinnett Mall area, I don't know that Buford Hwy has that much on it. It is as if the struggling mall just draws attention away from all of the good things going on around it. Sort of crazy if you think about it ---the mall is sort of an anchor for the area--just not the good kind!

[First24]

What I noticed about the Gwinnet Mall area is it's still busy & energetic. Maybe it's due to the vibrant ethnic community around there but it's not the sad feel you normally get near a dying mall.

If Gwinnett Place Mall were redeveloped into an open-air town center concept, that area would really take off, IMO.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by First24

What I noticed about the Gwinnet Mall area is it's still busy & energetic. Maybe it's due to the vibrant ethnic community around there but it's not the sad feel you normally get near a dying mall.

If Gwinnett Place Mall were redeveloped into an open-air town center concept, that area would really take off, IMO.

Just the amount of traffic on the roads there show it's not a dead area. Maybe not high income, but there is activity over there, just not in the actual mall.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Nah, I don't overlook it at all.

I grew up with these places popping up all over more and more over the years.

What is really interesting about Gwinnett is once you get past the more visible major strip malls, you can travel to quieter areas where there just use to be an old grocery store but there is a very specialized food store, banquet hall, community center now. There are many niches within the county that became non-traditional community centers.

For the most part the only people I have seen that really overlook it are specifically the ITP-only folk that moved here and really never explored, but only go by some old rhetoric.


This is pretty much what the landscape looks like:

It's so odd how the center of the immigrant population never centered on or near Atlanta like most cities. Atlanta would be a much more interesting city if it had ethnic pockets and neighborhoods.