The Vibrancy Problem (Atlanta, Nashville: 2014, rent, broker)

[Atlanta Scientist]

I get groceries and take MARTA home after work lol. There are plenty of people doing that just maybe not in downtown. There isn't a grocery store in downtown yet but there's a cvs and Walgreens.

[primaltech]

The vibrancy is there- it's just hidden in pockets, around the metro. Just have to know where to look, and at the right times on the right days (and the right weather).

Downtown Marietta is one of my very favorite spots in the whole metro. And Downtown Decatur. Both regularly have a lot of pedestrians and vibrancy.

Parts of Peachtree St. Little Five Points. East Atlanta Village. And some other spots scattered around the city.

But yes, Atlanta is not a pedestrian place, it's very oriented around cars and driving everywhere. This doesn't make it terrible- just makes it not the place to be if you want to walk everywhere and take public transit everywhere and be really urban. Just about the worst big city in the world for that. But there's still some vibrancy and culture and all that- you just haven't discovered it because you're a boring and negative person.

I do wish all of the city and everywhere around here were like the Marietta Square area.

Atlanta's tall buildings and skyline is impressive to look at from a distance, but when you actually go to most of those impressive tall buildings, you get this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7712...7i13312!8i6656

As opposed to the equivalent in Manhattan:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7480...7i13312!8i6656

Or even Seattle:

https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6039...7i13312!8i6656

Downtown Atlanta does have one pretty good spot:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7598...7i13312!8i6656

Yet, in some ways, Downtown is actually the worst part of Atlanta. The least vibrant. The most boring and generic. But the design of it is good, at least. Actually almost kind of urban.

Atlanta has potential, at least. Atlanta in a few decades might be an entirely different world in terms of vibrancy. Or it might still be much the same.

[ATLTJL]

There is also the problem that pedestrians go away after 1 or 2 in the morning.

Everywhere has this problem.

Except maybe Times Square. Or the Las Vegas strip. Even these places are fairly quiet at 4am on a Wednesday.

[magnetar]

Anyone who doesn't thing our Downtown is active doesn't spend any time downtown. Try to drive around near GSU... pedestrians own those streets. Broad street at lunchtime... Peachtree Center at dinner time... Edgewood Ave late at night. There are tons of people out and about in downtown Atlanta. I understand where the belief comes from, I believed it too, but I started spending time at a coworking hub in south downtown and couldn't believe how active the streets were.

[primaltech]

Downtown has great bones to support the pedestrian activity, but if you're not already there for school, there's not a whole lot to really draw people there. (Yet.)

Now, if the population of Downtown were tripled (brought up to 100,000 people or something), and if the retail footprint were tripled (and better quality, w/ more unique, non-chain stuff), and with lots of stuff open all night, whole game could change.

That's why I say the potential is most definitely there, for 'vibrancy' at least in Atlanta's urban core. With the right changes and developments, and some time.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Downtown has great bones to support the pedestrian activity, but if you're not already there for school, there's not a whole lot to really draw people there. (Yet.)

Agreed. I live just a few miles from downtown and cannot think of any reason to go there, except to see a concert or to the aquarium.

[wasel]

The OP made pretty much the same thread a year or so ago. It seems to be the only tune they can sing.

[cqholt]

Where do you go downtown in Atlanta and see people walking around?

Someone has never been to Broad St, Five Points, Woodruff Park, Peachtree Center during the work week.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by 2Easy

Midtown Manhattan is also a “downtown” even though it’s not called that. Even if you disagree surely you understand that’s what was meant by context.

Do yourself a favor, and check out the OP's posting history. All will be revealed.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by 2Easy

Not as quiet as downtown Charlotte. They don’t even have a downtown.

Of course they do; they just call it "Uptown." Same thing.