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Old 05-05-2019, 12:56 AM
 
405 posts, read 389,515 times
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In many parts it feels like a Northeast or Mid-Atlantic city transplanted into the south. Love it. Atlanta is hands down one of the most unique cities in America and I'm excited to see where it heads in terms of development in the next 10-20 years
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Old 05-05-2019, 03:06 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dozener View Post
...
Atlanta is hands down one of the most unique cities in America and I'm excited to see where it heads in terms of development in the next 10-20 years
Why do you say this?
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Old 05-05-2019, 05:22 AM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,187,636 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aries4118 View Post
Why do you say this?
I think they're saying because Atlanta is uniquely a cosmopolitan, progressive, expansive major city, with a heavy rail subway system, but it's in the heart of the South and in a red state. Like a bit of DC in Georgia.

Atlanta is actually really unique in that regard, especially with all the forest and hills and being in the east and associated with eastern time and the east coast. All the other southern cities are smaller, more of mid-size towns, or they're in Texas which is a bit different. (Dirt and flat, no heavy rail, Central time and more in the Midwest, etc.)

There's just a unique charm and culture. It's like an anti-culture. We make fun of ourselves (terrible traffic and sprawl and freeways and all our problems), and that becomes our culture. And then we have an eclectic in-town with just a unique weirdness.

And then the look and feel, there's so much glass and new, but it's contrasted against a southern pace. I do get what I think OP is getting at.
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Old 05-05-2019, 07:58 AM
 
Location: St Simons Island, GA
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The neighborhoods in particular share a resemblance with some of those in Mid-Atlantic cities.

Drive around Buckhead, Sandy Springs or Vinings and you may well be reminded of DC suburbs like McLean, Potomac or Chevy Chase.

Drive around Druid Hills, Decatur, Ansley Park or Morningside and you may be reminded of Main Line suburbs like Bryn Mawr, Bala Cynwyd or Gladwyne.

Buckhead:



Main Line:



McLean:



Pretty much interchangeable.
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Old 05-05-2019, 11:07 AM
 
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As someone who lived in DC for 2.5 years, the in-town neighborhoods don't compare well to mid-Atlantic cities. We have a lot of free-standing houses whereas in-town DC is packed full of high-density, beautiful row houses and english basements. But DC also doesn't have a unique neighborhood of tight-in shotgun houses like Cabbagetown. I think largely because of the lack of rivers in Atlanta, we don't do well with density of businesses and houses though there are pockets where you'd think you're in a mid-Atlantic city. Edgewood Ave for instance has a lot of wall-sharing businesses, but if you drop yourself into Google Street View on 18th St NW in Washington DC (Adams Morgan), it's no comparison.
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Old 05-05-2019, 11:09 AM
 
11,686 posts, read 7,844,906 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
I think they're saying because Atlanta is uniquely a cosmopolitan, progressive, expansive major city, with a heavy rail subway system, but it's in the heart of the South and in a red state. Like a bit of DC in Georgia.

Atlanta is actually really unique in that regard, especially with all the forest and hills and being in the east and associated with eastern time and the east coast. All the other southern cities are smaller, more of mid-size towns, or they're in Texas which is a bit different. (Dirt and flat, no heavy rail, Central time and more in the Midwest, etc.)

There's just a unique charm and culture. It's like an anti-culture. We make fun of ourselves (terrible traffic and sprawl and freeways and all our problems), and that becomes our culture. And then we have an eclectic in-town with just a unique weirdness.

And then the look and feel, there's so much glass and new, but it's contrasted against a southern pace. I do get what I think OP is getting at.
Atlanta is the only southern city besides Los Angeles that has Heavy Rail and in that respect it is definitely unique, however; it is seeming that most metros are more focused on light rail (cheaper to implement) and most cities (besides D.C) have for the most part haulted the expansion of HRT. Atlanta its still questionable as to whether or not they will expand it with the biggest push back being its suburban surroundings.

As for all other southern cities being smaller, dont forget Miami. Miami has a larger MSA than Atlanta as well. Albeit Atlanta offers more for the same dollar amount than Miami. Also not all of Texas is flat. Toward central Texas (San Antonio and Austin) it gets fairly hilly and fairly lush. Southeastern Texas (Houston area) is flat but is also pretty lush.

None of that compares to the greenery and hills found in Atlanta but it's not as desertified as people seem to believe it is.
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Old 05-05-2019, 01:36 PM
 
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,355 posts, read 43,822,059 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLUTD View Post
As someone who lived in DC for 2.5 years, the in-town neighborhoods don't compare well to mid-Atlantic cities. We have a lot of free-standing houses whereas in-town DC is packed full of high-density, beautiful row houses and english basements. But DC also doesn't have a unique neighborhood of tight-in shotgun houses like Cabbagetown. I think largely because of the lack of rivers in Atlanta, we don't do well with density of businesses and houses though there are pockets where you'd think you're in a mid-Atlantic city. Edgewood Ave for instance has a lot of wall-sharing businesses, but if you drop yourself into Google Street View on 18th St NW in Washington DC (Adams Morgan), it's no comparison.
Atlanta came out of the ground about 40 years after DC. Its development didn't begin in earnest until after 1865. By then row house development has fallen out of fashion in many American cities, and it wasn't amenable to the Southern climate, anyway; having space between houses facilitated air circulation in the summer.
The suburbs that grew up in these cities during the same era are indeed similar. I am someone who lived in DC for three years as well, BTW.
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Old 05-06-2019, 12:02 AM
 
Location: East Point
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the most defining parts of the city, to me at least, are forested. that's what really defines it. living under the tree canopy. other places are not like this.
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Old 05-06-2019, 02:08 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
9,818 posts, read 7,843,357 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Need4Camaro View Post
Atlanta is the only southern city besides Los Angeles that has Heavy Rail and in that respect it is definitely unique
Don't forget Miami, they have it too. It's smaller than MARTA, but was built in the same general timeframe - along with BART & D.C.'s Metro.
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Old 05-06-2019, 01:44 PM
 
Location: Downtown Marietta
1,324 posts, read 1,302,563 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iconographer View Post
The neighborhoods in particular share a resemblance with some of those in Mid-Atlantic cities.

Drive around Buckhead, Sandy Springs or Vinings and you may well be reminded of DC suburbs like McLean, Potomac or Chevy Chase.

Drive around Druid Hills, Decatur, Ansley Park or Morningside and you may be reminded of Main Line suburbs like Bryn Mawr, Bala Cynwyd or Gladwyne.

Buckhead:



Main Line:



McLean:



Pretty much interchangeable.
Yes, well put. Vinings (and the Whitlock Avenue section of historic Marietta) remind me of both Chevy Chase, Maryland, where I have spent a little time, and the Chevy Chase neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky, where I lived for two years.
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