Atlantic Station going downhill? (Atlanta, Smyrna: section 8, apartments, rent)

[MMANN]

Whats the deal with Atlantic Station? i havent been there in a year or so, but from what I am hearing a lot of the stores down there are going under and the crime is soaring. I heard about a shooting INSIDE the mexican restaurant down there, rosa something... I also know that ICON apartments rent to section 8, so that may be whats driving the crime rate up. I have also heard that many of the people who bought there are giving anything to get out. All I know is that I told my girlfriend not to go down there anymore because last time she went she was harrassed by thugs saying degrading things to her.

What do you guys think? Is this a failed urban experiment? Will Atlanta ever be the type of city where they could build someting like this close to downtown and it not become a crime-ridden failure? Do you think Atlantic Station will eventually fail? Is this the 2000's equivalent to the 1970's Underground Atlanta failure? Or will the fragile racial equilibrium that defines Atlanta keep it afloat?

One thing to remember: No matter what, people are not going to shop/dine/go to the movies in an area where they feel they will get shot.

[Mike Jones 1999]

...was just there a month ago for a business lunch and things seemed fine to me. i did not see any "thugs."

[plessthanpointohfive]

We go there to go to the movies all the time, or to IKEA. Never had a problem.

[Iconographer]

Yes, I've been hearing the same things about AS as you, but I'm not willing to write it off as a failure just yet.
The main problem seems to be prospective homeowners having a problem getting COs to take possession of their properties due to construction problems...I don't know the whole story around this, but it does seems that the majority of condos down there remain empty. However, it doesn't seem to have slowed down new construction.
I go to Dillard's at AS regularly (love that store), and I've never felt unsafe there or walking around the area. Time will tell...I remember that when Colony Square was built in the early 70s, it was considered a white elephant in a high-crime area...the developers went bankrupt on it. So I guess you have to take the long view on AS.

[Buckhead_Broker]

The developer, Jim Jacoby, is a friend of mine, It was a worthwhile experiment but I thin the undesirables will turn it into the same cesspool that Buckhead became before Ben Carter, another friend, bought out the bar district with an eye towards improving the entire area.

[AtlantaRes73]

I think it is an okay place to be during the day, but not at night on the weekends

[plessthanpointohfive]

I've been to the theater at night on the weekends...I'm not seeing what everyone's talking about. And it hasn't been all that long since I last went...

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by MMANN

I also know that ICON apartments rent to section 8, so that may be whats driving the crime rate up.

It could be partially to blame, but not entirely. You're in the inner city of a very large city with a large amount of people living within the poverty line, a very high crime rate, and a Rap/Hop nightclub district that was recently tore down (per other comments as well above). All of these including section 8, add up to bring an area down. In some cities, "mixed income" developments work, but in large poverty/crime cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, Baltimore, etc., it's usually just a recipe for trouble.

Originally Posted by MMANN

I have also heard that many of the people who bought there are giving anything to get out.

While crime there is rising in some respects, part of the reason is shotty construction in some of the buildings. If you Google around a bit, you can find stories. I think a minimum of 6 buildings wound up recently developing some pretty severe structural problems due to improper builder's methods. Considering you're paying top dollar to live in small condos and apartments just to be in that area, having leaking water or cracked balconies isn't "quality", so that's partially the reason some folks are moving.

Originally Posted by MMANN

What do you guys think? Is this a failed urban experiment? Will Atlanta ever be the type of city where they could build something like this close to downtown and it not become a crime-ridden failure?

Will it "fail"? No - like Underground (but on a much much larger scale), it will chug along for many years, and attract the brave who venture to live there if it starts to slip downhilol and pay for it.

Can you build something like this in Atlanta in the downtown(ish) area without bad elements (thugs, bums, drunks, etc) taking it over? Not really - too many to stop unless you have top-notch security, and most places don't invest enough in it. If it had been built in Smyrna or Brookhaven, perhaps. Downtown/Midtown? Hard to keep clean. The Congress Center security has a really hard time keeping the junk out of Centennial Olympic Park, but they do a fair job of it, especially if you compare the area to Five Points. But Atlantic Station is in that limbo state where reputation alone kept it clean for a while, but now with the Buckhead clubs gone, they need to step security up a notch and develop a no-tolerance policy in order for it to stay nice. It's not "bad" now by any means, but at some times of days (or nights) yeah, it can get creepy (though many other times it's fine). Keep in mind that some of the western areas around it are only just started to revamp too - some dicey streets around it, and as with anywhere you get "spillover" crime, meaning most of the crime that is in Atlantic Station isn't being commited by people who live there.

[Atlantasfinest]

Atlantic Station is fine...I go there all the time for shopping at Target, West Elm, Ikea and to take in a movie here and there and I have never seen anyone harrassed or thugs walking around like your implying. Stop the campaign of FEAR against you know who... It's getting really old here on this forum. It's sad that some people are intimidated by people of color who are in most cases just out having a good time like you are.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I was there in March to go to a late movie with my husband. There were a lot of people out but I didn't see anything NEFARIOUS.

And I went to IKEA about 2 weeks ago...ditto...