What's the Big Deal about Decatur (Atlanta, Savannah: home, theatres, luxury)

[staywarm2]

Not a Tourist

I'm not a tourist. I've lived in ATL almost 5 yrs. and had always heard about Decatur as the place to live. So thought we'd check it out. A long time resident of ATL had told me "that Decatur was where 'Driving Miss Daisy' was filmed." So I expected beautiful homes and lawns. Frankly, Decatur reminds me of Roswell. Small town and somewhat run down with odd little restaurants (some overpriced). I've been to cities in other states that had great areas where you could dine and walk around and windowshop and sit on a bench and people watch or look at the river. It seems to me that Atlanta doesn't have any place like that. But I haven't yet checked out Virginia-Highlands. Plus, the Decatur website wouldn't even let me print out the pages detailing the historic buildings in the area. What's with that? Seems to me that Decatur is a neighborhood, not a destination.

If Atlanta wants more tourists to bring $$'s to the area, maybe we ought to have more for them to do.

[postprime]

Originally Posted by Highriser987

Staywarm, I feel ya on Decatur! It has kinda a laid back vibe, but other than a cool little town type feel and a couple decent pubs, there isnt much else IMO. I work not too far from there, and of what popular restaurants they have, there isnt much, or they are old places like Ruby Tuesdays, who even goes there anymore? lol! The people vibe too never seems like what everyone makes it out to be, like a hip young place, but maybe it depends on your view of whats hip!

This is an honest question, not meant to perpetuate a stereotype, but why does it seem that the only people who do go to the Decatur Ruby Tuesdays are African-American? I mean, there all these other, much better restaurants around Decatur and the clientel seems to be 99% white. It's almost like some kind of unofficial segregation. Is there some reason it's Ruby Tuesdays (which I never go to, but not because I'm white) that draws the African-American crowd?

[cmtiger]

I still want to know where Staywarm2 lives and what his/her neighborhood would have to offer me if I came to visit. What's it like?

[lastminutemom]

Driving Miss Daisy was actually filmed in Druid Hills not Decatur. There is a huge difference at least in the homes. Druid Hills has some of the most gorgeous, charming and large homes intown. Most sit on large, large lots and are just to die for. Decatur has smaller, most significantly smaller, homes on significantly smaller lots.

Decatur has its' own school system, a huge plus in metro Atlanta, in my mind. Roswell doesn't.

[postprime]

I love Decatur. The big deal for me about Decatur is that it is a good city for bookworms like me. There are several bookstores in the downtown area, there is the very good library (which was my childhood library, so it is special to me to witness what a great little city has grown up around it), and there is the annual book festival that takes place Labor Day weekend. I agree there isn't much in the way of scenery, although the historic cemetery is rather lovely. And if I was still young enough for barhopping, Decatur wouldn't be on my radar. But as a place to live, I don't think you can do much better in Metro Atlanta as long as you are not the nightlife focused type.

[meadgrad]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

Not a Tourist

I'm not a tourist. I've lived in ATL almost 5 yrs. and had always heard about Decatur as the place to live. So thought we'd check it out. A long time resident of ATL had told me "that Decatur was where 'Driving Miss Daisy' was filmed." So I expected beautiful homes and lawns. Frankly, Decatur reminds me of Roswell. Small town and somewhat run down with odd little restaurants (some overpriced). I've been to cities in other states that had great areas where you could dine and walk around and windowshop and sit on a bench and people watch or look at the river. It seems to me that Atlanta doesn't have any place like that. But I haven't yet checked out Virginia-Highlands. Plus, the Decatur website wouldn't even let me print out the pages detailing the historic buildings in the area. What's with that? Seems to me that Decatur is a neighborhood, not a destination.

If Atlanta wants more tourists to bring $$'s to the area, maybe we ought to have more for them to do.

Something to keep in mind is that you are NOT in the midwest, you are NOT in New England. There is nothing in north Ga that can compare to Madison Wisconsin, Ann Arbor Michigan, Burlington Virmont, Boston MA, Chicago IL. At all scales there is nothing like what is up there down here. There just isnt the historic infrastructure like there is in New England and the Midwest down here to create the places you seem to be thinking of. (yes there is some history close to the city, but as a percentage of the whole of the total built part of metro atlanta, its quite small)

THAT BEING SAID, for this state and this city, Decatur is GREAT! Considering Atlanta is a majority sprawling, traffic, nightmare Decatur is a wonderful bastion (sp?) of quaint family oriented community (note: not neighborhood, community...there is a difference...much of suburban Atlanta is filled with disconnected neighborhoods with little community to offer.)

So, I would take a different look at the city next time you drive through. its a great place to raise a family.

If you are looking for a party...go to midtown.

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by cmtiger

I still want to know where Staywarm2 lives and what his/her neighborhood would have to offer me if I came to visit. What's it like?

cmtiger,
We live in Alpharetta. It is beautiful and well-kept, with lots of flowers, grass, and flowering trees and many lovely homes--some large and some smaller. We have the Big Creek Greenway, a meandering paved 6 mile+ walkway/biking path through the woods by a creek. Alpharetta has a brand new ampitheatre. We have the North Point Mall area, with many stores and restaurants, as well as two movie theatres. Near the Mall is a wonderful, large Barnes & Noble with very knowledgeable salespeople, a reading area, and including a Starbucks. We have some very nice higher end restaurants in the area, such as The Village Tavern, Sage Woodfire Tavern, the Rainwater, and Atlantic Seafood. We also have two J. Christopher's (a chain) and a Varsity. There are two libraries. We have a couple of smaller colleges. Every year the "Taste of Alpharetta" festival comes to town. The historic downtown area is in the beginning process of being totally redone and brought up-to-date. We have several parks, one of which sports a huge fort for the kids built by volunteers. There is also the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve on 46 acres (however, this may have been annexed recently by John's Creek). Sure, we don't have all the Decatur history, but it's an extremely convenient, beautiful place to live, but that's all it's purported to be... There IS life outside the Perimeter!

[TakeAhike]

I know I should be living in Virginia Highland. Received notification today that I 'might' be a winner of $2,000,000 and if so I will definitely be moving to the Highlands. That ought to be enough to get a small cottage.

At any rate, I know where I belong. My parents lived in an apartment comparable to 'The Dump'/Peggy's place around Inman Park/Grady we used to go to the library in Virginia Highland(s). I always feel better after a visit to the Borders on Ponce de Leon. Very creative/mysterious area--something like Savannah. You can almost 'lose your mind' there and I enjoy that after a day of driving in the traffic and a dose of Boortz.

Those that 'wonder' why Atlanta is the way it is need to look no further than Cox Broadcasting's empire. How they can find Boortz to be a satisfactory employee is something that I have wondered about. 'Good Ol' Boys' and they are proud and happy about that.

I like Walter Reeves and Clark Howard has useful information but when I returned to Atlanta I attended a volunteer seminar at WSB/750 AM and found out a few things that caused 'cognitive dissonance'. Then a few years later after Boortz had been blasting away and annoying me greatly I went into the 'castle on the hill' and tried to speak with anyone available to ask a few questions. The customer service person was beyond incompetent --had no idea what 'The Phoenix' was and could not have been ruder. That is the sort of employee that Cox values.

I can tell you that my employers --school systems, retail stores, law firms and entrepreneurs would have not allowed that sort of employee to stay around long.

So--that is how the city functions. 'Commerce'. Some of us have different priorities and we actually keep the city moving forward the way it should.

'Help Others'--as WSB has always encouraged the public to do--well, the other part of that is they want to help others help themselves. They just smirk if you have anything to say to them about those who cannot for whatever reasons 'Help Themselves'. That came from Jolly Old England--Georgia was founded as a debtors colony and of course the English believed that 'some' could do without basic necessities.

'Starve and Die'--my father grew up in Savannah and he must have heard that a lot --grew up at Bethesda.
I certainly have a different perspective---more like Albert Schweitzer myself. Robert Louis Stevenson--he had better ideas.

ESOL teachers certainly must know how to manage the 'System'.


'If you don't like something then do what you can to change it'.

I really believe in that. Just no sense in anyone having to do without basic needs.

I need my own talk show, I know that. I can certainly 'Communicate' as effectively as Boortz and Hannity. Easiest job in the world---flapping your gums and flying around in a plane.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Staywarm, when I said you were a tourist I meant that it was a tourist attitude with tourist expectations that you seemed to have when you went to Decatur. You went looking for something to see.

And that's not what makes Decatur great.

You live in Alpharetta. What is your commute like to work? What time do you get home from work everyday? Do you have to get in your car to go to any and every store? Must you drive to any/every restaurant? Do the streets of your neighborhood vibrate with life and activity? Do you know most of your neighbors? Do they have impromptu parties in the park behind your house?

That's what Decatur is. That's what Candler Park, where I live, is. That's what Inman Park and Virginia Highland are.

It's more about a lifestyle than anything else. A great, wonderful lifestyle.

I am not saying that the lifestyle in Alpharetta is inferior because it's all a matter of preference. But the people who live in our communities REALLY love the lifestyle I described.

I lived in the Gwinnett suburbs for 3.5 years, near the Mall of Georgia. I've lived in Candler Park for 2. And this might just be me and my lifestyle preference but I wasn't really living for that 3.5 years. I mean, I wasn't in misery, either. More like I just didn't realize what I was missing until I moved to the city to shorten my commute.

If you love Alpharetta then that is truly wonderful for you and no one can tell you you're wrong for it.

Now, let's hold hands and sing "We Are The World".

[TakeAhike]

'Lean on Me'

'Forever Young'

'Chain of Fools'

'R-E-S-P-E-C-T'

'Sittin' on the Dock of a Bay'

'Proud Mary'

Any and all songs by Josh Groban

'Light My Fire' Jose Feliciano

'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony'
Coke should have stuck with that one.