Problems at the Aquarium? (Atlanta, Duluth: daycare, schools, income)

[RoslynHolcomb]

Well, ok, maybe people coming in from Alabama or Bremen might say that, but I'm talking about normal people.

Hey, back off folks from Alabama. We've got indoor plumbing now.

I suspect a lot of nonessential activities are down this year. We've cancelled vacation plans outselves.

Yeah, we wouldn't be going if we didn't have relatives coming to town.

[PKCorey]

I've been to the aquarium about 2 or 3 times now. The first time, I went in 2007, I was underwhelmed. When we were finished, I said to my friend, "This is it?"

Guess I bought into the hype too much.

The Baltimore Aquarium seems better and its wayyyy smaller than the "world's largest."

I went back recently in May with my gf and yet again, I was underwhelmed yet again. the $54 or so dollars that I spent for that hour walk through the aquarium could have been better spent on something else.

I know, I won't be back anytime soon.

[rxlynn]

Very interesting thread! I took my girls once - took them out of school to do it, because I had read so many negative things about crowd issues. My major complaint was that I felt (from the very beginning) that I was simply being asked to pay more and more money for everything. The tickets are significantly more expensive than Chattanooga or Charleston, then you have the parking fee on top of that, then if you want to do the 3-D movie that's an additional fee, and as already mentioned the food/concessions are extremely expensive.

Other issues: My children were very unimpressed with the signage (9 year old said "Why don't they have better information written about the fish like in Chattanooga?") and with the poorly designed touch tanks. Why even bother having them if I still have to hold up a not short 5 year old to reach anything in the tanks??

Did it once - won't spend the money ever again.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by ramblinwreck17

Are you serious? Or was that a joke? "Real Americans" seeing signs for other languages will turn them off to coming? Have you been overseas? I very much appreciate being in Rome or Munich or wherever and seeing signs in English assisting me to my point of interest. Why can't we extend the same courtesy? Because it will offend our sensibilities?

I laughed at the "Real Americans" comment but then I found this and realized you are right. I never knew...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnnxDqy515s

Yes, I've been overseas. Personally, I'm not fond of seeing English in non-English speaking countries. That's part of what makes them different. They shouldn't be in the business of diluting their culture, and neither should we do the same for them.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Oh geez, man. Get real. Have you ever been to a real city before? New York? San Francisco? Toronto? Tokyo? London? It's COMMONPLACE in places like airports, subways, and major tourist attractions for their signs to be in their native languages, with multiple other languages underneath for visitors to read. Whether or not Atlanta is yet a "real" city or not gets debated regularly on here, but the fact that the Aquarium is probably the most commonly visited attraction within the city by visitors from abroad is fact.

No one is saying to replace English on the signage. Like other cities do, English should be at the top of the sign in the largest lettering, followed by the more common languages you hear from visitors here in smaller letters to translate: (Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese and perhaps German or Korean, too. I seriously doubt that you'd find ANY American visitor to the Aquarium who would go, "Aww gawddman, look at dat - furin' languages on thu signs! I'm leaving!!". Well, ok, maybe people coming in from Alabama or Bremen might say that, but I'm talking about normal people.

Have I ever been to a "real city"? Well, yeah, plenty of times, and yes, Atlanta is a real city.

Let's see, I've visited New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnatti, Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Columbus, Buffalo, Orlando, Miami, Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Memphis, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Richmond, Louisville, New Orleans, Birmingham, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Las Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver, Dublin, and Helsinki.

That's not a bad list. Those are simply the largest. I've been to basically every metro area in the United States, and many in Canada.

Now, who cares if it is commonplace in some international cities to have other languages in various locations. An international airport is fine, in my opinion, as it acts as a hub to various locations around the world. However, out on the street, I see it as an affront to the unique culture of the country in which it resides. You have a different opinion, obviously.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Now, who cares if it is commonplace in some international cities to have other languages in various locations. An international airport is fine, in my opinion, as it acts as a hub to various locations around the world. However, out on the street, I see it as an affront to the unique culture of the country in which it resides. You have a different opinion, obviously.

But the issue isn't about signage "out on the street". It's about signs in high tourist areas (Aquarium, subway, World Congress Center, yes-airport, etc). The Aquarium is one of the highest tourist areas in the city, with a higher mix of people from all nations than just about anywhere.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Personally, I'm not fond of seeing English in non-English speaking countries. That's part of what makes them different. They shouldn't be in the business of diluting their culture, and neither should we do the same for them.

Yeah, we humans would be so much better off if we were LESS accommodating towards one another.

[Homer12]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

First of all let me say - interesting opinions.

Second, let me say, I think folks should take the time to email the Aquarium to voice their opinions about how they felt about the exhibits, viewing areas, etc. If enough folks take the time to do so, they just MIGHT listen: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/contactUs/

Third - my own view:

You have to remember, the money from this came privately from the co-founder of Home Depot (Bernie Marcus). Believe me, City leaders would never have had the vision or ability to do something like that on their own. Now, it was a big PR event when he announced $200+ million dollars for it years ago as a supposed "thank you" to the city that helped get his company off the ground, and turned him into a gazillionaire. Truth be told, let's be honest. You're rich, you're very old, and you want your name and face to live forever... so what do you do? Have an Aquarium built with money you give for it, and a nice big plaque and bronze statue of you in it, too.

But, while you're alive, you need to also do something that no one else has done before, to draw more attention to you.. er... the facility. So, you make sure it's the LARGEST Aquarium in the world! Well, actually, it just has the most water (8 million gallons - more once the expansion is complete). Having the most water doesn't make it the best. Oh, ok.. so, I'm rich, let's get some pets... er... species for it that no one else has. So, we'll hunt down some young Whale Sharks, snatch them from Asian waters, and poof - I'm...er... the AQAURIUM, is instantly famous! Yeehaw!

Forward: We have an Aquarium with more water and the largest shark/fish around. It also has no truly unique exhibit designs, the animals die off now and again, and many of the viewing ports are the size of something you'd see in a Dollywood Aquarium if they had one. Hardly "largest in the world". It is however, a success. People who have never been there WILL go at least once so they can see "the largest Aquarium in the worllllllllld" - and there's 6 billion people in the world coming here who keep having kids, so, there's no danger of it closing. They'll continue to come to see the Bronze Bernie statue... er... the exhibits. It will survive.

Personally, I drive 1.5 hours to Chattanooga when I need a fish fix. I really like the way they designed their tanks and indoor habitat areas that surround many of the exhibits. I can walk around the river area surrounding their facility and not once be asked for money by a vagrant, only adding to the pleasure.

So - remember to send those emails to ours, folks. Maybe one day it will be turned into a facility that we can all go, "I can't wait to go back there again!", instead of, "Oh - been there, done it".

You need to read a little bit more about Bernie Marcus, he donates more money than most of us will make in a lifetime and none of it is because he wants to be known. If more people in this world that had his wealth were like him the world would be a much better place.

[Homer12]

Originally Posted by SAlexander

Wouldn't it have just made more sense to do this in Savannah?

Why couldn't Marcus bulldozed some land somewhere and made a nice park- something that doesn't cost an arm and leg. Other cities have much better parks that people actually visit.

You know I can't tell if these two Home Depot guys have helped or hurt this place. That dufus Blank gave us Vick, and it appears this Marcus guy could be yet another moron.

Another person that has no clue. I will not stick up for Arthur as much as Bernie, but both have donated millions. Bernie has built hundred's of Play-grounds partnering with Kaboom while he was with Home Depot, we still build many today. You people obviously do not know these guys.

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by Homer12

Another person that has no clue. I will not stick up for Arthur as much as Bernie, but both have donated millions. Bernie has built hundred's of Play-grounds partnering with Kaboom while he was with Home Depot, we still build many today. You people obviously do not know these guys.

I'm willing to give full credit to both Blank and Marcus for all the good works they do, both the visible stuff like the aquarium and the much less visible but no less important stuff most people don't see. That being said, the fact that you've done a lot of good doesn't mean you're immune from making bad decisions or letting your ego get in the way at times. An aquarium in Atlanta makes no sense at all -- there's never been a time when any body of water has been a critical part of what's made Atlanta what it is. That the Chattahoochee happens to flow through it is barely more than coincidence; Atlanta was founded on the railroads and has continued to grow and prosper because of other business and transportation factors that have never included river traffic.

I'd have much preferred to see the same money and effort expended on a world-class transportation museum -- Atlanta was founded as a railroad terminus, and rail, truck, and air transport continue to be vitally important to the city's economy. The site now occupied by the aquarium is quite close to the rail lines that made the city what it is, and there was (and is) quite a good start on a collection of railroad rolling stock at the Southeastern Railroad Museum in Duluth. Given the fact that UPS and Delta are based here, along with dozens of other transportation-related companies, there would have been no shortage of opportunities for corporate sponsorships, etc. Planes, trains, and automobiles are what made Atlanta, and yet there's really no place in the city that celebrates that heritage in anything like a comprehensive way.

There was already an outstanding aquarium, with a much clearer raison d'etre, less than two hours away in Chattanooga -- the unmistakable conclusion is that we have one now in Atlanta partly as a "me-too" reaction to Chattanooga's success and partly because Bernie wanted a fish tank, and he wanted it to be the biggest and "best". That's OK -- it's his money, and there's no question that the aquarium has had a positive impact both in pure financial terms in increased tourism dollars flowing through the city and in helping with the revitalization of the Centennial Olympic Park area. But it doesn't change the fact that an aquarium has absolutely no rational connection with Atlanta, and that's why I regard Marcus's decision to make that his legacy to the city as fundamentally misguided and self-centered.