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Status:
"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by urbancharlotte
There are not any smoke and mirrors ROTFLMAO!!!
And the fact that you don't think NC will ever have a city of Atlanta's stature is just laughable. Atlanta's CSA is nearly 6 million. Charlotte's CSA is about 2.5 million. I guarantee Charlotte will hit 4 million (Atlanta during the Olympics size) before Atlanta hits 10 million. Heck, Charlotte might even hit 5 million before Atlanta hits 9 million. No matter what, Charlotte will not catch Atlanta's size by metro in our life times so relax. But to say the NC will never have a city of Atlanta's current stature is bold at best and laughable at worst.
BTW, those CSA numbers are a reflection of what the 2010 census will probably show for Charlotte and Atlanta. Currently Charlotte is 2.3 million and Atlanta is 5.6 million. I honestly see Atlanta becoming "Chicago sized" while Charlotte will be "Detroit sized" over the next 30 years. Chicago is currently 9.7 million and Detroit is currently 5.4 million. Detroit is also about 240 miles east of Chicago. Charlotte is about 240 miles east of Atlanta. Am I the only one that sees this regional comparison?
Charlotte will never overtake Atlanta was my point.
And I am relaxed and definitely not the one in need of Zoloft here.
Charlotte vs. Atlanta?? Why is this even getting so much attention, is it because of the close proximity?? I cant speak for everyone, but when it comes to nearby cities Charlotte doesnt even spring into my mind. Not trying to down Charlotte, Ive been once and its OK I guess, but the average person from Atlanta is not checking for Charlotte like that. This must just be on the net, because you wouldnt hear this in real life. In terms of rivalry you hear Atlanta vs. New Orleans or Atlanta vs anywhere in FLA, but Atlanta vs Charlotte??? PLEASE!
And the fact that you don't think NC will ever have a city of Atlanta's stature is just laughable. Atlanta's CSA is nearly 6 million. Charlotte's CSA is about 2.5 million. Charlotte and Atlanta doubled their metros since 1990 my friend. In Charlotte's case, it more than doubled. I guarantee Charlotte will hit 4 million (Atlanta during the Olympics size) before Atlanta hits 10 million. Heck, Charlotte might even hit 5 million before Atlanta hits 9 million. No matter what, Charlotte will not catch Atlanta's size by metro in our life times so relax.But to say that NC will never have a city of Atlanta's current stature is bold at best and laughable at worst.
BTW, those CSA numbers are a reflection of what the 2010 census will probably show for Charlotte and Atlanta. Currently Charlotte is 2.3 million and Atlanta is 5.6 million. I honestly see Atlanta becoming "Chicago sized" while Charlotte will be "Detroit sized" over the next 30 years. Chicago is currently 9.7 million and Detroit is currently 5.4 million. Detroit is also about 240 miles east of Chicago. Charlotte is about 240 miles east of Atlanta. Am I the only one that sees this regional comparison? Isn't Detroit and Chicago sometimes mentioned in the same class? Nuff said.
The reason that NC will never have a city at Atlanta's stature is:
1. NC has two major urban clusters (Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham). This eventually causes the two to compete against each other; there is only so much growth that can happen within one state. For either of them to reach Atlanta's stature, NC would need to be a much bigger state with many, many more people. Dallas and Houston are located in gigantic Texas...however, the two major urban entities in this state can only compete for so long...that's why I'm not surprised that Atlanta is forecast to surpass them.
2. Atlanta is regional hub/capital/center (the American South!). Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham are tributary cities in the American South.
The reason that NC will never have a city at Atlanta's stature is:
1. NC has two major urban clusters (Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham). This eventually causes the two to compete against each other; there is only so much growth that can happen within one state. For either of them to reach Atlanta's stature, NC would need to be a much bigger state with many, many more people. Dallas and Houston are located in gigantic Texas...however, the two major urban entities in this state can only compete for so long...that's why I'm not surprised that Atlanta is forecast to surpass them.
2. Atlanta is regional hub/capital/center (the American South!). Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham are tributary cities in the American South.
It is not totally about the state. It is about the distance between major cities also. Charlotte and Atlanta are about 240 miles apart. So are Dallas and Houston, imagine that. Also, Charlotte is a two state metro in a way that Atlanta will never be (Alabama isn't close enough). Charlotte has the advantage of pulling from two states and not just one. Charlotte's theme park (Carowinds) is located in both Fort Mill, SC and Charlotte. The state line is that close. There is a roller coaster there that takes you forwards and backwards across the state line twice!!!
If you think Atlanta will have absolutely no rivals forever within 300 miles in the BOOMING American south, you are delusional my friend. Didn't that whole Nascar Hall thing (I hate Nascar BTW) teach you guys anything? Charlotte will beat Atlanta in a competition for a tourist attraction 40% of the time so get used to it!!! Charlotte won't ever host a superbowl though. Atlanta's "icestorm bowl" has the NFL thinking that Charlotte is too cold to host a game in an open stadium. Thanks Atlanta LOL!!!
I can't find the source at the moment, but it has been said in the past (5 years ago about) that Mecklenburg county is the number one destination for Fulton county residents leaving Georgia. That same source said that Fulton county is the number one out of state destination for people leaving Mecklenburg. All this means is that many in Charlotte want bigger and many in Atlanta want smaller. This mentallity could cause Atlanta to slow down in growth and Charlotte to speed up. This is just merely speculation so just take it as that and nothing more.
Also, just like the stock market. What goes up, must come down. Cali and Florida flew high for decades. Now all of sudden, their record growth titles have have been taken away by less known up starts like North Carolina and Idaho. That's right, freaking IDAHO is booming!!!
All jokes aside, if Atlanta is not successful in densifying (which it is doing quite nicely), it will never be a Sao Paulo or a Vancouver like city ever. In all honesty, these are the top tier cosmopolitan world cities. Atlanta has "World Class" elements, but elements don't make it whole. Charlotte only has one "World Class" element (financial center) so don't think I am trying to play favorites here.
I know many Atlantans think Charlotte is "boring" and "dead", but try to understand my perspective. Mecklenburg county has added 500,000 people since 1980 (the year I was born). Many of those people came from NYC (I was born in Queens and raised in Charlotte). Most of us here have a New York connection and find some of Atlantan's bold statements quite funny. The people who "down" Charlotte the most seem to be from Atlanta and Raleigh. This is why I have a hard time seeing the "A" as being something of New York stature. Many of you guys are trying toooooooo hard to prove the "A" is something "World Class".
To me "World Class" is something very different looking than Charlotte and Atlanta. Size is not the issue because I think pre-Katrina New Orleans is closer to "World Class" looking than Atlanta. What Atlanta has built is an extremely large metro. You guys have gotten this confused with being an extremely large city or world class cosmopolitan city. New York has 9 million people and 400 sq/mi of land. Atlanta's csa is 5.6 million and over 9,000 sq/mi of land. Charlotte's csa is 2.3 million and over 5,000 sq/mi of land. Which city is Atlanta closer to huh?
The only thing that puts Atlanta so close to NYC is the lack of American cities with 5 million plus metros. When there are only a hand full of you running the race, that doesn't mean you are close or in the same league as the winner!!!
In closing, I do understand why Atlantan's are proud and do not wish to be mentioned in the same sentence as Charlotte. Charlotte is quite pathetic when compared to Atlanta!!! I just know that many New Yorkers and Bostonians don't see much difference when they visit the two. It is what it is.
Last edited by urbancharlotte; 11-19-2008 at 10:23 AM..
Status:
"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,464 posts, read 44,083,751 times
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I don't think anyone here has it out for Charlotte...I wouldn't consider it 'pathetic' compared to anything. My sister moved there last year and loves it...hasn't given her old hometown of Atlanta a second thought.
No, Atlanta is not NYC (of course), but what it is is a work in progress with a restless energy and poised to be one of the world's great cities (probably sometime later in this century). It's prospects are astonishing, probably much like NYC and Chicago's were in the 19th century.
With regard to 'density', there are clear indications that Atlanta is beginning to go 'up, not out'. People that have not been here for 20 years find it barely recogizable...imagine what the next 20 years will bring.
Not sure how New Orleans is comparable to any of the cities mentioned, except for its' large port. As far as 'downtowns' go, Atlanta's business district is much more impressive than NOLA's (so is Charlotte's, for that matter), and the 'crescent' area of the Quarter and Uptown have a wonderful old-world feel, but the rest of the city is pretty ordinary. Not sure how it translates to 'world-class'...New Orleans is very much a city of the past, not the future.
I don't think anyone here has it out for Charlotte...I wouldn't consider it 'pathetic' compared to anything. My sister moved there last year and loves it...hasn't given her old hometown of Atlanta a second thought.
No, Atlanta is not NYC (of course), but what it is is a work in progress with a restless energy and poised to be one of the world's great cities (probably sometime later in this century). It's prospects are astonishing, probably much like NYC and Chicago's were in the 19th century.
With regard to 'density', there are clear indications that Atlanta is beginning to go 'up, not out'. People that have not been here for 20 years find it barely recogizable...imagine what the next 20 years will bring.
Not sure how New Orleans is comparable to any of the cities mentioned, except for its' large port. As far as 'downtowns' go, Atlanta's business district is much more impressive than NOLA's (so is Charlotte's, for that matter), and the 'crescent' area of the Quarter and Uptown have a wonderful old-world feel, but the rest of the city is pretty ordinary. Not sure how it translates to 'world-class'.
I like the "Old Urban" look of cities. Think Paris, New York, New Orleans. Heck, even Charleston and Savannah. New Orleans is known around the world also. This is what I meant. I am a little bit biased when it comes to the "World Class" look of a city. Atlanta is impressive and I stand by my statements that Charlotte is "pathetic" when compared to the "A".
I also can see that Charlotte will reach Atlanta's status in less than two decades. It will not be Atlanta's equal in size, but it will be equal in status.
I can't believe that you guys actually dragged this thread back on topic! That was quite impressive. I go to bed, everything goes to hell and makes it all the way back in 4 pages - all while I was sleeping...
Can we all agree that Charlotte is in a league with cities like Nashville, Tampa, Indianapolis, Austin, Cleveland, etc.? And can we all agree that Atlanta is in a league with cities like D.C., Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Houston, etc.? So there is no need to compare a city from one league with a city from the other unless it is to help make a moving decision.
Atlanta has like four of Charlotte's skylines and has more to offer of everything...because it's a much bigger city. That's just the way things are in a bigger city. If for some reason we started comparing Charlotte to Columbia it would be the same deal - Charlotte has like four of Columbia's skyline and has more to offer of everything...because it's a much bigger city.
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But to say the NC will never have a city of Atlanta's current stature is bold at best and laughable at worst.
