ATl people how do you really feel about Charlotte?? (Atlanta: pros and cons, airports)

[atlantaATL]

Originally Posted by amd1588

Its good that the likes of Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia are shoved down our throats; rather than the likes of Charlotte, Nashville, Phoenix or Memphis.

Yeah i see thats i Guess they see potential But after Midtown MIle is complete and streets of buckhead we will see lots of foot traffic down in Midtown and Buckhead

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by amd1588

Its good that the likes of Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia are shoved down our throats; rather than the likes of Charlotte, Nashville, Phoenix or Memphis.

And that could possibly be why the rest of the South East hates Atlanta.

[atlantaATL]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

And that could possibly be why the rest of the South East hates Atlanta.

I know why that was made he is from Nashville( you should have not mentioned Nashville. And let the Southeast Hate atlanta everyone has a hatter every once in a while. And thats why Atlanta keeps Dominating the Southeast

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

And that could possibly be why the rest of the South East hates Atlanta.

It's really only people on these forums that get so hateful about other cities. Common on City-Data and other city/urban forums:

inferiority complexes
boasting and bragging about "my" city
degrading and disparaging "your" city
immaturity
lack of real knowledge outside of home city
apples to oranges comparisons
etc.

I know plenty of people in Charlotte, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, etc. and not one of them "hates Atlanta" or any other city. The people in city discussion forums only hate certain cities because of arguments with other forumers and their hateful/stupid comments. But I think most of us can separate the two...and remember, this forum is not the real world.

[gold15]

Originally Posted by atlantaATL

...I think Every city should have something unique and different. Just like everyone feels like the buildings should be tacked all together. Atlanta is Different it has a linear skyline that sets its self apart from other citys. I think we have the most unique set of buildings in that skyline and it leaves Room for more SKyscrapers to come.

I agree with you about its uniqueness. I also love ATL's layout (without everything "tacked" together).

While I understand that there are probably standard tenants of good city planning, it seems if everyone had their way, all major cities would look JUST alike.

Charlotte is coming along very nicely, I just don't see the diversion from Atlanta's mistakes in transportation planning.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by gold15

I agree with you about its uniqueness. I also love ATL's layout (without everything "tacked" together).

While I understand that there are probably standard tenants of good city planning, it seems if everyone had their way, all major cities would look JUST alike.

Charlotte is coming along very nicely, I just don't see the diversion from Atlanta's mistakes in transportation planning.

Why do people take their cities SO seriously?

There have been people, like the urbanist Jane Jacobs, who have written about what makes the experience of living in a city important. And there's no question, there are many people who have a deep yearning for something that only cities offer.

Yes, there are a lot of snobs who dismiss Atlanta for not having enough density or 'grittiness' (hard to define, but those who are honest admit openly that this is what they just can't forgive Atlanta for not having enough of - what do YOU think it is?) and they're kind of narrow-minded in their snobbery. These categories are about what cities have been in the past, not about what cities have to be or should be, despite what the snobs say. But the snobs aren't entirely wrong either. Atlanta is moving along a curve towards some kind of new and probably unique urban experience, but it's not there yet (watching it progress is part of the excitement with Atlanta). It has some unique challenges (an unusually adversarial relationship with a mostly rural, stagnant, and let's face it, narrow-minded downstate, the tendency of race to play too much of a role which has retarded the integration of new groups like Hispanics and Asians into leading roles in regional leadership, etc.) but also some unique advantages (pragmatic spirit, chutzpah, naivete, and above all, history and a unique role as the de-facto 'capital' of the 'new' Old Confederacy giving it a special honorary role as one of the nation's four or five most significant cities (howl away, doubters!), etc.).

Charlotte is some ways back from Atlanta, but depending on what it does, it might be able to invent a new curve and even overtake Atlanta (not likely, but not impossible either). What do you think the Southern or Sunbelt urban experience will be or should be? How will it differ from a Northeastern city experience?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by gold15

The thing I don't understand about most of the posts I read comparing cities: Do people think all cities should be clones of one another? Same population, layout, features, density? That's what these forums often suggest.

No. It's the differences between cities that make them interesting, I think.

[atlantaATL]

I just dont Understand why Atlanta has to look like every other city. Ive seen lots of growth since i been here and projects just keep getting annouced so I am pretty sure Atlanta has not reached its peak in growth yet so the more it grows the more urban its going to turn out there doing it now because they see the Demand. If only they can have marta run 2 more lines in the city that would be great, but for the most part marta is cool its the best train service ive seen in the south Most ridership too. I think Marta kinda gives Atlanta some what of and urban feel especially riding under downtown and midtown coming from underground to street level. I LIke the underground up threw downtown its urban too me in a grungy way. 5 points reminds me of something in NYC like forham rd or Jamaica ave

[704rep]

Actually those who say Atlanta is bigger than Charlotte are wrong! Charlotte has twice the urban population of Atlanta. In a way Atlanta sort of cheats accepting the small towns and counties out side of the city to be Atlanta when it is actually not!! Yes Atlanta is a bigger tourist attraction and overall a more important city than Charlotte it is still considerably a much smaller city than Charlotte! So pleasse get your facts straight. And I do have sources!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by 704rep

Actually those who say Atlanta is bigger than Charlotte are wrong! Charlotte has twice the urban population of Atlanta. In a way Atlanta sort of cheats accepting the small towns and counties out side of the city to be Atlanta when it is actually not!! Yes Atlanta is a bigger tourist attraction and overall a more important city than Charlotte it is still considerably a much smaller city than Charlotte! So pleasse get your facts straight. And I do have sources!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I've said (so many times) before, limiting metro comparisons to the city limits is disingenuous to the point of hilarity.