Why do people BASH on Atlanta more so then other cities (Boston: how much, home)

[Ebck120]

It's obvious I'm not the biggest Fan of Atlanta. However I'm curious and you never know one can change his mind.

I'm wondering though what it is about Atlanta that gets threads closed or completely off topic. Why do people get so offense/defensive about Atlanta?

Is it the suburban thing?
the public transportation thing?
the culture thing?

(I've just noticed the 3 above being mentioned numerous times)

Let's share.....

[midtown mile girl]

I think people tend to vent thier frustrations easier online, and the 3 things you mentioned are easy targets. PLus you'll always have trolls who like to stir up trouble because they have nothing better to do.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Ebck120

It's obvious I'm not the biggest Fan of Atlanta. However I'm curious and you never know one can change his mind.

I'm wondering though what it is about Atlanta that gets threads closed or completely off topic. Why do people get so offense/defensive about Atlanta?

Let's share.....

I think Atlanta has a lot of new residents and prospective new residents who post in these forums, myself included, and those people sometimes have very different expectations ... for better or worse ... than those who grew up in the Atlanta area.

Many of us have a lot of experience with living in at least one other comparable metro area, in my case 40 years in the Twin Cities and now 5 years down here, so we think we have a decent basis for comparison.

I sometimes wonder how much real experience some of Atlanta's defenders actually have. I like Atlanta, and I think much of the metro seems to be doing most things the right way (or I wouldn't still be here), but seriously ... some things are REALLY messed up.

[Ebck120]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I sometimes wonder how much real experience some of Atlanta's defenders actually have.

Thats a good question. traveling vs. living are two very different things. I've wondered the same thing myself.

[waronxmas]

1. Trolls

Then there are people I break up in to four camps.

Camp #1. Those who have never been to Atlanta and all they know about the city is from what they've seen on TV, read on this forum, or elsewhere. Example of something this camp usually says is:

"Atlanta is the HOME of sprawl! It sucks!"

When a quick google search would tell you that the Metro Atlanta area sprawls just about the same as other cities. For instance, Boston and Atlanta have a nearly identical city center population, suburban population, and CSA size, yet people will swear up and down that Boston doesn't sprawl.

Camp #2 The "Everything in the South sucks and is backwards" camp. ]

Not much to explain here, they view anything related to the south as inferior and therefore bad.


Camp #3 The "Atlanta isn't like XYZ city, so it doesn't count"

This camp will say things like "Atlanta doesn't have mile after mile of walkable neighborhoods like New York or San Francisco does so it can't possibly be urban".

Camp #4 The density fetishists.

For this camp, if you city doesn't have an official population density of 10,000 people per square mile, then it's a suburban pee pee hole.

For the most part though, it boils down to people defending their home town, and those who made the original offending post, not backing down.

[Ebck120]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

1. Trolls

Then there are people I break up in to four camps.

Camp #1. Those who have never been to Atlanta and all they know about the city is from what they've seen on TV, read on this forum, or elsewhere. Example of something this camp usually says is:

"Atlanta is the HOME of sprawl! It sucks!"

When a quick google search would tell you that the Metro Atlanta area sprawls just about the same as other cities. For instance, Boston and Atlanta have a nearly identical city center population, suburban population, and CSA size, yet people will swear up and down that Boston doesn't sprawl.

Camp #2 The "Everything in the South sucks and is backwards" camp. ]

Not much to explain here, they view anything related to the south as inferior and therefore bad.


Camp #3 The "Atlanta isn't like XYZ city, so it doesn't count"

This camp will say things like "Atlanta doesn't have mile after mile of walkable neighborhoods like New York or San Francisco does so it can't possibly be urban".

Camp #4 The density fetishists.

For this camp, if you city doesn't have an official population density of 10,000 people per square mile, then it's a suburban pee pee hole.

For the most part though, it boils down to people defending their home town, and those who made the original offending post, not backing down.

lol!! I am so camp 3!!

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by Ebck120

Thats a good question. traveling vs. living are two very different things. I've wondered the same thing myself.

On that same note, I wonder how much real experience Atlanta's attackers actually have? I have found that most of the time people who sharply criticize the city are basing it on things they've heard and read on city-data...but they've never even visited Atlanta.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

On that same note, I wonder how much real experience Atlanta's attackers actually have? I have found that most of the time people who sharply criticize the city are basing it on things they've heard and read on city-data...but they've never even visited Atlanta.

Or spent a day in the city at the Airport or in "Buckhead" and think they have the town figured out.

Oh, Camp #5!

[noah]

I've found that many people talk down where they grew up/are from. A new city is always more exciting. Add to that a city that has grown super fast and many that are from Atlanta probably don't realize how great a city and how many opportunities are out there in this city.

I know people from here who think it is boring and you mention things to them that you think everyone who lives here has checked out or done and they haven't heard of it in living here 20 years.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by Ebck120

lol!! I am so camp 3!!

At least you recognize your sin