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Hey, so i thought itd be fun to come up with some new names for some of the MARTA stations. The lines were built in the 80s so some of the names have become a bit outdated since then. Also, it could help with the revival of some of areas immediately surrounding the station.
One thing Ive noticed - In atlanta, some the stations are named after the major attraction nearby. In most other cities, the stations are named after the nieghborhoods or districts that they are in, and at each stop the loudspeaker says "Exit For..." and lists the destinations (i.e. Dome, King Center, GWCC, etc.). I know MARTA does this at some stations but there is no reason for the stations to be named after the destination.
Also, half of MARTA's money must go to capital improvements, so dont gimme any grief about how they have no money to do this!
Old Name: West Lake New Name:Mozley Park
Mozley Park is a historic nieghborhood and park. renaming would help the neighborhood's comeback.
Old Name: Ashby New Name:Washington Park
Same reason as above!
Old Name: Bankhead New Name:Midtown West
Whose idea was it to name this station Bankhead, with the reputation that area has?! Either of these new names would help the renissance of the new "Midtown West" and give the district some much-needed identity.
Old Name: Garnett New Name:Castleberry Hill
What does Garnett even mean? The street its on??!! Where is the creativity! This would help with identity and revitalization.
Old Name: Lakewood/Ft. McPherson New Name:Lakewood Heights
Ft. McPherson is closing. Lakewood Heights is the name of the neighborhood, am I correct on this?
Old Name: Dome/GWCC/Phillips Arena/CNN Center New Name: Centennial Olympic Park
This area will become a residential development hotspot once the market picks up. If we name the station, maybe it will catch on as a name for the whole area - think Grant Park (the park) and Grant Park (the neighborhood).
Old Name: Georgia State New Name: Georgia State University OR East Downtown OR Downtown
If they are going to name it after GSU, they might as well use the whole name. East Downtown would also be good. Also, there is no "Downtown" station, but the other 2 major business distrcits have a namesake station (Midtown and Buckhead.)
Old Name: King Memorial New Name: Old Fourth Ward/Cabbagetown
The "East Side" is booming and is ground zero for gentrification in Atlanta. These neighborhoods should have a shared MARTA station just like the other East Side neighborhoods. Also would help with revival.
Old Name: East Lake New Name: Kirkwood/Oakhurst
This station isnt in East Lake, its near East Lake road, which confuses people. Also, We can continue the "East Side" trend of the shared MARTA station. Also, may help with revival.
Old Name: Avondale New Name: Avondale Estates
MARTA is so lazy! Go with the official name!
Old Name: Airport New Name: Named after the new development at the old Ford Plant
"Airport" is sooo generic.
Old Name: Civic Center New Name: SoNo
Again, "Civic Center" is so generic. Plus, love it or hate it, the city is trying to push the SoNo name. This could give the area the identity and really make the name stick.
Old Name: North Avenue New Name: Georgia Tech
GSU gets its own station, but GT doesnt? Some may say its not close enough, but all you have to do is cross the bridge and youre at the stadium - its pretty close to the edge of campus, but its still campus!
Also, whats with naming after roads??
Old Name: Arts Center New Name: The Arts District
This has a much more cosmopolitan sound to it.
Old Name: Lindbergh Center New Name:Lindbergh
People seem to refer to this area as simply Lindbergh, especially with the new development. naming it simply "Lindbergh" sounds more organic.
Old Name: Lenox New Name: Lenox Square
This is one of the "better of the bad" names... Its ok if it stays Lenox, but Lenox Square sounds more official. Not sure if they even have the rights to use it tho.
Old Name: Brookhaven/Oglethorpe University New Name: Brookhaven
I think itd make sense to drop the ogelthorpe u. its barely even walking distance. Plus, Brookhaven is big enough area that it shouldnt have to share.
Old Name: Medical Center New Name: Pill Hill
This is a nickname for the area, no one calls it Medical Center. Plus, if this area densifies with some mixed use, it could catch on with developers (i.e. Pill Hill Village).
OPTION 1 Old Name: Sandy Springs New Name: Perimeter Center
A business district as large as Perimeter Center should really have a namesake station. With this option, you would rename North Springs into Sandy Springs, so that way the city has a station too. Dunwoody would remain unchanged.
OR
OPTION 2 Old Name: Dunwoody New Name: Perimeter Center
You would then rename Sandy Springs into Dunwoody and North Springs into Sandy Springs. This used to make a lot more sense before Dunwoody became a city, because the Sandy Springs station is just as close to Dunwoody village as the current Dunwoody station. The problem is the Sandy Springs station isnt in Dunwoody - its in Sandy Springs.
OR
OPTION 3
Do nothing. The setup is not bad, but Perimeter Center still wouldnt have a namesake station.
Let me know what you think!
Last edited by hungryhippy; 03-31-2010 at 06:39 PM..
Reason: spelling!
Hey, so i thought itd be fun to come up with some new names for some of the MARTA stations. The lines were built in the 80s so some of the names have become a bit outdated since then. Also, it could help with the revival of some of areas immediately surrounding the station.
One thing Ive noticed - In atlanta, some the stations are named after the major attraction nearby. In most other cities, the stations are named after the nieghborhoods or districts that they are in, and at each stop the loudspeaker says "Exit For..." and lists the destinations (i.e. Dome, King Center, GWCC, etc.). I know MARTA does this at some stations but there is no reason for the stations to be named after the destination.
Also, half of MARTA's money must go to capital improvements, so dont gimme any grief about how they have no money to do this!
Old Name: West Lake New Name:Mozley Park
Mozley Park is a historic nieghborhood and park. renaming would help the neighborhood's comeback.
Old Name: Ashby New Name:Washington Park
Same reason as above!
Old Name: Bankhead New Name:Midtown West
Whose idea was it to name this station Bankhead, with the reputation that area has?! Either of these new names would help the renissance of the new "Midtown West" and give the district some much-needed identity.
Old Name: Garnett New Name:Castleberry Hill
What does Garnett even mean? The street its on??!! Where is the creativity! This would help with identity and revitalization.
Old Name: Lakewood/Ft. McPherson New Name:Lakewood Heights
Ft. McPherson is closing. Lakewood Heights is the name of the neighborhood, am I correct on this?
Old Name: Dome/GWCC/Phillips Arena/CNN Center New Name: Centennial Olympic Park
This area will become a residential development hotspot once the market picks up. If we name the station, maybe it will catch on as a name for the whole area - think Grant Park (the park) and Grant Park (the neighborhood).
Old Name: Georgia State New Name: Georgia State University OR East Downtown OR Downtown
If they are going to name it after GSU, they might as well use the whole name. East Downtown would also be good. Also, there is no "Downtown" station, but the other 2 major business distrcits have a namesake station (Midtown and Buckhead.)
Old Name: King Memorial New Name: Old Fourth Ward/Cabbagetown
The "East Side" is booming and is ground zero for gentrification in Atlanta. These neighborhoods should have a shared MARTA station just like the other East Side neighborhoods. Also would help with revival.
Old Name: East Lake New Name: Kirkwood/Oakhurst
This station isnt in East Lake, its near East Lake road, which confuses people. Also, We can continue the "East Side" trend of the shared MARTA station. Also, may help with revival.
Old Name: Avondale New Name: Avondale Estates
MARTA is so lazy! Go with the official name!
Old Name: Airport New Name: Named after the new development at the old Ford Plant
"Airport" is sooo generic.
Old Name: Civic Center New Name: SoNo
Again, "Civic Center" is so generic. Plus, love it or hate it, the city is trying to push the SoNo name. This could give the area the identity and really make the name stick.
Old Name: North Avenue New Name: Georgia Tech
GSU gets its own station, but GT doesnt? Some may say its not close enough, but all you have to do is cross the bridge and youre at the stadium - its pretty close to the edge of campus, but its still campus!
Also, whats with naming after roads??
Old Name: Arts Center New Name: The Arts District
This has a much more cosmopolitan sound to it.
Old Name: Lindbergh Center New Name:Lindbergh
People seem to refer to this area as simply Lindbergh, especially with the new development. naming it simply "Lindbergh" sounds more organic.
Old Name: Lenox New Name: Lenox Square
This is one of the "better of the bad" names... Its ok if it stays Lenox, but Lenox Square sounds more official. Not sure if they even have the rights to use it tho.
Old Name: Brookhaven/Oglethorpe University New Name: Brookhaven
I think itd make sense to drop the ogelthorpe u. its barely even walking distance. Plus, Brookhaven is big enough area that it shouldnt have to share.
Old Name: Medical Center New Name: Pill Hill
This is a nickname for the area, no one calls it Medical Center. Plus, if this area densifies with some mixed use, it could catch on with developers (i.e. Pill Hill Village).
OPTION 1 Old Name: Sandy Springs New Name: Perimeter Center
A business district as large as Perimeter Center should really have a namesake station. With this option, you would rename North Springs into Sandy Springs, so that way the city has a station too. Dunwoody would remain unchanged.
OR
OPTION 2 Old Name: Dunwoody New Name: Perimeter Center
You would then rename Sandy Springs into Dunwoody and North Springs into Sandy Springs. This used to make a lot more sense before Dunwoody became a city, because the Sandy Springs station is just as close to Dunwoody village as the current Dunwoody station. The problem is the Sandy Springs station isnt in Dunwoody - its in Sandy Springs.
OR
OPTION 3
Do nothing. The setup is not bad, but Perimeter Center still wouldnt have a namesake station.
Let me know what you think!
Great post! I've actually thought about this a lot--I like many of your names. Here are my suggestions:
Peachtree Center Allen Hill (the "Centennial Hill" neighborhood would be renamed "Allen Hill" for Ivan Allen Blvd. and Allen Plaza) North Avenue Midtown Lombardy Hill (the "Arts" neighborhood would become known as "Lombardy Hill"...for recently renamed street in the area {now called "Arts Center Drive"...blah!}) Pershing Point (new station) Armour Valley (new station) Lindbergh Center Buckhead Windsor Parkway (new station) Glenridge Center (the new name for the "Medical Center/Pill Hill Area") Perimeter Center (old Dunwoody station)* Mount Vernon (old Sandy Springs station)* North Springs
...and then an extension with station names-- Morgan Falls Northridge Holcomb Bridge or Roswell Mansell North Point Alpharetta Windward...and so on.
*(With a potential line along the north end of the Perimeter/I-285, there would be stations named Dunwoody {at Ashford-Dunwoody Road} and Sandy Springs {at Roswell Road} with a station in between them called Hammond)
Continuing from Lindbergh Center north on the Gold Line:
Lenox Brookhaven Ashford or Ashford Park (new station) Chamblee Doraville
(plus an extension...)
Going east from Five Points on the Blue Line:
East End (new name for the eastside of Downtown; old Georgia State station) Sweet Auburn (old King Memorial) Cabbagetown (new station) Inman Park and Reynoldstown Candler Park and Edgewood Kirkwood and Lake Claire (new station) Oakhurst (old East Lake) Decatur Square Sycamore District (old Avondale) Avondale Estates (new station just north of Avondale village) Kensington Park Indian Creek
(plus an extension...)
Going south from Five Points on the Red/Gold Line:
Railroad District+ Whitehall (new station) West End Oakland City Fort McPherson
(and so on...possible new stations, other renaming, and extension...)
+A Castleberry Hill station could be located right in the middle of the neighborhood if/when they ever place a line in the railroad right-of-way (along the tracks that go right through the neighborhood).
Going west from Five Points on the Blue Line:
West Park (collective new name for the Dome/Philips/GWCC/Olympic Park area) Vine City Ashby Village (new name for district...a la "East Village," "Greenwich Village," etc.)
(and so on...possible new stations, other renaming, and extension...)
Going north from Ashby Village on the Green Line:
Bankhead Knight Park (new station--"Howell Station Station" doesn't sound right) West Highlands
(and so on...possible more new stations and extension...)
~Also...remember, if the Beltline and/or other lines ever come to fruition, there will be the possibility for more "neighborhood naming" of stations:
West Midtown Northyards Hemphill Circle Cheshire Bridge Sage Hill Emory and Druid Hills Clairmont Leafmore Northlake West Tucker Tucker Smokerise Castleberry Hill Old Fourth Ward Poncey-Highland Piedmont Park Amsterdam Walk Glenwood Park Ansley Park and Morningside Piedmont Heights Atlantic Green (renamed!)
etc., etc...
I don't agree with the name with changing the airport name. It goes to the Airport so the name fits. The new development is nowhere near it.
Same for changing the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/Cnn Center stop. I agree, its too long but Centennial Olympic Park is too simple. Then again, with the audio system announcing the surround attractions, I guess, it would work.
I agree with Aries with changing King Memorial to Sweet Auburn. It sounds better.
LOL at Bankhead station being in "Midtown West". That station is NOT in Midtown West. In fact, although perhaps close in distance, the neighborhood style and environment are in completely different worlds. Haha...
LOL at Bankhead station being in "Midtown West". That station is NOT in Midtown West. In fact, although perhaps close in distance, the neighborhood style and environment are in completely different worlds. Haha...
True...the OP had some really good suggestions...but Bankhead and West Midtown are two totally different areas.
Also, the Old Ford Hapeville Plant is nowhere near the Airport station. The Airport station could possibly be renamed Hartsfield station.
And for the record, I personally think "Midtown West" should be universally known as West Midtown. "Midtown West" sounds like the name of an apartment complex!
I don't agree with the name with changing the airport name. It goes to the Airport so the name fits. The new development is nowhere near it.
Same for changing the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/Cnn Center stop. I agree, its too long but Centennial Olympic Park is too simple. Then again, with the audio system announcing the surround attractions, I guess, it would work.
I agree with Aries with changing King Memorial to Sweet Auburn. It sounds better.
Nice idea from all of you guys though.
Thanks.
However, if any station name needs to be changed, it should be the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center/etc./etc. station.
Like I mentioned above, I think the area/neighborhood should collectively be called West Park (west of Centennial Olympic Park; simple yet distinct enough for the area).
I don't see anything wrong with the current names.
I do.
Like happyhippy said, they really should be more neighborhood oriented.
It helps with building community and a sense of place.
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