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Still trying to figure out what so "exciting" about Atlanta. It's just a bigger blacker blander version of Charlotte...
Come on now, LOL.
"Exciting" is subjective, but "blander"? I think it's pretty clear that Atlanta has more layers and wears more hats than Charlotte; certainly the two cities have their similarities, but Atlanta is definitely not just a bigger, blacker version of Charlotte. You've got the substantial university presence (including the largest concentration of HBCUs in the country), the entertainment industry, the huge convention industry, more tourist attractions (including MLK Historic Site and a presidential library), the nightlife, the large LGBT community, "Black Mecca" status, etc. For better or worse, Atlanta is a more colorful city (pun kinda intended) with more of its historic urban fabric preserved. What tends to hurt Charlotte here is that it preserved less of its history and is kinda weak on the higher ed front.
"Exciting" is subjective, but "blander"? I think it's pretty clear that Atlanta has more layers and wears more hats than Charlotte; it's definitely not just a bigger, blacker version of Charlotte. You've got the substantial university presence (including the largest concentration of HBCUs in the country), the entertainment industry, the huge convention industry, more tourist attractions (including MLK Historic Site and a presidential library), the nightlife, the large LGBT community, "Black Mecca" status, etc. For better or worse, Atlanta is a more "colorful" city with more of its historic urban fabric preserved. What tends to hurt Charlotte here is that it preserved less of its history and is kinda weak on the higher ed front.
Ok, not quite as bland but as expected here comes the city v city list. No need to rehash what everybody in the south knows about Atlanta (it's just down the road). It basically has the same things most places offer....just more of it. Some people need it, some people don't. Some people need a busier environment, be able to drink beer in a 200 year old building, etc etc.
So Charlotte tore down all the old buildings and in 200 years the new buildings will be old. Seattle and Portland aren't littered with old bldgs like Bmore and Philly...they seem to do ok. Still, the idea of needing an identity is ridiculous.
Ok so Atlanta is more layered, less bland (colorful) city with more black folk, tourist attractions, LGBT, nightlife, urban fabric...sounds to me like a bigger blacker version of Charlotte. It looks more like Charlotte than Philly, Bmore or Seattle to me...and they have sweet tea .
Ok, not quite as bland but as expected here comes the city v city list. No need to rehash what everybody in the south knows about Atlanta (it's just down the road). It basically has the same things most places offer....just more of it. Some people need it, some people don't. Some people need a busier environment, be able to drink beer in a 200 year old building, etc etc.
So Charlotte tore down all the old buildings and in 200 years the new buildings will be old. Seattle and Portland aren't littered with old bldgs like Bmore and Philly...they seem to do ok. Still, the idea of needing an identity is ridiculous.
Ok so Atlanta is more layered, less bland (colorful) city with more black folk, tourist attractions, LGBT, nightlife, urban fabric...sounds to me like a bigger blacker version of Charlotte. It looks more like Charlotte than Philly, Bmore or Seattle to me...and they have sweet tea .
No....it's just not. The factors I listed are pretty significant differentiators. Sure Atlanta is more in the vein of Charlotte than the urban Northern cities but that doesn't mean that Atlanta is simply a bigger, blacker version of Charlotte. That's just a very gross oversimplification.
As a former Charlottean that is still quite fond of the city, I don't take as much issue with the "bland" characterization as I used to, especially since I've lived in a few other places since leaving Charlotte (Atlanta, metro Philly, now the DMV). Whenever I come back to visit, I'm always struck by how much of the city really is new, but it's also a city filled with great people and there's always something to do, even if you have to do a little more searching to find it.
As far as the identity thing goes, it is what it is. Charlotte has one, but it's just not as "sexy" compared to other cities. Historically it's been textiles and stock-car racing (and even today the latter still applies); today, it's a big business center that's making significant strides in terms of livability and overall QOL.
No....it's just not. The factors I listed are pretty significant differentiators. Sure Atlanta is more in the vein of Charlotte than the urban Northern cities but that doesn't mean that Atlanta is simply a bigger, blacker version of Charlotte. That's just a very gross oversimplification.
As a former Charlottean that is still quite fond of the city, I don't take as much issue with the "bland" characterization as I used to, especially since I've lived in a few other places since leaving Charlotte (Atlanta, metro Philly, now the DMV). Whenever I come back to visit, I'm always struck by how much of the city really is new, but it's also a city filled with great people and there's always something to do, even if you have to do a little more searching to find it.
As far as the identity thing goes, it is what it is. Charlotte has one, but it's just not as "sexy" compared to other cities. Historically it's been textiles and stock-car racing (and even today the latter still applies); today, it's a big business center that's making significant strides in terms of livability and overall QOL.
Speaking of gross oversimplification and generalization, any reference to Charlotte as simply bland seems to fit the bill. I really don't know how else to define Atlanta other than being a big ass southern city with a lot of black folk. Atlanta does not need an identity. Please feel free to add to the list: home to MLK, Coke, '96 Olympics, etc but it is what it is.
No matter how big they make the highways, busy the airport, number of fabricated tourist traps; at the core, it is a bigger blacker version of Charlotte, Durham, Columbia, Greenville, Birmingham, Memphis, etc. Of course it has a larger urban fabric, more bldgs, etc. but it's still the south and Heart of Dixie. The music, people, culture, soul is absolutely southern; regionally nuanced of course but the way we look, talk, etc is more similar than different. No matter how many transplants alter southern cities all one has to do is travel about 15 minutes outside of the defined metro boundaries and there you have it...sweet tea, nascar, truck pulls, etc.
Edit: Bless ya heart Mut, you left us but you still southern to the bone...next stop Miami?
Last edited by Big Aristotle; 04-11-2016 at 11:28 AM..
Speaking of gross oversimplification and generalization, any reference to Charlotte as simply bland seems to fit the bill. I really don't know how else to define Atlanta other than being a big ass southern city with a lot of black folk. Atlanta does not need an identity. Please feel free to add to the list: home to MLK, Coke, '96 Olympics, etc but it is what it is.
No matter how big they make the highways, busy the airport, number of fabricated tourist traps; at the core, it is a bigger blacker version of Charlotte, Durham, Columbia, Greenville, Birmingham, Memphis, etc. Of course it has a larger urban fabric, more bldgs, etc. but it's still the south and Heart of Dixie. The music, people, culture, soul is absolutely southern; regionally nuanced of course but the way we look, talk, etc is more similar than different. No matter how many transplants alter southern cities all one has to do is travel about 15 minutes outside of the defined metro boundaries and there you have it...sweet tea, nascar, truck pulls, etc.
Edit: Bless ya heart Mut, you left us but you still southern to the bone...next stop Miami?
The South isn't a monolithic region at all, just like the Northeast, West Coast, and Midwest aren't. I'd never say NYC is just a bigger version of Boston or Philly or LA is a bigger version of San Diego or Chicago is just a bigger Detroit. Of course there are regional similarities but reducing city A to being nothing more than a bigger version of city B is just way off the mark.
The South isn't a monolithic region at all, just like the Northeast, West Coast, and Midwest aren't. I'd never say NYC is just a bigger version of Boston or Philly or LA is a bigger version of San Diego or Chicago is just a bigger Detroit. Of course there are regional similarities but reducing city A to being nothing more than a bigger version of city B is just way off the mark.
We'll just agree to disagree.
well that's because NYC is a totally different beast than those other cities.
I like Atlanta but honestly, it pretty much is a bigger,blacker Charlotte. Plenty of people from Atlanta have called Charlotte "baby Atlanta"
I don't really care one way or the other but I think a lot of people view Charlotte as the "next Atlanta" for some reason.
I think the cities similar but Atlanta is Charlotte on steroids when it comes to population and energy. The music scene and film scene is also much bigger.
I think we will continue to see Charlotte grow like ATL. We are already seeing/hearing Charlotte being mentioned on TV shows and every time I go home to PA and say Charlotte peoples eyes light up like it's the Emrald City.
Gotta give the city kudos because everyone is talking about this place.
"Exciting" is subjective, but "blander"? I think it's pretty clear that Atlanta has more layers and wears more hats than Charlotte; certainly the two cities have their similarities, but Atlanta is definitely not just a bigger, blacker version of Charlotte. You've got the substantial university presence (including the largest concentration of HBCUs in the country), the entertainment industry, the huge convention industry, more tourist attractions (including MLK Historic Site and a presidential library), the nightlife, the large LGBT community, "Black Mecca" status, etc. For better or worse, Atlanta is a more colorful city (pun kinda intended) with more of its historic urban fabric preserved. What tends to hurt Charlotte here is that it preserved less of its history and is kinda weak on the higher ed front.
That comment was just a retaliation comment. They just needed to get back at me for what I said.lol
You're right, it was the ordinances that started this and their attempt to block it. My bad
It wasn't Charlotte's ordinances that caused Paypal to decline, it was the STATE'S reaction to them and their overturning of ALL such ordinances in the state, including other cities' that have existed for years. This is a sign that Paypal and the other forward-thinking companies that actually fuel the economy agree more with Charlotte's social views than with the NC Legislature's.
well that's because NYC is a totally different beast than those other cities.
I like Atlanta but honestly, it pretty much is a bigger,blacker Charlotte. Plenty of people from Atlanta have called Charlotte "baby Atlanta"
I don't really care one way or the other but I think a lot of people view Charlotte as the "next Atlanta" for some reason.
I think the cities similar but Atlanta is Charlotte on steroids when it comes to population and energy. The music scene and film scene is also much bigger.
I think we will continue to see Charlotte grow like ATL. We are already seeing/hearing Charlotte being mentioned on TV shows and every time I go home to PA and say Charlotte peoples eyes light up like it's the Emrald City.
Gotta give the city kudos because everyone is talking about this place.
It's really not. Its history is different, plus it's a state capital, college/university city, entertainment is huge, it's more liberal in the core, it has rougher hoods, etc. I think people may be focused primarily on the suburbs when they talk about similarities, which is understandable since both metros are known for being low-density, heavily sprawled metros and suburbia is pretty much suburbia wherever you go. They certainly share notable similarities but there are just as many notable differences within the cities themselves.
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