Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghost of Blasphamany
How rude, I created thread to see why one may prefer living in ATL over NY but you Atlantans are to emotional to handle a simple comparison. But put ATL against Cincy or Minny and the arrogance jumps on bridge about how superior your city is compared to them. This comparison is just as legitimate as any, dont like it then fine dont come in. You people act like your city is the haven for Jesus's 2nd coming. Prove why its big league, I did not make thread to harm or bash ATL in anyway, its lovely city but start owning what you say and prove why you like it more than NY, dont parade around here acting like its gods gift to world without any logic behind assertion.
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Im happy to take this time to tell of my LOVE of ATLANTA..
Yes I am Georgia born and mostly raised.I spent part of my young life in between boarding school in Philadelphia and mostly in South Georgia up until my senior year of high school we moved to the suburbs South of Atlanta.Having come from Parents that were both educated with advanced level degrees and a father in the Army Reserves.We did travel the U.S. and the world.
My mom spoke and taught fluent French when I was a small child,but of course living in South GA and in the suburbs of South Atlanta,French was just not spoken,so her knowledge dwindled away from lack of use.Not many "Frenchies" in South Georgia after she decided to teach elementary grades.
After leaving the Air Force I decided to move back to Atlanta.I had never really lived in the city of Atlanta.So thats what I did.I really enjoyed it but felt a little bored.My best friend and his wife had a big house in the burbs of Philly in Jersey near Cherry Hill.They told me I should try living up there.I did.For a full year almost.It was okay but not much better.Although I did enjoy the diversity I felt people were a bit distant.Not mean or cold but just distant.
I should remind you that through out my life I have spent countless summers in Philly where a large part of my family have lived since the 1920's in the first African american migrations and more later.So Philly I consider my second home away from home.I love it, I hate it.Thats another thread.
SO i moved back to Atlanta but traveled constantly ,Although I was no longer active duty,I was now in the Reserve which actually gave me more opportunity to take short assignments all over the world.More so than active duty.
For 6months I had a lull in assignments and decided to take another friend up on his offer to come to NYC and take the extra room he had.Of course I was excited!I was going to live in NYC!!!OMG!! I felt like this was like hitting the lottery!I had all kinds of emotions of euphoria!I was scared but mostly excited.I was so proud to tell everybody I was moving to NYC!!My parents were worried but of happy I was happy so they were cool.Even if they did not understand why anyone would want to "live in all that".
So I packed up and head North in my new tricked out 96 Neon and headed to NYC.
Well To cut the story short,when I first got there it was every thing I had hoped for with the exception of my living space.My friends idea of an d "extra room" was a "closet" with no door in a cramped old raged brownstone in Harlem somewhere near 147th and MLK jr(I think thats right
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Needless to say I was not impressed,but hey I was in the military,you learn to adapt easy.So i did.
The first month was great,after then I started to realize that it was just TOO chaotic!The people thought i was from Mars when I told them Georgia.The thing is its not like I have an accent.I do not.The city I grew up in in South Georgia was a huge Air Force town so I was used to different accents.Still very Southern town but as it was nicknamed;"The International Gateway",I just did not pick up a strong one.Plus my parents both being educators were big on grammar and enunciating your words clearly.(SHOUT OUT TO MOM AND DAD,THANKS!!
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So the daily grind began to wear on me.Attitudes,negativity,"hustler" mentality jsut was not me.And it was the constant nagging from people about how they assummed I must be glad to get away from Georgia and the South!When I ask why would they say that?They just look blankly and basically have nothing more to say than:"Its the South.Its Georgia."
When I ask:"oh you have been to Atlanta or South?"Usually almost always it was not only no,but HELL NO!
They would usually have so many pre conceived notions that were more in line with 1930's South than at that time in the late 1990's.To argue would be pointless because you cannot convinced people who think they know everything!
So after all that.I decided to leave and go back to GA.Back to ATlanta.Travell somemore and eventually stop traveling as much.
So since then I have made it my point to get to know ALL of Atlanta.GOD and BAD.ANd I can honestly say ,I do.
So the bad things first:
THE BAD:
I wish MARTA was like Bostons transit.
The Deli's,corner bodegas
The water.Crossing the Verrazano bridge and taking the ferry when I lived on Staten Island for a few weeks.
The proximity to all the other destinations outside of NYC
More 24 hour options(Atlanta compared to other cities is not the worst by ANY means)
The GOOD:
The people.Friendliness.Not segregated by neighborhood.Less diversity,but more integration.Better attitudes.More open minded.(yeh I said it)
SPACE.I LOVE MY SPACE.I do wish for some more density,but manageable density.Not OVERCROWDING.There is a difference.
The trees and the greenery.
Cost of living.
I like the way the city grows everyday something is changing and evolving.
I have watched project like Atlantic Station go up and now the Beltline which people are really undervaluing the work this project is already doing to GREATLY and VAST improve the quality of living.
New Parks popping up everywhere.And not boring parks.
Atlanta's neighborhoods.From Inman Park to Buckhead,to the Cascades
HISTORY.I love NYC HISTORY JUST AS much.(African AMer)but Atlanta has been a parallel to NYC for several years.Just on a much smaller scale.
I am PROUD of the progressive nature in which Atlanta has made bold decisions to be what it is today.Atlanta is the ONLY city in WORLD I dare say that has market itself to where it wanted to be.Atlanta was not everything it portrayed in 1996 to the Olympic committee.Some people claim that was an embarrassment.Perhaps.I look at it like this:It was sheer tenacity.No city since has ever faced as much of a challenge up hill to win the Olympics as Atlanta did.
It take PRIDE in order to get somewhere you never been before.And Atlanta other than any city on this site has more PRIDE than anybody else!
As a result,look where we are today.We are a BETA + city that has joined the ranks of Boston,San Fransisco and even in most cases surpassed MIAMI!Those cities are in the same place they were 20 years ago.They have been international since then.
A thread with ATL vs NYC!WOW!We must be something!
There is SO much more I have found out about Atlanta that o the surface you really dont see.It does take a little more effort than say in other established cities.Well thats part of the excitement of Atlanta and why living here is great.