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This is true because Charleston, Richmond, Savannah, and New Orleans (all southern cities) seem to get more urban respect on city-data than Atlanta. IMO, city-data folks equate "urban" with "old/historic/pre-1950s development built on a grid network of streets and sidewalks". Urban (on this forum) has become the catch phrase that celebrates the largest US cities from the 1870 census; while calling out our current crop of largest cities as being " too fake, too sterile, too new, too suburban".
So YES, Atlanta is an underrated urban city. So is LA and several others. The bias against "new" cities is real and stupid if you ask me. Every city on Earth started out as a new city. There is a reason why our largest city's first name is "New". Think about it....
I was actually going to point out Charleston’s, Savanah and New Orleans. I’ve been to Charleston and New Orleans and both places felt more urban than my visits to Atlanta.
I visit Atlanta often since I have lots of cousins there. I didn’t post them because I didn’t actually look up the urban stats of each city and didn’t want to post incorrect info but I really agree with you here.
I’m not too sure what city data beliefs are but I associate urbanity with transit, and amenities close by with great walkability to amenities.
If a city isn’t walkable to me then I don’t consider it a truly urban place.
But then again it all depends on what part of any city you live in!
I was actually going to point out Charleston’s, Savanah and New Orleans. I’ve been to Charleston and New Orleans and both places felt more urban than my visits to Atlanta.
I visit Atlanta often since I have lots of cousins there. I didn’t post them because I didn’t actually look up the urban stats of each city and didn’t want to post incorrect info but I really agree with you here.
I’m not too sure what city data beliefs are but I associate urbanity with transit, and amenities close by with great walkability to amenities.
If a city isn’t walkable to me then I don’t consider it a truly urban place.
But then again it all depends on what part of any city you live in!
Most would agree with you. Almost every city has its walkable pockets but that dosnt necessarily make it urban vs. semi urban. For example, DC. The city is urban but Bethesa, Silver Spring, Alexandria are semis even though they have very walkable centers with amenities to enjoy on foot however a vast majority of the area is still car oriented, and Tampa has walkable pockets like Hyde Park and YBor City but most would not consider it an urban city.
Also keep in mind though, if you're coming from a place like NYC/SF/Chicago, your sense of "urban" will be different. Those residents are used to hyper urban. Whereareas someone that is coming from Charlotte/Jacksonville/Tampa might consider semi urban as just urban.
I'd say Atlanta. Everyone seems to talk about how suburban or country it is with the sprawl, single family homes, and trees but the Midtown area is pretty urban.
Spoken like a real-life provincial New Yorker with an agenda, absolutely refusing to give credit where credit is due. And no, most U.S. Midtowns do not like like this.
Back in the real world, Midtown from above Georgia Tech.
Spoken like a true indendial southerner who wants to make every thread about nyc when he/she can’t make their point. And then posters like you have the nerve to play victim and claim New Yorkers think their all that!
As I said before every Midtown and Downtown has some form of urbanity. And many people who move to Atlanta tend to go there because it’s the opposite or urbanity.
Lots of New Yorkers down in Atlanta and the common theme is pretty popular. “I like Atlanta because it has a lot of land”. “I like Atlanta because it doesn’t have the city feel”, “I like Atlanta because I can drive my car anywhere and not take the dirty subway”, “I like Atlanta because it isn’t cramped”.
This is why I picked Cincinnati as underrated because it has many urban looking areas outside of its downtown and so does a city like Richmond, VA.
I think you need to take a chill pill and stop accusing people of various things just because they aren’t praising ATL!
Last edited by BrooklynJo; 03-18-2018 at 02:04 PM..
Spoken like a real-life provincial New Yorker with an agenda, absolutely refusing to give credit where credit is due. And no, most U.S. Midtowns do not like like this.
Back in the real world, Midtown from above Georgia Tech.
I like midtown and Atlanta but even in this image you can see how small the urban footprint is and how quickly it loses intensity
While I would pick midtown 7 days a week and twice on Sunday, but Trenton NJ has a larger more uniform urban footprint than does Atlanta
Atlanta has a very linear urban footprint a miles long and an inch deep, basically if you are generally are not within two blocks of Peachtree it aint all that urban, sometimes (actually many or even most) only Peachtree
I actually think people over rate the urbanity of Atlanta not the opposite
Places underrated are SD, LB, Santa Anna, Miami, Cleveland, Cinci, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, KC (would say StL but to me StL is old school so maybe today actual underwhelms)
even places like a Reading PA or Lancaster (though smaller)
Last edited by kidphilly; 03-18-2018 at 01:42 PM..
Skylines and downtowns are relatively poor measures of our urbanity. Even the most suburban cities can have impressive downtowns.
Underrated irl: Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.
Underrated on C-D: Miami
I generally agree about the skylines and downtowns comment, but sometimes the downtown area alone is enough to be very significant, and in the case of San Diego it is pretty large and urban so I think it is relevant in that case.
I like midtown and Atlanta but even in this image you can see how small the urban footprint is and how quickly it loses intensity
While I would pick midtown 7 days a week and twice on Sunday, but Trenton NJ has a larger more uniform urban footprint than does Atlanta
Atlanta has a very linear urban footprint a miles long and an inch deep, basically if you are generally are not within two blocks of Peachtree it aint all that urban, sometimes (actually many or even most) only Peachtree
I actually think people over rate the urbanity of Atlanta not the opposite
Places underrated are SD, LB, Santa Anna, Miami, Cleveland, Cinci, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, KC (would say StL but to me StL is old school so maybe today actual underwhelms)
even places like a Reading PA or Lancaster (though smaller)
But that's the beauty of Atlanta's urbanity--and why it is severely under-rated.
A unique, linear hyper-urban form (and skyline) surrounded by bucolic, forested neighborhoods.
But that's the beauty of Atlanta's urbanity--and why it is severely under-rated.
A unique, linear hyper-urban form (and skyline) surrounded by bucolic, forested neighborhoods.
This juxtaposition is truly fascinating.
I actually would not disagree with a lot of that, almost a best of both worlds of sort
to all but die hard urbanist that aspect is quite intriguing
But I would not call its urbanity overwhelming or even under rated
It is very visually interesting from afar, much less so up close
Atlanta (the city's) urban form feels more like TOD nods in NOVA and MD than it does like many other cities, just taller buildings
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