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Well what you describe does exist, but in the context of this thread, neither DC nor Atlanta are both urban and African-American centric.
The closest you'll probably get is Philadelphia or Baltimore if you want an urban and black-centric city.
Baltimore wouldn't be a bad choice. Reservoir Hill is a beautiful neighborhood that has a decent amount of Black professionals and bohemians. It reminds me of a toned down version of Ft. Greene before gentrification went into full effect. There's also a similar dynamic between the two with an art school in the next neighborhood over (Pratt in Clinton Hill/MICA in Bolton Hill).
Baltimore wouldn't be a bad choice. Reservoir Hill is a beautiful neighborhood that has a decent amount of Black professionals and bohemians. It reminds me of a toned down version of Ft. Greene before gentrification went into full effect. There's also a similar dynamic between the two with an art school being the next neighborhood over (Pratt in Clinton Hill/MICA in Bolton Hill).
I’ve been through and around Resevoit Hill. You’re 100% right about the vibe except the problem is it’s on a hill and besides a highway To the East, high crime poverty to the west and two totally barren arterial roadways to the north and south. It’s a beautiful area but an urban island. There’s virtually nothing to walk too, unless you want to walk down the hill to North Avenue and walk East to the Arts district. Under I-83.
Baltimore has a huge number of urban walkable black neighborhoods just almost none of them have any noteworthy shops or are in decent condition. I didn’t discover reboot hill until after I moved here unfortunately.
Because they are affluent and (technically) in the South.
That’s a part of it but Atlanta’s not all that affluent, just affordable. It’s because black folks can afford to live in the suburbs and the burbs are preferable over urban living in the city for the most part. You can get the DC or ATL experience in the burbs with better schoools and more lawn. You’re not walking all over ATL or SEDC to the cool spots. The best aspects of black life in those cities and the core of the black community in those cities are in the suburbs.
That’s a part of it but Atlanta’s not all that affluent, just affordable.
Let me rephrase: It's because Atlanta and DC have large affluent and middle-class Black populations and are located in the geographical South where there was more available land to build neighborhoods/subdivisions for those populations from scratch.
Let me rephrase: It's because Atlanta and DC have large affluent and middle-class Black populations and are located in the geographical South where there was more available land to build neighborhoods/subdivisions for those populations from scratch.
So you’re saying it’s all pull from the suburbs and no push from the city?
Because even with what you’re saying holding true those same folks could choose to live in the city but by and large they don’t.
Atlanta contains like what? 1/7th of the areas black population? I’m just doing some quick mental math. There’s definitely some push factors from the city. Or at least the city doesn’t have the same pull as the suburbs.
Yea I don’t think your gonna connect in that point with the folks at hand though. A lot of the “lit” ness in some people opinion is simply because it’s a black ADOS mecca and it’s warmer than NYC. This much is evident in that Atlanta is even included in the question of ‘urban living’ when it’s black community isn’t all that urban compared to many other places.
There’s tons of black/majority POC vibrant lit district near transit stations all over Philly, and yes even Boston, not just NYC. They’re generally older denser (Larger) and more walkable cities. DC has better options than a low budget retail corridor near a bus station. I also don’t be the revitalizing argument-that’s most low income places anywhere in a coastal city. And even factoring that in the Barry Farm Redevelopment would be very preferable over Benning and Minnesota.
If you’re coming from NYC very little of DC pedestrian life out of the immediate core is lit.
Actually, no place is LIT compared to NYC pedestrian traffic. I don't know why Bajan keeps comparing NYC neighborhood vibrancy to DC. This thread was comparing ATL vibrancy to DC. Either way, the entire conversation is about the future which is a difficult conversation for many people to have.
Believe me, I have known Bajan through city-data.com for close to 10-years and we had these types of discussions way back in the day. He couldn't imagine NOMA/Union Market being what it is today either 10-years ago.
Actually, no place is LIT compared to NYC pedestrian traffic. I don't know why Bajan keeps comparing NYC neighborhood vibrancy to DC. This thread was comparing ATL vibrancy to DC. Either way, the entire conversation is about the future which is a difficult conversation for many people to have.
Believe me, I have know Bajan through city-data.com for close to 10-years and we had these types of discussions way back in the day. He couldn't imagine NOMA/Union Market being what it is today either 10 years ago.
Yea yea your right. I only toss in a caveat for DC/other places for people who live and move within the more/most suburban slices of NYC...
DCs future is going to look and feel much more organically urban than Atlanta’s. Atlanta is just so disjointed and suburban in its layout, street grid and development pattern.. It makes cohesive urban areas very difficult to create for developers or to come by for pedestrians.
Yea I considered 14/U part of the DC core I know it’s not technically but you know what I mean...
You do realize 14th and U Street used to be a pedestrian dead-zone right? There were just boarded up houses and crackheads and prostitutes. There was no vibrancy and there were no businesses. Do you think neighborhoods stay the same? No, they change. In fact, anybody looking at DC over the last 10-years can see neighborhoods sure enough change lol. This notion that Minnesota Avenue will still look like it does now in the future is crazy. I mean, look at H Street in 2010.
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