Downtown is "Uptown"...Is there a story here? (Atlanta: real estate, suburbs)

[midgeorgiaman]

I just spent several days in downtown...err...Uptown Columbus and enjoyed my trip walking up and down Broadway and the river. Good food, good drinks, good fun with coworkers. That all being said...what is up with the signs saying "Uptown"? It looks like a downtown to me. Is this just a marketing ploy or is there some historical background I (and the average visitor) am unaware of? Just curious.

[JayHey]

Marketing ploy.

The name Uptown came from Uptown Columbus, Inc. a nonprofit revitalization organization which started in the early 90s.

It has done great work and really helped transform Downtown, but the misguided effort to change the name of the CBD was done because I can only assume "down" was viewed as a dirty word that scared nice families away.

Only real estate and tourism stuff has really adopted it. Most people still say Downtown and the newspaper still writes that first and often followed in quotations "Uptown".

It's a silly effort to make a name change and needs to fade, sooner the better.

[Mutiny77]

Did Columbus pull a Charlotte? Lol

[cwkimbro]

be unique.... Midtown Columbus?

[JayHey]

Not sure how Midtown would be a unique name for a city district, most cities have those too. Atlanta even has one!

And that would cause a lot of confusion with, Midtown, Inc. |

And I remember reading on the back of a menu in Charlotte that it was always Uptown because it was the city center built on a hill. Don't know if that has any real truth.

[midgeorgiaman]

Originally Posted by JayHey

Marketing ploy.

The name Uptown came from Uptown Columbus, Inc. a nonprofit revitalization organization which started in the early 90s.

It has done great work and really helped transform Downtown, but the misguided effort to change the name of the CBD was done because I can only assume "down" was viewed as a dirty word that scared nice families away.

Only real estate and tourism stuff has really adopted it. Most people still say Downtown and the newspaper still writes that first and often followed in quotations "Uptown".

It's a silly effort to make a name change and needs to fade, sooner the better.

Thanks. Downtown Columbus it is. 👍

[Fountain-of-youth]

It's a marketing ploy from the late 80s that should be ending very soon! You probably missed the downtown sign on the corner of 2nd and 10th st,right next to the Springer. There's also another downtown Columbus sign at the 2nd ave exit on J.R Allen.


Uptown is Broadway and Downtown is the whole area covering bay ave to 10th ave.

[ZnGuy]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Did Columbus pull a Charlotte? Lol

Ha, funny. I hate name UpTown for Charlotte downtown but it’s been called that for long time (since ‘74) and has some logic to name (unlike Columbus), downtown Charlotte is higher elevation than surrounding area. You can see downtown buildings from the suburbs. Maybe Columbus is a Charlotte wannabe?

[columbusboy8]

Columbus, a Charlotte wannabe?? NOPE!!

[SeetheUSA]

Originally Posted by columbusboy8

Columbus, a Charlotte wannabe?? NOPE!!

If you've ever seen or been to Charlotte, you'd know that would NOT be a bad goal for this place. I would rather have everything here and not be dependent on Atlanta.