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"Half-abandoned" areas constitute an extremely minimal proportion of metropolitan Atlanta, particularly in a residential sense. It's important to remember that the city itself has only about 10% of the metro area and has seen significant growth in households despite little in the way of population gains. There is certainly vacant retail space scattered around the region, and many inner suburban areas that have transitioned over time to a less prosperous demographic than they had originally. But overall, Atlanta has hardly any Rust Belt characteristics - aside from a substantial population that has moved into the area from such places.
Yeah I wouldn't say "a lot" of areas but there are some. Those that would qualify would be Bankhead, English Ave/Vine City, and parts of SW Atlanta. There are also some housing projects that have been shuttered that haven't seen redevelopment just yet.
Honestly the only cities I can think of in the South that have Rust Belt characteristics are Louisville, Huntington, WV, and other cities along the Ohio River and near the southern periphery of the Midwest. There really aren't any others.
Jacksonville Florida in many ways, the biggest being the near total loss of the ship work/building industry. If you look at old pics the Jax waterfront downtown used to be lined with shipyards, today there is maybe one left (not sure if its even being used). Jax also had a decent manufacturing base, although when compared to a Detroit of Buffalo it would seem relatively insignificant. Jax has rebounded pretty well though, we are probably the only big city in Florida that doesn't rely on tourism. There is actually a large amount of white collar professional jobs here, i would dare to say we may have the strongest professional job market in Florida. The city has immense potential and i truly believe Jax will look like an entire different city from today by 2030.
Birmingham is pretty gritty. Most of the wealth in the area has moved up to the top or over to the other side of Red Mountain to the south of the city. Chattanooga has plenty of grit south of downtown toward the Georgia state line. Even Nashville has an industrial vibe east of its downtown.
I'm not sure there is a true Rust Belt type city in the South. I assume it's not just about heavy industry, but also about stagnation, population loss, and a general loss of prominence overall. I guess most would immediately think of Birmingham, but that city has done a complete turnaround and is not languishing at all these days. Same with Chattanooga, Atlanta, Jacksonville, etc. Memphis is probably the southern city that I can think of as stagnating, but even Memphis is not comparable to a Buffalo or Detroit in that category.
Well go to Wheeling and tell a local they are in the South and they will probably laugh at you.
Yeah, it is in the Western PA/NE Ohio sphere of influence like the rest of the Northern Panhandle of WV.
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