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In other words, it's not "segregated"... I would hardly consider that a bad thing. I love Atlanta for its diversity spread throughout the city.
There's another way to look at it, though. Some call it "segregation" when specific ethnic groups congregate into small areas to live/work, but, some folks also call that "culture".
In other words, some of the most heavily visited areas in larger cities that are set up this way are indeed their Chinatowns or Japantowns or other ethnic-specific neighborhoods. People flock to these areas who cannot afford to travel abroad, because it gives them a taste of another culture while still at home. New residents to the states also settle into these areas to feel more at home until they're ready to branch out.
When a city lacks this, as Atlanta does, it's often accused of having very little in the way of "culture" (as Atlanta is many times accused of), too much sprawl, and lack of ethnic cohesion. Atlanta is often accused of these things and one of the first things visitors will ask will be, "where is your XX-town area?", only to be told, "We don't have one".
So I dunno. I don't necessarily see ethnic-specific neighborhoods as "segregation" when they attract tourists, and everyone is welcome to come and go and visit. I see a segregated area as one where one group of people hole up in it and say, "everyone else ... stay out!", or, a particular group is told, "you stay here and don't DARE try to mingle with the rest of us", etc etc.
Does anybody know of any cultural festivals or parades that would be on in the New England area from the weekend before Thanksgiving to mid January? I'm thinking it's not a particularly good time of year weather wise for festivals and parades but I wondered if there was something.
Then there's the big Art Car Parade, which has been copied by other some cities.
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art (http://www.orangeshow.org/artcar.html - broken link)
Does anybody know of any cultural festivals or parades that would be on in the New England area from the weekend before Thanksgiving to mid January? I'm thinking it's not a particularly good time of year weather wise for festivals and parades but I wondered if there was something.
I would think there would be a Winter Festival or something like that around that time. I know there are some in Upstate NY.
So I dunno. I don't necessarily see ethnic-specific neighborhoods as "segregation" when they attract tourists, and everyone is welcome to come and go and visit. I see a segregated area as one where one group of people hole up in it and say, "everyone else ... stay out!", or, a particular group is told, "you stay here and don't DARE try to mingle with the rest of us", etc etc.
I agree with you. I believe that as long as those ethnic neighborhoods are highly populated by one minority group by CHOICE and not by force or socioeconomic restraints (i.e. a slummy neighborhood that is all one immigrant group can afford) or discrimination/ not being welcomed elsewhere, then it's fine.
Many times, certain ethnic groups stick together in cities because of a common bond. The can set up a community of like-minded people with similar cultures. This creates cool neighborhoods for residents and tourists alike (i.e. your Chinatowns, Little Italys, Koreatowns, etc). There's nothing wrong with this. The ethnic groups benefit from having everything they need to make them comfortable in a new country close at hand and the city benefits from having the diversity and the cultural attraction created by this neighborhood.
However, to say that a city like Atlanta "lacks" culture and diversity because there are no specifically ethnic neighborhoods is a bit extreme (I know you're not saying that, but I've heard it from others before). In fact, I think it's a good thing that ethnic groups in Atlanta are comfortable enough blending into the fabric of the city. On the contrary, many consider it a bad thing that ethnic groups heavily dominate certain neighborhoods in Boston like Chinatown, the North End (not really so Italian anymore), the Irish in parts of DOT, Asians in North Quincy, and Blacks in certain sections of DOT as well. People say this is because Boston is "racist" and intolerant. While it may hold some truth in some of the poorer neighborhoods, it's not true overall (let's face it.. if you can afford space in Chinatown or the North End, you can afford it anywhere in Boston). I guess it really depends on the individual situation. Coming from the Northeast, I was always impressed with how Atlanta's minorities blended together, often times seamlessly.
Does anybody know of any cultural festivals or parades that would be on in the New England area from the weekend before Thanksgiving to mid January? I'm thinking it's not a particularly good time of year weather wise for festivals and parades but I wondered if there was something.
Hmm... I'm going to do a little research on this. It's a rough time for festivals in New England. In fact, it may be the worst time to try and catch a festival in New England. Many cities in towns have harvest festivals in late September/ early October and I know New Bedford, MA has a fun Working Waterfront Festival ( check it out here ) at the end of September, but not much else. September and Early October are "State Fair" season in Maine.
Some areas have great tree-lighting ceremonies. Most cities do. Boston has a few, but the Prudential Center one is arguably the biggest in New England. Providence, New Bedford, Worcester, Taunton, Portland, Burlington, etc all have one too.
Also, most cities in New England have varying "First Night" celebrations at New Years. Boston's First Night is far and away the best, but it's not the only one. If you want something a bit lower key, then there is something for you too.
Another thing to look at is Ski areas throughout the region (namely in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont). Many ski areas have outdoor activities and celebrations every weekend all winter long. I'd check the big name ones (Attitash, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Bretton Woods, Okemo, Killington, Stowe, etc) for the best options. Also, there are a number of "Mountain Communities" that typically have a bunch of winter festivities. Check out Bethel, Maine, North Conway, New Hampshire ( and neighborhing Jackson, my personal favorite)-- here's the events Calander for the North Conway area, Stowe, Vermont, etc. These towns tend to have the best things going on in the winter.
If you're in Northern New England during the winter, it's worth crossing the border into Canada and checking out Quebec City (1.5 hours from the Maine border) and its famous Winter Carnival-- the largest of its kind in North America.
Anyway, there is likely to be something going on, but not nearly the level activity that goes on in the spring, summer and early fall months.
Milwaukee has an event almost every week-end in the summer. It's most famous festival is Summerfest (the world's largest outdoor music festival) which usually draws close to a milliion people.
Then there's the big Art Car Parade, which has been copied by other some cities.
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art (http://www.orangeshow.org/artcar.html - broken link)
...And the Greek Fest, Festa Italiana, the big gay pride parade and Juneteenth. I suppose in some ways the Rodeo Kickoff is also an annual cultural festival. Also, while it may not be celebrated by the city at large, a substantial portion of the city gets out for the Chinese and Hindu new years. Cinco de Mayo's big here, but I don't think there's an organized festival for it. It's more a bunch of people sitting around in lawn chairs beside the pool drinking Tecate. And, while it's in Galveston and not Houston, I once read that Galveston's Mardi Gras was second only to New Orleans in size, but that was before every other city in the US began to put on their own Mardi Gras. Now I have no idea how Galveston ranks.
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