The Truth About Americus (Atlanta, Columbus: fit in, crime, hotel)

[FlipperrX]

Hello, I just took a nice ride up through and around Americus. before going i had heard many bad things about Americus that made me want to see if it was true. Here are some things I heard bad: I heard it was rundown appearing similar to a 'shantytown', heard that the racial distribution was atrocious where african-americans ruled the ratio from like 9 to 1 per ten, heard the racial divide caused public violent turmoil between the races also, heard that it was one of top 5 poorest towns in the state, heard it was filthy in appearance, heard that crimes like interracial murders or attempts occur every day in broad daylight, heard schools were horrible, heard water was toxic, etc..... .

I must tell you that after visiting Americus I seen nothing to indicate that any of those accusations were true. On the contrary, Americus has one of the most unique downtown districts that I have ever seen anywhere. It is one of the cleanest towns that I have seen in all of South Georgia. As far as diversity, I saw that to be much more common that that 9 to 1 ratio above. In fact I observed quite a few big jacked up trucks with white drivers, as well as many white people out being lively downtown. It seemed houses and properties were well kept to rival parts of Savannah on a smaller scale. I did not see anyone at all even yell at anyone else of a different race, much less kill them in daylight. I ate at a restaurant in Americus, ordered plain water, and I am still here living to tell about it. The schools looked like nice facilities. The town looked like it had abundant resources and opportunity, not poor.

Americus was absolutely stunning!! In fact I think I may just want to live there. So, please, can anyone tell me who was correct about Americus? What I seen today or what those other people told me? I mean there isn't anything being hidden is there? Id love to hear your input on the issues I mentioned. What is the 'real' truth about Americus? Thanks.

[Big_Dave_Jones]

Americus is over 60% black and yes it does have some shady areas, but with the black population representing that large of a % of the total population, some people will only have bad things to say, only point out the negatives and in several cases over exaggerate it. That's just what I've noticed with most towns of similar demographics.

[GRS86]

If small town living is your thing, then Americus isn't a terribly bad town for its size. It has a four year college, and a charming downtown. There are some run down areas like in any town, but it's no worse than anywhere else.

It's almost in the middle of the triangle formed by Macon, Columbus, and Albany, so each of the cities are an easy drive for when you need some retail beyond what's typically available in a small town environment.

[FlipperrX]

Originally Posted by Big_Dave_Jones

Americus is over 60% black and yes it does have some shady areas, but with the black population representing that large of a % of the total population, some people will only have bad things to say, only point out the negatives and in several cases over exaggerate it. That's just what I've noticed with most towns of similar demographics.

Thanks for your response. I can understand people immediately assuming that because it is so black then it is crime ridden. However, Valdosta is anywhere from around 51 to 70 percent black and I never hear much bad about that place like I did Americus. I you go by land area instead that blacks are a majority then it is probably and even bigger percentage. From what I seen, Americus was nicer looking than Valdosta too. From the unequal amounts of praise I hear about Valdosta compared to other towns, it seems that Valdosta is spoiled. Valdosta's shady area seems to dwarf Americus' area and so does Moultrie's. They arent all that much bigger than Americus either. Where exactly is this bad area of Americus anyway? I surely didnt see it.

[FlipperrX]

Originally Posted by GRS86

If small town living is your thing, then Americus isn't a terribly bad town for its size. It has a four year college, and a charming downtown. There are some run down areas like in any town, but it's no worse than anywhere else.

It's almost in the middle of the triangle formed by Macon, Columbus, and Albany, so each of the cities are an easy drive for when you need some retail beyond what's typically available in a small town environment.

Can you tell me what the positives and negatives are to living in Americus other than what you said- in more depth? Is there something alarmingly horrible to not choose to live there, or something alarmingly beneficial?Thanks for your help.

[GRS86]

Originally Posted by FlipperrX

Can you tell me what the positives and negatives are to living in Americus other than what you said- in more depth? Is there something alarmingly horrible to not choose to live there, or something alarmingly beneficial?Thanks for your help.

Let me start by qualifying this response by saying that I have never lived in Americus, but do have family roots in the vicinity, and are familiar with the city.

Americus is typical of most Southwest GA towns in that it has a racial make-up of between 45-70% African American. To some people, that's a big negative, but Americus is a social and economic hub for Sumter and surrounding counties. It has a charming downtown that has been, for the most part revitalized. This includes a very nice Victorian styled hotel that has been restored. It has the basic retail outlets.

Pros:
* One of the larger towns in its immediate area
* Reasonably vibrant downtown
* Has a four year college
* Good health care for a smaller town
* 45 minutes from Albany, roughly an hour from both Columbus and Macon
* Two hours from Atlanta

Cons:
* Lack of retail outside of Walmart, Lowes, and a few local shops. Beyond that, you will find yourself going to Albany, Macon, or Columbus.
* Like most other small Southern towns, can be closed to outsiders
* Like most other small Southern towns, race is the 800 pound gorilla just under the surface
* Similar to a lot of small towns, you have some rundown areas on the "other side of the railroad track", but like in any city, you are OK as long as you avoid the rough sections of the city.

If you are looking for a smaller town in Southwest GA, Americus IMHO would be one of the better choices.

[ButteredGrits]

I have lived in Americus Georgia for about 20 years. In that time, it has taken me about 10 years to get to know enough people in town so that I don't feel like an outsider. This town has a homegrown "clique". What that means is if you move here and people don't know you, they don't immediately warm up to you. First they want to make sure you are going to "stick". Then you have to be brave enough to be the conversation starter. Then it is a good idea to brush up on the history of Americus so that when you talk to someone about the old court house, or when the tech school became a college, you will have something in common with the person, that has lived here most of their life, to talk about. Be prepared to explain your family history, because for some reason it means a great deal and the people around here feel safer when they have a personal family connection or mutual friend that they can attach you to. People here don't like change, and they are not immediately keen on outsiders, but if you give the impression that you have money, or that you are wealthy, then you will be warmly greeted, you will get lots of invitations to go to fund raiser dinners, or be invited to get involved with city government, ect. Their is an undercurrent of prejudices that you must realize is deeply imbedded in people that have had generations of families that have lived here. That's not to say that you will never fit in, just realize what you are up against. Bake sales, sweet tea, grits and corn bread are very popular here. People here love to eat, because it is the main thing that there is to do in Americus. That's not to say that there aren't any fun things to do, there are, but you have to know when they are happening. There is a public calendar outside of the visitors center in downtown Americus that lets you know what's going on and when in the city. Come 20 minutes early before any downtown event if you want a parking place that is anywhere remotely close to the event. I hope that helps.

[Iconographer]

I, too, was pleasantly surprised by Americus. A neighbor's daughter was marrying a boy from there and there were a couple of parties for them that I attended, one of which was in that beautiful Windsor Hotel downtown. We strolled the downtown area afterwards and thought it charming. One of our party had been in Americus some years ago and found the changes to be remarkable.

WWW.windsor-americus.com

[AnsleyPark]

I grew up right outside of Americus in rural Sumter County. Went K-12 in Americus. Did all of our shopping and socializing there. Still have numerous wonderful friends there. Americus is a wonderful town which, like all towns, if you find a place to fit in, you can live a relatively peaceful and prosperous life. The folks are down to earth, honest and hard workers. My mom is still there and I have the pleasure of visiting on occasion.

[JoDan]

Dan Reeves and Chan Gailey are from Americus. How many other little Southern towns can boast two NFL coaches?