Miami vs. Atlanta

[Brickell]

Dade county is 60% foreign born.

It's a little wacky sometimes, but you get used to it (said by someone who is not foreign born).

I picked Miami.

I like Atlanta, but Miami keeps surprising me.

It has it's faults, and is probably over-rated, but has a style and vibe unlike anywhere else in the South, if not the USA.

[Guest donaltopablo]

Neither city has a strong downtown relative to it's metro population, but from what I've read, Miami seems more intent on building a strong downtown going forward in the immediate future than Atlanta. Most of Atlanta's exciting urban projects seem to be in Midtown or other areas. Miami, if I'm not mistaken, is also 60% foreign-born in the city, and something like 40% in the metro. To me, a high foreign-born population is one of the most important aspects of a city.

I haven't spent a lot of time comparing the two, but there have been some significant annoucements in the last few weeks, with at least 2-3 major annoucements coming in the next month or so from very reliable developers, including a very sigificant one from Coke. DT Atlanta, although still far from being where it should be for the size metro it is, has made some considerable strides in the last few months and is starting to gain some of the steam Midtown got in the very late 90s with major projects being annouced. If you haven't been to Midtown Atlanta recently, the vibe is very different and still growing. I expect to see some similar moves in DT around the Olympic park.

But again, no idea how it compares to the projects going in DT Miami.

[wolfdawg54]

I have been to both but I prefer Miami because it has a feel similar to Jacksonville.

[ATLman1]

I picked Atlanta. Bigger companies and better job market. Miami is just a place for a vacation.

[bobliocatt]

^You obviously haven't spent much time in Miami, if you think its just a vacation spot. Maybe you're confusing Miami with the city of Miami Beach? BTW, Miami's Brickell District (South of downtown) is the largest Financial District in the South.

[latinposer]

I agree with lakelander,Miami is a great place of commerce,industry(a little bit)

and of course residential districts.But I do have to give Atlanta props because

Atlanta is a very good city with the skyscrapers.The thing I envy about Atlanta is the tall building that beats Miami,but the rest I preffer Miami over Atlanta because

its a much better place,(probably even with the girls).Just playing.But theyre both great cities.

[brewerw]

Instead of Atlanta getting an ocean how bout you take away all of Miami's aquatic life. Now which one would you pick. First off, Miami would not even be known! Atlanta has earned what it has the hard way. I have nothing against Miami but look at this from a different point of view. I will give you miami on the girls!!!!

[bobliocatt]

Instead of Atlanta getting an ocean how bout you take away all of Miami's aquatic life. Now which one would you pick. First off, Miami would not even be known! Atlanta has earned what it has the hard way. I have nothing against Miami but look at this from a different point of view. I will give you miami on the girls!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Give me a break. Miami without its waterfront, would be the same as Atlanta without its airport, New Youk without the Hudson or Chicago without the Great Lakes

[benjamin]

Give me a break.  Miami without its waterfront, would be the same as Atlanta without its airport, New Youk without the Hudson or Chicago without the Great Lakes

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Go ahead and take away atlanta's airport, it still wouldn;t affect the skyline lol.

[bobliocatt]

^Not that it really matters, but if you took the airport away, most of those companies in Atlanta would most likely have their operations elsewhere, thus taking many of those modern skyscrapers with them.

[streetscaper]

Miami....Ft Laud...West Palm

all come together to form one of the best regions in the South!

Atlanta's really cool too though!

[ATLman1]

I agree with benjamin and brewerw!

[benjamin]

^Not that it really matters, but if you took the airport away, most of those companies in Atlanta would most likely have their operations elsewhere, thus taking many of those modern skyscrapers with them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True, but the difference is that Miami's waterfront has a direct effect on the look of the skyline whereas Atlanta's airport doesn't.

[bobliocatt]

Who cares? Seriously, if I had wings I could fly.

[monsoon]

There is an important difference between Atlanta & Miami's airport.

The Atlanta airport is mainly a hub for Delta. The vast majority of people that fly into Hartsfield never leave the airport and instead board another plane and goe elsewhere. The airport could be located in BugTussle and it would make no difference to the vast majority of flights that go through there. There is a debate that has never been proven one way or another that major businesses located near hub airports. The evidence would say no.

On the otherhand, Miami is a destination airport. The people who fly into Miami actually get off the plane and go into Miami. Aside from S. Fla being a major vacation spot, but it is also a major place where people immigrating to the USA head, and the vast amount of business the USA does with South America & Latin America flow through the Miami Airport. International Banking, Finance, Wholesale sales, etc to the rest of the Americas are all dependant on S. Fla air connections.

It should also be noted the Miami metro is served by 3 airports; Miami, W. Palm and Ft. Lauderdale. All modern facilities.

Atlanta does not have any advantage over Miami in terms of air travel.

[benjamin]

There is an important difference between Atlanta & Miami's airport.

[bobliocatt]

I agree with pretty much everything you say. But as a Delta hub, the airport therefore does have some kind of importance. I mean if the airport were to disappear right now, there would be a lot of buisness folks stranded and pissed. Of course then they would simply get a new flight and fly through some other airport, but that'll be true with any airport in the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FYI, Miami is also an American Airlines hub, so the same would apply right?

[benjamin]

Well Delta obviously has more passengers or Atlanta wouldn't have the buisiest airport.

[bobliocatt]

Well Delta is in more financial trouble and metro Miami does have three airports instead of one, despite not having the more centralized location that Atlanta does.

[benjamin]

Well Delta is in more financial trouble and metro Miami does have three airports instead of one, despite not having the more centralized location that Atlanta does.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe thats because Miami is not an isolated city like Atlanta but rather one between a number of other substantial cities.

[bobliocatt]

Whatever you want to call it, but the facts are facts.

[paulblackgsx]

It never ceases to amaze me how over hyped the importance of the size of a city airport(s) (or combined airprots) are. Most businesses look at destinations and availability of flights. Hubs and destination cities both provide this. The only other reason to care a whole lot about how busy your airport is, is if your in a visitor based business.

On the question of health of the airlines. Remember, in Spring 2003 AMR Corp (parent of AA) was in the EXACT same position Delta was. Fighting to avoid bankruptcy.

[PghUSA]

Airports are always tempting when comparing cities, it is that ability to reach out and touch someone that is appealing I believe. Overhyped? Maybe but the larger cities usually have that ability at their airports. Also goes to show how many want to COME to your city, when you take the overall numbers.

[bobliocatt]

Airports are always tempting when comparing cities, it is that ability to reach out and touch someone that is appealing I believe.

If you compare airports, you have to compare other factors, like seaports, cultural destinations, urbanity and density, as well. You can't go around cherry picking certain things.

Overhyped? Maybe but the larger cities usually have that ability at their airports.  Also goes to show how many want to COME to your city, when you take the overall numbers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only problem is when you're a major hub city, most of the people flying in are only connecting flights to get to other cities and not visitng the host city. I've done this, in the past at both airports.

[paulblackgsx]

Airports are always tempting when comparing cities, it is that ability to reach out and touch someone that is appealing I believe.