Atlanta VS Charlotte

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

Re: MARTA. The buses opened first in the early 70s then the rail line opened in '79. (Egads! I'm actually old enough to remember when MARTA was new.) They have a timeline and history on the MARTA site.

If Charlotte completes light rail at the same speed they've done 485, I think I will be a very old woman before I can ride it. So far they've put up signs announcing the cinstruction, but I haven't seen any activity other than that. Of course, slowness in gov't. is not a problem unique to Charlotte.

Spartan, thanks for taking time to answer my questions.

[Skyybutter]

Re: MARTA. The buses opened first in the early 70s then the rail line opened in '79. (Egads! I'm actually old enough to remember when MARTA was new.) They have a timeline and history on the MARTA site.

If Charlotte completes light rail at the same speed they've done 485, I think I will be a very old woman before I can ride it.  So far they've put up signs announcing the cinstruction, but I haven't seen any activity other than that. Of course, slowness in gov't. is not a problem unique to Charlotte.

Spartan, thanks for taking time to answer my questions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL girly...I must say I picked a perfect time to move away from Charlotte in 2000. When I moved back in May. 85, 77 and most of the outerbelt projects were complete. Its truly like being in a new city.

[Fruit Cove]

off topic but how did atlanta get the olympics? who else was in the bidding? i mean compared to cities around the world it isnt anything special and it sure isnt the city of choice i wouldve chosen to represent america as a host city. salt lake i can understand because of its location for the winter games. anyways just wondering what made atlanta's bid so much better than the other cities'.

[ironchapman]

off topic but how did atlanta get the olympics?

[Mr.Marc]

Atlanta will probably also hold a dominant position in the South as the largest city like LA does in California, yet Charlotte will be a well recognized national major city in its own right.

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When you say South, do you mean Southeast (because if you include TX, Atlanta is not as large as Houston or Dallas). IMO, I think Atlanta's influence is primarily in the states of SC, NC, TN, AL and maybe a portion of FL.

Also, sorry to get off subject but does anyone know if Atlanta larger than Miami?

[ironchapman]

In city population, it is.

In terms of metro population,. it depends on what you count as in Miami's MSA.

Metro ATL is just slightly bigger than Miami-West Plam Beach metro, but there are extesions to Miami's Metro that you could toss in that would make it bigger.

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

Skyybutter, I though 85 was completed long ago. I had no idea the completion was so recent.

Fruit Cove, IIRC Atlanta was the only bid to the USOC. Why they approved it, I don't know. At the time of the decision, the games were between Athens and Atlanta. There were concerns that Athens wouldn't be able to get its infrastructure upgraded in time for the games. There were some rumors of the Atlanta committe bribing the IOC and Coke entertaining the idea of pulling sponsorship (Coke was the biggest sponsor of the Olympic games), but none of that has been proven. FWIW, back in 1990 I was pulling for Athens because I thought it was appropriate that Athens host the centennial games.

Hammettm, Atlanta and Miami have roughly the same sized population. Around here, when we say south we mean the Deep South. IME, people in these parts usually don't see TX as part of the south.

Earlier, someone mentioned Atlanta and Chicago. I would say that Chicago is Atlanta's "Charlotte". Not that the two have anything in common, but that's the city Atlanta has traditionally looked to as an example of what it would like to be.

As for Atlanta's influence on Charlotte, I was reminded today about the free trade zone, for which Atlanta has placed a bid. Now that would have a huge impact on Charlotte since it would be located so close to the zone. Charlotte would have better access to trade in the Americas, which could only help the city grow. It would have more of an impact than if Miami won the bid.

In the end, Atlanta and Charlotte are similar yet very different. I prefer to live in Atlanta. But that boils down to simple facts like Atlanta is my home and the atmosphere works better for me. That's not a slam against Charlotte. There are countless people who'd rather saw off an arm than live for a minute in NYC. I love NYC, but I would choose the south over it in a heartbeat. I would, in fact, choose Charlotte over NYC. So, Charlotte has it's good points, too.

[cosmoboy]

Skyybutter, I though 85 was completed long ago. I had no idea the completion was so recent.

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Actually I-85 was completed throughout the whole state in 1973. He must have meant widening, i think.

[Skyybutter]

Skyybutter, I though 85 was completed long ago. I had no idea the completion was so recent.

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Im refering to the 8 or so miles that was recently widened to 8 lanes in Mecklenburg County in the University area. Was much needed. As usual though the NCDOT has their heads in the sand when it comes to giving Charlotte metro money for road projects. Thats one thing I can hand to Atlanta. Though the main idea of this site is Urban development, the roads in Atlanta are in much better shape then Charlottes. I always get a rush when driving down 85 as I get closer to Atlanta. The highway just expands more and more....and then of course I end up sitting in traffic at some point...the rush quickly goes away....lol

[Tides]

For those of you familiar with both Atlanta and Charlotte , a few questions .

1. From what I have heard , Atlanta is a better choice for single males , do you see the singles scene improving in Charlotte as it grows ?

2. Which city has more thunderstorms, cloudy days , and wind?

3. Is the traffic congestion in Atlanta and the suburbs something that people deal with at all hours , or only during evening and morning rush hour ?

4. Compared to Atlanta , how congested is Charlotte traffic ?

5 . Is Charlotte traffic congestion going to get worse in the future , in your opinion , and will Charlotte see the same gridlock as Atlanta ?

6 . Which city is more hospitable and welcoming to newcomers , in your opinion ?

7. Will Lakes Wylie , Norman , Lanier , and Allatoona ever be cleaned up ? ( My understanding is that they are all quite polluted )

8 . Does anybody remember a pizza shop in Atlanta or the suburbs that had a buffet , and was Chicago style?

( I visited the pizza shop in 1996-1997 )

9. In the next few years , do you see the Atlanta traffic situation getting worse , or better... realistically , not idealistically .

All responses appreciated ,

Tides

[monsoon]

  7. Will Lakes Wylie , Norman , Lanier , and Allatoona ever be cleaned up ? ( My understanding is that they are all quite polluted )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was swimming with some friends on Lake Norman this evening so I hope it isn't that polluted. I did get a few snoot fulls of water too, to no ill effect.

Norman and Wylie are manmade lakes created by daming the Catawba river and such are constantly fed by water from the NC mountains. They are fairly clean as far as I know as Charlotte and almost every other city on the chain get their drinking water from these lakes.

[Tides]

I was swimming with some friends on Lake Norman this evening so I hope it isn't that polluted. I did get a few snoot fulls of water too, to no ill effect.

.........................

Was the water cold , monsoon ? Did you see alot of waverunners and boats?

Norman and Wylie are manmade lakes created by daming the Catawba river and such are constantly fed by water from the NC mountains. They are fairly clean as far as I know as Charlotte and almost every other city on the chain get their drinking water from these lakes.

..................................

Well , they do dump treated sewage in Lake Norman , and there has been some local concern about the quality of the water , however I am not sure of the extent of the situation . But keeping the lakes clean needs to be a priority , IMHO .

Tides

[peaceloveunderstanding]

lol, the water in the lakes is very warm on a normal day, not really the best for cooling off. (I am making an assumption based on Mt. Isle Lake)

[ironchapman]

Let's see what questions I can give my opinion on, tides...

3. Atlanta's expressways aren't always clogged unless there's a wreck. They are only really bad during the rush hours.

5. I can't answer all of this question, but traffic is a problem for any city, even those with a lot of transit offerings. It's more of an inherited problem, so yes, I do believe Charlotte's traffic will get worse as it's Metro increases (perhaps not as bad as Atlanta's though).

6. Both cities seem like hospitable places to me, it's the traditional Southern Hospitality.

7. Lakes Lanier and Allatoona are popular tourist destinations around Atlanta Metro, there are people swimming and jetskiing there all the time, so the water has to be kept pretty clean...the Chattahoochee River is another problem altogether. It's filthy.

9. I see it getting worse in the near future. Maybe someday it will get better when people start to get tired of the traffic and start using other methods of transportation.

[Tides]

Let's see what questions I can give my opinion on, tides...

3. Atlanta's expressways aren't always clogged unless there's a wreck. They are only really bad during the rush hours.

5. I can't answer all of this question, but traffic is a problem for any city, even those with a lot of transit offerings. It's more of an inherited problem, so yes, I do believe Charlotte's traffic will get worse as it's Metro increases (perhaps not as bad as Atlanta's though).

6. Both cities seem like hospitable places to me, it's the traditional Southern Hospitality.

7. Lakes Lanier and Allatoona are popular tourist destinations around Atlanta Metro, there are people swimming and jetskiing there all the time, so the water has to be kept pretty clean...the Chattahoochee River is another problem altogether. It's filthy.

9. I see it getting worse in the near future. Maybe someday it will get better when people start to get tired of the traffic and start using other methods of transportation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

.............................

I appreciate the responses , IronChapman . I actually know someone in Douglasville , she lives near Bear Creek club and she told me that sometimes it can take her 45 minutes to get to work , even though she only works a few miles away.

I really want to leave South Florida , and I think I would like the Atlanta area , but the traffic and sprawl issues have me concerned . Charlotte is another possibility . As far as the Hooch , it is shameful how much it has been abused , and as it all flows downstream , it negatively affects other Georgia cities and Florida as well .

And Moonshield - thank you for clarifying on Lake Norman .

Tides

[cosmoboy]

Let's see what questions I can give my opinion on, tides...

3. Atlanta's expressways aren't always clogged unless there's a wreck. They are only really bad during the rush hours.

5. I can't answer all of this question, but traffic is a problem for any city, even those with a lot of transit offerings. It's more of an inherited problem, so yes, I do believe Charlotte's traffic will get worse as it's Metro increases (perhaps not as bad as Atlanta's though).

6. Both cities seem like hospitable places to me, it's the traditional Southern Hospitality.

7. Lakes Lanier and Allatoona are popular tourist destinations around Atlanta Metro, there are people swimming and jetskiing there all the time, so the water has to be kept pretty clean...the Chattahoochee River is another problem altogether. It's filthy.

9. I see it getting worse in the near future. Maybe someday it will get better when people start to get tired of the traffic and start using other methods of transportation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lake Lanier to me is more of a hotel district to me than Lake Norman is. Lake Lanier has a few hotels located around it but Lake Norman has none that I know of. There was once a proposed Marriott Hotel/Convention Center right on Norman there, but it never got off the ground.

[Spartan]

If Charlotte completes light rail at the same speed they've done 485, I think I will be a very old woman before I can ride it.  So far they've put up signs announcing the cinstruction, but I haven't seen any activity other than that. Of course, slowness in gov't. is not a problem unique to Charlotte.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The south line of Charlottes LRT is supposed to be open by the end of the decade I thought? Not sure about the rest of the system. Anyone know more details about that?

When you say South, do you mean Southeast (because if you include TX, Atlanta is not as large as Houston or Dallas). IMO, I think Atlanta's influence is primarily in the states of SC, NC, TN, AL and maybe a portion of FL.

Also, sorry to get off subject but does anyone know if Atlanta larger than Miami?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Atlanta and Miami are about the same in terms of population. Miami might actually be a bit larger. But that is getting off topic.

In the South, we mean Southern states. nobody says 'southeast' who lives here- at least that I have met.

[appatone]

@Ham

I said Coastal South (excluding FL). When I said coastal I was really only referring to the Atlantic Coastal states of NC,SC,GA. I wasn't referring to any Gulf states with that. So in addition to FL you can exclude TX,LA,AL,MS. I could have been clearer in my last post.

One interesting thing is that GA is the birthplace of Coke while NC is the birthplace of Pepsi. Atlanta is home to Home Depot while Charlotte is home to Lowes. Perhaps we were meant to be at odds with one another.

[Unifour]

IIt also seems possible since Miami has taken over the "NYC" role of the South.

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Since when did Miami replace Atlanta as the NY of the south?? Atlanta is the souths largest business, cultural, transportation hub.

[Unifour]

off topic but how did atlanta get the olympics?  who else was in the bidding? i mean compared to cities around the world it isnt anything special and it sure isnt the city of choice i wouldve chosen to represent america as a host city.  salt lake i can understand because of its location for the winter games. anyways just wondering what made atlanta's bid so much better than the other cities'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Every city has something special, I think. Atlanta has much more history behind it than most others. And few cities have been immortalized by one of the most seen movies and most read books of all time. I love Atlanta, and it's unique history.

[ironchapman]

^ Must have overstated myself there. I was referring to the city's diversity of people, density, and popularity amongst tourists (among some other things that I am too tired to remember now.

[Unifour]

When you say South, do you mean Southeast (because if you include TX, Atlanta is not as large as Houston or Dallas). IMO, I think Atlanta's influence is primarily in the states of SC, NC, TN, AL and maybe a portion of FL.

Also, sorry to get off subject but does anyone know if Atlanta larger than Miami?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, Atlanta is about the same size as Houston and Dallas. Atlanta is much larger than Dallas, but because "Dallas" is two major metros combined into one, its slightly larger. Atlanta is almost as large as those two metros combined. Houston is only very slightly larger, and since Atlanta is growing faster, it will most likely displace Houston relatively soon.

[Mr.Marc]

Hammettm, Atlanta and Miami have roughly the same sized population. Around here, when we say south we mean the Deep South. IME, people in these parts usually don't see TX as part of the south.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's fine, but I'm from these parts and I still consider TX a part of the south.

[teshadoh]

Reffering to Lake Wylie, I wouldn't get in that lake if I was anyone - though I spent many summers swimming in it growing up. Most of Charlotte's treated sewage goes directly into Lake Wylie, in addition with the number of motored boats in such a small lake - the toxicity is rather high.

[monsoon]

Lake Lanier to me is more of a hotel district to me than Lake Norman is. Lake Lanier has a few hotels located around it but Lake Norman has none that I know of. There was once a proposed Marriott Hotel/Convention Center right on Norman there, but it never got off the ground.

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There is one.. The Lake Norman Hotel. It can be found off Campground Rd, in Denver.