Atlantic Station-Atlanta's city within a city.

[Wonko The Sane]

I am new to this forum so I will jump right in. Why do they insist on making the buildings out of materials that feel like styrofoam? If Atlantic Station is to have any permanence they should at least have made the first floors out of brick and morter. Also, why did they make a very nice public space with a pond and then create a barrier to enjoying it by fencing it in? I fear it will end up as "Underground" did.

[Andrea]

The party scene in Buckhead hasn't been 35 years.

Memory fails me -- you are probably right. I know we partied there in the 70's and even more in the 80's.

[Martinman]

I am new to this forum so I will jump right in. Why do they insist on making the buildings out of materials that feel like styrofoam? If Atlantic Station is to have any permanence they should at least have made the first floors out of brick and morter. Also, why did they make a very nice public space with a pond and then create a barrier to enjoying it by fencing it in? I fear it will end up as "Underground" did.

The materials they used in the retail district is the biggest fault most people have with the development. I mean even suburban strip centers are getting bricked nowadays so its a mystery why they didn't do it here.

As for your other point there is just no comparison between AS and Uderground. AS is a place where people WANT to visit and live. Underground doesn't have the thousands of residents living on top of it, or anywhere near the level of retail, and AS doesn't suffer from any of the perceptions of safety (lack of) that Underground does.

It just shows how little retail development there has been in the city until now. But the two are not even remotely similar.

And BTW, Welcome to the forum !

[teshadoh]

^ Underground will soon have GSU students living on top of it - they are converting the hotel to a dorm.

[atlla]

A few years before the Olympics, Underground was one of Atlanta's top tourist attractions. Business there was thriving, though it didn't have people living there. The decline of the business happen after the Olympics. Also, I'm sure Teshadoh will agree that it had an extremely urban feel at that time, even more so than Atlantic Station.

[Andrea]

A few years before the Olympics, Underground was one of Atlanta's top tourist attractions. Business there was thriving, though it didn't have people living there. The decline of the business happen after the Olympics. Also, I'm sure Teshadoh will agree that it had an extremely urban feel at that time, even more so than Atlantic Station.

And, in my opinion, even that incarnation paled in comparison to the legendary Underground of the 1970's. That was back in the era of Muhlenbrinks and Piano Red, the original Dante's, the Bucket Shop and all manner of wild and crazy things. **Way** before any urban planners or theme park types got involved -- just a totally organic and genuinely urban expression of Atlanta.

Not likely to happen again, I suppose.

[Martinman]

Here's a rendering of The Metro apartments going up across from Ikea

[Newnan_Eric]

And, in my opinion, even that incarnation paled in comparison to the legendary Underground of the 1970's. That was back in the era of Muhlenbrinks and Piano Red, the original Dante's, the Bucket Shop and all manner of wild and crazy things. **Way** before any urban planners or theme park types got involved -- just a totally organic and genuinely urban expression of Atlanta.

Not likely to happen again, I suppose.

I don't doubt your assessment of the original Underground vs the New, but I do think that the influx of students and other residents in the area will help Underground.

I posed this question on that other site, but got a smart-assed response: What affect do you think the new student housing will have on Underground? Will the growth of round-the-clock inhabitants change the retail mix and will it give Underground new vibrancy?

[atlmangum]

I posed this question on that other site, but got a smart-assed response: What affect do you think the new student housing will have on Underground? Will the growth of round-the-clock inhabitants change the retail mix and will it give Underground new vibrancy?

I definately think the influx of "round-the-clock inhabitants will create new retail opportunities and add to the vibrancy of Underground. Hopefully it will create a college type atmosphere where you have not only Ga. State students, but also kids from Tech and even Emory hanging out. Its been a while since I've been to Underground, but I remeber feeling as if I was always looking over my shoulder, especially at night. They are going to have to make it a lot safer if your going to have college kids hanging out there at night.

[Andrea]

I don't doubt your assessment of the original Underground vs the New, but I do think that the influx of students and other residents in the area will help Underground.

Eric, I absolutely agree that the influx of residents will be great for Underground. I wasn't equating that with the old Underground. The original pre-Rouse Underground was a funky, organic urban phenomenon that just sort of happened. It was a lot of fun but frankly it was seedy and a little dangerous, and I don't think it would fit at all with today's ideas about urbanism.

[ironchapman]

Here's a rendering of The Metro apartments going up across from Ikea

I like the design. It's not my favorite, but it's a good one still. Perhaps not an artisitc masterpiece by any means, but it will fit well within Atlantic Station.

[nick]

Has the millenium gate thing gone up yet? I thought it was supposed to be in AS by now but I haven't seen it, unless I'm completely blind...

[atlmangum]

Here are some renderings/info on One Market St.:

http://www.carterusa.com/flyersPDF/AtlanticStationOMS.pdf

[Topped Out]

Here are some renderings/info on One Market St.:

http://www.carterusa.com/flyersPDF/AtlanticStationOMS.pdf

That is an interesting design. I like where they are going to place it, next to 171 17th.

[Unifour]

I definately think the influx of "round-the-clock inhabitants will create new retail opportunities and add to the vibrancy of Underground. Hopefully it will create a college type atmosphere where you have not only Ga. State students, but also kids from Tech and even Emory hanging out. Its been a while since I've been to Underground, but I remeber feeling as if I was always looking over my shoulder, especially at night. They are going to have to make it a lot safer if your going to have college kids hanging out there at night.

Having college kids hanging around all hours of the night sounds very bad, to me. The way kids are nowadays, there will probably be trouble, and they will scare off the people with the money who would come to it and keep it alive.

[GaTechGuy]

Having college kids hanging around all hours of the night sounds very bad, to me. The way kids are nowadays, there will probably be trouble, and they will scare off the people with the money who would come to it and keep it alive.

I think the key to all that is COLLEGE kids. College kids tend to be a little less trouble than "kids" in general. Right now there aren't that many people with money coming there anyway so if the kids do keep them away then that wouldn't be too big of a change. I don't think that would happen though. College kids tend to have a good amount of disposable income that goes to food and clothes and things of that nature, so I think a college crowd would be good for the area. True it may not be everyone's cup of tea but it would be an overall improvment.

[atlmangum]

Having college kids hanging around all hours of the night sounds very bad, to me. The way kids are nowadays, there will probably be trouble, and they will scare off the people with the money who would come to it and keep it alive.

How can you say that is bad? Not only would they add to the night life, but they would also add to the "day life." This is VERY key. This would allow businesses to get traffic at all hours of the day, not just lunch and dinner traffic. If Underground and even Atlantic Station becomes a "between class" destination for kids, then that would definately add to the atmosphere there. Its not like Underground is going to turn into a giant Frat party every night.

[UrbanAtl]

Underground has so many problems. Safety isn't really one of them. Once you live in the city for awhile you stop looking over your shoulders and it becomes home. As for Underground being reborn, it will take a lot of students to bring it back to life.

Is the conversion of the hotel step one? Do they plan on converting the other spaces above street level into dorms. That may have a grander effect. Personaly I would like to see Underground become GSU.

[SAV]

Yeah, GSU would be great for undergroud. Students bring a great livelely vibe to any city because you know they aren't going to just put students in any old dump. They'll probably have underground looking better than ever. SCAD has done wonders for downtown Savannah, even though it was already beautiful.

[Martinman]

Rosa Mexicano opened this past Saturday. Haven't been yet but it looks really nice.

Strip opens this Feb 10th. That will do a lot for the central park area.

[ryanmckibben]

Not to worry all, there will be another chance to actually build something that will last in about 30 years when those cheap pieces of crap that stand there now fall down.

[Martinman]

TWELVE goes high-tech to clinch Gen X guests - Business Chronicle

Guests at the TWELVE Hotel, which opens Feb. 12 at Atlantic Station, can sit down at a desk and log on to an in-room console to order room service, request housekeeping and laundry services, check out, download jogging maps and local tourist info or surf the Internet.

The new technology, called the GHOST (guest hotel operating system terminal), is just one of a variety of amenities targeted to attract the age 24-45 traveler to the boutique hotel, the flagship of TWELVE Hotels.

[Wonko The Sane]

The materials they used in the retail district is the biggest fault most people have with the development. I mean even suburban strip centers are getting bricked nowadays so its a mystery why they didn't do it here.

As for your other point there is just no comparison between AS and Uderground. AS is a place where people WANT to visit and live. Underground doesn't have the thousands of residents living on top of it, or anywhere near the level of retail, and AS doesn't suffer from any of the perceptions of safety (lack of) that Underground does.

It just shows how little retail development there has been in the city until now. But the two are not even remotely similar.

And BTW, Welcome to the forum !

Sorry. I wasn't stating that AS is like Underground. I was stating that I fear that it will end up like Underground. The materials they made the place out of do not lend themselves to permanence.

[teshadoh]

^ Much of Underground Atlanta is 100 years old...

[Wonko The Sane]

And the cheap materials they built Atlantic Station out of won't last half that long.