Growing Diversity in Atlanta and it's metro.

[Lady Celeste]

The changing landscape of Metro Atlanta

As Atlanta matures, there is a continued move towards a diversification of the urban fabric of Atlanta. Some will embrace this growing diversity and others will feel uncomfortable. I started this thread to have a place were all and any can showcase articles, pictures or personal stories about the changing diversity of metro Atlanta. Gone are the days when Atlanta was either White or Black....or Jewish or Christian. We are quickly becoming a community that includes all faiths, nationalities, sexual orientations and races. To me, this offers a vibrancy to the urban fabric that makes a city a city. Thousands of years ago Rome was a testament to how many different people could live together in a thriving metropolis. Let's hope that through understanding and knowledge that Atlanta and it's suburbs can learn and grow from this growing diversity.

Now to my first article:

Temple rises as Lilburn landmark

Liburn temple will be the fifth largest Hindu temple outside of India.

An architectural rendering shows a Swaminarayan temple about to rise in Lilburn.

From the article:

A Hindu sect whose ornate temples have won architectural awards in Chicago and Houston is laying the foundation this month for what is sure to be a Lilburn landmark.

The 27,243-square-foot temple, officially called Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, is rising on 30 acres at Lawrenceville Highway and Rockbridge Road.

It will serve members of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism, which originated in India more than 200 years ago.

The traditional design will feature custom-carved stonework, a wraparound veranda and five prominent pinnacles reminiscent of the Himalayan hills.

Giant stairs will mimic the climb worshippers must make to reach mountainside temples in India. Decorative domes will embellish the temple's roof, and spires rising from each pinnacle will fly red-and-white flags signaling the victory of good over evil.

Passers-by also might be able to see a mirror image of the temple in a reflection pool outside.

The temple should be finished by 2007, said Munitilak Swami, a saint at the sect's current temple in the DeKalb County city of Clarkston.

The Lilburn temple and another under construction in Toronto will be the fifth- and sixth-largest Swaminarayan temples outside India, he said.

The others are in Chicago, Houston, London and Nairobi, Kenya.

Read more here:

Hindu Temple to rise in Lilburn

This will be a great addition to the Atlanta landscape. Also, I'm sure Lilburn welcomes what should become a suburban icon.

[ironchapman]

That temple looks amazing. The metro area really is diversifying, isn't it. The size of that tmeple (5th largest outside of India) just blows my mind.

Congrats to Lilburn!

[teshadoh]

The primary Hindu temple for Atlanta is itself an interesting structure, it is in Clayton County.

http://www.hindutempleofatlanta.org/index.htm

[Newnan]

It's so weird to see the south so diverse! But I'm glad that Atlanta is becoming so diverse. It'll make the city more exciting and it shows how big we really are! (Oh and, lets try not to make this one big debate about race... there's already a thread with that going on)

[Martinman]

There's also a Mosque under construction on 14th street near Atlantic Station. It was a bit of a surprise when I realized what the building was going to be.

[ATLman1]

There's also a Mosque under construction on 14th street near Atlantic Station. It was a bit of a surprise when I realized what the building was going to be.

I noticed that the other day too. Looks cool though.

[teshadoh]

Particularly as it is prominant from IKEA.

[Andrea]

The Hindu temple looks neat. There is a strip mall across the street but that's the way it is almost everywhere these days. There's been a mosque over on Harbins Road for several years, and that whole area of Gwinnett has become quite diverse. I dropped by the new Super Wal-Mart at Lester Road one evening and was amazed at how packed it was and how international the shoppers were.

[Newnan]

Is this the first hindi temple in Metro Atlanta?

[ironchapman]

^No, there's one in Clayton County, Newnan.

The primary Hindu temple for Atlanta is itself an interesting structure, it is in Clayton County.

http://www.hindutempleofatlanta.org/index.htm

[Newnan]

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2731

This is an interesting article about Atlanta's Jewish population.

[Lady Celeste]

In keeping with the general theme of this thread, I decided to add this article to the Growing diversity of Atlanta and it's metro.

Valli Sundaram, a programmer with IBM, checks out the jewelry selection at Veeraj Jewelers in Decatur. Local immigrants are able to find more and more authentic foods and other items at stores in metro Atlanta

From the article:

Tuba Kalayci, a Turkish immigrant, no longer lugs her favorite cheese across the Atlantic. She buys Turkish feta at a grocery store in the Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue in Norcross.

Valli Sundaram, a programmer with IBM, goes to the movies dressed in a fine silk sari. Much like a Saturday evening in her hometown of Mysore, India, she and her family snack on samosas and watch Tamil (a regional Indian language) films at a cineplex in Norcross.

Though Valli does not drape 6 meters of silk to work, a pottu (colored dot on the forehead) and gold bangles and necklaces are permanent accessories.

Today, ethnic food, fashion and entertainment are available even to smaller and newer minorities in Atlanta. Mary Odem, associate professor of history and women's studies at Emory University, explains the difference between new immigrants

[Martinman]

If anyone ever wants to experience a nice Asian market and if you're ever happen to be out that way...

Super H Mart in Gwinnett is an interesting place. Sort of an Asian whole Foods meets Walmart since they have a bit more than just groceries. They also have a food court with a Japanese, Korean, and Chinese booths.

[catlike]

^^^

Second that! Super H Mart was one of my favorite places to shop when I lived/worked in NoVa. Unfortunately, Gwinnett is too far me to go now.

[Lady Celeste]

Hispanic-Owned Businesses Growing Quickly.

In keeping with the theme of the thread, I found this article about the growing number of Hispanic-Owned businesses growing all over the country. While this is a national trend, the Hispanic population here in Georgia and metro Atlanta have made great strides as well.

Among the report's findings:

_Nearly three in 10 Hispanic-owned firms were in construction or service-related industries in 2002.

_Hispanic-owned businesses generated nearly $222 billion in revenue in 2002, up 19 percent from five years earlier.

_The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in New York grew by 57 percent from 1997 to 2002, faster than any other state. Rhode Island, Georgia, Nevada and South Carolina rounded out the top five.

_New York City had 129,461 Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, more than any other city. It was followed by Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and San Antonio.

_There were 29,184 Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more in 2002.

_There were 1,510 Hispanic-owned firms with 100 or more employees. Those firms generated more than $42 billion in receipts.

_About 44 percent of Hispanic business owners were of Mexican descent.

You can read more in an article found in the AJC....

Hispanic-Owned businesses increase....

[Newnan]

That's good news. Does anybody know where most of the hispanics are moving to in Metro Atlanta?

[Martinman]

^^ probably Gwinnett

Architect-Developer Envisions $300M Asian Village-GobeSt

Yong Pan is trying to raise about $90 million from investors in China for Asian Village Atlanta.

The architect

[Newnan]

This sounds great, but can't it be closer to the city?

[Andrea]

This sounds great, but can't it be closer to the city?

Har! That is pretty close in by Atlanta standards.