What do you like and dislike most about your part of Atlanta?

[Andrea]

I thought it might be interesting to hear people's personal perspectives on their area of the city.

[thedude26]

Well, I really did not have anything I liked about it but I lived in PTC for 15 years. Things I disliked about it include: Not much to do other than golf, no movie theater, bowling alleys, night clubs, ect... Far from any places of interest. Long commutes, people were not friendly unless you were rich, poor math and science departments at McIntosh High, too strict with certain laws, ect...

[Hybrid0NE]

Cumberland:

I like that there's (within a mile-and-half)...

A Forested Riverfront

A 2nd-Tier Mall

Tons of retail/restaurants

More space for your $$$

I dislike...

That every road feeds into a traffic-choked artery

No sense of urbanity (I was excited upon seeing all of the highrises from the freeway and dissapointed upon leaving the exit ramp)

Convergence zone of too many municipalities (Smyrna , Marietta & Atlanta [it's zip])

That little stream that attracts so many mosquitos (I know it's not a good example)

Those noisy jets that occasionally stray off their flight path and go over my home

Attempting to exit my community between 4-7

No interesting nightlife

Evil terrain

I'll stop myself here

[catlike]

Midtown

Like:

Walkability/Close to Marta

Convenient to shopping, grocery, etc.

Piedmont Park

High museum and other attractions

Baton Bob!

Dislike:

More crime in areas east of Piedmont; Large trees and lot of foliage make it very dark back there.

Original-style pavers on the streets are attractive, but man, are they ankle-breakers!

[Andrea]

Buckhead:

Likes:

Convenient to most parts of town

Good MARTA access

Great delis, grocery stores, and other shopping

Weird Old Atlanta funkiness and diverse people

Great restaurants and bars

Good schools

Lots of family life, Little League, etc.

Personal Safety

Generally a high quality of intown life

Some good infill being done

The Buc

Close to the river

Semi-walkable

Dislikes:

Semi-walkable

Some bad infill being done

Crimes against property (theft)

GA 400

Lenox/Phipps

Non-buried utility lines

Trees that are always falling on utility lines

Don't get fair shake on property taxes or impact fees

Rundown areas that don't get attention

Some roads and intersections that don't get attention

[Mr.Marc]

What is it that you disklike about Lenox/Phipps, Andrea?

[Andrea]

What is it that you disklike about Lenox/Phipps, Andrea?

They are malls, Hammett. Admittedly, they have all kinds of great shops and restaurants, but I'm just not into malls. I do love the movie theater at Phipps, and I also like the sushi at Twist, especially since I can walk there.

[teshadoh]

North Grant Park / Cabbagetown

Likes:

Diverse & eccentric collection of people - old time mill workers & families, Latinos, artists, hipsters

Walkable - small city blocks & narrow streets

Architecture - quaint Victorian era bungalows & shotgun houses

Carroll St - a happening little stretch for drinks & food

Friends - a rarity for my wife & I, but we have some good ones within blocks of us

Future outlook - Memorial Dr will be lined with lofts, condos & restarants

Dislikes:

Present Memorial & Boulevard - busy streets treated like highways by most people & the DOT

Crime - plenty of drug sales & property damage

Poverty - still a lot of desperately poor people

[Newnan]

Newnan

Likes: Beautiful town square and historic district

growth (more things to do now)

people are friendly for the most part

good schools

Dislikes: too conservative at times for my liking

growth

very segregated (but getting better)

[Scraper Enthusiast]

My new home within one month, Acworth, so I'll list it.

Likes:

Conservative area

Majority white

Lots of stores (Town Center at Cobb)

Good Schools

Brighter future than Gwinnett

Quick trip out of town on I-75

Nice, clean downtown with nice shops.

Dislikes:

Older commercial areas immediately adjacent to downtown.

[kayman]

My new home within one month, Acworth, so I'll list it.

Likes:

Conservative area

Majority white

Lots of stores (Town Center at Cobb)

Good Schools

Brighter future than Gwinnett

Quick trip out of town on I-75

Nice, clean downtown with nice shops.

Dislikes:

Older commercial areas immediately adjacent to downtown.

I'm going to have go off record that statement "Majority white" don't even sound right, but OK whatever floats your boat. I think the goal of the South nowadays is diversity not segregation of races and ethnicities.

[teshadoh]

I admit I wasn't even sure how to approach that leonard...

[krazeeboi]

I wanna play!!!

I don't live in Atlanta, but I often visit a friend of mine who lives in Gwinnett (off Buford Hwy, near the Gwinnett/DeKalb border), so I'll pretend like I live there.

Likes:

Ethnic diversity

Some diverse cuisine

The Global Forum mixed-use development (it will still exist in a sea of sprawl with little to no connectivity with its surroundings, but hey, it is what it is)

Dislikes:

See any thread that discusses Gwinnett

[Hybrid0NE]

I admit I wasn't even sure how to approach that leonard...

I'll second that.

[alexr15]

I admit I wasn't even sure how to approach that leonard...

One need only look at his first "like" to...nope, I'm stopping there.

[LizellaJacket]

Ok I have to jump in on this one. Why do black people like moving to ATL? There are tons of black stars and the town is majority black. It's ok for blacks to do that or even Mexicans, but if a white person moves to an area because its majority white, they are just racist and are afraid of black people or something like that. Typical responses from everyone though.

Just one more thing: In a lot of cases perception is reality. I would think that areas that trend white have less crime, have better schools, etc... I realize that there are exceptions, but in most cases its true. I work with a black guy who moved to Sugar Hill in Gwinnett County because IT IS MAJORITY WHITE. The reason he gave, its less likely to have violent crime, better schools, and a cleaner area. Does that make him racist or does that make him capable of rational thought?

[Andrea]

Ok I have to jump in on this one. Why do black people like moving to ATL? There are tons of black stars and the town is majority black. It's ok for blacks to do that or even Mexicans, but if a white person moves to an area because its majority white, they are just racist and are afraid of black people or something like that. Typical responses from everyone though.

Well, there are some historical differences which some people believe are significant. White people weren't held in slavery in this country and stigmatized as inferior. They weren't denied the right to vote, sit on juries, they weren't terrorized, beaten, whipped and lynched, they weren't denied employment, or the right to attend schools, to walk into a hotel or restaurant, to swim in pools or play in parks limited to their own race. They weren't denied the right to sit where they wanted to on the bus or train. They weren't subjected to "separate but equal" laws, or racial zoning and redlining practices which confined them to certain neighborhoods. Black people haven't hysterically fled in mass to the suburbs by the millions whenever white families moved into the neighborhood.

So based on that kind of thing, some people draw the implication that white flight does have something to do with racism or fear of black people or something like that.

[krazeeboi]

And to add onto what Andrea said, Atlanta was one of the most (if not THE most) progressive and tolerant cities in the South for Blacks, particularly during the 60's and 70's (though racism, discrimination, and prejudice certainly did exist); in this way, Atlanta became known as the "land of promise" for Black folks, and is still known as that to this day. It represents the quintessential success story for Blacks in the South, and even in America. So it's not that Black people like moving to Atlanta solely because its "majority Black," but because it's known as a place that's home to upwardly mobile Black folks, moreso than just about any other city. And that's important to us, given this nation's attitude and actions towards us in the past, as Andrea pointed out.

[Lady Celeste]

Hummmmmmm, I see we are going down this route again.

Let me make a few statements.

One, I don't think racial makeup of a community makes a location less prone to crime. I think the economic makeup of the area can play a greater role. Where you tend to have a higher level of middle to super wealthy, you tend to have lower violent crime. Note I said violent crime because that does not mean that all crime is vanished. It's all in ones preception.

Another myth that needs to be dispelled on this board is that as LizellaJacket said...

Why do black people like moving to ATL? There are tons of black stars and the town is majority black. It's ok for blacks to do that or even Mexicans, but if a white person moves to an area because its majority white, they are just racist and are afraid of black people or something like that. Typical responses from everyone though.

If you think about it, there are alot of blacks migrating back south and the Atlanta metro area is attracting a high number of those in this migration. They are however moving all over the metro and metro Atlanta is NOT majority black. The majority of the blacks are NOT moving into the city limits of Atlanta. Stop spreading untruths.

Having said all that, we all have preferences in living where we live. If someone says theya re moving to an all white area to get away from other races then there could be some issues they are having in dealing with other races. We all have our hangups...some different than others. Where your hangup becomes an issue is when it's used to belittle others...be it a culture, race or any other issue.

If I came here and said, "I would never live in an area with an average income less than $250,000 and an average home price of $925,000." I can perceive this area to be a better investment if I build a $4,000,000 dollar home. I have that right to NOT want to live in a place like Acworth or SugarHill because neither of those places would fit my critera. I feel that the problem would arise when one says, "I think that this area would be better for me because I don't like living around poor people (read as anyone making under $200,000)." That is when it becomes an issue because you are painting a group of people with one brush.

Let us not jump to conclusions about Skyscraper Enthusiast's words. I think we should wait for his clarification than to turn this thread into something it was not envisioned to be. In his mind maybe color does equate to safety. Someone living in majority white Forsyth County would be able to tell you that low crime is based on socio-economic factors. Pull the crime statistics for the county. The south end of the county (which has the higher concentrations of blacks) has the lowest level of violent crime in the metro area.

Anywho.......I'm starting to babble so I will end my rant here.

BTW, before I go....when I first read this thread why was I under the idea that this thread was limited to the city of Atlanta? I guess subconciously everyone does consider the entire metro as "Atlanta."

[Andrea]

Where you tend to have a higher level of middle to super wealthy, you tend to have lower violent crime. Note I said violent crime because that does not mean that all crime is vanished.

Yes, although you can still get murders and assaults even in well to do areas. I would imagine things like drug-related offenses and domestic violence are about the same regardless of income levels, and that crimes against property might even be higher in wealthy areas.

[Andrea]

If I came here and said, "I would never live in an area with an average income less than $250,000 and an average home price of $925,000." I can perceive this area to be a better investment if I build a $4,000,000 dollar home. I have that right to NOT want to live in a place like Acworth or SugarHill because neither of those places would fit my critera. I feel that the problem would arise when one says, "I think that this area would be better for me because I don't like living around poor people (read as anyone making under $200,000)." That is when it becomes an issue because you are painting a group of people with one brush.

Holy kamoley, Celeste! I didn't even know there were neighborhoods in Atlanta where people would regard anything under $200,000 as poor.

[Lady Celeste]

Yes, although you can still get murders and assaults even in well to do areas. I would imagine things like drug-related offenses and domestic violence are about the same regardless of income levels, and that crimes against property might even be higher in wealthy areas.

Exactly......but as long as it doesn't make the news, then people's idea of safety in an area is cemented. When I attended school in Dunwoody, we had a public saftey officer come speak to my class. He asked us to go to a map of metro Atlanta and point to places we felt were high crime areas. Many of us had never even ventured to those parts of town. Based on what we say on the news, we choose certain areas. We figured crime doesn't happen in our gated communities. Low and behold while violent crime was not high, there were alot of other crimes that were. Our idea of our own private Utopia had been forever changed.

The whole idea of the visit was to get us out of living our lives in a bubble. Crime can and does happen anywhere. If the crimes that don't make the nightly sensation....errrr....news that can affect the average person.

[Lady Celeste]

Holy kamoley, Celeste! I didn't even know there were neighborhoods in Atlanta where people would regard anything under $200,000 as poor.

It was just an example but I wnet to school with kids who thought that certain income levels were beneath them. I had an associate....I won't mention her name on here but I normally do when I talk about her....she lived in Rivergate. Her house was soooooooo pretty. It was like this Italian Villa. Well when I told her her house was soooooooo pretty she said "yeah, but it's only $1.8 million." She was bummed out because other houses in Rivergate may have fetched more. This was back in the late 80's so adjust the price of the house to today's numbers and see how ridiculous she sounded.

People sometimes live in their won world sheltered from others. Some may think it's a good thing but others may think it's bad. Many of the children I grew up with minds were warped. Some of us were in for a rude awakening once we left the nest.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Well, there are some historical differences which some people believe are significant. White people weren't held in slavery in this country and stigmatized as inferior. They weren't denied the right to vote, sit on juries, they weren't terrorized, beaten, whipped and lynched, they weren't denied employment, or the right to attend schools, to walk into a hotel or restaurant, to swim in pools or play in parks limited to their own race. They weren't denied the right to sit where they wanted to on the bus or train. They weren't subjected to "separate but equal" laws, or racial zoning and redlining practices which confined them to certain neighborhoods. Black people haven't hysterically fled in mass to the suburbs by the millions whenever white families moved into the neighborhood.

So based on that kind of thing, some people draw the implication that white flight does have something to do with racism or fear of black people or something like that.

Andrea, while some people may do such out of racism, most do so out of the desire of living amongst people who look, think, and act like them. Blacks do this. "Hispanics" do this. Whites do this. It is basic human instinct, and for you to bring into the argument issues of Jim Crowe is trying to steer the argument into a wrong direction.

Let's take different communities in metro Atlanta.

I can name at least a dozen suburbs in which blacks have flocked in great numbers since 1990. Shall I mention 1) Stone Mountain, 2) Clarkston, 3) Lithonia, 4) Riverdale, 5) Forest Park, 6) Jonesboro, 7) Morrow, 8) Mableton, 9) Austell, 10) Lithia Springs, 11) Union City, 12) Smyrna, and many, many others. The underlying factor, despite issues of affordable housing, is the fact that blacks from all over the country are moving to metro Atlanta in droves because there is a large black population here, it is relatively wealthy compared to other blacks in other metropolitan areas, and there is more influence here for black Americans. They want to be around other blacks, and to live in an area or large part of town with their people. You can try to deny it, but it is an ingrained human instinct that every human being has, regardless of race.

We can look into the enclaves where "Hispanics" are settling, many of them unfortunately illegal. Have you not notice how they've clustered into areas in 1) Sandy Springs, 2) Chamblee, 3) Doraville, 4) Norcross, 5) Forest Park, 6) Marietta, 7) Gainesville, etc. They're moving into locations where they have access to their people. That is, where they feel connected. Much of it has to do with cultural elements, as most are newcomers, but much of it relates to the fact that they want to be living in close proximity to their people.

Let's look into residential trends for Asians. While it is true that Asians are more widely dispersed, they, just like every other group, have an instinctual desire to be amongst their own. Hence, they're settling in heavy numbers in Gwinnett County in the Duluth and Norcross areas.

Now, as I have said, since all people have these basic instinctual desires, regardless if they choose to suppress them. Whites, regardless if we are the majority group, have the same basic desire. Bringing up arguments of wrongful Jim Crowe laws, something that I never experienced, as I was born in the seventies, do nothing but denigrate white people for desiring the same thing as everyone else.

Given that demographic trends reveal that the white percentage is falling in America, especially in the Atlanta area (city limits excluded), whites have the right to associate and live amongst their own. If that means that a white person wants to live in communities that are overwhelmingly white, then that is his/her choice, and it should not be scorned, just as you would not scorn blacks, Asians, or Hispanics for choosing to live amongst their own. This basic desire is why whites are flocking to places like Acworth, Kennesaw, Hiram, Woodstock, Holly Springs, Forsyth County, Sharpsburg, Temple, etc.

[krazeeboi]

So Scraper Enthusiast, allow me to ask you this. Let's say for the sake of argument that you are a middle-class, college-educated small business owner making in the vicinity of 75K annually. Do you feel you would have more in common with a person that is the same race as you, a college dropout, and a factory worker making 30K annually or someone that's a different race than you, also a small business owner, college-educated, and in the same income bracket? It appears to me that your sole (or primary) qualifier for someone "like me" is race.

And the mention of Jim Crow laws was not an attempt to "denigrate White folks." Andrea's post never implied such, but she is well capable of speaking for herself on this matter; I know mine never did if you read what I said in context.