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Is Atlanta the most Important City in the South


thumper

Is Atlanta the most important City in the South. i.e. The Capital of the South?  

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  1. 1. Is Atlanta the most important City in the South. i.e. The Capital of the South?

    • No
      127
    • Yes
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To believe that Atlanta is the "most important city in the south" is a typical Atlanta-centric point of view... you'll find that outside the 20-some-odd metro counties, a lot of people have a different view.

The world is a big place and there are millions of people in the southeast alone, you can't expect half or even a quarter of them to look towards Atlanta as their "most important city". Hell, I'd wager that a vast majority of them have never been to Atlanta nor do they know what it looks like. I'm certain Atlanta seems very important to the residents of Georgia and perhaps the counties in AL and SC which border GA.

I don't think there is a single most important city in the south. I believe there are important cities per sub-region, but that's it. Benjamin brought up the parallel with New York City, but that isn't a very good argument--you're talking about the largest city in the country, a city that could be called the defacto capitol of the US and the western world in general. No city in the south is on such a level, or even close IMO. The US enjoys three such cities--NYC, Chicago, and LA.

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I don't have anything against Minneapolis.  I am glad I don't live there thats for sure.  And if I had to make the unfortunate decision of choosing betweent Minneapolis and Atlanta, I would most certainly go to Atlanta.  Weather is a big quality of life issue and lets face it, Minneapolis just doesnt win in that aspect.

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Yes. I know you hate winter and that's fine. I can't hold that against you.

Of course we could start a Minneapolis vs Atlanta thread to determine this for sure.

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Yeah right!! With all the Atlanta boosterism in these boards. Seriously, these people try to compare Atlanta to Chicago or think the city is the capital of the south. A Minneapolis vs. Atlanta thread would probably get ugly. Let's face it, to some, the only thing Atlanta has over Minneapolis are a couple towers and the weather and that's not saying much.

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To believe that Atlanta is the "most important city in the south" is a typical Atlanta-centric point of view... you'll find that outside the 20-some-odd metro counties, a lot of people have a different view.

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Where do people in Atlanta get the idea that their city is the "most important city in the south" or the "capital of the south?" Does the media have something to do with it? I have always wondered where that idea came from.

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Where do people in Atlanta get the idea that their city is the "most important city in the south" or the "capital of the south?"  Does the media have something to do with it?  I have always wondered where that idea came from.

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I think its the fact, that there are no sizable cities near it. Plus the fact that local media probably talks it up as well.

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Are we talking about the south or the midwest? Mpls is not in the South.

Why don't we concentrate on the South, and identifying how the city's influence other cities in the south?

Atlanta has 4 million people, and the nation's largest airport. That is all.

Houston... much, much more. Houston... is undoubtaedly the capitol of the South.

Question: How did Washington get brought up as well?

Question: Isn't it impolite, and flamable behavior to call an admin a cock?

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So I call them like I see them. All the history books say southern, a couple of forumers say northern. Upon my several visits and stays in the city, I've seen nothing to say that it isn't at least mixed culturally.

I think many deny its southern roots only do so because they don't associate a "cosmopolitan" city as being southern. To them Cosmopolitan or urbanism is a northern characteristic and sprawl is a southern characteristic. To them, southern means hicks, pick-up trucks, and confederate flags. That's why many also claim Miami can't be southern either.

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That's highly offensive to me because Houston and Tulsa are in the South, and they are probably the most old moneyish cities in America, in fact the only hillbillyish region of the south is in Arkansas, Mississippi (which most Mississippians can't spell) and Alabama. I think A&F has a shirt that says, "Mississippi Spelling Contest".

edit: I suppose DC is Southern, because I will go by fact books, not northern liberals statements.

Also, I suppose the only true characteristic of the South is that *some* of it is old fashioned. Calling it hillbillyish is completely uncalled for, and maybe after all there is a reason the south wanted to break away from the north. Idiots.

another edit: Hey! This was my 100th post!

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I suppose it depends on priorities. Let's assume I must stay in the southeast my entire life. Here would be my answers to the following questions:

Where would you move...

...to have the best opportunities at making money? Atlanta.

...to have the best domestic travel connections (i.e. non-stop flights)? Atlanta.

...to have the best international travel connections? Depends on the destination(s)-- if across the Atlantic or to Asia, Atlanta. If south, Miami.

...to live in the prettiest neighborhoods? Downtown Charleston.

...to have the best natural scenery? Asheville.

...to have the best shopping? Atlanta.

...to have the best food? New Orleans.

...to find the most educated workforce? Either Raleigh or Atlanta.

...for the best medical care? Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill or Atlanta.

...to enjoy the strongest cultural establishment? Atlanta.

...for the best entertainment options? Atlanta or New Orleans.

...for the most diverse population? Atlanta.

And so on. You get the drift. Atlanta doesn't answer every question, but it answers many of them (and I'm really not trying to slant things...). These are the things that I think define a 'capital' in a non-political, regional economic sense. They're also big factors in location decisions. People want to locate where people want to live.

Actually, I find airports to be an excellent indicator of a city's true economic weight. Look at Atlanta's airport. Busy, in constant competition with O'Hare for the World's Busiest title. Look at Charlotte's-- it's a hub, but for a smaller airline with a decidedly more East Coast concentration. Then look at Nashville's or Tampa's. And for God's sake, look at Tulsa's (one of the old-moniest cities in the country? Please...). True, New York is a bit of an exception, but its region has three major airports, all equally busy and all lacking any room for expansion.

In terms of urbanism and what are truly great Southern cities, Atlanta cannot compete with its predecessors in the South: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans. These cities have all lost their economic advantage and owe most of their present prosperity (which is arguable in New Orleans) to tourism. Yet businesses do not want to locate there: these cities are dying, or at best keeping their heads above water and generating ungainly New South development around their edges. Businesses want to locate in a place that is on the move, and impostors aside (hurumphCharlottecough), Atlanta has more momentum than any other Southern city.

By the same token, HP recently reneged on a deal for a $1B expansion of an Atlanta facility citing concerns that Atlanta was becoming 'unlivable.' The economics of firm location is fickle; if an area is victim to traffic congestion and the attendant air pollution causes it to lose federal funding for highway construction, problems only worsen in the absence of a clear vision for solution.

Again, I do not count Texas cities. Texas is its own beast. If it were to secede from the US, it could survive independently. If any other Southern state(s) were to, they would be considerably poorer.

And there should be no argument that Washington is NOT a southern city. Neither is Miami. I draw this distinction on a cultural basis. The demographic of DC and its suburbs is different from that of Richmond, 100 miles down the road. DC's business sphere of influence projects north, not south. Its transportation ties are overwhelmingly to northeastern cities. The IKEA in Woodbridge (at the Potomac Mills outlet mall on I-95) is the end of the Northeast. IKEA is another good indicator of places that are regionally important, even if it has left out a few spots in its location strategies over the years (Boston?).

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I think many deny its southern roots only do so because they don't associate a "cosmopolitan" city as being southern.  To them Cosmopolitan or urbanism is a northern characteristic and sprawl is a southern characteristic.  To them, southern means hicks, pick-up trucks, and confederate flags.

Well said, that's exactly right... Some people really do have that impression of the south. Hollywood and the media have certainly done their part to convey that image. But oh well...

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Yes.  I know you hate winter and that's fine.  I can't hold that against you. 

Yeah right!!  With all the Atlanta boosterism in these boards.  Seriously, these people try to compare Atlanta to Chicago or think the city is the capital of the south.  A Minneapolis vs. Atlanta thread would probably get ugly.  Let's face it, to some, the only thing Atlanta has over Minneapolis are a couple towers and the weather and that's not saying much.

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Does anyone notice that whenever someone says something monsoon doesn;t like, he starts dissing the city where they live?

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I suppose it depends on priorities.  Let's assume I must stay in the southeast my entire life.  Here would be my answers to the following questions:

Where would you move...

...to have the best opportunities at making money?  Atlanta.

...to have the best domestic travel connections (i.e. non-stop flights)?  Atlanta.

...to have the best international travel connections?  Depends on the destination(s)-- if across the Atlantic or to Asia, Atlanta.  If south, Miami.

...to live in the prettiest neighborhoods?  Downtown Charleston.

...to have the best natural scenery?  Asheville.

...to have the best shopping?  Atlanta.

...to have the best food?  New Orleans.

...to find the most educated workforce?  Either Raleigh or Atlanta.

...for the best medical care?  Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill or Atlanta.

...to enjoy the strongest cultural establishment?  Atlanta.

...for the best entertainment options?  Atlanta or New Orleans.

...for the most diverse population?  Atlanta.

And so on.  You get the drift.  Atlanta doesn't answer every question, but it answers many of them (and I'm really not trying to slant things...).  These are the things that I think define a 'capital' in a non-political, regional economic sense.  They're also big factors in location decisions.  People want to locate where people want to live.

Actually, I find airports to be an excellent indicator of a city's true economic weight.  Look at Atlanta's airport.  Busy, in constant competition with O'Hare for the World's Busiest title.  Look at Charlotte's-- it's a hub, but for a smaller airline with a decidedly more East Coast concentration.  Then look at Nashville's or Tampa's.  And for God's sake, look at Tulsa's (one of the old-moniest cities in the country?  Please...).  True, New York is a bit of an exception, but its region has three major airports, all equally busy and all lacking any room for expansion.

In terms of urbanism and what are truly great Southern cities, Atlanta cannot compete with its predecessors in the South: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans.  These cities have all lost their economic advantage and owe most of their present prosperity (which is arguable in New Orleans) to tourism.  Yet businesses do not want to locate there: these cities are dying, or at best keeping their heads above water and generating ungainly New South development around their edges.  Businesses want to locate in a place that is on the move, and impostors aside (hurumphCharlottecough), Atlanta has more momentum than any other Southern city.

By the same token, HP recently reneged on a deal for a $1B expansion of an Atlanta facility citing concerns that Atlanta was becoming 'unlivable.'  The economics of firm location is fickle; if an area is victim to traffic congestion and the attendant air pollution causes it to lose federal funding for highway construction, problems only worsen in the absence of a clear vision for solution.

Again, I do not count Texas cities.  Texas is its own beast.  If it were to secede from the US, it could survive independently.  If any other Southern state(s) were to, they would be considerably poorer.

And there should be no argument that Washington is NOT a southern city.  Neither is Miami.  I draw this distinction on a cultural basis.  The demographic of DC and its suburbs is different from that of Richmond, 100 miles down the road.  DC's business sphere of influence projects north, not south.  Its transportation ties are overwhelmingly to northeastern cities.  The IKEA in Woodbridge (at the Potomac Mills outlet mall on I-95) is the end of the Northeast.  IKEA is another good indicator of places that are regionally important, even if it has left out a few spots in its location strategies over the years (Boston?).

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wow you really dropped the bomb on that one. I think I might agree with almost everything you said

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My honest answers to these question. I've already told you i dont like atlanta so I really am being honest. This is with Florida, DC, and texas and I dont even consider them to be the south.

...to have the best opportunities at making money? Not sure

...to have the best domestic travel connections Atlanta

...to have the best international travel connections? Atlanta or Miami

...to live in the prettiest neighborhoods? Charleston

...to have the best natural scenery? Well All southern cities have nice natural scenery

...to have the best shopping? Miami, then Atlanta

...to have the best food? New Orleans

...to find the most educated workforce? Atlanta

...for the best medical care? Not sure

...to enjoy the strongest cultural establishment? Miami, New Orleans

...for the best entertainment options? Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta

...for the most diverse population? Atlanta

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