Opinions on Atlanta?

[lisztomania7]

I've grown up in Gwinnett, and am currently spending more time downtown than I have in the past. I will probably live the majority of my life in the metro-Atlanta 'area'. From my experience, there are really nice areas and places/things to see, and there are just as much ****ty areas to avoid like the plague. I do my best to spend my time in those areas (or not) accordingly. There are pros and cons to living in/near just about any city (as compared to a rural area), and being near or far from Atlanta is no different.

Also, I plan to move out of Gwinnett soon and never move back, if that says anything.

 

[Kyzrsoze]

I've worked in Atlanta since the mid 90s. I still have an office in midtown that I visit every three weeks or so, but my work takes me to just about every part of Georgia during the work week. Atlanta has become a much nicer place in the last 20 years, experiencing a resurgence in residential and retail development, and I've seen a significant increase in the number of my colleagues that choose to live within walking/bus distance from our midtown office. My wife and I visit for the restaurants and such, but I prefer the quieter pace of living in the country. The compromises of city living don't work for me.

 

[Shemp]

I work downtown. I've seen everything from two people having sex behind a dumpster in an alleyway to an urban outdoorsmen walking in to a coffee shop and smoking crack laying on the floor at 1 PM.
There are some not terrible aspects of Atlanta, but you have to wade through a lot of awful parts to get there.

 

[reklawd]

I've grown up in Gwinnett, and am currently spending more time downtown than I have in the past. I will probably live the majority of my life in the metro-Atlanta 'area'. From my experience, there are really nice areas and places/things to see, and there are just as much ****ty areas to avoid like the plague. I do my best to spend my time in those areas (or not) accordingly. There are pros and cons to living in/near just about any city (as compared to a rural area), and being near or far from Atlanta is no different.

Also, I plan to move out of Gwinnett soon and never move back, if that says anything.

I also grew up in Gwinnett, Suwannee, back when it was farm land.

It is weird what the metro area is doing. It is going to turn into the rich, wealthy in the city and ITP, followed by a ring of poor middle class and ghettos in the suburbs built out in 60's - 90's during the white flight (where you and I grew up), surrounded by another ring affluent McMansions of families that moved even further out.

I know it is the "liberal" Atlantic, but this specifically calls out what I described above: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/suburbs-and-the-new-american-poverty/384259/

 

[STI]

We're all in trouble, if ATLANTA is awesome and it represents the best public safety the South has to offer.

 

[Granite3]

One thing that is ticking me off as Chuckles noted-

All these 700 room apartments/condos going up in areas that had 10-12 houses or an industrial area.

Dump 700 extra cars per side of the street on these 2 lane "residential" areas, and it is gridlock 14 hours a day.

 

[inkandammo]

I'd giggle my ass off if Sherman were to come back and burn it to the ground again.
Just one mans opinion.

 

[Cadcom]

The best thing about Atlanta is it does seem to house the majority of the States left leaning, gentrifying transplants with their elitist world views and social justice addictions which keeps the majority of them out of my area and school systems and local Govmnt. (not all of them, unfortunately)

 

[Cadcom]

I'd giggle my ass off if Sherman were to come back and burn it to the ground again.
Just one mans opinion.

I'd help him light the torches!

 

[reklawd]

One thing that is ticking me off as Chuckles noted-

All these 700 room apartments/condos going up in areas that had 10-12 houses or an industrial area.

Dump 700 extra cars per side of the street on these 2 lane "residential" areas, and it is gridlock 14 hours a day.

At least were I live, most of those are going up near MARTA stations. Also, Uber | Lyft are changing the game, especially when they become autonomous. In the short term, it will be a nightmare though.

I work from home and only drive during non-rush hour, so I get to avoid a lot of traffic.