Don’t Cry for Me, Atlanta
After 4.5 years of almost melting in the summer heat, slipping on the winter ice, and dying of boredom at another indie rock/emo show, I am departing from the splendid city of Atlanta. I’m headed for even rainier weather – but I think the other cool stuff I find will make up for it.
I hope that during the occasions on which I return to Atlanta I’ll see improvements being made to the city – and I mean to the older structures and neighborhoods that have seen so much change. I hope that the direction will change from building false cities (like Atlantic Station and the one in Edgewood with the Target, Lowes, and a million other retail businesses) to renovating the one that has existed all this time.
I hope that the music scene is revived and more music clubs open so bands don’t have to compete to get into the same five venues. I hope Dad’s Garage stays around and that more gallery spots like Eyedrum open up. I hope a new Mayor comes along and cuts all the crap that makes it impossible to have a small business or night club. Overall all, I hope that “It’s Always an Opening Day in Atlanta” will one day apply to everyone – not just the privileged.
What kind of mayor would you prefer? Campbell perhaps? I can’t imagine that many people really want to be mayor of large cities with massive debt, pollution, failing school, slowing economies (when she entered office), and I’m sure low resident opinion & morale of the office at all. Ask a small buisness owner in any large city if its a peach to work with their government – I bet you’d get countless horror stories.
Let’s not fail to mention that the city of Atlanta straddles two major counties and so residents of Atlanta get hit with both city and county taxes. It’s a lot harder running the machines of government than it is to b*tch about them.
You wouldn’t know a real city if it fell on you. Don’t come back.
Umm.. Atlanta is not a real city.
Its a big strip mall with some tall buildings that you have to drive 30 mins between.
Real cities have workable public transit.
er, where ya going?
and margaret, shirley franklin is an excellent mayor in terms of fiscal management and ethics.
but geez between franklin and the city council, the shred of vibrancy and flavor that the city has (had?) is being choked to death.
>>What kind of mayor would you prefer? Campbell perhaps?
Aradia’s comment was very specific. What kind of brain equates “Doesn’t like city’s regulatory attitude to small businesses” to “She must like Bill Campbell.”?
Mayor Franklin taken what Campbell left her and done an unimaginably good job — that’s hard to dispute. But her administration is not perfect.
A complaint that I’ve heard repeatedly from several small business owners, be they coffee shop proprietors or people trying to remodel dilapidated houses, is that the city bureaucracy is a pain in the behind.
Anyone who owns a bar or restaurant will tell you that Atlanta is pretty actively antagonistic towards smaller businesses. If that doesn’t change Atlanta will eventually be just be a big-ass mall.
But with that exception, the city is moving in the right direction in a lot of ways. And some of the problem (like the idiot smoking regulations) are state laws – welcome to the bible belt.
“And some of the problem (like the idiot smoking regulations) are state laws”
Not to mention the idiotic state laws concerning alcohol sales!
well i don’t know, i think it is all in the eye of the beholder. if you were to limit your exposure to north of the buckhead villiage, atlantic station, parts of midtown and the burbs, i could see how you would come away with that attitude.
but a day spent wandering wround little 5, the east atlanta villiage, reynoldstown, cabbagetown etc. would certainly present a different view.
and i know a lot of you don’t like those places (i.e. atlantic station, edgewood retail) but there is a place for them because there is a demand for them. know reason the two can’t coexist.
and honestly i think they do pretty well here.
I agree, I think Mayor Franklin has done wonders with Atlanta. I was simply trying to be tactful in shouting my joy to the rooftops (and considering I’m in Athens, hilltops) that the author of the post was leaving. No more thinly veiled sales pitches as posts – sweetness indeed. My view – as I happen to go through L5P, E. Atlanta, and Atlanta station enough. I think that while not always the prettist of places they are doing well and are indictive of a city at work with people who are willing to live and put up with a great deal to call themselves true Atlanteans. For those of you who happen to live in Fulton, brave souls.
I proudly proclaim my city of birth and look forward to watching it evolve in the decades to come. So those of you who don’t like it can go OTP yourselves and truely live in a giant strip mall.
DAYDREAM BELIEVER,
Seattle’s public transit sucks. They have a monorail that travels a few blocks. Do you not consider that a “real city?” Miami’s Metrorail has one line. I lived in Los Angeles for 2 years and traveled by train exactly zero times. By your definition there are probably only 2 or 3 “real cities” in the country.