Atlanta Community Discussion Thread

[Dragonheart8588]

Originally Posted by Rail Claimore

It would be awesome if 24% of the growth was Asian. Nevertheless, the growth of that group in metro Atlanta has been phenomenal over the past 20 years.

But the fact that all four major racial/ethnic groups have growth numbers like that is a testament to Atlanta's ability to attract people from all walks of life. I'd venture to guess only Houston and maybe Dallas are in the same league.

My family and I kinda like the fact that there are not that many Asians here like SoCal or Houston.

[Dragonheart8588]

Originally Posted by AtlMidtowner

New arrivals to Atlanta:
Definitely in segregated areas!
African Americans......Clayton, DeKalb and South Fulton
Asians......Gwinnett, Gwinnett Gwinnet and a tiny part of DeKalb (up Buford Hwy, then right turn on Pleasant Hill up to Gwinnett Mall)
Latinos......heavily concentrated pockets in each county in areas with lots of apt complexes next to each other and retail in walking distance

Whites.......whereever the above three arent over 30%

The better off Asians live on the northside of the perimeter. The not so well to do live on the southside like in Forest Park.

We identify ourselves with each other as either northside Asians or southside Asians.

[(four 0 four)]

AIA's Atlanta chapter is hosting an open house on Saturday, June 21st from 2-5pm at Tribute Lofts. The building is located at the corner of Boulevard and Freedom Parkway. The auction to sell the remaining units is Sunday.
Sales website:
http://www.tributelofts.com/
Rendering from community website:

[dante2308]

Originally Posted by AtlMidtowner

New arrivals to Atlanta:
Definitely in segregated areas!
African Americans......Clayton, DeKalb and South Fulton
Asians......Gwinnett, Gwinnett Gwinnet and a tiny part of DeKalb (up Buford Hwy, then right turn on Pleasant Hill up to Gwinnett Mall)
Latinos......heavily concentrated pockets in each county in areas with lots of apt complexes next to each other and retail in walking distance

Whites.......whereever the above three arent over 30%

Gwinnet's growth was driven by African Americans. I think this mis characterizes the growth after 2000 and applies a very old thinking to the segregation of the city. Oh well I guess it doesn't matter.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by dante2308

Why do you think that is? I thought Atlanta had a pretty broad appeal. It is affluent and well educated. One would assume that the people moving in would represent the national average.

It's an interesting question, Dante. I''m certainly no expert but I've heard it said that metro Atlanta is a huge magnet for African Americans. There really is a remarkable difference here. We added over 3 1/2 times the national average for African Americans. We also added 2 1/2 times the national average for Asians, and twice the national average for Hispanics. By contrast, it looks like we are not such a popular destination for whites, as they amounted to less than 1/3 of the average.

The demographics of the 900,000 folks we added between 2000-2006 compared to the nation in general look like this:

[Fiorenza]

The Atlanta area is getting darker. Quite a few whites have moved out of the area entirely. This will have political and economic ramifications, not just for Atlanta but for the South overall.

Old definition of an integrated neighborhood: The period of time between when the first black moves in and the last white moves out.

[Rail Claimore]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

My family and I kinda like the fact that there are not that many Asians here like SoCal or Houston.

Same... it makes me more unique. But then again, being Eurasian, I'm already pretty unique I guess...

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

The better off Asians live on the northside of the perimeter. The not so well to do live on the southside like in Forest Park.

We identify ourselves with each other as either northside Asians or southside Asians.

Just like in Asia: Northeast Asians and Southeast Asians.

[L41A]

Originally Posted by dante2308

Gwinnet's growth was driven by African Americans. I think this mis characterizes the growth after 2000 and applies a very old thinking to the segregation of the city. Oh well I guess it doesn't matter.

I agree with your assessment, Dante. Not only Gwinnett but also Cobb and even Douglas counties have seen their precentages of African-Americans increased as the overall population numbers of those counties have increased also.

[Andrea]

Buckhead looks at cityhood

By ERIC STIRGUS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/21/08

Welcome to the city of Buckhead.

That's the greeting some envision for the affluent north Atlanta community.

The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation has mailed a glossy four-page newsletter to about 50,000 households in the area, pushing to secede from Atlanta and make Buckhead its own city.

Supporters point to the city government's budget problems and school property tax rates and say the proposed city of Buckhead would better manage their tax dollars. Opponents fear the move would financially devastate Atlanta, which is currently struggling with a staggering budget shortfall.

"We're Atlanta's version of the Boston Tea Party," said Glenn Delk, a Buckhead resident and attorney who wrote much of the newsletter. "It's the only way [city leaders] will listen to us."

Several Buckhead leaders quickly denounced the idea Friday, saying it would drastically hurt the ability of Atlanta's government and schools to operate.

The foundation did not have specific boundaries for the proposed city. Buckhead is generally described as the area east and west of Peachtree Street, between Midtown and Brookhaven.

Buckhead represents about 45 percent of Atlanta's property and sales tax base, community leaders say. Buckhead properties in Atlanta were assessed this year at about $72.4 billion, according to Fulton County officials.

Buckhead is considered home to many of Atlanta's largest office buildings, some of its most expensive homes and two of the region's haute shopping malls: Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza.

"It will bankrupt Atlanta," said Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition, a business and community group, and a former Atlanta mayor.

Massell and others say talk of creating a city of Buckhead is not a new idea — it is usually discussed around the water cooler but never as an organized effort.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but the financial mismanagement of the city left us no choice," said John Sherman, the foundation's president.

Atlanta government has a $60 million budget deficit in its current fiscal cycle and is grappling with a projected shortfall of about $140 million for the fiscal year starting July 1.

City officials blame the problems on the sluggish economy and higher pension, health care and fuel costs. They also admit some budgeting errors and poor long-standing practices contributed to the problems.

Scotty Greene, executive director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, a group that taxes itself to fund roads and other projects in the area, agrees there is widespread frustration about Atlanta's finances. However, Greene argues the best approach is to work with city government, not leave it.

"Why would anybody want to rend the fabric of a great international city?" said Greene, whose membership includes about 300 commercial property owners.

Buckhead cityhood supporters are basing their campaign off the successful efforts in recent years of north Fulton County communities such as Johns Creek, Milton and Sandy Springs to create their own cities.

DeKalb County voters will decide the fate of a proposal to incorporate the north DeKalb community of Dunwoody as a separate city in a July 15 referendum.

Supporters say cityhood would allow Buckhead homeowners to pay about 60 percent less a year in property taxes. They base the estimate on the average property tax rate of the new Fulton County cities, all lower than Atlanta's.

They also contend that homeowners would no longer pay property taxes to support the city's school system.

The supporters envision a city of about 85,000 residents, with children educated in private schools or new charter schools. The city government could be run by a company, they say. Milton and Johns Creek are managed by the consulting firm, CH2M Hill.

Creating a city called Buckhead won't be easy. First, the Georgia Legislature must approve Buckhead deannexing from Atlanta. Then, state lawmakers must approve the new city. A majority of Atlanta voters would likely be asked in a referendum to approve Buckhead cityhood. Critics suggest such a vote could be a racially divisive battle since most of Buckhead's population is white and about 56 percent of Atlanta's residents are African-American.

"I'm going to listen to [the foundation]," said state Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta), who lives in Buckhead. "But I am going to talk to them about the practical difficulties of getting this passed."

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin was unavailable for comment Friday. Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall was surprised by the suggestion that Buckhead could leave the Atlanta system, noting school officials are having to create more classroom space to meet the rising enrollment in the area. Buckhead schools, she said in a statement, are some of the best in Georgia.

Howard Shook, an Atlanta councilman who represents Buckhead, called the challenges to creating a municipality "insurmountable."

Sherman said he is trying to gather 5,000 signatures to a petition supporting the plan.

The foundation will also raise money for attorney fees, consultants and a feasibility study.

There is one other problem. About 60 miles east of Atlanta, in Morgan County, is the town of Buckhead, population 222.

"You wouldn't have that cache," said Massell, saying Atlanta's Buckhead must change its name if it became a city.

"I'd hate to see that," said Sherman, unaware of the other Buckhead's existence.

[PremierAtlanta]

There is already a city (town) of Buckhead. It's already legally incorporated. Did these people even think before they decided to send this petition out? How about organizing a grass roots effort to boot the old elected officials out of office? It boggles my mind that people's first course of action is to take their building blocks and go home. I think it's a horrible idea at such an amazing time in the city. I agree with changing the way the city has been run but I refuse to destroy Atlanta in the process.

It's an absolutely wretched idea. I would not support this.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by PremierAtlanta

It boggles my mind that people's first course of action is to take their building blocks and go home.

The people pushing this would say it’s more like the last resort than the first course of action. These issues have been brewing for decades.

In any event, I don't believe such a proposal would be supported by most Atlantans. It would absolutely gut the city, and they don't want to do that.

What they do want is more accountability and responsiveness from the city. I don't think Buckheadians mind carrying a disproportionate share of the load, but they should get some bang for their buck. There's no reason to keep treating Buckhead unfairly, especially since it's the city's financial and cultural breadbasket.

[Fiorenza]

Here's my suggestion: Forget Buckhead as a separate city, but Atlanta needs to reduce about 4,000 city workers and put that savings into street maintenance. The street surfaces in Atlanta are absolutely horrible.

[Fiorenza]

On a related note: Does anyone have a comment of how East Point should deal with their financial situation? They have a shrinking tax base and are discussing closing 3 of 5 fire stations, which would impact fire insurance rates I'd imagine. Would Atlanta go for incorporating East Point into Atlanta, just as a way to keep the area between Atlanta and the airport viable?

[Curious Atlantan]

The way I see it, Buckhead seceding from Atlanta is the ultimate form of NIMBYism in the sense of white people running away from the problem, and ultimately their responsibility to the city and country. It fundamentally disgusts me.

[Chris Creech]

[QUOTE=Andrea;3627370]There's no reason to keep treating Buckhead like the red-headed stepchild, especially since it's the city's financial and cultural breadbasket.[/QUOTE

Grrrrr - who ever came up with this saying? as a redheaded stepchild I take exception.

[Andrea]

I'm truly sorry, Chris. I guess it became vernacular for kids who were not treated as well as their siblings, but it was certainly a foolish and insensitive choice of words on my part. I won't say that again, here or elsewhere.

[dante2308]

Originally Posted by Fiorenza

The Atlanta area is getting darker. Quite a few whites have moved out of the area entirely. This will have political and economic ramifications, not just for Atlanta but for the South overall.

Old definition of an integrated neighborhood: The period of time between when the first black moves in and the last white moves out.

Maybe you should follow whoever it is you are talking about...

[hokiehigh]

Here is one of the best demographic studies I have seen for Atlanta. It's interesting to see it has decent gains in every category while most of the other large US cities have large losses. I wish there was a 2000-2008 study but this will suffice for now. I guess we have to wait until after the 2010 count.

Young and Restless Study for Atlanta

I think that is a little nuts that people would leave Atlanta b/c it is getting "darker". I mean people aren't fleeing Dallas, Houston, Austin, Phoenix, etc... b/c it is becoming more hispanic. If people aren't bothering you and stuff then who cares what they look like. I really don't get why race is still a big issue in Atlanta when it isn't in other cities I lived in (Chicago, Charlotte, DC, VA Beach). It has to get tiring after a while.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by Curious Atlantan

The way I see it, Buckhead seceding from Atlanta is the ultimate form of NIMBYism in the sense of white people running away from the problem, and ultimately their responsibility to the city and country. It fundamentally disgusts me.

How do you figure that? People in Buckhead stayed put when the city splintered along racial lines during the decades of "white flight." It's still predominantly white but is actually one of the more successfully integrated parts of Atlanta.

Help me out with the NIMBYism argument, too. In a city of 500,000, Buckhead's got a population of around 100,000. Yet it pays 45% of the property taxes and a huge share of sales taxes and impact fees. That's been going on for decades. Most of the people I know in Buckhead are okay with paying a disproportionate share of the money, but they want some fairness and responsiveness from city government.

In addition, people in Buckhead have been incredibly generous citizens and have created many of our most prized amenities, such as the High Museum, the Symphony, the Aquarium, the pro sports teams, etc. They sit on the boards of CAP, the Midtown Alliance, the Buckhead Coalition, and our major charitable foundations. They've been the major benefactors to hospitals like Emory, the Shepherd Center, Crawford Long, Piedmont and Grady. They support the local universities and have produced excellent mayors like Ivan Allen and Sam Massell. How do you conclude they are NIMBY's for demanding a more responsive and balanced government?

[Fiorenza]

Dante,

It may go against your bias to know that not only whites are moving away from the area. Educated, cultured blacks are also moving away and being replaced by less-desirable types. This was first noticed post-Katrina and is a continuing effect. I haven't seen any numbers that support my assertion, but I know of individual cases. These educated black came here looking for opportunity, and end up moving elsewhere...