Does Atlanta's metro size balance it out as a premiere US city?

[jayden]

The city of Atlanta has a very modest city population of around 490k but is closing in on six million people in it's metro sitting comfortably in the Top10 of the largest metros in the country.

In comparison other areas with metro areas of it's size have city limits populations of one million or more.

Is it's relatively small city core population balanced out by the massive metro population and growth to make it a premiere US city?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by jayden

In comparison other areas with metro areas of it's size have city limits populations of one million or more.

not all of them.

by MSA:

#6 DC: 6.2M metro, 702K central city
#7 miami: 6.2M metro, 463K central city
#9 atlanta: 5.9 M metro, 486K central city
#10 boston: 4.8M metro, 685K central city

[jayden]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

not all of them.

by MSA:

DC: 6.2M metro, 702K central city
miami: 6.2M metro, 463K central city
atlanta: 5.9 M metro, 486K central city
boston: 4.8M metro, 685K central

I didn't say all. But this does show that the city doesn't stick out like I sore thumb like I thought.

[The North One]

Boston city limits are small, it's basically a little wedge.

[digitallagasse]

Official city boundaries and populations don't show the bigger picture. It is the metro area that is the functional city.

[skyscraperpage17]

Atlanta definitely punches above its weight, if that's what you're getting at.

[tdawg]

This sort of feels like an attempt at trolling (maybe not intentional) but this topic has been beaten to death here. Just look at Atlanta's skyline and the fact that it has had heavy rail subway for 40 years. It looks and feels every bit of its metro population.

[jayden]

Originally Posted by tdawg

This sort of feels like an attempt at trolling (maybe not intentional) but this topic has been beaten to death here. Just look at Atlanta's skyline and the fact that it has had heavy rail subway for 40 years. It looks and feels every bit of its metro population.

Not at all. I'm one of Atlanta's biggest proponents.

[MonkeyRonin]

Atlanta is obviously a premiere city, no one gives a shit that its municipality has under a million people.

[JManc]

To most, 'Atlanta' is a metro of 6 million people, not a city of 500k. Atlanta's status as a major urban area was never in doubt.

[cabasse]

was randomly discussing this with a lyft driver last week when i was visiting austin; i mentioned atlanta was something like 80% of dallas' population, and he immediately asked if i was talking about city or greater area. (and then asked if i was talking about just dallas or dfw)

[jtown,man]

Fact is, if Atlanta had 1.2 million, it would seem bigger to most people. Even people 'in the know' like us might subconsciously think its bigger. We all know Atlanta is bigger than San Antonio, but if it had a larger population it would seem more important.

Its not about facts, its about stupid human emotions.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Fact is, if Atlanta had 1.2 million, it would seem bigger to most people. Even people 'in the know' like us might subconsciously think its bigger. We all know Atlanta is bigger than San Antonio, but if it had a larger population it would seem more important.

Its not about facts, its about stupid human emotions.

It's not just Atlanta proper though, but the entire metro area.

While 6 millon people on its own isn't a massive number of people, another reason it feels huge to people is because of how far outward it sprawls. You can literally be 40 miles away from the city in any direction and still be in "Atlanta" (suburban sprawl).

Traveling from one part of the metro area to another can practically be a day trip. In some metro areas across the US, that same distance will put you in another city.

[Tuckerman]

While Atlanta metro continues to sprawl, those who live ITP (inside the perimeter I-285) consider that to be the “core” of Atlanta. In addition there are very urbanized areas just OTP (e.g. the perimeter area with many high rises and headquarter offices locater near the subway MARTA line; as well as the NW area near the perimeter with office headquarters, the Opera House and the Braves stadium: also the Airport is ITP). The northern suburbs like Alpharetta seem very far out to those in the ITP. In the past 20 years the growth OTP has been significant, but the feeling now is that trend has slowed and the ITP growth is now the main event. Former so-called suburban areas such as Buckhead were incorporated into the city proper in the 50s and now form an urbanizing line of high rise office and apartment developments stretching from the historic Downtown (superbowl area) through Midtown (cultural, gay, millennial area) to Buckhead (rich, high class shopping and dining area). Meanwhile to the sides of this linear development there is considerable residential mid-rise growth west and east of this linearity, especially spreading from the Midtown area. In essence the political city of Atlanta is “filling-in”. How long this transformation will last is just speculation, but the ITP area feels very different from just 20 years ago.

[Sun Belt]

Q] Does Atlanta's metro size balance it out as a premiere US city?
A] Yes, it's a premier city. CNN is based there for Cryin' Out Loud!!! [along with The Weather Channel, that was a really cool network until it was acquired by NBC in 2008 then it all went to hell].

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Q] Does Atlanta's metro size balance it out as a premiere US city?
A] Yes, it's a premier city. CNN is based there for Cryin' Out Loud!!! [along with The Weather Channel, that was a really cool network until it was acquired by NBC in 2008 then it all went to hell].

Not just CNN, but all of Turner Boradcasting (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Turner Classic Movies, etc.).

Bless good ol' Ted's heart.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Not just CNN, but all of Turner Boradcasting (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Turner Classic Movies, etc.).

Bless good ol' Ted's heart.

Thanks to Ted Turner, I was a Braves fan for a long time!

[Omaharocks]

^ Oh, that is why the weather channel went downhill? Their website is atrocious, and all the spam ads come across as very unprofessional.

As for Atlanta, I don't think many people care (or even realize) that Atlanta's city pop is small, they just think of it as a major metro area. I think for many people, having all the major pro sports = big city.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Fact is, if Atlanta had 1.2 million, it would seem bigger to most people. Even people 'in the know' like us might subconsciously think its bigger. We all know Atlanta is bigger than San Antonio, but if it had a larger population it would seem more important.

Its not about facts, its about stupid human emotions.

That Doesn't bother anyone when it comes to San Francisco its a small city in and of itself but The bay area is ~10 million people.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Omaharocks

I think for many people, having all the major pro sports = big city.

atlanta no longer has an NHL team (they moved to winnipeg), but the NHL has had pretty mixed results in the sunbelt.

houston and seattle don't have NHL teams either and no one questions their major city status.