On a layover back home from Houston, I decided to gamble with the three hours I had between flights, and spend a bit of that on a journey outside the confines of the Hartsfield-Jackson Int’l Airport
I ended up in Five Points, expecting to snap a few photos of some skyscrapers and leave, but instead I found a much more vibrant and engaging street scene than I initially expected (especially for some random overcast Wednesday afternoon in late March).
I’ve been to Atlanta several times in the past few years –mostly on weekends- I never recall seeing as many people on the streets in one place as I did that day in Five Points (with the exception of the hipster-hangout/(sub) urban melting pot known as L5P –Little Five Points).
Anyway, one thing I found curiously compelling about the crowd in Five Points is that it was overwhelmingly (almost to the point of exclusivity in many areas) young and black.
Obviously, there are number of neighborhoods in cities throughout the country that are populated with the same demographic, but I can’t think of any other American city I’ve been to with a CBD – much less the “heart” of the CBD, (as 5 Points is to Downtown Atlanta) with a similar demographic.
Interesting….(To me, anyway).
Oh, and by the way, I eventually got kicked off the MARTA on the way back from the airport for taking photos…more about that downthread...
All photos taken between 3:30 & 4:30pm, Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
About two minutes after I took this picture, I was ordered off the train and out of the MARTA station by a transit employee for taking pictures on “MARTA property.” Since I was already running behind on time and was in danger of missing my flight back home, I didn’t want to challenge her authority or provoke her into detaining me, and possibly get arrested in the process. Luckily I was able to catch a cab to the airport (in rush hour) from where I was (College Park ) in enough time to get through security, access the right terminal and board my flight 15 minutes before it took off….
And here’s a hazy last look at A-town, with the red/gold line of the MARTA rapid transit system –the same one the cherubic c*nt through me off of – looms large over in the foreground.
Since I’m not quite satisfied with that skyline shot, and because I usually like to wrap my posts up with a purty li’l postcard, I might as well toss in two (previously unposted) skyline views from a previous trip to Atlanta in April 2007. (Yes, perhaps I enjoyed Photoshop at bit too much at the time!)
Adios!
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