Atlanta vs. Detroit (Norcross, Cleveland: insurance, mover, crime)

[SEAandATL]

Jermaine Dupri once called Atlanta the "new motown". Would you compare Atlanta to Detroit? They have some similarities, unfortunately most of them aren't good ones, such as both cities ranked bottom on the list for certain quality of life issues like crime, environment, health, etc. However, I still think Atlanta differs from the motor city greatly. No offense to anyone from there, as I have family in Michigan myself, but I think Atlanta is a much nicer city and more desireable to live and visit. It's a lot cleaner since it's not industrial like Detroit, the climate is milder, and there's more activities Atlanta and the rest of GA have to offer.

[xxman777]

I would guess the reason Dupri made that comment is because of Atlanta's music scene. I've never been to Detroit (other then the airport) so I can't really comment much on a comparison.

[south-to-west]

You guys are over-analyzing Dupri's comments. Atlanta is the New Motown because of the dominance of the soul/r&b/hip hop scene here. A significant portion of soul/hip hop artists that are internationally known have been emerging from the Atlanta scene for the past 10 years, which is similar to how Motown artists dominated the r&b/soul genre in the 60s.

[arokisbobcat]

Coming from Ohio, I've visited Detroit many times. Atlanta and Detroit are nothing alike! I agree with the posters above that Atlanta's gets mentioned in the same breath with Detroit based on its music scene. Detroit is much more comparable to New Orleans in that it's a true city, with an in your face mentality, and very urbanized. I'd say the quality of life in terms of crime, environment, economy, and safety are much better in Atlanta than Detroit by far. However, housing and other costs seem to be cheaper in Detroit then Atlanta. But like many of the rust belt cities (Cincy, Cleveland, Detroit, etc...), housing is very affordable since many people are fleeing these places.

But overall I see very few similiarities between these cities. Aside from the fact that both cities rely exclusively on the automobile. (Detroit has more roads though and a better infrastructure as far as streets, highways, etc...)

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

Atlanta is the New Motown because of the dominance of the soul/r&b/hip hop scene here. .

Which is also probably the reason for our higher than the national norm crime rate, too.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Which is also probably the reason for our higher than the national norm crime rate, too.

Not exactly. I grew up listening to NWA and Ice Cube and I have never been tempted to do a drive-by shooting.....yet.

[CHELSEA37]

To Everyone Writing About Atlanta Vs Detroit , I've Never Been To Detroit Only Atlanta Which Is A Great City ,i've Only Heard Bad Things About The Motor City , So Atlanta Wins For Me

[Mossberg]

I grew up in Detroit from childhood to adulthood and have also lived in Cleveland for about 3 years. I could never get comfortable living in Cleveland as the town was too slow from what I was accustomed to, so I moved to the ATL area.

Here is some excerpts from one of my other posts from someone asking a similar question. I've added a little bit to this since I originally posted it.

Atlanta is very much like Detroit when it comes to the automobile dependence. While ATL's MARTA system is miles better than the People Mover in Detroit (which isn't saying much), you still pretty much need a car in Atlanta to go most places. The sprawl here is what allows ATL to have such a great (cheaper) housing market because people will buy where the land is cheap it seems no matter how far out. That creates a major traffic nightmare here though due to the sprawl. If Detroit didn't have the Detroit River/Lake St. Clair/Lake Erie blocking east development, it would probably have the same sprawl issues.

Atlanta as a city is much smaller in population (and area) than Detroit even with the Detroit population shrinking at a rapid rate. But, what is considered the ATL metro area, is much bigger than the Detroit metro area although populations are both around 5 million people. If Atlanta can find a way to fix the traffic problems, it would be the ultimate place to live in my opinion.

Detroit is much easier to navigate during rush hour because it actually has great secondary roads (such as Woodward, Telegraph, Ford Rd, Michigan Ave, etc) and also a great grid system (the mile roads). This is where Atlanta falls short. The lack of foresight in building great secondary roads will forever cripple ATL commuting. We need some "Michigan Lefts" down here.

In Atlanta, the freeways are the ONLY way to get around. Hell, on the northside perimeter, the only real way to cross the Chattahoochee River is on I-285 or I-75. To me, that is unacceptable. I work in Norcross (I'll address this area later) which it takes me 40 minutes or worse to go from exit 115 where I live, to exit 102 where I work. Traffic is bad on the freeways and don't get me started on the secondary roads here. I miss how Detroit has the synchronized traffic lights on Grand River, Telegraph, etc. Down here, it seems like you have to stop at every single intersection because right after the current light turns green, you accelerate and then the next light 1/4 mile away is red. This is frustrating and kills gas mileage.

Another difference down here is the ever rising population of illegal aliens. I work in Norcross, and this area is a disease in that regard. This area is/has gone to hell. If you move down here, make sure your uninsured motorist insurance coverage is up to date! But, this is not a political forum though, so I will bite my tongue on that.

The Atlanta nightlife is better than the D, but that gap has shrunken in recent years.

Atlanta (and Georgia as a whole) is also more conservative. What the hell is up with the "no liquor on Sundays" stuff anyways? That is the most ridiculous old school law I have ever experienced.

Crime is much worse in Detroit in my personal experiences, but I believe that is mostly based on the economic conditions of Detroit compared to Atlanta.

All in all, I love Atlanta and I love Detroit. With that being said, I don't plan on moving back to Detroit any time soon.

[vilehelm]

Jermaine Dupree is a smurf.





... I hope his bodyguards never find out where I live.

[vilehelm]

Originally Posted by south-to-west

Not exactly. I grew up listening to NWA and Ice Cube and I have never been tempted to do a drive-by shooting.....yet.

I'm tempted nearly every single morning, and I only listen to sports radio.