What's wrong with Atlantic Station? (Atlanta, Millen: vs., rail, design)

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I appreciate the critique and basically agree with it. However, I don't think there was ever any intent to make Atlantic Station (or any other part of Atlanta) resemble NYC. They're built on different models and different kinds of cities.

I realize that. I'm just expressing my wishes that AS should have been something more than what it is.

[ATLTJL]

Then go to the next Atlanta city council meeting and figure out how to get on the planning commission.

Did you do anything to try to help shape what Atlantic Station would become?

Then go try to influence the next project so you won't have to gripe so hard about it. But it's oh so much easier to whine from the sidelines, isn't it?

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

I realize that. I'm just expressing my wishes that AS should have been something more than what it is.

Why can't you.build.something.better?

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Then go to the next Atlanta city council meeting and figure out how to get on the planning commission.

Did you do anything to try to help shape what Atlantic Station would become?

Then go try to influence the next project so you won't have to gripe so hard about it. But it's oh so much easier to whine from the sidelines, isn't it?

Who's whining, though? Whether or not Atlantic Station sucks has absolutely no bearing on my personal well being, but that doesn't mean I can't casually state my opinion and disapproval of the development.

You're the one who started the thread asking "what is wrong with Atlantic Station". In my case, it isn't the patrons that are a problem, but aspects of the development itself.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Macy's: historical, urban-oriented retail department store
Target: suburban-oriented big box discount store

...not at all the same thing.

I find your logic here to be flawed. You're essentially limiting what a store has to be or what form it should take based on its history and there's absolutely no good reason to do this. Most Macy's stores today are found in suburban malls (where they relocated after deserting city centers, more egregious than building in the suburbs to begin with like Target IMO), so it's obvious that things can and do change over time.

The fact of the matter is that if a large store, whether it be retail or big-box, is built and functions in an urban fashion, then it is urban.

As far as you wanting Atlantic Station to be "more," can you give us an example of a fairly recent large-scale brownfield redevelopment project that's essentially a modern Greenwich Village? It is market forces that shape new large-scale development in our cities now. I don't find it to be ideal, but I can't criticize the city of Atlanta or developers for doing just about the absolute best they could within those constraints. The hard truth is that outside of small-scale urban infill projects, you're not going to see the organic development that created the classic urban neighborhoods and business districts of yesteryear anymore.

[Ross706]

I've only been to Atlanta like once or twice in my life, and being from Columbus and seeing Atlanta's downtown skyline had me feeling like a kid in a candy store which might sound like nothing to alot of people but when your from a city like Columbus that only has like one tall building the sight of something like downtown Atlanta is like something off a movie. On subject though, I have been to Atlantic Station and I've read a few of the comments on this thread I liked Atlantic Station had a laid back vibe when I was there. Highly doubt I feel that way about Atlantic Station because I'm 19 and I grew up listening to rap music, in my eyes that has nothing to do with that when I was there It was a calm laid back environment this whole view about "thugs" being over there seems completely far fetched. True enough, crime is everywhere but to put labels on a certain section of a city never made sense to me, I grew up In Columbus and that whole label garbage has been applied to us as well same with everywhere else. Just how I see It though.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

I realize that. I'm just expressing my wishes that AS should have been something more than what it is.

I hear you. My feeling is that it was a major move in the right direction, but that it will take years to really come into its own.

However, that is the nature of true organic growth. While Atlantic Station took a big bite out of the apple, it's still just a small part of the city when look at the larger picture.

It also came to market just before the biggest real estate crash in decades. Give it 10, 20 or more years, and we'll be able to make a better assessment. Hopefully some of its weak spots will be overcome in time.

[Ross706]

As far as the person who said I've never been to a real big city, you might wanna re-read what I wrote pay close attention when you do. As far as going to NY or Chicago trust me I would if I could I'm not one of those fortunate enough to be able to travel like that. I'm from Columbus GA most of us strive to get out of here but very few achieve that and I'm speaking as a native and for my generation alot of the older heads might tell you different. We strive to make it out of Columbus for several reasons but I won't get into that on subject, I'm not disputing what your saying I can only speak from my own experiences and in return Id appreciate the same respect I'm showing you in return. I can only speak on my experiences of Atlanta for those of us from other parts of Georgia alot of people see Atlanta as Georgia's own New York and that might sound weird to you but some view the Atlanta metro area as something like New York to an extent and the rest of us are stuck in Georgia's version of Jersey not saying thats how it is I'm merely expressing a viewpoint of several others not just myself. I don't doubt places like Chicago or New York make Atlanta look like one big parking lot I can only speak from my experiences which this has really nothing to do with the topic at hand though. The whole subject of the thread was about the section of Atlanta called Atlantic Station I was simply throwing my take on the subject at hand nothing more and certainly nothing less.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I hear you. My feeling is that it was a major move in the right direction, but that it will take years to really come into its own.

However, that is the nature of true organic growth. While Atlantic Station took a big bite out of the apple, it's still just a small part of the city when look at the larger picture.

It also came to market just before the biggest real estate crash in decades. Give it 10, 20 or more years, and we'll be able to make a better assessment. Hopefully some of its weak spots will be overcome in time.

All true. Atlantic Station is not the end for new urbanist developments in Atlanta. They seem to have the right idea with Streets of Buckhead/Buckhead Atlanta.

I think where they drop the ball is when they plan these huge "shock" developments. Think bigger, but build smaller. Still, I'm not going to suggest that AS is a failure, as it's obviously a success for the city.

It's nice to know that someone understands where I'm coming from.

[ATLTJL]

So if Atlanta is the king of sprawl what does that make houston?

The king of concrete.

If you've never been to Houston, try to imagine more sprawl than Atlanta and much, much, MUCH less greenery.