Explain to me what happened to Doraville (Buford Highway)? (Atlanta: rental market, elementary school)

[Dianna2]

I heard that Doraville used to be a bustling Asian town. Now it's just a wasteland with empty commercial space everywhere! And I heard all the Koreans moved up to Duluth.

What happened?

Even if Koreans move out of an area, I know the Koreatown usually remains (Annandale, VA and 32nd Street in New York or even Koreatown in Los Angeles are examples). But it looks like all the businesses just packed up and left!

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by Dianna2

I heard that Doraville used to be a bustling Asian town. Now it's just a wasteland with empty commercial space everywhere! And I heard all the Koreans moved up to Duluth.

What happened?

Even if Koreans move out of an area, I know the Koreatown usually remains (Annandale, VA and 32nd Street in New York or even Koreatown in Los Angeles are examples). But it looks like all the businesses just packed up and left!

Koreans, in particular, didn't pack up and move north at all.

They are actually a relatively new the metro area as a whole. They've grown from a very small to a very sizable population within the metro area in a short period of time. Much of it is migration to the metro area not within the metro area.

I don't think Doraville is too different form the way it was 10 years ago.

I don't think it was bustling as much as alot of small shops filling in older store fronts. I do think there is increased competition on the commercial rental market from new infill strip malls (some they are 2-3 stories tall and themed/tailored to a demographic) and strip malls that have been remodeled.

[bryantm3]

doraville has basically looked like that for the past 30 years. the huge korean immigration really didn't hit its stride until the last decade— i remember in 2002, 2003, jimmy carter boulevard was just suburban decay— cheap light industrial places and abandoned storefronts for miles, all the way the I-85 corridor before the koreans moved in. expect koreatown to do a lot for that entire corridor in the upcoming years.

[jeoff]

There are less Asian markets and restaurants, and a few more Hispanic ones ("Plaza Fiesta used to be predominantly Asian mall, and another Chinese Farmer's Market closed, etc.) , but if you think it is a wasteland now, you probably would have thought it was a wasteland 10 years ago. Most of the new Asian places are opening at the empty storefronts around Gwinnett Place --not just Korean (although the "Super H-Mart complex is the 800lb gorilla in the area!).

[AtlJan]

Koreans have been coming to Atlanta in numbers since at least the 1970s. In my elementary school 1977-1983 in the ATL, our demographic was 45% black, 45% white, 8% Korean, 2% other. There was a Korean ESL teacher at our school 2x a week. . .I am sure the numbers may have exploded in the last ten years, but their history in the ATL is much longer.

[fzx]

The place has not changed that much since early 2000's as far as I know. However, when the northern suburbs developed, it attracts lots of Asian populations. As a result, some Asian restaurants move north to close to its customers. There are still some decent ones left though to attract day time Asians and Asian students from intown.

[kasuga888]

Pretty much the same as it was 10 years ago, except the 99 Ranch shopping center pretty much got wiped out. I remembered that entire parking lot used to be packed the entire weekend in the early 2000s.

[vince217]

alot of good asian restaurants are still there

[testa50]

I haven't noticed any uptick in vacancy. But Pleasant Hill is definitely the more bustling Korea town these days.

[ehoez]

was sold on ebay