Taking a Quick Bite… or Snarking on Atlanta…
Atlanta is still not a 24 hour city. Compared to other cities, there are some amenities we need and some changes that should occur.
Atlanta is still a place where Dunkin Donuts closes. The Brookhaven Dunkin’ Donuts is a mile from Oglethorpe University, yet by 10:30, it’s closed. Don’t they know if they throw a wifi router in the place and advertise they have access, the place will be packed 24/7? Worse than that, we don’t have Tims!
The same goes for Starbucks. Some are closed by 7. Others by 10. What’s with that? There is not a single 24 hour Starbucks in Fulton or Dekalb County.
More Trader Joes are great, but as the NFT Atlanta points out, we like chain stores a little too much. Other cities have gourmet stores that largely stock local product. The closest we have is Alon’s.
We lack late night gourmet food. Only Atkins Park is still serving ‘better than bar food’ on a Tuesday at 1 AM. Yes, there are more diners, and some pubs still serving, but when you need a 1 AM business dinner, you’re left with Atkins Park or Chinese.
There are too few independent book stores in town, and none of them have a full service restaurant or bar in them. Someone is missing the opportunity to make some serious cash.
We have too many governments and that is going to quash our regional effectiveness. While other cities are in uni-gov mode, we’re splintering even more.
At least 3 of our major sports venues are inaccessible directly by subway. Further, none of them have won a Championship this century!
MacDonald’s here do not serve Newman’s Own Organic Coffees.
One of the better midrange chocolate companies does its manufacturing here and most Atlantans don’t know because local stores don’t carry Flyer Bars!
The Museums around here have no free day, and rather than showing off the great art they own and acquiring more, they rent art from other museums!
Okay… enough snarking, but after visiting other cities, it’s clear we’re slipping. Still, there is hope. Housing is surely plentiful. The city of Atlanta was truly strengthened by the Olympics. People here are ambitious and want to get things done. We have Atlantix.
One wonders, however, how long Metro Atlanta can survive until the lack of affordable starter homes, public transportation, and bickering between the various counties cripples the place.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Dunwoody does have (at least nominally) a 24-hr. Dunkin Donuts, so all is not lost.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:42 am
I agree with most everything said. And yet…
The Atlanta History Center does have free admission, which my visiting parents and I took advantage of this first Monday of May. And with no parking charge, that made our visit there cost-free.
If you want free art, I’d hit the local galleries. My fav’s include Sandler-Hudson, Youngblood and the Beep-Beep Gallery (which is open Fri-Sat-Sun).
Every metropolitan museum rents traveling shows as a means of providing rotating exhibitions. This is the rule, not the exception.
Also, with the much-hoped-for reopening of Chinese Buddha, the Georgia Tech area will be getting its much needed late-night food fix back. Supposedly it will be open until 7am and reopen for lunch. I used to go there a lot and have been waiting months for the place to reopen.
And that’s my 2 cents.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
[…] I just read this article over at bloglanta.com and thought I’d comment. In the blog Robert argues that Atlanta is behind other cities in 24 houredness. Specifically he states: More Trader Joes are great, but as the NFT Atlanta points out, we like chain stores a little too much. Other cities have gourmet stores that largely stock local product. The closest we have is Alon’s. […]
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Actually, I’d prefer an 18-to-20 hour city over a “24 hour city” - there really should be a few hours of the night (or early morning) when things are just quiet. Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.
That said, there are more late-night choices than this post suggests. One of our favorites is R Thomas on Peachtree (near Brookwood Hills) - open 24 hours, with lots of healthy choices.
I believe the Landmark Diner Downtown is open quite late - it’s not a favorite of mine, but college students seem to like it.
I heard on WABE this morning that several independent bookstores may open here soon.
Turner Field is farther than it should be from MARTA (although many of the fans would benefit from the one mile walk between the GSU MARTA station and The Ted). Phillips Arena (Hawks & Thrashers) is right next to a station - that’s close enough! Of course, the Ga. Dome connects to MARTA>
Several museums have free days. The High is free to Fulton County residents the 1st Saturday of each month. The Carlos has a suggested donation, but it’s not compulsory.
Take a slow tour through the permanent collection galleries at the High and the Carlos. The High has made major acquisitions in contemporary art and photography in recent years. Besides the big canvasses by Richter, Kelly, Sean Scully, Tony Smith and others, there’s an interesting show of recently acquired works on (mostly)paper (it’s in the small triangular gallery on the top floor of the Wieland pavillion). There’s also a fine show of recently acquired works in the lower-level works on paper gallery: (a) 18th & 19th cent. British & French, and (b) work by self-taught artist Louis Monza. The High also has a great collection of Southern self-taught (or “folk”) artists.
As for shows, there have been several highlighting works from the permanent collection, and there was a superb Morris Louis retrospective, organized here and soon to be at the Hirshhorn. I guarantee the there’s-no-culture-here-crowd couldn’t be bothered to see it.
The Carlos has been making major acquisitions in Egyptian, Greek, & Roman art, outbidding the Met a couple of times. Go see!
Then there’s the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center(”The Contemporary”), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia(MOCAGA), the Museum of Design (MODA), museums at Spelman, Clark, and Oglethorpe….. and a growing gallery district in Castleberry Hill.
And we will have the Beltline. Really, we will.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:31 am
I think Robert was referring to 24-hour restaurants that are a bit fancier than places like diners and R. Thomas.
May 10th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Splintering? Please. Try establishing true home rule and self determination from utterly corrupt county governments.
May 27th, 2007 at 8:53 am
I’m fairly certain that there’s only one 24/7 Starbucks; a prototype in Viera, FL.
Atlanta reminds me quite a bit of Boston, with many of the same challenges. Still, I’ve found that most of the restaurants and bars respond well to requests (for things like wifi). It might be worst taking the list of gripes to the people who could actually fix it.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
All fair points but as someone who grew up in Manhattan, I had to give up the comparison to NYC a long time ago but because nothing does compare. So you enjoy Atlanta for what it is. After 10 years here, meeting my wife here, having our kid here it was still a place where we could get a relatively affordable house 2.5 miles from the heart of downtown.
Try that in NYC
As a devout ITP person, I like the blog.
Cheers
September 17th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Actually LD, there is also a 24 hour Starbucks in Chicago. I’m getting my coffee shakes and I surely wish there was a 24 hour starbucks here in atlanta but that’s just not so.