Bloglanta

The irony is that the ad ran on Turner South.  The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau is running an ad touting Atlanta as a great travel destination.  Wonderful! Terrific!  Except that many of the people in the group with whom I saw the ad noticed that the ad features imagery almost entirely evocative of northern cities.  There was nothing distinctly ‘Southern’ about it.

What did they show?  Bloomingdales, the High Museum (by New York architect Richard Meyer), the subway, Ice Hockey, and a spot of a Bop trumpeter.  None of these images seem representative of the Deep South.

This raises an interesting question that my Southern friends have long debated:  Is Atlanta the south?  As someone who has lived in other parts of the country, I find Atlanta very Southern.   Yet my Southern Brethren tell me that to them, this is a city of people who want to leave the south behind.

Which do we want to be?  How do we reach consensus on which, if any, elements of the southern ontology will be requisite in the Atlanta mindset?

Trends show that more migration now is from people leaving smaller southern towns to come here or from foreign countries than from traditional northern cities.  Perhaps these folks will define this.  Perhaps it is precisely elements of the south they are trying to get away from by coming here.  Perhaps that’s the message in the marketing and it’s not so ironic after all.

With the World of Coca-Cola moving, it’s important to find another attraction to both help keep the building and Underground Atlanta vital.  We’ve already suggested moving Sci-Trek there, but if that doesn’t work, there’s another need.

One of Atlanta’s biggest industries is music.  Hundreds of artists record their records here and Atlanta is the home to the ‘Dirty South’ style of Hip Hop.  A pavilion promoting our scene would surely be a winner with both Atlantans and tourists alike.  Imagine hundreds of school kids touring a replica of Doppler Studios or the Streaming Media Suite at Crawford Communications.  Additionally, the Atlanta music scene itself could get its due.  Exhibits about Outkast, India Arie, The Temple of Hip Hop, and Lizz Wright could all be a vibrant part of the Pavilion.  Even more important, it could focus on the business end of things and look at Jermaine Dupri, Dallas Austin, and L.A. Reid as the pioneers who put Atlanta on the map as a location where labels had to look for talent.

The Pavilion could also take the direction of looking at all kinds of Atlanta music including the ASO, Indigo Girls, Rene Marie, Collective Soul, and Alan Jackson.  A tour of Atlanta History Landmarks would also be fun.

Setting up such a pavilion will also provide a focal point to help us promote Atlanta as a town for the music makers and power houses.  Heck, the ability alone to record a one or two song kareoke demo in a real studio would be worth the price.  Booths at Underground make a fortune doing this.

Atlanta is a city notorious for it’s ability to hype itself and this would seem to fall right into line and be fun!

 

A friend of mine needed a ride to Decatur late one Friday night and I told him I was going to go straight down Ponce, and he said “No, No, this club is in the other Decatur, best take I-20″

I had occasion to go back into the same area today and now I get it.  There really are two Decaturs.  Like many people, I tend to think of Decatur as one of the most successful small cities in Atlanta.  I think of it primarily as the County Seat with great restaurants, galleries, and music.

However, if you take Candler rd. south from Agnes Scott, you go into another Decatur.  It’s primarily African American, less diverse in race and orientation, and less wealthy.  However, it’s a lot of fun and there are some great businesses worthy of support.  It’s a distinct community, separate from the rest of Decatur.

Primarily made of strip malls, there are no chains (okay, there’s a Wayfield Foods, but that’s cool).  Instead there are local merchants who sell great stuff.  From Reggae music stores, to Caribbean Bakeries, to real soul food, this neighborhood has a lot to offer!

It’s also suffered from a lot of neglect.  Back in 2002, plans were underway to help make improvements in the area.  The next Dekalb CEO needs to work with other officials to continue to make the area friendlier.  Better signs, improved traffic tools, and some emphasis on upkeep and civic improvement will make a huge difference.

The Dekalb CVB and South Dekalb Business Association can also help.  The Candler road corridor needs to be recognized as a distinct retail corridor worth visiting.  To do that, merchants have to be induced to work together on common marketing and to increase their media and web presence.  What fascinates me is that the disconnect exists.  Lots of people visit Decatur every day, but I doubt that even 5% venture South of Agnes Scott.  It took me too long.  The question is why?

In the meantime, I’ll be going back to Tropical Delite, a bakery at 2136 Candler Rd.

South of I-20 and Cabbagetown along Glenwood stands an interesting contrast.

Charles Brewer is moving ahead with his vision.  His development firm, Greenstreet Properties is now actually building Glenwood Park.  This project will blend a variety of types of housing centered around a small village with shops, one office building, and a school.

Contrast this with the development that is just across the street. Glenwood Green is a gated community of modernized Levittown style condos with a traditional apartment style workout center and leasing office.  As of this writing, Only 19 of 170 residences remain to be leased.   Clearly they have been successful.

Will Mr. Brewer’s gamble will pay off?  First, let’s define the bet.  The bet is that Atlantans are ready for a community that incorporates commercial, civic, and residential spaces in one development.  This includes the idea that the residential areas will be directly above the businesses.  And that people will want to live above where they work. 
But wait, there’s more!

According to John Graham, the commercial leasing agent for Glenwood Park, their goal is not only to lease to businesses to serve the development, but those which will include the surrounding communities as well.  The community has sought a dry cleaner and so that has become a priority.  Graham want restaurants, ice cream parlours, day spas, and other amenities that will attract people from all over into Glenwood Park.  Glenwood Green Representatives know that they are free riding on Glenwood Park to both
enhance the value of their property and to get amenities for their residents, and the Park folks seem to be okay with this.  They are counting on the professionals that live in Green to participate in the community life of Glenwood Park.

That’s where another bet comes in.  Glenwood Park won’t be gated.  Brewer is trying to integrate it into the fabric of the community.  In order to do that, he has to assume that people are willing to spend between $200,000 and $500,000 for a home that will have through traffic.  Early sales seem to be going well, but the numbers are small.  Glenwood Green sold as quickly as possible, but Brewer has designed his plan to stretch out further.  He is selling over 5 years and I would guess that is to measure the demand and keep pace with it.  

Ironically, The Post Company, in their Riverside Apartment complex was among the first to use this idea as a planning model.  The project seems to have been a success.  2 of 3 residents enjoy living there and the atmosphere seems to be a big part of things.  One lesson from the Post experience seems to be that maintenance is vital.  Because there will be substantial common spaces, the association and board governing Glenwood park will need to make upkeep a top priority.

Here’s hoping Brewer and his staff are geniuses and this project is going to fly.  If they are successful, they will add a lot to Atlanta and to their community.  The first Glenwood Park residents will move in around August of this year and all retail development should be complete by fall of 2005.  Glenwood Green is already built.  In combination, the two communities resemble Celebration Florida.  Hopefully, they will provide a strong urbane model and Brewer will continue developing!

People often blame General Sherman for destroying the city of Atlanta, however, Sherman has nothing on Real Estate Developers.  Developers and their allies in the city council over the years have ripped through Atlanta and destroyed great architecture.  They almost destroyed the Fox Theater!  Too many buildings have been lost and too many continue to be threatened.  The Atlanta Preservation Society is doing the best they can, but they are not a high priority among the city’s leading charitable givers!

5 Great Buildings We’ve Already Lost:

o Rio Mall  This was a required cultural landmark for any visitor to Atlanta.  Designed by Arquitectonica, this was the first deconstructionist piece in the city.  It was also a place where the northside and southside could meet.  It has been replaced by Post Apartments

o The Oxford Bookstore, Pharr Rd.  Bruce Goff didn’t build much in the Deep South, but he built this wonderful building.  First it was a car dealership.  Then, Oxford Books bought it and converted the building into a bookstore.  It has been replaced by post Apartments.

o The Original Equitable Building  One of two buildings designed by famed Architect Daniel Burnham, this was a classic example of early modernism.  In the 1970s however, European modernism was all the rage and this graceful
beauty was destroyed to make room for wider sidewalks.

o Peachtree Arcade  Before there was Underground, there was the Peachtree Arcade.  This was Atlanta’s first indoor shopping district and it sat where the First Atlanta Tower now stands.

o Terminal Station  
This Beautiful Spanish style rail station was the hub of Atlanta activity for 100 years, but as trains ceased to be the main mode of transportation and as demands for downtown office space expanded, this venerable station fell.

5 Great Buildings That Face the Wrecking Ball!

o The Winecoff Hotel .. This was once the grandest of all Atlanta Hotels but after a tragic fire, it has never been rebuilt.  Saving this landmark would both boost the north section of downtown but restore a landmark to a true heritage.  The building was designed by William L. Stoddart.

o Women’s Club of Atlanta .. This beautiful mansion in midtown has been a women’s society parlor, a restaurant, and two famous nightclubs.  Now it is occasionally used as a special events facility, but could easily fall away.

o Brookwood Station .. Atlanta’s current Amtrak station is designed by the great Atlanta Architect Philip Shutze.  Mr. Shutze designed this station to serve the Buckhead area and make train travel convenient.  Now, the building
could be lost if a new Atlanta Intermodel Terminal is built.  The Real Estate is highly valuable and developers covet the land more than they covet the beauty of the station.

o Crawford and Company Building ..Losing this building would be a two fold tragedy.  First, it’s one of the best examples of a Bauhaus style building in Atlanta and it is I.M. Pei’s first commercial project.  The scale and purity of this project remain a testament to Pei’s elegance.

o The Peters House This house has a few key values.  First, it’s a great example of the Queen Anne style that was prominent in 19th Century Atlanta.  Second, it has the oldest remaining landscaping plan left in the city.  Lastly, it’s one of the great houses on Ponce and the more we lose, the more of our heritage we forget.  Who owns it?  Marietta’s Mayor. 
What does he want to do?  Build condos!

We still have time to save these and many other buildings.  The first thing you can do it notice and appreciate them.  Then act!

Dear At Landers:

I am a vibrant pavilion that sits between a State Capitol and an adaptive ruse project that’s having trouble keeping family oriented tenants. My insides are about to be transplanted to another location that will have a really fishy smell! What do I do?

Signed, Whirled A. Coca

Dear Whirled,

No one wants to be empty on the inside and I admire your pro-family stance. Your best bet is to get a sci-trek transplant! You want to be surrounded by families and you want them to get to you easily! If you invite a kids science center to move from their current location next to an opera house, their numbers will go up and you’ll remain a fun vibrant pavilion! You’ll even keep that important adaptive ruse from being driven completely into the ground!

Dear At Landers:

I’m a professional sports team that has to play in a variety of locations! I have one of the strongest international followings of Atlanta sports teams but I’m really disappointed with the media coverage I receive and my attendance! Help me!

Signed, Going Ape for football

Dear Going Ape,

The key to a successful sports franchise is marketing and consistency. Since a large portion of your audience is Hispanic (in fact, the only radio broadcasts of games are in Spanish), it would be helpful to find a partner with a stadium near where that community lives. Perhaps a University that already has experience working in partnership with outside organizations could be just the spot. It would need to be near a MARTA station and have ample parking. The result is that people could easily get to the games and since you would now by inside the perimeter, coverage is more likely!

Recently I had occasion to find one of the silliest outcomes of the 17th street bridge project.

You can’t use it. That’s right. If you’re trying to get to a location on the west side of connector and you’re on the east side of the connector, the bridge is useless. My specific tumult was in taking the bridge to get to State Street and 16th. I took the bridge across, turned left, but when I found State street, there were barriers. The city of Atlanta has decided that no one should be able to turn down the street. This is nuts. We, the tax payers of Georgia, spent $38 million on this project and it won’t serve its primary function?

‘But what about preserving Home Park?’, I hear you cry. Home park is worth preserving, but to cry about it because of the bridge is folly. First, many of the homes are run down and have been subdivided into apartments. In fact, according to ‘Creative Loafing’, 75% of the property is for rent. Young families are not buying homes there.

Want to revitalize the neighborhood? Wouldn’t an improved transportation corridor help with that? Isn’t that why the City and State just worked to complete the connection of 17th Street to Northside Drive? According to Tim State, head of the Home Park Community Improvement Association, local residents don’t want their streets cut off. “This is not a cul-de-sac environment. It’s a neighborhood with a different feel, designed for people who want the benefit of living in town without the commute..”, says State.

So, if the residents don’t want the cut-off, who does? I’m guessing Real Estate professionals: both the Slumlords who currently control most of the rental property and those who covet it to build expensive homes. The slumlords know that if connectivity is increased, people with larger incomes will move in who, upon discovering the shoddy quality of their environs, will call lawyers. Developers know that an exclusive, limited access urban enclave for the wealthy will bring in the bucks.

Last night I was among a group of a group of MARTA citizen advocates known as Citizens for Progressive Transit to celebrate MARTA’s 25th year of rail service. We met at the Georgia State station and rode the train to Decatur where we learned why the organization was formed and why the issue of saving MARTA is so urgent.

Here are a few items I managed to copy down:

• MARTA is among the ten largest transit agencies in the United States. Among these ten agencies, MARTA is the only one that does not receive any sort of operating funds from the state.
• A recent study (anyone have a link?) showed that among comparable rail systems, the cost per passenger on MARTA is the lowest. That means that MARTA is among the most cost efficient of the transit agencies.
• Asphalt advocates claim that asphalt is cheaper than rail, but they’re only referring to the fixed cost. When you take the total cost into account — fixed plus variable — rail is the cheapest alternative because it services the largest number of passengers per operator.
• When MARTA was able to do so, they set up a rainy day fund, but that fund is currently running out. If nothing is done at the state level, there will be (not could be — will be) more service cutbacks at every level of operation within the next twelve months. These cutbacks may include eliminating weekend service, or even shutting down entirely.

Given the benefits to the local economy and mobility, this place ITP, the place we call our home, would suffer terrible consequences for allowing MARTA to shut down. We can all make sure we do our part to let the governor and our public servants on the state level know that such a scenario would be irresponsible and inexcusable.