Pick the city you like the best of two, and why you like.
Pick the city you like the best of two, and why you like.
I really thought about ignoring this thread but then thought there was no way that I could let apathy suggest that in any way Atl. is in the same tier as Beantown.
Boston is more engaging in every aspect. I can't think of any way that Atl. is competitive with Bos. I might even argue that Bos. has Atl. on sprawl...ok well maybe not. I was overwhelmed by Atl.'s harshness and couldn't get over how disjointed my 'urban' experience was there.
With a poll you still need the choice of none of the above.
Because neither are on my favorite state capitol list.
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
you are kidding right?
Other than a little problem known as the big dig, Boston can do no wrong.
When compassion exceeds logic for too long, chaos will ensue. - Unknown
Aww Mike admit it you just like it because your drinking buddy Ted lives there!Originally posted by michaelskis
We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes - Fr Gabriel Richard 1805
I'll bite. What is YOUR favorite State capital?
I'll vote for Sacramento.
I like Tallahassee. I'll take Boston over Atlanta any day
Trying to get my grubby hands on as much stimulus money as I can.:D
1st - Denver
2nd - Indianapolis
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
Most of my visits to state capitols was as a child, so I'm not too informed on this subject.
But, I have not been impressed by Atlanta. I'll agree with Tulsa that it seems very disjointed. I haven't been to Boston since college, but I did enjoy the walkability very much. Well, except when my mom and I mistakenly wandered into the "Combat Zone"....
Well, the Combat Zone has been sanitized and obliterated by the current mayor. There is officially only one "adult" business left in Boston, a city of 500,000+.
Yeah, well that was like 1977 or so, so I sure hope there's been a change!
No, I'm not kidding. Some people may actually prefer Atlanta proper over Boston proper.
Yeah lots of people may actually prefer Atlanta over Boston, but I doubt few of them are planenrs. Or at least if they are, they're probably not the kind of planners that have a genuine love and appreciation of cities.
Atlanta's urbanism, if you can call it that, is harsh and dysfunctional; the product of 50+ years of car centric planning and the tragedy of urban renewal.
Despite the recent successes in midtown and the surrounding streetcar suburbs, the Atlanta still has a long way to go before it can compete with a city like Boston on an urban level.
And lest you think I'm biased, I'm an Atlanta native, born and raised there.
"I believe in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. I believe it is possible. I saw this guy do it once in Cirque du Soleil. It was magical!" -Stephen Colbert
Boston is, for the most part, a more enjoyable town. It has a wonderful architectural fabric and long history, and the urban "vibe" we planners like so much.
However, will have to nod in Atlanta's direction when it comes to the weather. Having gone to school in New England, I fully well am aware of the long New England winters where the sun doesn't show its face from November-April. Atlanta, however, has pleasantly mild winters and wonderful spring and fall weather, and the gardens of Atlanta can be something to behold.
And Atlanta has by far the best economy of the two cities. It is a much larger economic force and the growth of Atlanta over the past three decades is little short of astonishing, and its region has outgrown Boston in population and economic might, no mean feat for a city that once ranked as a second tier southern metropolis, similar to Birmingham today.
With the lost of its industrial base, Boston has successfuly transformed itself into a playground for the affluent and college students. But the city has become ridiculously overpriced, pushing middle class people further and further away into Massachusetts or out of state. A mini-manhattan, similar to San Francisco on the west coast. Atlanta, however, remains a much more affordable and pleasant alternative for most people, which is one of the reasons why thousands of former New Englanders migrate down to northern Georgia every year.
There's quite a bit of money in Atlanta these days, and the city seems to be on the verge of a dynamic period of large scale urban planning and urban infill, so who knows what we'll be saying fifty years from now?
I picked Boston, too. State capitals that I've liked include Madison (lived there), Annapolis, Santa Fe, and St. Paul.
Interesting argument-people who want the suburban "American Dream" would probably agree strongly with this post. Is Atlanta's ecojnomy, largely based on air shipping, really that much more significant than Boston? Especially as Boston is one of the focal points for research and development, high technology, medical science, etc? Does Atlanta have that strong of a higher funciton economy compared to Boston?
Atlanta's economy is hardly "based on air shipping." It is home to the corporate HQs for Delta, Coca Cola, UPS, CNN, Home Depot, and Rubbermaid. Not to mention home to Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University and the US CDC. It has also hosted the international Olympic Games, something Boston has never even attempted. It is also the defacto cultural and economic center of the entire Southeast (minus South Florida).
That being said, I prefer Boston as a city. But from a family economic standpoint, living Boston is hard to justify. It has a stagnant economy, entrenched political oligarchy, and extremely limited housing opportunities (not just for those seeking the suburban "American Dream").
I wasn't meaning this to be too perjorative.Just meaning that most people want the singe family house on the cul-de-sac, and this is almost impossible in Boston.
Still...how many of those smaller universities are that prominent. Emory? Maybe. The rest?
Not disagreeing with your overall theme, though. Heck, I live in the ultraexpensive Bay Area, so sometimes I wonder. Still....I would not live anywhere else, frankly.
I understood your point. My counterpoint was that any type of housing is impossible in Boston for a young middle-class family (with the possible exception of a one-room studio).I wasn't meaning this to be too perjorative.
Coastal New England made this an easy choice. Stone Mountain is cool, but can't make up for the way Atlanta has developed since Sherman's march
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
I suspect Atlanta's economy means more jobs for middle and working class folks, particularly in manufacturing and distribution. I don't know if there are any manufacturing jobs left in Boston. I thought Gillette moved to Ohio- is this true jmello?
Never been to Boston.
I have one word about Atlanta: A$$lanta.
Of the numerous capitals I have been too I liked these three the best:
Sacramento, CA
Columbia, SC
Nashville, TN
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" Jeremiah 22:16
Atlanta ain't that bad. The people there are friendly than those chowderheads from Boston.
He, hee, heeeeee, yes I'm trolling
A guy once told me, "Do not have any attachments, do not have anything in your life you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the heat around the corner."
Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro): Heat 1995
Proctor and Gamble, HQed in Cincy, bought Gillette. They just laid off and transfered a bunch of managers and closed a packing plant in Devens. They are contemplating closing the former Gillette headquarters office in the Prudential Center and consolidating all of their Massachusetts employees at the South Boston manufacturing plant.
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