I might very well have to do more than one part on downtown, because I don't think I got to hit up all the areas of downtown in this particular thread.

 

This was on Saturday afternoon (disgustingly hot again), and I started at Five Points transit station...worked my way up Peachtree...cut over to Centennial Olympic Park...and back to Peachtree Center transit station for my ride back home.

 

First off, here is my station (North Springs).  It is the end of the north line, and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised with MARTA.  I was lucky enough to ride in one of the newly refurbished train cars for my trip downtown.  It was incredibly clean, the A/C was great, and the ride was very smooth.  The train also ran very fast...often times keeping pace with speeding highway traffic next to us.

 

However, I did have to wait 10-12 min. just for a train to arrive at North Springs.  I ran into similar troubles last night, when I walked right onto the train, but then waited for the train to start moving for close to 15 min!  We then had to get off that train at another station, because that train was heading for servicing already (9:30pm).  We then waited another 10 min. for the next train to arrive...which apparently is quicker than normal when that happens.  That was what a guy was telling me as we were waiting for the next train...he then continued to say that "he should have expected this, at this time of night" and that "...this ain't New York or some real city; people talk like this is some real city, but it ain't."  I was just standing there as this guy continued on his rant...I did not provoke this comment.

---

 

 

Lots of parking available...great for Park/Ride, and it's very nice that they offer free daily parking (24 hours from when you enter).

 

Now we're downtown...

 

 

I liked this waterwall thing...

 

a closeup

 

 

MARTA peeking through the trees

 

Big time tourist intersection

 

 

An old (or at least old looking) building!

 

 

 

Cover your keyboard now, because it is at risk of having vomit all over it

 

Centennial Olympic Park

 

 

Georgia Aquarium in the distance

 

A couple random skyline views from the park

 

 

 

A closeup on the aquarium...

 

Tourists galore!!!

Outside of the Coca-cola place

 

Outside of the aquarium

 

Next to the park were some nice residential buildings...apparently with more on the way

 

 

That fountain area you always saw during the 1996 Olympics

 

getting some pretty heavy use

 

If you don't know what this building is, then you're an idiot (sorry, about the tone...I've been reading too much Maddox lately)

 

 

I can now add Atlanta to the list that Indy currently occupies; which is having an inferior McCormick & Schmick's to Cincinnati.

 

Note to Atlanta developers...this is how you should at least attempt to do street level portions of your buildings!  Look, more natural materials...smaller scale...inviting feel...large windows...zero setback...engaging use.

 

And I'll finish with a couple of pics while I was on my way back to the train at Peachtree Center

 

I really like this one...

I must also note that downtown had a bit of an intimidating feel to it.  Kind of a similar feel you might get in OTR, in Cincinnati.  There were all kinds of bootleg vendors, many people just loitering about, and LOTS of panhandlers.

 

If Cincinnatians really think that Cincy has a problem with panhandling then they really need to get out more.  Just about every other major city I've been to has a worse problem.  I was approached probably 5 times in a relatively short time downtown...and not only was I approached but I was followed, even with one guy telling me "I just got out of jail."  Well thanks for that enlightening detail, I think I'll be walking the opposite direction now.

 

The especially odd thing about it was that it was a tourist heavy area, and I would have expected a larger police presence to deter such behavior and reflect a better image of Atlanta to out of town tourists.  When you run into this problem in Cincinnati you're usually off the beaten path a bit, but here was a different story as I was approached in/around Centennial Park, across the street from a the Tourist Information Booth, and a block away from the Peachtree Center.

I like it. And no I'm not an idiot, that high-rise is definitely the RenCen/Marriott :) (Just kidding, I know its the Westin but designed by the same architect, no need to correct me).

I laugh at the people that go downtown and whenever they're approached by anyone (homeless, bum/crackhead,they just pretend they didn't hear them or put their head down as they're being approached. Sure way to look intimidated and therefore potentially become the subject of more hostility. Id agree d/t Cincinnati doesn't have much of that; its mostly in OTR, Short Vine, etc. I'm not surprised Atlanta has such a problem with it. Crime in general is really bad there. It's consistently one of the top 5 most dangerous cities in America.

Nice pics. Glad you were safe. I look forward to your midtown trip.

I stayed downtown a couple years ago for a convention, and my thought then was that the city was very modern--packed with contemporary architecture and lacking old structures. Your thread makes it look even worse.

Great Photos although only two include my favorite part of downtown Fairlie-Poplar:

 

 

 

 

Pope: An image or two is fine, but that amount is just rude. Next time, just start your own thread.

The building you dont know the name of is the Westin Peachtree Center.

I'm guessing you had to wait for 15 min before the train pulled off because the operator had to switch to the other end of the train. 15 min seems long though, in Cleveland I've waited as long as 10 minutes at the end-of-the-line station.

I must also note that downtown had a bit of an intimidating feel to it.  Kind of a similar feel you might get in OTR, in Cincinnati.  There were all kinds of bootleg vendors, many people just loitering about, and LOTS of panhandlers.

 

If Cincinnatians really think that Cincy has a problem with panhandling then they really need to get out more.  Just about every other major city I've been to has a worse problem.  I was approached probably 5 times in a relatively short time downtown...and not only was I approached but I was followed, even with one guy telling me "I just got out of jail."  Well thanks for that enlightening detail, I think I'll be walking the opposite direction now.

 

I went to Atlanta a few years ago when XU was in the Sweet 16.  My family and I stayed downtown, a few blocks from the arena.  We noticed the same thing with the panhandlers.  There definitely was way more than in downtown Cincy, and they were more aggressive.  Whenever someone complains about panhandling in Cincy, I always think "You should check out Atlanta if you think this is bad!" 

 

Speaking of bootlegging, some of the vendors did get in trouble for selling non-licensed college apparel while we were down there. 

^oh that little blue thing under your name is a xavier mascot, I always thought it was retarded grover.

^oh that little blue thing under your name is a xavier mascot, I always thought it was retarded grover.

 

Me to! lol

 

Also UR whats up with some of those trees in these pix, they look dead, were they?

^oh that little blue thing under your name is a xavier mascot, I always thought it was retarded grover.

 

Me to! lol

 

Also UR whats up with some of those trees in these pix, they look dead, were they?

 

Where are these 'dead' trees you speak of.  They all looked fine to me, and seem to look that way in my pics as well.

^oh that little blue thing under your name is a xavier mascot, I always thought it was retarded grover.

 

 

They were in Bullseye's post, but that they were yours. He/she may have taken those back in winter, which explains the "Dead" look.

 

Me to! lol

 

Also UR whats up with some of those trees in these pix, they look dead, were they?

 

Where are these 'dead' trees you speak of.  They all looked fine to me, and seem to look that way in my pics as well.

 

 

They were 8-12 from the bottom in Bullseye's post.

I stayed downtown a couple years ago for a convention, and my thought then was that the city was very modern--packed with contemporary architecture and lacking old structures. Your thread makes it look even worse.

 

Well a lot of the old got burned down in a 'little war'.

you mean the war of northern aggression?

Those two skyline pics are the views I have from my office.  During the week the park and surrounding area are pretty dead.

 

the picture you titled "cover your keyboards" is the atlanta merchandise mart.  You would never know it but that place is swarmed on the inside, however, there is no street activity.

 

i think the "looks kinda old" building is "pitty pats porch"

I remember the waterfall wall back during my trip to Atlanta last year.

And yea panhandlers are aggressive.  Fortunately for me I look like one of the weirdos so I don't get hassled as much.  Glad nothing happened to you Rando.

^oh that little blue thing under your name is a xavier mascot, I always thought it was retarded grover.

 

ROFLcopter.

 

Yea I thought that was some retarded muppet too.

So that's really an XU mascot!?  *Chokes back laughter*

wow uncle, great shots. however, for awhile there i thought you were in stamford, connecticut. kidding.

 

hmm, i had forgotten atlanta had a flatiron building.

 

in their behalf you can tell they are starting to work on more urban density and street level stuff. no doubt there are plenty of lessons to be learned for ohio cities and elsewhere by looking over atlanta.