The Atlanta Beltline: America's Best Urban Trail?

[@CityNerd]

You know, for the price of a trip to your local axe-throwing establishment, I bet you can get AT LEAST a year of Nebula. You can get my videos early, ad-free, sponsor-free, and without annoying comments like this one on it. Use my custom link to get 40% off an annual subscription - it really helps the channel! go.nebula.tv/citynerd

[@RandomRabbit007]

Trump WON hahahaha

[@michaelvickers4437]

To add to your list of repurposed former Sears warehouses and other department stores - Toronto has a couple: * the former main store of the Eaton's department store chain, an art deco beauty now called College Park, that features the store's lovingly restored art moderne restaurant en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_(Toronto) en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carlu * the former Simpsons, (and then Sears) warehouse, now called the Merchandise Building en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchandise_Building A bonus nearby is the brutalist inverted pyramid that served as Sears Canada's HQ en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/222_Jarvis_Street

[@julietardos5044]

@@RandomRabbit007 Everyone else lost.

[@RandomRabbit007]

@@julietardos5044 Majority of America WON .... bunch of fringe weirdos lost

[@DaCommodityWorld]

Next time u come to Atlanta. I have to meet you bro. Love your vids!!!

[@ianvega7730]

“Your time in college is often fondly remembered as a time when you could walk or bike wherever you needed to, have chance meetings with acquaintances while walking around, and can live near all the places you want to be”

[@alankoslowski9473]

It's also financially prudent. Some of the best advice I ever heard is to live like a college student as an adult. Living in a modest apartment is much less expensive than owning a house in a car dependent area.

[@yungrichnbroke5199]

That but also loads of free/flexible time outside of the

[@sunglassesemojis]

I went to Georgia Tech and that is absolutely my experience!

[@incantations446]

I wish

[@FKACrigs]

I went to GSU! Fond memories of getting pissed on, followed, and once even punched in the face 🤗

[@dominey]

Atlanta local here. THRILLED to see this video! One important thing to understand about Atlanta is that the city nearly burned to the ground -- twice. First in 1864 during the civil war, second in 1917 when a fire spread from Old Fourth Ward into downtown and surrounding areas, destroying nearly 2,000 buildings. Combine those events with the complete dismantling of an exceptional streetcar system in favor of automobiles, elected officials who prioritized suburban commuters over intown residents, and you end up with an empty shell of a city struggling to identify itself. Also, areas like Little 5 Points, Inman Park, Candler Park, and Virginia Highlands exist today because local residents fought against state efforts to plow a multilane interstate through some of Atlanta's oldest, most historic neighborhoods. The state dynamited and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings to clear a path, only to drop the project years later. That path is now Freedom Parkway and Park in downtown. By and large, Atlanta is a mostly progressive city compared to the suburbs outside the 285 interstate. People want walkability, density, bike lanes, better transit, etc. It's the reason why the Beltline took off like a rocket when it was constructed, and continues to attract loads of people and development. Locals are starved for this kind of connectivity and mobility. I could go on an on, but just wanted to share that. And thanks for coming down!

[@saratemp790]

Thanks, I did not know all that info. I mean I remember the time when Inman Park was just falling down and all the nice old houses were just basically destroyed. And it was not that long ago. And of course we have to thank the mostly rainbow community for fixing it up.

[@dkd123]

What's the local discourse around transit on the beltine? It didn't come accross in the video. I can see the demand is definitely there for more transit but also understand people love the current configuration of the beltline and want to keep it the way it is. I could also see an argument for better transit in other places around the city instead of the beltline. I'm curious what the consensus is around urbanist circles there.

[@dominey]

@ The problem is that everyone has different viewpoints of what the Beltline is for. Some see it as purely recreational, a place to take kids, walk with friends, etc. At the opposite end of the spectrum, cyclists who treat it like a racetrack, dodging and weaving. I used to use the Beltline daily, and saw countless accidents (some serious). I think that’s part of the disconnect with the proposed rail line. Also, City of Atlanta started a streetcar that runs from Centennial Park down Auburn Avenue, and for the most part, nobody rides it but the occasional tourist. Half-measures don’t work with rail. You either invest heavily and make it work, or everyone complains that it doesn’t take them where they need to go and drive instead.

[@michaellewyn4099]

1917 is probably much more important than 1864- at the time of the Civil War Atlanta was a very small place.

[@GriffenDoesIt]

Ironically, the destruction for the cancelled I-485 highway interchange made room for what is now Freedom Park and the Carter Center. Still would have liked to have the original urban fabric: Freedom Parkway is a terrible use of space, but thank God for freeway revolts.

[@cheeseborgors]

I live on the Beltline, very close to where you shot a lot of this stuff. I think a lot of your criticisms are valid - but it's walkability and ability to let me live car-free definitely outweigh a lot of the cons. One thing that I think is super interesting is that a lot of people are opposed to light rail on the Beltline because it would "ruin the park-like atmosphere." It suggests that people view it as an attraction instead of its intended purpose as a transit corridor connecting Atlanta neighborhoods.

[@calvinhosworld]

yah the people that oppose it simply don't know. I stayed in Izmir Turkey or maybe it was Istanbul anyway there was one part of the town that had a long water-front park and the linear parks that had light rail connections were completely separate from the heavy rail system of the city It went along most of the parks and it was amazing to have. And I could see it would be an exact mirror of what they are trying to do here. but if you have never seen it in practice before likely have no idea how beneficial it would be. and how for the most part it will take almost nothing away from the park-like feeling.

[@ThomasNing]

@@calvinhosworldabsolutely agree, I think people who say it would 'ruin the park-like atmosphere' either have ulterior motives, or more likely don't know what it would be like. I don't even come from a European perspective - but Melbourne Australia, and even Sydney, have trams that go through parks, and they only make the place better because they don't need excessive car parking and instead have a convenient, quiet, clean connection. It adds to the life of a place, and are arguably safer and calmer to be around than some parkgoers. 😅

[@cullenteas6096]

@@calvinhosworld even if it was an issue of residents being unable to imagine an effective, charming light rail, I think there's a general distrust in Marta, gdot, and the city of Atlanta to build effective light rail that doesn't take away from the many things the beltline has going for it. While the initial idea of building public transit along the beltline made sense, it wouldn't work with what the belt line has evolved in to

[@Gwangju1980]

I just have a strong feeling that if they put in rail it will look nothing like the rendering and the city will erect some ugly barrier to separate it from the path to avoid lawsuits. I’m thinking of west side park where they put up that 10 foot high fence to block any view of the reservoir.

[@Ponchoed]

And that's why streetcar is the better mode, it's very similar but less over engineered. European Tram like is the perfect way to describe it.

[@marknevitt1417]

A few fun facts to add to this outstanding video - 1. Krog Street Market was renovated by Tyler Perry and the home of Tyler Perry Studios before being a food hall. 2. The Eastside trail is now open alongside Piedmont Park, so there is outstanding park connectivity. 3. Atlanta City Council just passed legislation eliminating parking minimums within 1/2 mile of the Beltline. Kudos to Councilman Jason Dozier for this legislation.

[@CityNerd]

Oh that trail was closed off when I was there! And I didn't know that about Krog Street Market, yeah it's kind of hard to miss Tyler Perry's impact on parts of the city

[@starrwulfe]

@@CityNerd Don’t forget the south end of the trail which Perry is also Spearheading that will link Fort McPherson in his studio developments which includes lots of affordable housing and commercial district initiatives for what used to be in otherwise depressed neighborhood.

[@ChukwuemekaAligbe]

As an Atlanta resident, this video is so good. Atlanta needs to get its act together and embrace a future with less car dependency and embrace light rail on the BeltLine

[@stephenedwardsnyc]

Marta is replacing its trainsets. It needs to lure riders with clean, refreshed stations. No more free general lanes are being added to freeways. The Express Lanes have one purpose which is an option to pay for a 45mph+ free-flowing trip. They won't ever succumb to gridlock. Increasing the toll will keep them free-flowing forever. -------before any more rail gets built, we've got to get marta utilized much more. It's the most valuable piece of the mobility system, heavy rail is so expensive to build here today.

[@the3idiots14]

And heavy rail expansion!

[@hankglidden1463]

Here's the thing, Atlanta is the working center of Georgia. People will drive for more than an hour to work in town because that's where the best jobs are. No matter what you do the connector is going to be busy, you can make Marta 10 times more expansive and it wouldn't change anything. The reason no one uses it isn't "racism" it's because it doesn't go anywhere. It's too unprofitable to expand and not useful enough to become profitable without expansion. It's a catch-22. The result is that the best way to live is with a car. You can work around it but cars are dope, and very convenient. So yeah I'm going to stick to that.

[@dougbones7095]

The citizens have rejected MARTA a numerous of times, so lets blame them.

[@gofarbehappy]

@@hankglidden1463 It may not be the only reason, but racism definitely plays a significant role in why MARTA "doesn't go anywhere" (which I'm interpreting as why it isn't more expansive, but feel free to clarify).

[@rudeyam]

Atlanta transplant from NYC, thank you for this great video! (And all the comments from the real ATLiens!) Really helps crystallize the time/space map of my new city that I’ve been growing the last 4 years. The streetcar map really unlocked some stuff. Love your channel, keep up the great work.

[@Jsoberon]

I visited Atlanta and the Beltline in 2023 for the first time. As a South Floridan, it was mind-blowing to be able to access so many things without a car in sight. It made me seriously consider moving there.

[@dtraw9573]

My friend, if atlanta gave you those feelings, come to a real northern city and watch your mind be blown. I moved from florida to chicago for this very reason. Multiply whatever you felt about atlanta by 100

[@Jsoberon]

@dtraw9573 Unfortunately, with the state of the world, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to leave my state.

[@dtraw9573]

@@Jsoberon this last week and a half has been awful. But if anything it should make you want to get out even more from states like florida. I understand there are financial hurdles. If it is at all feasible, just know it is doable. We left all our family behind when we moved to chicago, it ended up being the best thing we ever did. The quality of life in blue states and real cities is night and day from florida. Its insane. And if you do your homework it is absurdly affordable in the right areas. I pay less for almost everything here than I did in Florida, and wages are higher here with much better worker protections to boot. Good luck to u!

[@diodelvino3048]

Jacksonville's working on something similar, the Emerald trail

[@dtraw9573]

@@diodelvino3048 jacksonville isnt built like a city at all though

[@BreaBreaBreeze]

I live here car free (very few of us here lol) and the only way I can do that successfully is by living on the beltline. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened to this city. I have access to everything- my doctors office, grocery stores, bars, restaurants, convenience shops etc all within a 5-30 min walk. I love this city + can’t imagine living anywhere else. Great city to thrive in if you’re an educated minority 💛

[@samyal8r]

If you're comfortable to answer, I'm curious to know which Beltline neighborhood you are in or if that's too specific which Beltline corridor you live nearest? (Trying to move soon and getting as much info as I can!)

[@mj_b23]

East Atlanta is where you wanna be if you want to be on the beltline. Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Midtown, Piedmont. Decatur if you want to be close to Marta. Or Brookhaven, and Buckhead. Dunwoody and East Point are further out on Marta and on opposites ends from each other. It kinda depends on what you want and what you're ok with. The further you go out from the center of Atlanta the more residential and suburban.

[@gabrielrollins3916]

"To a certain type of person there's no such thing as actual virtue, only virtue signaling" Fantastic!

[@stevengordon3271]

Pretty sure that is what organized religion is all about.

[@jKLa]

​@@stevengordon3271"conservative" highly religious people tend to be a lot like secular, neo-puritan nimby type "progressives", even if the details are different.. Both have an annoying tendency towards being remarkably self righteous and out of touch with the larger world while simultaneously thinking they are among the most socially knowledgeable... 😳🙄

[@stablechaos]

Virtue signaling is when you profess your values but don't live them. Like how Ray implies white on black racism is still rampant (citing "the election"), then visits every predominantly white neighborhood in Atlanta and skips over the predominantly black neighborhoods. Nothing to say about Bankhead? Vine city? But you could make it all the way out to Decatur?

[@maverickem09]

Q: How long will Atlanta double down on cars? A: Forever. GDOT will continually increase highway capacity and has already proposed double decking the connector, is redoing the interchanges around I-285 (the perimeter). There are threads like the Beltline, like South DT’s bike lanes that are building parallel infrastructure, but it’s eclipsed by state funding overwhelmingly going towards highways and developers building massive parking garages underneath every development.

[@stewart_crew]

I wouldn't necessarily say forever, but it would require a significant shift in political leadership at the state level.

[@Ray03595]

That’s a shame. I can’t stand needing a car to survive in a city. Atalanta looks very nice but if I’m stuck in traffic 70% of the time what’s the point

[@barrybikes]

​@@Ray03595 We've managed to be, essentially, car-free here for 17 years, but this required clear choices about jobs and housing. We're near a MARTA station (in the video at 3:58) and within a few miles of our in-town jobs. And we bike places. A lot. That part (cycling in Atlanta) was not really touched-on in the video (beyond the Beltline) but its do-able for the experienced. The wholly car-centric nature of this place, though, means dealing with heaps of poor driving and danger. And, the cycle-commute numbers here are way, way down from before the pandemic, which makes it worse for those of us who still bike commute. Last, transit here is, largely, terrible for a region of this size (like, 6.3 million people in the metro). The car obsession of the South is a tangible, every day thing here. It's ugly and we're planning a better life once we're moved. Like Florida, it's a decent place for a visit in, say, February.

[@Ponchoed]

Eventually it will hit a physical wall figuratively. How the hll do you get across 10 lanes in one direction thats bumper to bumper? They are getting close to bumping into the physical limits of roads, automobiles and auto commuting.

[@Rent-u4d]

New construction of parking garages under apartments or offices near any MARTA station should be banned.

[@josephmao5077]

Georgia Tech student here - Glad you enjoyed our campus and city!

[@tysoncodes]

The delivery robot being the worst pedestrian scene really made me cackle.

[@Prodigious1One]

Yeah, that intersection is very hard.

[@FullLengthInterstates]

Delivery robots are the sleeper technology of the 21st century. While self driving cars are always on the brink of being banned, these little guys just keep on rolling. Getting vandalized or run over, no big deal. The next logical step would be to put seats on them - disabled people who can't operate a scooter themselves instantly get a 1000% mobility boost. As they log more miles, they will be efficient enough for general use. Bye bye cars. Bye bye transit. Hello Wall-E!

[@CityNerd]

It was so strange

[@kimikiosha]

The delivery robot is being run by some dude in India with a game controller. It took 10 minutes to cross because he took a coffee break.

[@michaelduke2026]

There were a bunch of these robots wandering around downtown Berkeley a few years ago. They always seemed like lost children or box turtles stuck in the middle of a busy street.

[@rohan_christopher]

its very easy to make me cry, but i certainly wasnt expecting to tear up at a citynerd video lol. that ending was very touching

[@katobytes]

Harris Walz next to "NO RAIL ON THE BELTLINE" made me chuckle

[@onetwothreeabc]

Both Cobb and Gwinnett counties voted no for more buses while they are Dem-leaning.

[@TopHatMatt]

@@onetwothreeabcand now us Gwinetters have to deal with a shoddy bus system. Worst of both worlds…

[@jKLa]

​​@@onetwothreeabcbut those tend tobe more "moderate" dems mixed with a very large republican minority out there.

[@onetwothreeabc]

@@jKLa Harris win 56-42 in Cobbs. MSPLOST is vetoed 38-62. So about 1/3 of Harris voter voted "NO" for more buses. If you advocate for transit, you need to convince those people first.

[@jKLa]

@@onetwothreeabc that's a good point also. My point was that sort of split is typical in counties like Cobb or Gwinnett, and that strongly Democratic (party) voting residents with many "conservative" but basically neocon views (but more socially liberal) are typical of those type of areas. A lot of them were actual Republicans a couple of decades ago. These are among the sorts of Democrats who tend to be more comfortable living around actual Trump voters then around those to the left within their own party, despite voting for Harris and as long as the former are a minority who don't get out of hand. These are also the voters whom Harris was courting when she campaigned with Liz Chainy, which is frankly part of why she lost IMHO as it drove large numbers of more strongly left, would be voters to not even bother. Such anti-left Harris voters tend to be security hawks and cultural (not just neighborhood) nimbyists who are very insulated and the older ones are often stuck in the early 2000's in basic mindset, -their precise mix of fears have just changed since then. These largely affluent suburbanites (who often voted for both Bushes if they are old enough) are largely very staunch Democrats at this point but their overall set of views is increasingly unpopular with almost everyone else across the political spectrum at this point. And as officials in power, they are IMHO basically destroying the party from the inside as they have taken over it's more moderate wing...

[@r.v.b4813]

EXCELLENT!! EXCELLENT!! VIDEO!!! LOVED IT ❤ I live in the city and rarely have seen a video capture the beautiful and culture of our city neighborhoods. Thanks for including the diversity of the city you would be surprised how many people glaze over that. Job well done

[@Chrisc0Disc0]

Ever since I have been subscribed I have been waiting on you to do Atlanta. I have been to many places in the US and Although it is not the best city in the world, it is my favorite city, because it is my city. Thank you so much for visiting our city and dissecting it. I hope that as the years go on the city continues to improve.

[@React2This]

I live on the southside of Atlanta where we really need the light rail component of the Beltline. Yes it’s a great recreational trail, but with light rail I could actually USE the Beltline for grocery shopping and other errands. We don’t get bus service in my ‘hood without a substantial walk (I’m old) and a long wait in awful summer weather, so we continue to be a car-enabled intown neighborhood where a lot of people don’t own cars.

[@beltlinerailnow]

CityNerd, we love your videos from around the country and the world and when I saw this one, I was filled with excitement that you were in our 'hood and covering the urban heart of Atlanta and our transit and built environment. I wish we'd known you were coming and that you were aware of us, as we would love to show you the transit component of the Atlanta Beltline and how it fits and plugs the gaps you identify here. You've made a great showcase of Atlanta, and we'd love to give you a deeper dive and invite you to come back for another look next year. Beltline rail has been the City of Atlanta's plan for the Atlanta Beltline for 20 years plus, and the extension of the downtown streetcar to and on the Beltline to Ponce City Market is a project in final design, but in a pause as our Mayor evaluates whether it should all move forward. We appreciate your capturing some of our yard signs in your video. The battle of NIMBYism- which you catalogue so well in one of your prior videos, is alive and well here, and shown so well with some of the other cities you identify in your prior posts, and we'd love to show you more about that and the other pro and con arguments for and against transit up close and personal here in Atlanta. Take a look on our own KZbin channel, and see what local business owners have to say about why Atlanta needs Beltline rail, a 22-mile light rail loop parallel to the multi-purpose trail connecting 4 new MARTA infill stations to some of the cities hottest new destinations, with their employment, leisure, retail, and parks, but also to some of its most transit-dependent neighborhoods. Keep up the great work!

[@cheeseborgors]

we love you, @beltlinerailnow!

[@djjball]

@@beltlinerailnow Love you. It’s a project that should have been done when I moved here three years ago

[@Chris.from.1950]

Anything that “has been the plan for 20 years” without any legal commitment or real action Is Not Really The Plan. It’s a diversion to keep the proles quiet while “the real people / the players in the big game” Cash The F In. 😐

[@CityNerd]

Yeah would love to come back soon, there was so much on my list that I missed because I ran out of time, not to mention stuff that's interesting to me but that didn't even get on my list in the first place!

[@TopHatMatt]

Ugh, NIMBYism sucks. I’m from Gwinnett and the county and MARTA were planning to extend lines up to Duluth. Unfortunately, the plan died after a referendum where /juuust/ over half of Gwinnetters voted No against expansion. Because dealing with 85 is much better.

[@tvguts]

Nice to see my hometown again!!! I love the MARTA, even if the stops aren't always super convenient. As someone without a car, it really felt like you could go anywhere in the city-- as long as you were prepared for a long, long walk.

[@calvinhosworld]

WOOOOWWWW!!!! LOCAL ATLANTAN 26 year resident........I am only 1/3 of the way through the video and I don't know what I was thinking but no way I thought CN could be as thorough on ATLANTA as the video already is. I've been looking forward to this video for nearly 2 years now and I seriously can't believe someone who has only been here less than a week (a simple snap-shot) but somehow literally covered everything I value and dislike about Atlanta and more in only the first 3rd of the video. Finished: ok I still can't believe the amount of the story of ATL CN covered. There are people who have lived in Metro Atlanta over 30 years and have no clue about most of the information and neighborhoods that were covered here. He even went into many of the proposed plans that locals have been debating for years. The only thing that maybe could have been shown were Summerhill (but I think he may have mentioned it before), Morningside, or Virginia Highland neighborhoods. but otherwise......Crazy good video.

[@saratemp790]

So true right? He definitely listened to people to figure out where to go. The only thing he missed was Virginia Highlands retail area, also maybe East Atlanta square, and I think he would have liked both of those, but that's not a biggie, since he saw so much else.

[@scpatl4now]

@@saratemp790 Yeah, East Atlanta Village seems like a miss, but you can only go so many places in limited time

[@saratemp790]

​@@scpatl4nowI agree he did very well for his first time exploring.

[@calvinhosworld]

​​@@saratemp790Exactly! That's right I forgot about East Atlanta. how could I since I live in Grant Park 😂, Yes for sure he should have passed thru!!

[@ApatLang]

@@calvinhosworld ikr he went to Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown, EAV is right next door lol

[@jeffboatright]

My wife and I have lived in Decatur/Atlanta since 1984, so we have many "go to" places. One of the neat things about the Beltline is wandering it on a sunny day, popping into the shops and cafes that front it, some of which are old (by Atlanta standards), only to find that you've just walked through what used to be the back door of an old favorite. It's both delightful and somewhat disorienting simultaneously.

[@chefbuff]

As an NYC transplant in ATL I have been waiting for you to cover the Beltline for some time! Appreciate your optimism on this project and Im looking forward to how the Beltline continues to shape the city. Now if only we could work on some Marta penetration into the more popular suburbs. Unlikely but dreamers can dream

[@rongreen8962]

I really enjoyed this episode. As one who came up in the Jim Crow South, I appreciate your continuing to call out the bro-consciousness that often accompanies acknowledgment of our urban development and redevelopment patterns.

[@LarryWeinreb]

Atlantic Station was a superfund project site that cleaned up the old Atlantic Steel site that was a blight at the north end of the connector for decades. Growing up here in the 1970's and 80's...Decatur, O4W and nearby areas were run down. I think the city (and area) has done a great job bringing back the city. The Olympic Park took the place of endless abandoned / dilapidated warehouses...where the metro area really shines is the walking trails - to the NW, the Silver Comet Trail is a former rail line that is a 60 plus mile trail that goes all the way to Alabama border, and the Big Creek trail goes from Roswell up to Cumming.

[@Chris.from.1950]

“where the metro area really shines is the walking trails…” Now that is the saddest commentary I’ve seen under this video, but it may also be the quintessential Outside The Perimeter point of view on the city itself, and, actually, on the current showpiece, The Beltway, which is, functionally, for the most part, Just Another Walking Path.

[@Rent-u4d]

I always wonder why Atlantic "Station" has no station...

[@MJBitcoin]

Silver Comet Trail - AMAZING❤❤❤

[@tommarney1561]

Fun fact: The reason why Inman Park-Reynoldstown station is where it is is that it's astride the route of the East Atlanta Tollway, which would've been part of an extension of GA 400 to what's now I-675. There was to be a busway in its median serving the enormous Thomasville Homes public housing project, and IP-R station would've given it access to MARTA rail. The highway was canceled, but the station location remained the same-- moving it to Krog Street was a much less appealing idea in the mid seventies. I was afraid I'd be disappointed with this video, but my fears were misplaced. 😊 Oh, by the way: Working for a construction company, I did the layout for all those curved walls and stuff at Fourth Ward Park. It's the coolest thing I've ever worked on.

[@ItsMeHammie]

I moved to Atlanta 3 years ago. I love the Beltline. It offers so much accessibility and gives a great excuse to get out, commute by bike or just go and get exercise in an outdoor environment where everyone else is. I also recently started using MARTA. While limited it's still an affordable way to get to downtown and elsewhere and avoid traffic and the hassle of parking.

[@saratemp790]

Trust me, if you had seen Atlanta even 15 years ago you wouldn't even recognize it today. Pretty much everything you've seen in those areas are redeveloped or new. There was pretty much nothing before. I really think Atlanta has a lot of potential, as they are going to fill in all those areas more.

[@scpatl4now]

Think about the 4th Ward even 10 years ago. It was one of the scariest parts of town in the city and now no one can afford to live there.

[@saratemp790]

​@@scpatl4nowyeah if he had gone before and seen what it was, I think he would appreciate it more now, even if it's some of it is kind of that fake new urbanism. But even fake new urbanism is better than just miles of blight.

[@Doomer253]

@@scpatl4now I miss those days. Fun AF, give me ghetto block parties at 2am over Axe Throwing anyday.

[@scpatl4now]

@@Doomer253 ...or 24 hour bars. I remember when those were a thing too

[@adamfickle732]

@@Doomer253 Edgewood Ave still fits that vibe more than anywhere Old 4th (specifically the corner of Hilliard st and Edgewood. Also Hilliard and Auburn). Not even close to what it once was, but it carries the legacy and old school patrons more than most of the redeveloped neighborhoods.

[@JoshGreen-u6e]

We're all fortunate to be living in Atlanta right now. Bravo on capturing that (shortcomings and all) in such a brief visit. Not mentioned: 10 months of agreeable if not wonderful weather. And almost all of the 22-mile Beltline loop will be complete in a couple of years, kicking the transformation of this gorgeous, diverse, flawed, and endlessly promising urban environment into overdrive.

[@harrybgreat]

Hey, I’m currently an atl local enrolled as a student at gsu right in the atlanta city. One thing you just can’t capture in some of these shots are the people you see, and how different we are from one another! Yet we all still fall under that strange atliens label!! Awesome video!

[@kuni2330]

Atlanta looks nicer than I expected. More infill stations please!

[@barrybikes]

It *is* sorta nice here, especially the weather from November through April. But. Getting around without a car is a daily chore and discouraged by most of the infrastructure. And we live in Decatur right by a MARTA station. A few bubbles (like Decatur and the Old Fourth Ward/Midtown) lend themselves to walking and biking. But the cost of a car is part of the deal here. Oh, and these "infill stations" will see the light of day in, I dunno, 2050 or so. There's no money for them, and this is the South.

[@Ponchoed]

Imagine infill MARTA stations combined with Beltline rail... that will be a gamechanger. Plus MARTA has very good bus transfers built into MARTA rail stations, among the best in the US, hopefully we will see those here on the infill stations.

[@seeatlanta1408]

that bogus announcement that Mayor Dickens and his administration so boldly made about new infill stations should have come with a laugh track playing behind it.

[@djjball]

I can’t believe you were in Atlanta and actually came to my home city in Decatur. I moved here 3 years ago and your assessment of Atlanta was the same as mine.

[@llamamama75]

As a former restaurateur, I definitely disagree with you about foodhalls... Considering the barrier to entry for a new restaurant, having places where a new concept can be tested out without the need for separate premises or incredibly expensive food-truck licensing is really important in the development of _non_ chain restaurants. Whether a chain is to be admitted to a food hall is certainly a matter of policy on a hall-by-hall basis. I haven't been to Atlanta since the 90s; I've lived in Toronto now since 2005, and have definitely had good group meals at our food halls here, since each member of the party can make their own choices about what to eat, and most stalls provide those blinky pager things so you'll know when to come get your food. It's totally possible that starting a restaurant in Atlanta -- a normal, standalone one -- is way less expensive than it was for me in Toronto. It's also possible that creating and licensing a cart or a food truck is a lot less expensive there. In Toronto, it was recommended to me to start with a food truck. But a food truck would have cost a quarter-million dollars just for the vehicle, so it was far, far more expensive than setting up a brick-and-mortar restaurant. People think food should cost next-to-nothing, but think nothing of charging upwards of $50/sf per month in rent.

[@treeboi]

I'll add that food halls are the best place to eat with friends or as a family, since many friends are picky about the food they'll eat. Plus, each stall tends to sell a different variety of beer/wine, which turns it into a great late night bar, that just happens to also serve good food. As a single, okay, it can be lacking, but with friends, it's a great place to both eat and drink.

[@sympathetic_crustacean]

As someone living in Singapore, I can't imagine living without food halls (or hawker centres, as they're known here). You get diverse offerings in one place, with lower prices because rent is cheaper and you're not paying servers. Food halls shouldn't replace restaurants but they should exist as an option alongside them. Another thought: they're also great for workers who have to be in one location 5 days a week and want diversity.

[@FullLengthInterstates]

Food halls are great for distributing demand in a way that discrete stores just can't. Competing restaurants are never going to implement mutual load sharing and would rather give bad experiences to impatient guests. Food courts the lines are clearly visible.

[@Zariel_999]

As a vegetarian, I love food halls! There's gotta be at least 1 out of these 20 restaurants that doesn't put meat in everything 😆 I really like Ponce City Market but hate driving through Midtown traffic to get there. It would take me an hour to get there on public transit.

[@johntousseau9380]

I visit Atlanta every year at the end of summer for Dragoncon. I’m always impressed with the city.

[@Doomer253]

No Magic City!? not even a stop for Lemonpepper wings! Dang!

[@madnessofmen]

Atlanta is the city I'd love to live in the most, a reliable public transit system, a place that's really fun to explore, I've just never had a bad time going to Atlanta.

[@Gadinski]

As an Atlanta native, I think you did an awesome job getting a good feel for the city and it's funny contradictions in the short time you were there! My biggest complaint with getting around Atlanta has always been how islanded different destinations feel. You might be able to get 80% of the way there via public transit / biking / walking... but that last 20% will feel like playing FROGGER in real life. Progress on the beltline is going great... but we are coming up on 25 years since a new Marta Station has been built. Hawks, Falcons, and Atlanta United Games are easily accessible via public transit but the Braves Stadium was moved to a location with no public transit... The density being built in and around midtown is so refreshing... but it's hard to not get priced out of these areas if you are not pulling in the big bucks. Hopefully the arc of better modality in Atlanta will continue to bend towards the right direction! Cheers :)

[@allisonbrown7325]

Lived in Atlanta my whole life, went to Georgia Tech, live downtown now- thank you for visiting our city and highlighting the wonderful things about it! Atlanta is easy to crap on, our transit it kind of sad, car dependent, traffic is awful. But there are so many beautiful things here and it is a VERY different city than it was 20 years ago. Growing up, Marta was seen as gross, but more and more people are using it now. Even in your video mentioning 10-15m wait on weekends is new- two years ago I waited 25 minutes for a train on a Sunday. People use it to go to events or the airport, or students at Tech or GSU. Many of the towns along the lines are building infrastructure around their stations for people to utilize it more, but ultimately still a car city. This will change as it gets more and more crowded, and at least we have the heavy rail infrastructure we have. The Beltline is absolutely worth a highlight- we are so lucky to have something like that to get out and enjoy our city. Growing up here in the 90s as everyone flocked to the suburbs just to have access to things exactly like this. Now we don't have to choose (we just have to pay- those beautiful houses you feature are all easily 1.5M. Don't worry the homes in Alpharetta are just as expensive just 5x the size. Make it make sense.) Thank you for highlighting downtown Atlanta as well, I hope that in another 20 years we see more foot traffic and businesses in those beautiful buildings to kind of counteract the midtown modern monstrosities. Right now it kind of feels like we all just gave up on downtown and made midtown the new Atlanta, but there is so much potential there. I hope Centennial Yards and a lot of the work GSU is doing turns that around. In the same way Piedmont Park and Georgia Tech anchor Midtown. Come back any time! Agree with other commenters that University Station is worth a visit, also understanding how the Beltline project has effected those communities, good and bad. I have long loved this city and am so glad to see more love coming its way- just keep the tourists to the aquarium and such! :)

[@elijahharrison4164]

I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am that an urbanist with your national profile cared to engage so deeply with my city. Thank you for showering us with love and thoughtful reflection, as opposed to condemning us to the car-dependent wastes as most feel it is sufficient to do. This city has so much potential and the work you and your unofficial colleagues are doing has helped me realize that.

[@ColorNerdChris]

20:10 That's not just any Kroger, that's MURDER KROGER. I used to work in the office building attached, and this Kroger is the only one I have seen with a wine bar (at least pre COVID it did).

[@astewart1900]

38-year in town Atlanta resident here. So sad that Kroger wants to disown the popular local name for this store. I mourn it, used to shop at it.

[@Wordviews]

This is so funny. We have a "Murder Kroger" in Denton, Texas as well.

[@ColorNerdChris]

@@astewart1900 Kroger tore down the old one hoping the moniker would go with it.

[@NShomebase]

It still has a bar window, you can walk right up to it from the Beltline.

[@cincybengals101]

I went to Atlanta for the first time outside of the airport (which I'd been to tens of times) last month. I was blown away by the Beltline. Teeming with energy and felt very safe. I loved it. Also got to check out some of the hipster areas like Little Five Points. I really fell in love with the city after just a day of walking around.

[@barrybikes]

Yep. Nice place to visit. Weather's OK, too, if you don't count May to November. Living here, though . . . better count one car per person as part of the cost.

[@BBSplat]

I moved to Atlanta earlier this year. It's my first time living in a city, and I have to say, it's totally wild to see places I walk by regularly in a youtube video!

[@jimpern]

As a long-time resident of suburban Marietta, I love this look at parts of Atlanta I've never been to and, in some cases, never heard of! I take MARTA to the downtown sports venues and to the airport, but the problem is that I have to drive 25 minutes just to get to a MARTA station to start my trip! (At the outset, counties had to vote whether to join MARTA, and only Fulton and Dekalb Counties voted in. Cobb County has its own bus system that does connect to MARTA, but I still find it usually faster to drive to a station.) You did show places I'd like to visit, if only it was easier to get there. And I love food halls (really, the replacement for shopping mall food courts); we have a good one in Marietta Square Market, which you ought to visit.

[@orpal]

As a vegan I love food halls so much for lunch with coworkers or Omni friends. At leasts in Denver there's always a good vegan option in like 7 restaurants vs hoping that one restaurant can cater to me.

[@poochyenarulez]

yea, thats what i was thinking. I like food halls since there are more options and everyone can get what they want.

[@charlienyc1]

​@@poochyenarulezYep, for food and drink!

[@nathandaven]

Yes!! The Atlanta cityvisit!! You did great here hitting a lot of the exciting stuff. I do wish you touched more on our transit projects - BL rail, brt, etc, especially with your platform. but there really is so much happening here! Really liked the flow of this video tho. Hope next time to have a public event!!

[@kylemontgomery9851]

I think City Nerd just revealed to everyone he is from Ohio. He called a Kroger a ‘Krogers’. As someone who grew up in Georgia and lived in Atlanta for 10 years (and Ohio for 5 years) I loved your video. Very accurate assessment. The Beltline trail will be complete in another 5 years!

[@matiasgrioni292]

He's from Seattle and grew up there, in case you were serious. But Krogers is a common thing to hear in Ohio definitely

[@themcbobgorge]

I agree auto infrastructure is pretty grimy but the NYC subway takes the cake for urban grit. I think it's just transit infrastructure in general in this country

[@dvanmartin9842]

If you want urban living in the South that is creative and diverse, The ATL is the number one choice. I am grateful that I live here in Decatur.

[@reenakemp9132]

I was born and raised in Brookhaven , lived there 36 years (last 10 years I've been in Gatlinburg TN) , went to Dekalb County schools. There now a Costco where my childhood house use to be on Hermance Dr by Oglethrope U.

[@KyleQPants]

Thank you!! A Krog St MARTA station is desperately needed

[@thomas_delaney]

The mayor announced plans a couple months ago to add a station there

[@RandomRabbit007]

Isn't it amazing that Trump WON so big? .... The Senate, the House, Supreme Court ... Gonna be an AMAZING 4 years!!

[@scpatl4now]

@@thomas_delaney Good luck with that. He announced it right as he was saying we needed to pause on Beltline rail. No on at MARTA even knew what he was talking about. Smoke and Mirrors diversion at its finest.

[@seeatlanta1408]

@@thomas_delaney lmao, that announcement should have come with a laugh track playing behind it.

[@mambamba]

Atlanta is a great city with lots of potential, it is evolving rapidly. For me is good to live in such cities with visible growth and evolution. Hopefully public transportation will be heavily invested on in the future.

[@mikehawkins4752]

I live in Decatur and I love it. It's a small town surrounded by the big city. I have a Marta station close by that I can take to downtown Atlanta or the airport.

[@bishoptatum8737]

As someone who use to live in Atlanta and follow your content I was super excited to see your take on Atlanta. I moved back to Houston ( which you covered as well) in 2017 and I still wish I would have stayed in Atlanta. Yes Atlanta has many problems just like any city but out of all the sunbelt cities in the southern region( including Texas) Atlanta is my favorite city. It’s such a contradiction yet the urbanism it does have beats cities like Houston, Dallas, Charlotte and Phoenix. I also think ITP ( Inside the Perimeter) has a bright future creating more walkability and connectivity in the urban core. I just hope it doesn’t become even more expensive and displace the heart and soul of the city.

[@natekite7532]

I saw a video by the original creators of the beltline -- they considered their project a massive failure. Why? Their goal was to connect the communities of ATL together. When the project was complete, prices shot up and those existing communities got pushed out -- no connection. I have to admit that this frustrates me. How are we supposed to make progress towards liveable, walkable cities if we're concerned about pricing people out? If we build walkable infrastructure in poor neighborhoods, they will be gentrified, but if we build it in rich neighborhoods, liveable environments will continue to be unaffordable. There isn't a clear answer here. But I hope the city finds a way to continue these urbanist developments -- they're massively popular and they make me excited for the future of my city.

[@cmh8241]

@@natekite7532 Not sure if it'll be enough, but the city is trying to incentivize affordable housing along the Beltline so that the South and Southwest stretches of the Beltline don't become as gentrified as the Eastside www.atlantaga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/15246/672?selcat=1

[@sabhighton]

In our ATL you are 50% more likely to get in a car accident. So MARTA’s problems are even more of a tragedy

[@frogdoctor9148]

And 100% more likely to blow a 28-3 lead 😂😂😂

[@The_Catalyzt]

@@frogdoctor9148 That game put me off football forever. Seriously, I don't even watch football anymore. Anyway go falcons

[@gloofisearch]

LOL, "I took the bird app from the list". Kudos to you. Well done. Love your content.

[@lenettesperspective7018]

I’ve lived in Atlanta for decades and I feel you did a great job accessing the city, and addressing the problems with Marta especially! If we don’t provide better public transportation the city will not continue to improve.

[@Jetliner]

Losing it at the robot segment taking up nearly an entire minute of the video. Well earned.

[@6MAJORXWEIGHT6]

Ha, you just showed my life for the past 6 years. I’ve been going to every single one of these places. I’m here now

[@erik-megarad]

I moved away from Atlanta about 10 years ago to live in San Francisco. This was a fantastic video as a former resident to see what has changed (and SO MUCH has changed!). It's also really notable how clean Atlanta is compared to SF and Oakland. I also love that they've continued to lean into street art- when I was in my 20s a lot of my friends were trying really hard to get those commissions, and it really helped to lay a baseline interest in public art in the city. Say what you will about transportation, style, commercialism, and bougieness- I think that Atlanta is doing some things right when it comes to livability.

[@psedoali]

ATL MARTA IS THE WAY IT IS because of racism. When Marta was being built each surrounding county had a chance to vote on extending it to their areas. The last white ATL mayor, Sam Massell, literally got in a helicopter with a bullhorn to pitch it in a referendum. The mayor had foresight that the area was growing fast and if they didn’t vote yes the area would be mired in gridlock even with freeway expansion. The external counties - which were predominantly white didn’t want blacks to have easy access to their suburbs. They all voted it down in resounding fashion. The system is only in Fulton and dekalb which at the time had begun to exert more black political influence amidst a growing black population. Ironically fast forward a little over 2 decades into the late 90s more black population moved to those areas and gained influence. The system is good but needs more coverage in the metro area. It would probably be best to have a mixed system with light rail. Unfortunately car culture doctrine is ingrained and although people do think differently now, it may be hard to get federal funding given the new administration’s ideology on freeway expansion and anti mass transit doctrine.

[@Doomer253]

The one time Nimbys did anything that gave black people power. We took the city from there. Thanks Nimbys!

[@condorb7756]

Did you ever consider it could be a crime issue and not a race issue

[@Doomer253]

@@condorb7756 You kidding right? Atlanta has rich old money black neighborhoods as well. They didnt isolate themselves, but certain 'Folks' did.

[@Doomer253]

@@condorb7756 How about you grab a Map and History book. Find it yourself. smh

[@condorb7756]

@@Doomer253 Care to share a real world example? Is there any definitive proof this is not just a wealth disparity issue.

[@dredoo1]

West Midtown resident and Cobb County kid here. So excited to hear you call out the Trolley Barn in Inman Park. We got married there! Met at Gatech! What a cool video!!

[@JBruff]

For Atlantic Station, the MARTA Arts Center Station is a free shuttle ride or 5-10 minute walk away. And there are bus stops throughout Atlantic Station. It would be awesome to get actual rail under/through it, however, of course. Living there was incredibly walkable. Very easy to go car-free, unlike many of the supposedly walkable neighborhoods in Atlanta. And I appreciate the comments about the diversity in Atlantic Station. It's a much different feeling than some of the more popular neighborhoods, which makes one wonder about why some people prefer the other neighborhoods.

[@gacaptain]

I remember when they were building Atlantic Station they originally had planned to build a light rail or street car train from the Arts Center Station across the 17th street bridge to it but that fell through. They turned the space allocated for it on the bridge to a bus lane instead. The free trolley works well though and it's pretty frequent. Good to have during the hot summer months.

[@Ponchoed]

Agreed. Also Ponce City Market has a free shuttle. Noticed the big Fourth Ward development on the Beltline provides tenants a shuttle to MARTA. I think the shuttles are telling of the value many businesses see in MARTA rail for customers/tenants, and a lack of faith in the bus system (which i didn't find too bad).

[@Chris.from.1950]

I think people might prefer “other neighborhoods” because they are actually Neighborhoods. Atlantic Station is a development, not a neighborhood.

[@rpater306]

I live in Candler Park, and I'm happy to report that the new historic district restrictions were rejected by a majority of neighborhood residents. It needed a supermajority to pass anyways. The zoning is still restrictive and sucks, but at least it isn't stuck that way permanently now.

[@ADPuckey]

great video, it does a good job of showing the beauty and promise of this city while being clear about its problems. I cannot overstate how much of an impact the beltline has had on my life. at the beginning of this year I was struggling and often alone, so I started hanging out there a lot. i would walk to cabbagetown and back to piedmont park, eventually got to know lots of people in the rollerblading community there (fascinating, extremely fun people to be around) so I started doing that, got in great shape. I became really close with one of my friends who lived on the beltline, and i started seeing her roommate (it didn't work out in the long term but i look back on it really fondly), so I was there all the time. It changed my whole relationship with this city, and I'm about to move next to it for one more year before I leave. so I'm sympathetic to the argument that the beltline is more of a park than a corridor. the atmosphere is really special. but I do think, if done right, a european-style tram would be awesome. and you make a really good point about how annoying the walk is from the marta platforms to the outside world. I rode marta every day for 2 years and honestly never identified that as one of my frustrations, but as soon as I went to new york it was obvious. those minutes really add up.

[@markdyer6322]

I've seen a lot of videos on Atlanta and this is one of the best ones I've seen

[@jackjohnson3024]

I grew up in Oakhurst! Moving from there to a more typical postwar suburb and hating it was what got me into urbanism. Atlanta has a lot to love, but it has mountains to climb before it can unshackle itself from its car dependency.

[@jordanremington]

I moved to the Atlanta suburbs a year ago but am in the city nearly everyday and it really bummed me out I wasn't able to use Marta. And you're 100% right, ATL traffic is the absolute worst anywhere I've ever been.

[@stevengordon3271]

My main quibble with Atlanta as a visitor over the years is the confusion caused by repetitive street names. Good luck finding the right Peach Tree before phone GPS.

[@Doomer253]

That's real. lol

[@frogdoctor9148]

Also the falcons are pretty bad

[@Doomer253]

@@frogdoctor9148 Win or lose, I'll always stick with the Falcons.

[@andrewhaywood1262]

Lest we forget that Peachtree Industrial Boulevard got the middle part of its name lopped off. Bravo, Doraville.

[@rhettwalker4173]

@@andrewhaywood1262 will always be PIB in my book.

[@Avaholic96]

Before this video, I wanted to visit ATL. Now I REALLY wanna visit ATL!

[@ClaySilvia]

I moved to the north end of Atlanta recently, and it's been nice, but I see room for improvement too. I'm a 10 minute walk from a MARTA station, and it'll take me basically anywhere I'd like to go with a little bit of walking or the use of an electric scooter. access to State Farm Arena for basketball games and concerts is incredible, too.

[@grimacester]

Food halls are great for eating in group, you don't have to get everyone to decide on a location or even food type. Better even when they are "anchor stores" on larger walk-able areas.

[@artano2582]

I live in Greater Washington, and i really wish MARTA got more love. Beltline will help. I was recently in ATL for a conference, and i really wish i couldve gotten to more places other than the airport via MARTA. Getting to the GWCC was nice, but most of the other places i wanted to go to was on the other side of the city, with little transit to get there

[@damonaverette]

As an Atlanta native, I always love to hear the perspectives of outsiders who know what to look for. I do also want to defend Atlantic Station (can't believe I said that). Even within my lifetime, that land was toxic brownfields that, even after a multi-year cleanup effort, they weren't able to build directly on top of. I always thought it was a bit clever that they chose to hide the necessary parking for life in Midtown and treat that as the buffer between the ground and people.

[@Transitlanta]

I’m not sure if you’ll see this, but this is an incredible video that does a great overall job summarizing so many different parts of this cities urban form and history. You really did an incredible job with this Ray, and we appreciate it so much. Transit advocacy in Atlanta has been fizzling out, especially with the election, but this vid does a really great job showcasing what’s been accomplished. I’m hoping the next generation of transit advocates through these next 4 years can carry the torch on regional rail, infill, land use, zoning reform, bus reform, and so much more. Love from atl ❤❤❤

[@alacava]

Atlanta Local here and have live here for 11 years now. By far one of the most accurate videos on Atlanta and this topic. Excellent level of research and understanding of what is happening, you hit facts that I would only expect locals to know. Great work. Love the channel.

[@nagol37]

I live in Atlanta and I went to the beltline for the first time recently and it’s so nice

[@SugarfreeSailor7]

Absolutely loved the video. ATL resident and I approve 100%. Captured the struggle living in town nicely while recognizing the good. Virginia Highland was the gleaming gem you missed though. Just a scoot off of the beltline and the place where Buckhead comes when they want to walk and where NIMBY babies are made.

[@jonhowe2960]

"NIMBY babies" 😂🎯

[@SugarfreeSailor7]

@@jonhowe2960I’m telling you, I think we have heavy NIMBY tendencies but I get it, it’s hard to see change when you got a good thing going. I’m down for some density as long as I can see less parking lots in front of businesses! Got some NIMBY stories?

[@jonhowe2960]

@@SugarfreeSailor7 No, I'm rather immune out here in the suburbs of Douglas county, all tickytaks but on half acre lots, so not the best, but also not a living hell.

[@illtrill]

As a resident of a Atlanta metro southern suburb (Peachtree City) parking at MARTAin College Park and taking the train into Atlanta is quite convenient. Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Decatur as well, all easily accessible, but many of the neighborhoods visited in the video, not so much.

[@christiannahuber2201]

Inman park was almost taken out via eminent domain. If you notice the park areas flowing off of Freedom park towards the marta station, just realize that all of the was housing until GDOT decided to bulid a mega Stone Mountain highway. This lead to a multi decade fight between the state and the neighborhoods which ended up with Freedom Park as the compromise.

[@ardentfrost]

The Kroger you showed on the Beltline is (affectionally) referred to as "Murder Kroger." A few years ago they completely tore it down and rebuilt it and tried to rebrand it as "Beltline Kroger." Needless to say, that rebranding didn't stick. It is and will always be Murder Kroger.

[@Doomer253]

Murder Kroger will always be Murder Kroger.

[@Ponchoed]

Ah a East Coast version of Psycho Safeways!

[@JoMo4Sho]

the new development is more of a Live/Work/Murder Kroger

[@lindseyhill3652]

Important to note it’s called murder Kroger because of the murder and all. Not just cuz

[@bossK78]

Nah. That was on Moreland. They closed that years ago.

[@rickkraske3374]

Thanks! I am retiring in less than 2 years and would love to get your take on top urban locations to live a car-free retirement. Important topics would be housing costs, timely, reliable public transportation, and access to quality healthcare. Portland is top on my list followed by Minneapolis and Denver. Boston, NYC and Philly are either too far from family or too expensive or both.

[@CityNerd]

Those are good choices!

[@the3idiots14]

I’m glad you finally made it here. I have many thoughts about the video but you did great with 24 minutes of content. There’s so much more to see and explore within city limits that tell the whole story. I hope you can return to dive deeper on the story of Atlanta which is a rarely discussed one but one of much importance.

[@macbookpro57]

I used to live in Atlanta and as long as you lived close to one of the lines, the Marta was great, especially getting to the airport. I rarely felt unsafe compared to most other subway/light rail systems in the US. And yes the traffic was some if the worst and most stressful I’ve ever experienced, but of course they won’t invest more in the subway lines, because America… Where I live has zero subways/light rail and I really miss the convenience.

[@bricfa]

Nebula crew here to watch it again 😁

[@Laszlo429]

How much does it cost? Worth it?

[@thomas_delaney]

@@Laszlo429it’s pretty inexpensive for how much you get. I bought for Wendover / Jetlag years ago, city nerd is the icing on top

[@djarisztid]

@@Laszlo429 I signed up with Curiosity Stream back when their bundle with Nebula was available and appear to be grandfathered in (despite hearing it was supposed to go away?). So I pay $40/yr for both. Nebula alone looks to be $30/yr advertised right now. IMHO that's still worth it, lots of good creators to binge ad-free, and cheap compared to nearly every other streaming service.

[@RandomRabbit007]

@@Laszlo429 Of-course it's not worth it. But hey throw-away your money however you like!!

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

​@@Laszlo429i like a lot of the originals that they have there

[@demetriusevans4139]

This is the first time I've seen a video that made Atlanta seem like a decent place to live.

[@thepeppypepper]

Beltline rail needs to get built ASAP!

[@josands6285]

Construction starts next year!

[@thomasmcwhirter975]

@@josands6285 did you see an official announcement about that? asking because it was supposed to be DONE this year, so I'm weary of it actually happening until I see shovels in the ground.

[@travismorgan3252]

I'm afraid that the driver-less pod/car option will be adopted instead. Which we all know, would be a disaster compared to the rail option.

[@josands6285]

@@thomasmcwhirter975 You might be thinking of the final studies which were always planned to be done this year. Atlanta still needs to actively push until shovels are in the ground or really until riders are riding the rail, but as of 2024 light rail is still on schedule.

[@cullenteas6096]

No, build the infill station by the Krog tunnel and let the beltline continue to thrive as is.

[@hassenfepher]

Thank you for this insight, it’s given me a little bit of hope on some of the places I can be in Atlanta. I’ve come from South Florida, where the culture is super different. It is so far south that it’s not “the south“ anymore That said I’m noticing an uncomfortable amount of self segregation in the city. It seems to be the kind of things that have just been bred in generation after generation are still kind of there and nobody notices that they do It. Trying to fit into a neighborhood, used to mean walking into any community and having a good time. Im finding out that “I’m not like them” and it is discouraging and uncomfortable. I’m going to swing by that belt line and give it a look. this video has earned you a subscribe, sir.🙏🏻

[@chipgross287]

Great video and thanks for coming to ATL. Loved the candidness and you covered a lot of ground literally and proverbially.

[@bobsykes]

The Decatur burb looks amazing! Going by nothing but this overview, that would be my favorite place to live in Atlanta.

[@saratemp790]

It's where a lot of medical personnel from Emory medical center live.

[@barrybikes]

It has become so . . . a favorite to many. What he does not mention is that it's a 15 minute MARTA trip to five points from the Decatur station. So, that's a big plus. And, there's a free shuttle (though highly traffic dependent) from downtown to the Emory University/Centers for Disease Control corridor on Clifton Rd. So some connectivity is pretty good. Biking places is another matter, tough. It's very, very warm here from May to November. And it's hilly. Otherwise, it's filling-up with young people who seem to want walkable places to live.

[@greenbrown7776]

Decatur is indeed amazing. And pricey.

[@CloudsAreAwesome]

Thanks for taking me on a trip down memory lane! Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we lived in Cobb County, which was known back then as the ‘other side of the moat’ from Atlanta. But I still made regular trips into the city, both with my parents and later when I got my driver’s license at 16. I used to go with my dad to the Sears warehouse, which is now called the Ponce City Market. It was just a big warehouse back then. My dad would order something by phone, usually a part for our Kenmore appliances. Then we’d drive down to the warehouse to pick it up. I still remember the dull green hallways and the small pick-up window, through which I could see an enormous scale. Very soon after MARTA first opened in the 70s, I happened to be at Oakland Cemetery with my camera. (I had a driver’s license now.) Some tourists in a car from South Carolina stopped me and asked me if the train was part of an amusement park and where they could find the entrance. I also used to drive to the old Carnegie library, which was very close to the Merchandise Mart you mentioned. Parking was a breeze, and I got a chance to practice parallel parking. My Cobb classmates couldn’t believe I survived! Sigh. I also liked to visit the grounds of the public water works in the same area as now known as the West Side Provisions, or something like that. They had pretty park-like grounds and a great view of the old downtown. Back then, I-75 was new, with its two lanes from the northwest merging with two I-85 lanes from the northeast to form the three lanes of ‘the connector.’ Three lanes right through the heart of the city, including Auburn Avenue. Guess the main purpose was demolition. I’m glad you didn’t mention the Varsity or, worse, that the thing labeled the “streetcar.” As you probably noticed, most MARTA stations don’t serve the surrounding area or support development. The “museum” stop is a great example. The streetcar follows the same pattern: built only because “great cities” have streetcars and transit lines. Since Atlanta is a “great city,” they always said, it too must have two streetcars and transit lines. The idea that they should be integrated with dense development would never cross anybody’s mind. Does the State still completely refuse to provide financial assistance to MARTA? But most of all, I felt a bit saddened by all the missed opportunities over the decades, driven largely by a state political system built and operated largely for the purpose of isolating Atlanta. So I’m pleased that I “sorted” myself out of there, to a very walkable city in the Pacific Northwest, hopefully never to return. (Driving there just might give me a heart attack.)

[@runwithjon]

I've run all over the world, especially around the USA, and have told a lot of people that the Piedmont Park to Krog Street section of the trail is the best urban running trail that I know of. Sure, you'll have to stop a few times - it's not Central Park - but I was there on a beautiful afternoon in April and it was full of life... happy hours, DJ sets, people making art, etc. They did go a bit above and beyond to make it bougie, though

[@lindseyhill3652]

A note on everything having that same new glossy urbanism feel: in Atlanta, at least, every place you went was considered urban blight 20 years ago. Ponce city market was fully abandoned scary warehouse for ten years. The Kroger across from it is called murder Kroger because of actual murder. The only business in the west side provision district 10 years ago was the Mexican restaurant (taqueria del sol) in the converted auto repair garage. The rest of those buildings were abandoned warehouses I used to throw rocks at the trains from. And I mean like warehouses from the 1920s-40s. The “cute” veneer was required to convince some wealthy people to move in and patronize the businesses before any of the apartment buildings you saw existed. Before “gentrification cute” became a visual language we all recognize, it was actually used in Atlanta for some real welcomed industrial zone reclamation. You should have seen ponce city market before ground was broken. (Also, more warehouse/distribution center/factory than department store)

[@starrwulfe]

One thing I do truly miss about over there though: MJQ.

[@ApatLang]

@@starrwulfe I heard MJQ is getting demolished. Same with The Local and Eatz that whole area

[@edawg9962]

​@@ApatLangnot anymore, the developer who was buying the land backed out because of pandemic....those places will now stay open for the foreseeable future as well as another MJQ location in Underground Atlanta where the old Dante's Down The Hatch use to be

[@DiamondKingStudios]

The MARTA rail system shown- some of that is the work of my grandfather! My maternal grandfather, a civil engineer, spent most of his life in Atlanta and was a project manager for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Growing up in Long Island near the railroad system, he always had an interest in trains, and spent his life committed to public service and the transportation needs of the Atlanta area, though probably with more zeal than the state government or local county authorities. To the end of his life, he was rather bitter that Gwinnett County always voted against expansion of MARTA rail service into their borders (something my aunt now helps uphold herself in that county), and would occasionally suspect some reasoning of prejudice in their opposition. As the largest city in my home state and the main economic driver of the state, I sometimes feel like the needs of Atlanta are given disproportionate consideration compared to those of the other major cities (Columbus, Macon, Savannah, and Augusta primarily), but I still wish for Atlanta to be an excellent city, unparalleled by any other in the South, and having a good transportation network is a major part of that. Even then, with the current infrastructure and political climate in the city and state, they’ve a long ways to go before they’re even on track for it.

[@saratemp790]

Well good info thanks.

[@milliedragon4418]

Yes my parents told me that, It was never going to happen because of 'that' when I asked as a child. It most definitely played a role for sure, though to be fair, the northern counties especially less developed back then. The growth in the in particular, in the northern counties has been exponential in the last few decades. I'm from the Metro area, some of my family is farmed here and even owned farmland in the metro area of the Atlanta. Growth me for is bitter sweet. But I wish ATL had regional rail. It didn't help that Georgia wouldn't help pay for it either. I do think it will eventually happen, It's just how long are people willing to put up with living this way. Atlanta Metro has accepted its future. And there are individuals that want to bring regional rail to Metro like Caleb Stubbs, and more people are interested in train travel these days and high speed. I like that you commented on your story of your grandpa.

[@DiamondKingStudios]

@@milliedragon4418 Considering that Atlanta used to be the passenger railroad hub of the South, most of the lines radiating out of there still exist in some form or another, and with some upgrades could host a regional rail system. A central passenger station would need to be built, however, since both former downtown stations (Terminal Station and Union Station) have been gone since the 1970s, the former replaced by a federal building named after Sen. Richard Brevard Russell Jr. At least the former site of Union Station is fairly close to MARTA’s Five Points station (which adjoins existing freight trackage). I hope it’s only a matter of time. I don’t know if a 2026 state legislature will be mainly staffed with pro-transit representatives and senators throughout the northern half of the state, but the gubernatorial race is going to be especially competitive, and I’m going to pay close attention to the primaries to ensure a good nominee/nominees are chosen. As for how Atlanta has grown over time, I had a high school physics teacher from around Stone Mountain, whose family ran a farm when he grew up. Since he was coming of age around when my mother was growing up in a suburban area on the other side of I-285 to him, it gave me an additional perspective on how the Atlanta area evolved in the late 20th century and the interactions between longtime residents of suburban counties like DeKalb County and the new suburban residents arriving either from Atlanta or from Northern states.

[@chrisryanonline]

I appreciate your commentary at the end.

[@kkpenney444]

same

[@milansilva3017]

The Sears store at Six Corners in Chicago had been dormant for decades. Now it's a Target and high-end apartments. The area is still transitioning with empty lots all now with planned development.

[@thefergyfilms]

My best friend, who used to ride the Chicago L with me everywhere when we were both students in Chicago, lived in Downtown ATL for years and never once rode it. The best use case I can think of is for someone near a station wanting to take it to go to the airport. The system is horrifically small given the sprawling size of ATL and car culture is so dominant there that parking and finding a spot for your vehicle at or near your residence is never a huge issue as it would be in DC, Chicago, NYC. I would go as far as to say it would need to be double the amount of stations and current length before its widely useful (at minimum)

[@jetfan925]

You could blame the state's constitution on refusing to expand MARTA into Cobb, Gwinnett and more counties.

[@vinylcabasse]

holy shit there's a spirit halloween in atlantic station, i love it

[@bradleyschmidt7190]

As an avid follower of your channel, I'm still waiting for a city visit to Pittsburgh, where I live. We've been the top or near the top in two of your vids on affordable, walkable cities. I think we're worth a visit 😊

[@alicejennings7714]

I'm sure it's not a new idea to you, but I wanted to point out that the things that you mentioned for ridership neglect that were not racism, are also racism- They're institutional design problems that are not deemed valuable to solve, because a large portion of the white population does not care if it is solved, which in turn puts off transit-curious riders.

[@calvinhosworld]

so well said.

[@Ray03595]

This is in many US cities. White neighborhoods intentionally fight against lines coming into their neighborhoods so they don’t have to look at “undesirables”. This country has changed so much but in many ways hasn’t

[@majorgnu]

I imagine it's mostly about socioeconomic stratification, with people who can afford to drive not wanting to mingle with their "inferiors" (regardless of race) and not wanting to do "poor people things" like taking public transit instead of driving, for fear of the stigma and damage to their pride. Even if public transit were safer and more convenient, a bunch of people would still want to drive around just as a display of status. Especially in a car-obsessed culture like America.

[@Ponchoed]

True but there's also some craziness on the trains especially at night that drives away many potential riders. Many transit advocates refuse to see this and automatically race to blame people as being racist.

[@SamuelSEdme]

@@Ponchoed True, but crazy things happen on the NYC MTA as well, yet millions of people take it daily with many opting for taxi or ride-share if it's late at night.

[@rogerpatry5167]

One of your best videos. Appreciate to social commentary. Very appropriate

[@joshbobst1629]

It's a perennial game among truckers to find the best secondary road detour around Atlanta, which invariably has a 1 hour traffic delay, except in the wee hours of the morning. My favorite route from the Midwest at the moment is to get to memphis, then i-22 - which is one of the nicest freeways in the country - to birmingham, then montgomery, then secondary roads to Union springs and eufaula, then south to Tallahassee and points south in Florida, or east to macon and then anywhere between Savannah and Jacksonville.

[@omarrolle3842]

They need an interstate between Montgomery and Tallahassee badly

[@barrybikes]

@@omarrolle3842 What the world does absolutely *not* need is another interstate highway. Holy moly, Americans and their cars . . .

[@natekite7532]

The UGA marching band did an exhibition in Carolton, right on the border between GA and AL. We spent an hour driving from Athens to Atlanta, an hour driving from Atlanta to Carolton, and nearly TWO HOURS just getting through Atlanta itself. Yikes.

[@HessianHunter]

The US interstate system is legitimately great except for the parts that go right through the middle of a big-ass city. Cross-country truckers and suburbans fighting for the same roadspace despite their destinations being hundreds of miles apart is a disaster.

[@joshbobst1629]

@@HessianHunter It's a question of what should we spend our resources on. At the moment our national transportation system is cars and highways and costs about $2 trillion per year. $400 billion on highways, and around $1.6 trillion on the cars we need to make those highways a transportation system. Is it worth it? This trucker thinks no. Only half of us can drive at any given time, four million of us have been killed by cars so far, and $2 trillion is exorbitantly expensive. We could do so much better. Ike's initial idea wasn't a bad one. Having several ways to move goods and people around makes a system resilient. But anytime you need three lanes of highway between population centers something has gone awry. That's not resiliency, you've put all your eggs in the cars and highways basket, which again, only half the population at any given time can use. And is the _most_ dangerous way to do it. We'd do ourselves good to ask how things got to this juncture.