Six Ways that Gentrification Has Changed Metro Atlanta

If you have lived in the metro Atlanta area for more than a decade, you probably have noticed some drastic changes in the metro area's most popular neighborhoods. Where there was once a thriving nightlife scene (the Buckhead section)---there is a new crop of high-end specialty stores and restaurants. Parts of Peachtree Road, Buckhead's main thoroughfare, have been widened and enhanced to facilitate more pedestrian traffic. And smaller sections of the city, known for their quaint Mom & Pop businesses are not so slowly being replaced by large shopping plazas filled with stores like Target and Starbucks. But there are some other subtle changes that "Atliens" have noticed over the recent years. Gentrification, for lack of a better word, has not only altered the financial dynamics of several Atlanta neighborhoods, it has created a series of ripple effects that can be observed in other areas of the community.

Crimes More Prevalent In Neighboring Counties (Cobb, Gwinnett)

If you keep up with Atlanta news, you probably have realized that more major crimes have been reported in neighboring counties since the changes started taking place in the city a few years ago. One author theorizes that increasing fuel costs, and fewer transportation options (in the suburbs) are directly related to a rise in crime; poorer people who relied on the convenience of inner city public transportation, are now forced to either obtain vehicles, or find other ways to commute to their jobs. An article published on decaturmetro.com cites the shifting of poorer minorities out of the city as one of the reasons for an increase in crimes on the outskirts of the city. In any case, cheaper housing in the suburbs appears to have pushed criminals out of the cities, and into outlying neighborhoods.

"The Element" Is Still Ever-Present