Well, I was planning on doing my North VS South post this week on politics, in light of yesterday's elections, but then I realized that I know very very little about Georgia politics. The only thing I could come up with was that they have more conservatives and republicans, and to me, that equals bad. But I don't want to write an ill-informed post and I also don't want to take time to do the required research to write said post. So? New topic!
This week, we will focus on community/neighborhoods and, as a bonus, the pests that live in them! Two things which I have a great deal of experience with, as I have lived places and also I have had other species living there with me.
Let the games begin!
Philadelphia and it's outlying suburbs are very neighborhoody, for lack of a better word. Each part of town has it's own unique identity and vibe, as does most of the towns in the suburbs. Artsy? Go for Northern Liberties, Queen Village or New Hope. Rich as all hell? Then you want Rittenhouse and Gladwynne. Young and hip? Give Manayunk and Conshohocken a try. No matter where you are, though, you can always find an interesting place to live. Part of the charm of Philly, in my opinion, is that it wears its age well. Yes, there are new condos going up all over town, but it's still very easy to find streets like Camac, which is only wide enough to accommodate a horse-and-buggy. There are row homes and old trinity houses, which may have been remodeled on the inside, but the exterior looks the same as it did hundreds of years ago. Even though all of these neighborhoods touch and sometimes overlap, there is an overwhelming feel of community. Yes, there are occasionally disagreements where boundaries overlap, but it's because the city is such a huge part of who the people of Philadelphia are. It's a part of their lives that they are more than willing to fight for.
While Atlanta does have quaint little neighborhoods and some towns out in the 'burbs that have a nice local feel, between them are vast roads and massive developments that cut the communities off from one another. I would love to spend more time in places like Little Five Points, Midtown and Decatur, not to mention the million places I don't even know exist yet. But then there are places like Atlantic Station, where you live next door to Ikea, Old Navy and California Pizza Kitchen. Since when did people live in malls? There is nothing wrong with places like this, per say, but they lack a true identity. Atlantic Station could just as easily be Lake Michigan Station or Puget Sound Station. Overall, I think that this hurts the population of the city. I rarely hear people say they are from Atlanta. I can think of two people I know that would say that, and despite the fact that I have few friends, I have met a lot of folks.
Finally, the pests. I have had personal experience with both kinds, and all I need to say is this:
VS
No fucking contest.
Winner: North
P.S. As always, I am more than happy to entertain your suggestions for topics in the North VS South debate. Bring it.
No comments:
Post a Comment