Parting thoughts about Atlanta.

I’ll be leaving Atlanta soon. Things didn’t go how I expected them to. I’m glad I came. I’ll be even more happy to leave. Staying in Atlanta would be, for me, the beginning of a type of suffering that I don’t wish to place myself in. Atlanta is one of the most racially polarized cities that I have ever been to. The extent to which this rings true is somewhat of a surprise to me. There is very little visible integration here. You rarely see people of different backgrounds interacting with each other. When asked, no one seems to be able to give an answer that withstands any scrutiny other than, “This is the south.” Living in a racially polarized environment is one experience I don’t wish to partake in. I am aware of my race, I don’t need to be reminded of it on a daily basis.

Staying in Atlanta for me would be a compromise of my ideals. Something that I don’t take lightly. I don’t wish to move backwards in my life, and I feel that if I stay here, it will be taking a step backwards, perhaps into a time-warp to a dateline that predates me. Moving from South Beach to Atlanta would be a difficult transition to make for anyone. I have been asked why I would do such a thing by almost everyone that I have met in Atlanta. At this point, no valid answer comes to mind.

There are a few things that I will miss about Atlanta.

1. The food is GREAT. The quality of the food really rivals New York in a way I didn’t expect
2. The weather is wonderful. It’s cool in the mornings, the days are warm. There is low humidity. It reminds me a lot of Los Angeles (where I grew up).
3. The city is aesthetically beautiful. The windy roads make for wonderful driving. The constant presence of large trees bring a scent to the air that you just don’t have in concrete jungles.
4. The people are friendly. At least the ones that don’t ignore you. Southern hospitality IS alive and well. The neighbors bake you brownies. Seriously.

There are also a few things I don’t like about Atlanta:

1. The racism. It’s thick here. I get the sense that even though there is a large black population here, being pulled over by the wrong police officer would not lead to a pleasant experience.
2. The music. It seems that a bubble exists here when it comes to music. There is no viable house music scene, which indeed is a surprise to me. And the clubs either play rock or southern rap (crunk). There really isn’t a middle ground. Yes, there is a neo-soul / jazz scene here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t inspire me.
3. The food is GREAT! Ok, I know, I said that already. But the results of that aren’t kind to the populous of the city. There are more weighty people here than I really care to look at. Yes, I admit, I’m a bit shallow in that respect. As someone who gains weight rather easily, being in a environment where many weighty people exist is not a positive in my mind. I don’t aspire to be one of them.
4. The sheepish mentality. Not many people here seem to have developed their own train of thought. I see this as more of an American phenomenon rather than one derived from Atlanta. So in a way, Atlantans are just victims of a national trend, but it is clearly evident here.
5. Fashion. The Coach bags. I don’t claim to be an expert on fashion or anything, but I do like to stay in the know. And it seems that I’m ahead of the curve when it comes to Atlanta. A larger percentage of the population here own a “Coach” purse than anywhere I have ever visited. If your eyes are open, you can’t ignore it. When asked about this trend, the women say the same 3 things. 1) There is an outlet in Lenox Mall (not a reason to buy anything). 2) It goes with everything. (Nothing goes with every thing. It’s just impossible.) and 3) “Oh, I didn’t notice that so many people have them.” (How could you not notice that your 3 best friends have the same brand of purse that you do? Are you kidding me? Open your eyes.
6. I don’t wish to be around this many Republicans. I’m not one, and I don’t wish to become influenced by them.

So, those are my thoughts about Atlanta. I’ll be happy to get settled once again in South Beach.