They come from Boston, Cleveland, Baltimore, Buffalo — anywhere but here. They typically live in the suburbs, holding Atlanta at arm’s length. They care about their neighborhoods, but not the city or region they call home. They have become the face of metro Atlanta.
I’ve defended my hometown for much of my adult life, and it remains a pleasant place to live. But increasingly Atlanta leaves me cold, bereft of originality and passion. Last night I attended the Braves game with 22,000 other hearty souls. It was the biggest regular season game in years, but no one seemed to care. If only the Red Sox had been in town.
Not that pro sports patronage matters much, but it demonstrates an aspect of civic pride, or lack thereof. Few people are invested in Atlanta. They don’t care — a trend that accelerated once the Olympics came and went.
We could be Dallas or Orlando or Phoenix. Only the most discerning eye could tell the difference. A formerly great city has become Metropolis U.S.A., a sprawling blob of blandness.
I wish it weren’t so, but it’s hard to ignore the mundane reality.
Amen.
Off topic, but Greg’s got a good post of something you might find interesting:
http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/misc/ludowici.htm