What are the most dramatic turnarounds, bad and good you've ever seen? For me, bad, San Francisco, good NYC...

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds in my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbagetown. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview.

I would say it's probably the most nauseatingly hipsterish neighborhood in the city now (not so much posh as I originally described it).

 

[Red Pants]

Now it's probably the most posh and expensive districts in America.

I don’t know about that, boss.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

I don’t know about that, boss.

Let me change that to 'in the South'.

 

[Red Pants]

Over time, I’d say Detroit went from being one of the wealthiest cities in the world through the 30s, but by the 70s was a complete and total disaster that eventually resulted in the mayor being arrested around 2010, the city declaring bankruptcy, and the eventual hiring of corporate business people to straighten out the books and help get it back on its feet in recent years.

In the early half of the 20th century, Atlantic City and the Jersey shore was the closest thing this country had to what eventually became Vegas and the Fla and Cali beaches in terms of popularity, importance to the overall vacation culture of the country, and being a trendy place to be. Now, it’s considered pretty low class.

Atlanta was very rough and pretty desolate in the 70s 80s and 90s, but is now, as you alluded, a pretty high end, trendy place.

 

[godogs57]

28-3

 

[FivePtsDawg]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds un my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview. Now it's probably the most posh and expensive districts in The South

I always enjoy visiting NYC, but the last time we were there (October 2022), I felt like the city had taken a step back from what it was like in the 20 or so years pre-Covid. Just seemed a little dirtier, which wasn't helped by the constant smell of weed smoke everywhere within a 20 block radius of Times Square. Look, I'm not a big anti-marijuana guy, and am largely in favor of legalization/decriminalization efforts around it. But that doesn't mean it smells good, and seeing folks just sitting on the ground outside of every other store front smoking it or selling some version of it was a little jarring & off-putting. The insane amount of scaffolding everywhere didn't help.

With all that said, still one of my favorite cities to visit.

 

[ChrisAtUGA]

My mind first went to the Braves’ worst to first turnaround before I read the body of the post. I figured there’s no way I’d be the first to mention it! 😂

 

[Rowdydawg]

I always enjoy visiting NYC, but the last time we were there (October 2022), I felt like the city had taken a step back from what it was like in the 20 or so years pre-Covid. Just seemed a little dirtier, which wasn't helped by the constant smell of weed smoke everywhere within a 20 block radius of Times Square. Look, I'm not a big anti-marijuana guy, and am largely in favor of legalization/decriminalization efforts around it. But that doesn't mean it smells good, and seeing folks just sitting on the ground outside of every other store front smoking it or selling some version of it was a little jarring & off-putting. The insane amount of scaffolding everywhere didn't help.

With all that said, still one of my favorite cities to visit.

Ha. Definitely one of my favorite cities, but we went over Christmas for the first time since 2016 and the weed smell was insane. I’m hardly a prude, but it was overwhelming.

 

[jbirdawg]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds un my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview. Now it's probably the most posh and expensive districts in The South

Agree on ny. Except now it’s going the other way.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

Agree on ny. Except now it’s going the other way.

Yep.

 

[MRDAWG]

Over time, I’d say Detroit went from being one of the wealthiest cities in the world through the 30s, but by the 70s was a complete and total disaster that eventually resulted in the mayor being arrested around 2010, the city declaring bankruptcy, and the eventual hiring of corporate business people to straighten out the books and help get it back on its feet in recent years.

In the early half of the 20th century, Atlantic City and the Jersey shore was the closest thing this country had to what eventually became Vegas and the Fla and Cali beaches in terms of popularity, importance to the overall vacation culture of the country, and being a trendy place to be. Now, it’s considered pretty low class.

Atlanta was very rough and pretty desolate in the 70s 80s and 90s, but is now, as you alluded, a pretty high end, trendy place.
And many on this site think the ATL has gone to crap.

 

[TivoliDawg]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds un my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview. Now it's probably the most posh and expensive districts in The South

SF is truly sad.

NYC in the 80s was a hell hole. Then they cleaned it up.

What’s weird about American cities is that being “nice” or being a sh!thole is simply a choice. Kind of weird when you think about it. We can have whatever kind of cities we want, and yet we choose feces and crime. We are weird.

 

[BaileyDawg79]

Rudy Giuliani - America’s mayor to bankrupt punchline

Dolly Parton - punchline to universally beloved

 

[TanyardDawg520]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds un my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview. Now it's probably the most posh and expensive districts in The South

I think Charlotte is a fantastic city. Not sure how long it's been so appealing though as my first time there was around 15 years ago.

 

[Bo-Bandy]

Rudy Giuliani - America’s mayor to bankrupt punchline

Dolly Parton - punchline to universally beloved

When was Dolly Parton ever a punchline?

My answer?

Going from the Ted to the Battery.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

When was Dolly Parton ever a punchline?

My answer?

Going from the Ted to the Battery.

She has always been respected in the country community... but there was a long period where she was considered a ditsy triple-d joke by the masses.

 

[East Lake Dawg 61]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds in my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview. Now it's probably one of the most posh and expensive districts in The South

Cabbage Town is NOT even one of the most posh districts in the South or even near the top in Atlanta. AMIRITE @GrantParkDawg?
Baron, I love your energy, but that was a dumb statement. My own (now former) neighborhood, East Lake, actually has its own documentary about how horrible it was and how far it has come back. Was called Little Vietnam in the 80s.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

Cabbage Town is NOT even one of the most posh districts in the South or even near the top in Atlanta. AMIRITE @GrantParkDawg?
Baron, I love your energy, but that was a dumb statement. My own (now former) neighborhood, East Lake, actually has its own documentary about how horrible it was and how far it has come back. Was called Little Vietnam in the 80s.

I was being a little dramatic about Cabbagetown just based on the turnaround. I would say it's probably the most annoyingly trendy/hipster area in Atlanta... put it that way.

I would say it's in the top 15 in Atlanta, which would put in the top 40 in the South imo. I drive through Eastlake every day. Huge turnaround. Almost everything in the Northeast quadrant of the inner perimeter has experienced a massive turnaround.

 

[East Lake Dawg 61]

I was being a little dramatic about Cabbage Town just based on the turnaround. I would say it's probably the most annoyingly trendy/hipster area in Atlanta... put it that way.

I would say it's in the top 15 in Atlanta, which would put in the top 40 in the South imo. I drive through Eastlake every day. Huge turnaround. Almost everything in the Northeast quadrant of the inner perimeter has experienced a massive turnaround.

Fair enough. I was born in Atlanta (GA Baptist Hospital in 1961) and lived there my whole life, other than my 5 years in Athens (5 is not a typo), until we retired to Mexico last year. So I feel qualified to make distinctions about neighborhoods.

The only reason you would go to Midtown in the 90s was to go to an underground club. It was a HORRIBLE place. The whole city came back in a big way over the last 30 years and I am personally proud to have seen and lived that. Plus, property value escalation helped my early retirement goals. So, there is that.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

Fair enough. I was born in Atlanta (GA Baptist Hospital in 1961) and lived there my whole life, other than my 5 years in Athens (5 is not a typo), until we retired to Mexico last year. So I feel qualified to make distinctions about neighborhoods.

The only reason you would go to Midtown in the 90s was to go to an underground club. It was a HORRIBLE place. The whole city came back in a big way over the last 30 years and I am personally proud to have seen and lived that. Plus, property value escalation helped my early retirement goals. So, there is that.

I'm not even talking about Midtown. I think it encompasses too much. On the whole, I kinda hate it. I used to hang out in a couple bars there in the 90's (mainly The Highlander, RIP and The Stein Club, RIP and a few others). I have zero use for it now. I probably should have used different language to describe Cabbagetown. There is a feel to it that you usually only see in cities like Austin, Portland and Brooklyn that doesn't really fit a certain word. But you see it on the Belt Line, at Krog Street and anywhere near that garish commissioned graffiti. I really disliked it and am not a fan TBH.

 

[East Lake Dawg 61]

I'm not even talking about Midtown. I think it encompasses too much. On the whole, I kinda hate it. I used to hang out in a couple bars there in the 90's (mainly The Highlander, RIP and The Stein Club, RIP and a few others). I have zero use for it now. I probably should have used different language to describe Cabbage Town. There is a feel to it that you usually only see in cities like Austin, Portland and Brooklyn that doesn't really fit a certain word. But you see it on the Belt Line, at Krog Street and anywhere near that garish commissioned graffiti. I really disliked it and am not a fan TBH.

We all have our opinions, and yours are as valid as anyone else's. I disagree on Midtown. I like what it became between 1995 and 2015. Grew up on Habersham rd in the 70s, so I grew up a privileged a-hole. Went to Pace Academy from 1st grade to 8th, when I was expelled for squirting a syringe of water into the face of a d'bag in Chemistry class. Then Darlington in Rome. Had a crooked path through life, but it worked out and i love Atlanta. Also, Viva Mexico!

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

We all have our opinions, and yours are as valid as anyone else's. I disagree on Midtown. I like what it became between 1995 and 2015. Grew up on Habersham rd in the 70s, so I grew up a privileged a-hole. Went to Pace Academy from 1st grade to 8th, when I was expelled for squirting a syringe of water into the face of a d'bag in Chemistry class. Then Darlington in Rome. Had a crooked path through life, but it worked out and i love Atlanta. Also, Viva Mexico!

I'm not sure what I disagreed with you on, buddy. I never expressed much other than I hate it now. And initially I didn't say anything about Midtown, I was talking about Cabbage Town. For clarity, are you lumping Cabbage Town in with Midtown?

Your opinions are 100% valid but I'm thinking this now comes down to interpretation (which may be the cause of our differences here) of areas and people have different interpretations in ATL all over the place.

I think of Midtown ending four neighborhoods above Cabbagetown. Cabbagetown is basically an extension of North Grant Park and just west of Reynoldstown and just below Inman Park, Poncey Highlands, Sweet Auburn and Old Fourth Ward.

I think of Midtown as running parallel to 75 on the west, through Peachtree Street, parallel to Piedmont Park and Virginia Highland to the east and ending in the arts district just south of Brookwood Hills.

I don't think of Midtown being lumped in with any other areas other than Piedmont Park, Ansley Park, Sherrod Forrest and Piedmont Heights.

Is that not a fair assessment of the area?

 

[kckd]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds in my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbage Town. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview.

I would say it's probably the most nauseatingly hipsterish neighborhood in the city now (not so much posh as I originally described it).

Knoxville. Hosted the World's Fair in 1982. Now it's a dumpster.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

Knoxville. Hosted the World's Fair in 1982. Now it's a dumpster.

Hmmmm. It's weird that they ever hosted it. I mean that distinction used to be reserved for the best cities in the world.
I guess I just never thought enough about Knoxville to think of it as plummeting that much. I also have friends who like it for what it is now.

If it were ever great, I have no connection to that.

 

[kckd]

Hmmmm. It's weird that they ever hosted it. I mean that distinction used to be reserved for the best cities in the world.
I guess I just never thought enough about Knoxville to think of it as plummeting that much. I also have friends who like it for what it is now.

If it were ever great, I have no connection to that.

I was a kid. Saw this commercial and thought it must be a great place.



Then went there years later and realized it was a complete dump. Assumed something must have happened.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

I was a kid. Saw this commercial and thought it must be a great place.

View embedded media

Then went there years later and realized it was a complete dump. Assumed something must have happened.

I forgot all about that ad (I think I'm roughly the same age as you). I had no concept of the World's Fair then. I suppose from your POV, it couldn't be anything but a letdown.

 

[Arsenal19]

Over time, I’d say Detroit went from being one of the wealthiest cities in the world through the 30s, but by the 70s was a complete and total disaster that eventually resulted in the mayor being arrested around 2010, the city declaring bankruptcy, and the eventual hiring of corporate business people to straighten out the books and help get it back on its feet in recent years.

In the early half of the 20th century, Atlantic City and the Jersey shore was the closest thing this country had to what eventually became Vegas and the Fla and Cali beaches in terms of popularity, importance to the overall vacation culture of the country, and being a trendy place to be. Now, it’s considered pretty low class.

Atlanta was very rough and pretty desolate in the 70s 80s and 90s, but is now, as you alluded, a pretty high end, trendy place.

Ha

 

[Arsenal19]

Ha

For a third world country

 

[GrantParkDawg]

Both have experienced pre and post Katrina and Detroit level turnarounds in my lifetime. SF is heartbreaking. Worst combo of pricing, crime and sanitary conditions in the world, hands down. When I first visited NYC in '93, it still had hookers and graffiti everywhere. In '04, the place had become as clean as Singapore.

I suppose the most dramatic local turnaround I've ever seen is Cabbagetown. When I was a boy, I saw a person get dragged into a hole on live TV in the background during a man on the street inteverview.

I would say it's probably the most nauseatingly hipsterish neighborhood in the city now (not so much posh as I originally described it).

Cabbagetown? Man those are yuppies at this point. I definitely remember when it felt much more Appalachian over there.

 

[GrantParkDawg]

Cabbage Town is NOT even one of the most posh districts in the South or even near the top in Atlanta. AMIRITE @GrantParkDawg?
Baron, I love your energy, but that was a dumb statement. My own (now former) neighborhood, East Lake, actually has its own documentary about how horrible it was and how far it has come back. Was called Little Vietnam in the 80s.

Cabbagetown is in a weird spot and it’s not what I would call “posh” but if you lump in Reynoldstown (bc not historic so gets new construction) even some semi attached housing is approaching a million.

Cabbagetown, O4W definitely on high trend in Atlanta due to the Beltline. Buckhead, Morningside, Vinings is more mature and expensive for sure but just totally different neighborhoods.

I’ve seen the East Lake doc it’s wonderful what was done to prove the community.

 

[GrantParkDawg]

I'm not even talking about Midtown. I think it encompasses too much. On the whole, I kinda hate it. I used to hang out in a couple bars there in the 90's (mainly The Highlander, RIP and The Stein Club, RIP and a few others). I have zero use for it now. I probably should have used different language to describe Cabbagetown. There is a feel to it that you usually only see in cities like Austin, Portland and Brooklyn that doesn't really fit a certain word. But you see it on the Belt Line, at Krog Street and anywhere near that garish commissioned graffiti. I really disliked it and am not a fan TBH.

Maybe it feels “contrived” but that’s not quite what it is. Folks move in and drive the prices up but like the areas for the remaining edge, buzz, energy whatever. Eventually the originals are fewer and far between.

Tale as old as time it’s just recycling. I figure when cars drive themselves we will see an exodus from the cities to a degree.

 

[Dawg 'n IT]

O'Charley's.

Used to be a solid dining option with the best chicken fingers around. Prime Rib Pasta was an amazing dish 20 years ago. Had it 10+ years ago and the meat looked more like premium canned dog food while the chicken tenders were just okay.

Several locations have closed.

 

[BaronVonHeinsteidel]

[

Maybe it feels “contrived” but that’s not quite what it is. Folks move in and drive the prices up but like the areas for the remaining edge, buzz, energy whatever. Eventually the originals are fewer and far between.

Tale as old as time it’s just recycling. I figure when cars drive themselves we will see an exodus from the cities to a degree.

Not untrue. But it may be the most recycled/gentrified (from bottom to top) place I've ever seen.

Estoria actually was a hip bar 20 years ago... now it's the most try-hard place in the city. Trying desperately fit in, instead of staying ahead of that edge.

 

[zingerdawg]

Knoxville. Hosted the World's Fair in 1982. Now it's a dumpster.

I was there.

 

[zingerdawg]

I was a kid. Saw this commercial and thought it must be a great place.

View embedded media

Then went there years later and realized it was a complete dump. Assumed something must have happened.

That is awesome. lol. I was 9 years old when my parents took me up there from s ga. We stopped and stayed a day and a night in gatlinberg on the way there. I remember way more about our stop over there than the world’s fair. I was getting a build up the whole way. When we finally did get there griswold style, it was for me like that Christmas story moment. “Drink more ovaltine please” We came all this way for that? I wasn’t ready to appreciate it. lol.

 

[kckd]

That is awesome. lol. I was 9 years old when my parents took me up there from s ga. We stopped and stayed a day and a night in gatlinberg on the way there. I remember way more about our stop over there than the world’s fair. I was getting a build up the whole way. When we finally did get there griswold style, it was for me like that Christmas story moment. “Drink more ovaltine please” We came all this way for that? I wasn’t ready to appreciate it. lol.

My uncle took his family. They were disappointed as well.