Atlanta nightlife is DEAD
December 29, 2008 at 6:05 pm by Mara Shalhoup in NewsThat’s what the AJC claims in a story posted today, quoting officials in the “hospitality industry.”
The article cites the shuttering of Buckhead Village and the death of downtown clubs as the reason why Atlanta lost its party-town status — as if the Buckhead bar scene was something to be proud of.
According to the story:
Moves to curtail hours and efforts to revitalize Buckhead with high-end development have effectively killed its party reputation. … [D]owntown, where most of the conventions take place, is missing the after-hours component.
But is Atlanta nightlife really that big of a downer? It seems to me that the Midtown clubs have picked up Buckhead’s slack, and that East Atlanta and the Highlands are alive and well. And when did people ever go downtown to party anyway? Clubs such as Karma and the Royal were always something of an exception. The canned Underground Atlanta scene has historically ebbed and flowed. And after Castleberry Hill became a decent, if not rowdy, party district, look what happened in that downtown ‘hood.
The story’s implication is that touristy nightlife is dead. My questions to you, tried-and-true Atlanta partiers, is this: Who cares if that sector of nightlife shrivels up and dies? If it does, perhaps our more authentic nightlife scene will have a better chance of survival.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:42 am
I don’t think that nightlife for tourists is the end all be all, but it helps that people who want to hang out aren’t cooped up in a hotel room while visiting a major city.
Either way, the availability of venues Downtown is fine – for tourists and natives alike. Between the emerging scene on Edgewood, the still very much kicking Castleberry Hill, the local spots in Fairlie Poplar, the Underground, the Hotel District, and Sona, there is a ton of stuff to do.
The real problem is discoverability as these places aren’t right on top of each other. Nothing that a car or cab can’t handle but, based on the article, the people hosting these visitors aren’t making the effort to learn about what’s out there.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
People used to complain about Phoenix that way back in the early 90’s, but you can’t even google someone making the statement “no nightlife” here anymore. Vision by your local government is the key to this kind of revitalization, and it’s not uncommon to see A-list celebrities here, as a result. Not to bash at all, but I have friends that moved to your city and nearly died of homesickness for the first two years for many of the reasons you discuss. CHANGE YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT!