Tuscaloosa Alabama

Tuscaloosa Alabama:

By: Lauren Young

Over the weekend I was selected to run in the Crimson Classic cross country meet in Tuscaloosa Alabama. After three hours of driving, we pulled into s Home Suite Inn, which was a very nice hotel with Kitchens in every room. That night we dinned out in the area. It withholds all your typical chain stores and modern suburbia. There are several clothing stores, restaurants, a super Target, and a mall. We selected Olive Garden for dinner. The area itself is very built up and isn’t very attractive. There are few trees and lots of concrete.

The next day we went on a run in a neighborhood nearby. The homes were on a pretty busy street with no sidewalks. The neighborhoods were not like suburbs, but rather they were streets with houses right next to them. The houses I saw did not have much yard space, and the sidewalks were kind of crappy. The houses were smaller in general. These are just my observations from the area I saw. This could be very different from other parts of Tuscaloosa.

I raced on the course owned by the University of Alabama. The course was very nice since it was an old golf course. There were a lot of wooded areas and very nice grass. There were nice paths in the woods for the public to use for exercise. I felt a sense of calm as I ran this course since it was just so pretty.

On the drive home, I asked myself, why is it that the highways here look different than Ohio? It took me awhile to pinpoint what it was, because both are just concrete and have trees on both sides. But I realized that in Ohio, the grass on the side of the roads is higher, and the trees are different. By different, I mean in Ohio the trees have several branches and fine detail, while the trees in Georgia and Alabama have less branches and less tree leaves.

My trip was mainly just focused on running, so I did not get to see much of Alabama, but this was my experience, and it was different than both Ohio and Georgia Tech.

Virginia Highlands

Virginia Highlands

By: Lauren Young

This weekend I celebrated my birthday in Virginia Highlands. It is a cute little village filled with boutiques and local restaurants. The boutiques all have cute summer dresses that you cannot find in the common malls. There is also a small town firehouse and a little church in the plaza. This is a great place to go to to hang out on the weekend since it has places to shop in the afternoon, outdoor patios to dine on, various bars and restaurants, and even an ice cream and pastry shop.

I will talk more specifically about the dinning since that's what I did for my birthday. My family and I ate at the Highland Tap. It is recognized for being voted "best burger" in Atlanta, (just like several other places probably claim...) The restaurant is built in the basement of a building and as you first enter there is a bar, and then there are a couple more rooms of seating. The walls are made of stone which gives it a cool feeling since it is a basement. It has candles at every table and some murals like Italy painted on the other walls. It is definitely a place where you do no want to underdress, but it's not a five star formal place either. It is a nice place to celebrate a special occasion though. The prices generally range around $10-30 per meal depending on what you get.

I chose to see if their claim of the Highland Tap Burger being the best of Atlanta was true. The burger was very large, (10 oz. of meat!), but it was very good. It had a grilled taste to it rather than a fast food taste. I would recommend it to anyone who loves burgers. Also, my mother tired a fish sandwich and she said it was a very excellent cut of fish. My friend had a salad with some kind of vinegar and bacon dressing and said that was also very good tasting. The proportions overall were very large and worth the value you pay. I would suggest dinning here if you ever want to have a sit down dinner in Virginia Highlands.

Overall this was a neat experience. I wrote my neighborhood essay on the Highlands from my observations of literally running through it three times. It was nice to actually walk and explore the plaza, and to take the time to sit down and eat all the food that I smell every time I run by. This was my adventure off of Tech for the Weekend.

The classic city of Savannah, a modern marvel

Landing in the middle of the forest I wondered where exactly was Savannah. There wasn’t another building in site. This was very refreshing, not to mention the crisp and clean air. Jumping into the car I am starving and am anticipating the normal traffic that I’ve encountered everywhere. With about three other cars on the highway it was relatively easy to merge. As we got closer to Savannah I could feel the history.

The buildings were out of the 19th century, with a seemingly very effective infrastructure.

The world renowned Savannah college of art and design has taken upon itself the job of refurbishing these classic buildings by integrating it into its curriculum.

The history Is well maintained and its sense of community is strikingly different to most of the american places I have been to...there is one!!

Day 2

Leaving the past behind I drove across the highway to be met by non other than SPRAWL!!!! We ended up using an entire day to pick up a few clothes and a computer..... This was absurd to me. While sitting to grab a bite in a food court the chatter of a few ladies a few tables away caught my attention. All of these ladies had infants with them and a new ‘build a bear’ wit them.... Is this what new young mothers do with their babies and time? Where was the park? Somewhere with a real environment to take these newborns....

Once back on the campus I could easily navigate through the simple grid style infrastructure. If I had any problem there was always a friendly warm face around. People actually greeted you as they walk by on the street: “hey, how are you man?” This was something I had learnt to never expect from anyone in the US.

With frequent police patrols I never felt unsafe while I walk up to City Street, a place filled with action and activities. People of all ages and all walks of life were around, adding character to the environment. Live bands and outdoor dining are all simple things to create interaction with others in a seamless fashion,

Surprisingly enough the nightlife shut down pretty early, before 12. I didn't inquire as to why but I assume due to noise regulations or something of that nature.

All in all Savannah is definitely not sprawl. It is the classic model simply being pumped with refreshing nutrients easing it into the present.

Mayfair, the Mix of Sprawl and Tradition

Mayfair is one of the many typical suburban neighborhoods around Alpharetta, GA. This neighborhood and the rest around it have an interesting blend of sprawl from Atlanta and traditional qualities of a good neighborhood. It has the walkability of being able to walk to nearby parks, grocery stores, and schools, yet it still doesn't really have any public transportation. This shows the blend of qualities between a sprawl and a traditional neighborhoods. The houses are spread which is a waste of space, since there is also a public park. These parks are frequently used as well, which means that the parks themselves are not a waste, the yards and large houses are. The neighborhood yields plenty of cultural and ethnic diversity, but has almost no economic diversity, due to all of the homes being the same amount. Mayfair also has a strong sense of community. They have policies to make sure people do yard work, which forces people to be out and about. Because people always seem to be outside, they are forced to talk when passing by and get to know each other. They also set up social events to get everyone in the community to better know each other. Mayfair walks the line between sprawl and a good traditional neighborhood, even in distance from Atlanta. It is close enough to be affected, but far away enough to maintain its good neighborhood qualities. All of the above were criteria that I had about my neighborhood review. The qualities of the neighborhood contrast each other, which makes for an interesting look on a different kind of neighborhood.

By: Stephen Sealy

Welcome to the Orange County of the South!

My neighborhood of choice is Buckhead. Located a couple exits Northbound on I-85, Buckhead is the premier area of Atlanta. Characterized by its magnificent Mansions, and wonderful shopping districts, Buckhead has something for everyone. A good neighborhood provides its residents with various forms of shopping. With over 1400 shops and stores, Buckhead is the shopping hub of the Southeast. The shopping districts provide shoppers with ample walking space. Walkability is one of the best characteristics that a neighborhood can have. The walking ability of Buckhead's shopping districts is very good. Marta and other forms of public transportation allow people to abandon their reliance on their gas guzzlers. Beautiful houses provide a sense of beauty and class to neighborhoods. Mansions, such as the illustrious Governors Mansion, line streets, such as West Paces Ferry Road, with beautiful scenery for tourists to enjoy. Other than shopping, Buckhead provides many extracurricular activities for people to enjoy. Residents and visitors of Buckhead enjoy over 40 public and privately owned parks for their enjoyment.
My criteria for a good neighborhood has not changed since I visited Buckhead. It has actually been reaffirmed. The attributes of a good neighborhood, such as walk-ability, ample shopping, magnificent houses, and recreational activities, can all been seen walking throughout Buckhead. Buckhead is the perfect example of a good mix of sprawl-like and traditional characteristics of neighborhoods.

The Blissful Glutton Blog Review- Lauren Young

I read the blog, The Blissful Glutton, which is written by Jennifer Zyman. In this blog she takes the time to dine at different restaurants in Atlanta, and writes reviews not to sell or advertise anything, but to give honest reviews to the people of atlanta. I think she is compelled to write this blog because she has a passion for food first of all, or else, why write reviews on it? I also think it is a way for her to connect with the community and to help people out. People don't choose to publish material unless they feel there is a need to share their thoughts with the world. Bottom line, I think she's writing because she wants to share what she thinks to help other people gain perspective on food in Atlanta.

In this blog she writes reviews about once every 2 weeks on a different place in atlanta. She also provides an image of the food as well to connect more with the viewers. Not only does she discuss food in atlanta though, she also has a travel page where she branches out to food all around the world. I think by writing this and providing pictures, that Jennifer hopes to influence people to try certain food or new places. I think she does this to help other people reach out of their comfort zone and to switch up where they eat. Also I think she writes this to just spread the sense of community throughout Atlanta. She shares her personal opinions, but also tries to keep her reviews not too biased so people can read them and then decide what they want to eat. Everyone eats food, and this is a great way for the people in Atlanta to share their thoughts about local food with one another.

Steven Waugh Terminal Station

Exploring the capabilities of various Atlanta Metro blogs, "Terminal Station" caught my attention. Run by a blogger known only as B King, "Terminal Station" provides insight into Atlanta real estate and politics. The blog is primarily focused on the real estate situation currently causing havoc in Atlanta. The blog goes into detail on a number of factors that affect the real estate of the area such as crime, politics, the local economy, and transportation.

A clearly informative, yet emotional, tone provides the reader of the blog to be enveloped in the topic at hand. Whether B King is infuriated over the rise in crime, or praising a politicians efforts at reform, he will always grasp your attention through emotion, yet informative, blog posts. "Terminal Station" allows B King to present his opinions, or just post a link on a current event. The blog is outfitted with links. Every post by B King is supported with multiple links in order to help verify the situation at hand. Whether its a post on new crime levels, or just a post about a rising politicians ideals, B King provides sources to reaffirm his position. Along with links, "Terminal Station" provides advertisements of local businesses, graphs supporting opinions on the blog, pictures advertising local restaurant establishments, and in depth maps of the city itself.

B King provides current, and potential, residents of Atlanta with information concerning the overall livability of the city. My personal opinion concerning why B King writes this blog is that he feels like the people deserve a different look at the city. The local news channels and newspapers all are focused on a positive outlook towards Atlanta. B King provides an unbiased (for the most part) opinion of Atlanta residential life. He shows how Atlanta crime and politics affect the quality of the homes and the quality of life for the city's residence. I believe that B King hopes to create a new level of awareness for Atlanta residents. B King hopes to provide insight on issues that should concern Atlanta residents, so that the residents can try to lobby for change.