Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

People and culture

Demographics

The census of 2000 states there are 416,474 people, (423,019 as of 2003 estimates), 168,147 households, and 83,232 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,221/km² (3,161/mi²). There are 186,925 housing units at an average density of 548/km² (1,419/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 61.39% Black , 33.22% White,1.93% Asian,, 0.18% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 4.49% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city has one of the largest gay populations in the nation; according to Census 2000 both DeKalb and Fulton counties are among the ten most heavily gay counties in America. There are several predominately and largely gay neighborhoods, mostly in the Midtown area of the city.

Related Topics:
Census - 2000 - Population density - Black - White - Asian - Native American - Pacific Islander - Other races - Hispanic - Latino - Gay

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There are 168,147 households out of which 22.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.5% are married couples living together, 20.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% are non-families. 38.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 3.16.

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In the city the population is spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.6 males.

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The median income for a household in the city is $51,482 and the median income for a family is $55,939. Males have a median income of $36,162 compared to $30,178 for females. The per capita income for the city is $29,772, and 24.4% of the population and 21.3% of families are below the poverty line. 38.8% of those under the age of 18 and 20.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Related Topics:
Per capita income - Poverty line

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:See also: population of Atlanta

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Crime

Despite the city's overwhelming prosperity, Atlanta has had a negative reputation as being among the most violent cities in North America for several decades. The 2003 FBI crime report listed Atlanta as having the highest violent crime rate per 100,000 people in the country, beating Detroit by a narrow margin. Specifically, the murder rate was a very high 36 per 100,000 citizens, which was only superseded by Detroit, Baltimore, and New Orleans. The high crime rate has also negatively affected Atlanta at the International level, where crime statistics were among the greatest factors in the possibility of the International Olympic Committee awarding the 1996 Olympic Games to a safer host city in the early 1990's. Atlanta eventually won out due to its superior infrastructure and financial support.

Related Topics:
2003 - FBI - Detroit - Baltimore - New Orleans - International Olympic Committee - 1996 Olympic Games

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In 2005 alone, Atlanta-based crime has received embarrassing national and International media attention for the high-profile Brian Nichols manhunt, who became internationally known as the "Courthouse Killer". Furthermore, a murder suspect who perched himself on top of a construction crane for several days in the upscale Buckhead district had the ensuing drama broadcast on international television for several days. Furthermore, a proposed ban on panhandling, which is a reasonably big issue near downtown Atlanta hotels and attractions which include the upcoming Georgia Aquarium attracted worldwide attention. Despite these setbacks, however, crime statistics have consistently pointed toward a decline in crime in Atlanta.

Related Topics:
2005 - Brian Nichols - Buckhead - Panhandling - Georgia Aquarium

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The latest Uniform Crime Reports can be downloaded at the Atlanta Police Department's Website.

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Attractions, events, and recreation

Atlanta boasts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Prominent among them are sites honoring Atlanta's participation in the civil rights movement. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in the city, and his boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district is preserved as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Meetings with other civil rights leaders, including Hosea Williams and current Congressman John Lewis, often happened at Paschal's, a diner and motor inn which was a favorite for "colored" people, banned from "white" restaurants in an era of racial segregation and intolerance. King's final resting place is in the tomb at the center of the reflecting pool at the King Center.

Related Topics:
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site - Congressman - John Lewis

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Other history museums and attractions include the Atlanta History Center; the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum (a huge painting and diorama in-the-round, with a rotating central audience platform, that depicts the Battle of Atlanta in the Civil War); the Carter Center and Presidential Library; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.

Related Topics:
Atlanta History Center - Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum - Diorama - Battle of Atlanta - Carter Center and Presidential Library - Margaret Mitchell House and Museum

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The arts are represented by several theaters and museums, including the Fox Theatre. The Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony, High Museum of Art, and Atlanta College of Art. Museums geared specifically towards children include the Fernbank Science Center and Imagine It! Atlanta's Children's Museum. The High Museum of Art is the city's major fine/visual arts venue, with a significant permanent collection and an assortment of traveling exhibitions.

Related Topics:
Fox Theatre - Woodruff Arts Center - High Museum of Art - Fernbank Science Center

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Atlanta features the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, which will be open to the public in November, 2005. The aquarium will feature over 100,000 specimens in tanks holding approximately eight million gallons of water. Another unique museum is the World of Coca-Cola featuring the history of the world famous soft drink brand and its well-known advertising. Adjacent is Underground Atlanta, a historic shopping and entertainment complex situated under the streets of downtown Atlanta. While not a museum per se, The Varsity is the main branch of the long-lived fast food chain, featured as the world's largest drive-in restaurant.

Related Topics:
Georgia Aquarium - World of Coca-Cola - Underground Atlanta - The Varsity

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The heart of the city's festivals is Piedmont Park. In 1887, a group of prominent Atlantans purchased 189 acres (0.76 km²) of farmland to build a horse racing track, later developed into the site of the Cotton States International Exposition of 1895. In 1904, the city council purchased the land for $99,000, and today it is the largest park in metro Atlanta, with more than 2.5 million visitors each year. The grounds were part of the Battle of Peachtree Creek – a Confederate division occupied the northern edge on July 20, 1864 as part of the outer defense line against Sherman's approach. Next to the park is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Zoo Atlanta, home to its own panda exhibit, is located in Grant Park.

Related Topics:
Piedmont Park - 1887 - 1895 - 1904 - Battle of Peachtree Creek - July 20 - 1864 - Atlanta Botanical Garden - Zoo Atlanta - Panda - Grant Park

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Just east of the city, Stone Mountain is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world. On its face are giant carvings of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. It is also the site of impressive laser shows in the summer.

Related Topics:
Stone Mountain - Granite - Jefferson Davis - Robert E. Lee - Stonewall Jackson - Laser - Summer

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Popular annual cultural events include:

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• Atlanta Dogwood Festival, a Spring arts and crafts festival at Piedmont Park.
• Music Midtown - Three-day music festival in early summer.
• Atlanta Gay Pride http://www.atlantapride.org
• Atlanta Jazz Festival http://www.atlantafestivals.com/, largest free jazz festival in the USA
• Sweet Auburn SpringFest
• Inman Park Festival http://www.inmanpark.org/festival.php
• Virginia-Highlands Summerfest http://www.vahi.org/summerfest.html
• Georgia Renaissance Festival

Media

The major daily newspaper in Atlanta is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Other weekly papers include Creative Loafing and Atlanta Nation.

Related Topics:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Creative Loafing - Atlanta Nation

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The Atlanta metro area is served by a wide variety of local television stations, and is the ninth largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 2,059,450 homes (1.88% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are WXIA 11 (NBC), WSB 2 (ABC), WGCL 46 (CBS), WAGA 5 (FOX), WATL 36 (WB), WUPA 69 (UPN), WUVG 48 (Univision), WPXA 14 (i), and WHSG 63 (TBN). There are also two PBS stations: WGTV 8 (PBS) and WPBA 30 (PBS), and one independently operated station: WATC 54.

Related Topics:
WXIA - NBC - WSB - ABC - WGCL - CBS - WAGA - FOX - WATL - WB - WUPA - UPN - WUVG - Univision - WPXA - I - WHSG - TBN - PBS - WGTV - PBS - WPBA - WATC

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Several cable television networks also operate from Atlanta, including TBS Superstation, CNN, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and TNT. These stations are owned by Turner Broadcasting System (now Time Warner). The Weather Channel (owned by Landmark Communications) also broadcasts from the Atlanta area.

Related Topics:
Cable television - TBS Superstation - CNN - Cartoon Network - Boomerang - TNT - Turner Broadcasting System - Time Warner - The Weather Channel - Landmark Communications

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Nintendo's American Division has it's distribution center based in Atlanta. It's the main place where imported games and products arrive to United States and are often inspected and shipped to stores nationwide.

Related Topics:
Nintendo - United States

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:See also: list of newspapers in Atlanta

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Music

Jermaine Dupri's 2001 hip hop single "Welcome to Atlanta" declares Atlanta the "new Motown", referencing the city of Detroit, Michigan, which was known for its contributions to popular music. A significant number of Atlantans have become successful musicians, including artists such as OutKast, Jerry Reed, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Kelly Rowland, Blaque, Ludacris, T.I., and Lil Jon, to name a few. Others, such as Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, have moved to the city and made it their home.

Related Topics:
Jermaine Dupri - 2001 - Hip hop - Motown - Detroit, Michigan - Musician - OutKast - Jerry Reed - Gladys Knight & the Pips - Kelly Rowland - Blaque - Ludacris - T.I. - Lil Jon - Bobby Brown - Whitney Houston

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Record Producers L.A. Reid and Babyface founded LaFace Records in Atlanta in the late-1980s; the label has eventually become the home to multi-platinum selling artists such as Toni Braxton, TLC, OutKast, Goodie Mob, Usher and Ciara, many of whom are Atlantans themselves. It is also the home of So So Def Records, a label founded by Jermaine Dupri in the mid-1990s, that signed acts such as Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Xscape, and Lil Bow Wow. The success of LaFace and SoSo Def led to Atlanta as an established scene for record labels such as LaFace parent company Arista to set up satellite offices.

Related Topics:
Record Producers - L.A. Reid - Babyface - LaFace Records - 1980s - Toni Braxton - TLC - OutKast - Goodie Mob - Usher - Ciara - So So Def Records - 1990s - Da Brat - Jagged Edge - Xscape - Lil Bow Wow - Arista

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Despite producing numerous famous musicians, however, Atlanta's live music scene has suffered in recent years. Due in part to harsher new laws dictating the closing times of bars and nightclubs, many small to medium sized venues have closed down. As a result, fewer and fewer touring acts are stopping by Atlanta, putting further financial strain on the remaining clubs and venues. Furthermore, mainstream rock artists that originates from the Atlanta area lags well behind other US cities of similar size, emphasizing that Atlanta puts perhaps far too much emphasis and attention on the Hip Hop and R&B scenes. Exceptions however, include the five-piece alternative metal band Sevendust, modern rock band Collective Soul, and Connecticut-born pop-rock musician John Mayer.

Related Topics:
Hip Hop - R&B - Sevendust - Collective Soul - John Mayer

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In the early 1980s, Atlanta was the home of a thriving new wave music scene featuring such bands as The Brains and The Producers, closely linked to the new wave scenes in Athens, Georgia and other college towns in the southeast.

Related Topics:
1980s - New wave music - The Producers - Athens, Georgia

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Sports

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Club

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Sport

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League

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Stadium

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Logo

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Atlanta Falcons

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Football

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National Football League; NFC

Related Topics:
National Football League - NFC

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Georgia Dome

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Atlanta Braves

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Baseball

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Major League Baseball; NL

Related Topics:
Major League Baseball - NL

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Turner Field

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Atlanta Hawks

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Basketball

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National Basketball Association

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Philips Arena

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Atlanta Thrashers

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Ice Hockey

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National Hockey League

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Philips Arena

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