Suburban Poverty: Atlanta's Hidden Epidemic

[Mr Hate Coffee]

Thread is the truth. I'm from Atlanta and actively planning to move back but I plan on living in the city. I have a good job so I can afford it.

I'm not looking at buying a house again but when I do I'm doing thorough research on my neighbors. I wanna stay where the young black professionals are.

I got burnt before by staying in the burbs and my neighbors foreclosing left and right destroying my property value.

 

[ZoeGod]

I don't understand why our people don't connect and make moves. Once you see the seeds of gentrification being planted, we should have already been on top of it buying income property to rent out to these hipsters. If there isn't a grocery store, collaborate and make moves to bring one to the area. One of the things I noticed black folks won't do is attend City Hall meetings. Them shyts is crucial to the future of your community. If you aren't owning anything and seeds are being planted for an overhaul, get ready to commute because of unaffordable housing. Not to mention you arrive about to share housing with section 8 niccas. I ain't having that. Same thing is happening in the Bay area. Niccas need to start thinking about the future. They pushing black folk out of Oakland and into Stockton and antioch. 2500 square foot homes with niccas out front smoking weed, pants sagging, killing the property value. School systems are terrible. Nicca gotta make a 60 mile commute 1 way. I made that commute and I'll never do it again. I don't understand how uninformed so many of our people are and the knowledge about what they are planning is publicly accessible

It's kinda of the crab in a barrel mentality. When one makes it out and got into the real estate game few of our people comeback to teach our youth. Jews give Jewish youth all types of game into owning a buisness,finance,and real estate etc. Us it's every man for himself. And now the gentrification plague has hit us hard. There is alot of money to made in real estate it's just alot of our people don't have knowledge on it. Very few of our people are investing. When ever I'm around with my homies when I talk real estate or investing it just glance over their eyes. Lack of knowledge is what is hurting us. Very few of our people are thinking about the bigger picture.

 

[Apollo Creed]

I put part of the blame on the black middle class. They get money and move out the hood, then buy a 50 or 60k car to commute an hour each way.

It makes no sense


My sister lives in kirkwood, in Atl, she paid a grip for the house, but she doesn't have to sit in traffic all day, and being able to walk to the Marta station is wonderful.

My think is , ok you want to move to the burbs at least build something! I was in the Dekalb Medical /North Dekalb Area and it seems that Indians set up shop in those parts and built everything they need. Literally they have a shopping mall called "Patel Plaza" with a grocer and other essential stores. Black folks move to the burbs and pretty much just serve as customers to big box retailers.

I think the Westside is perfect for blacks as there is a ton of store fronts and such for sale that can be used for private schools, clinics, stores, etc there is already a black owned bank that covers the area.

 

[UserNameless]

Have you lived in Atlanta before? Your answer just kinda feels like a rote, cookie cutter answer you could give about any decent to mid size city in America

And I'm not throwin shade on your comments, but I just feel like there are more dynamic factors at work in Atlanta than a more simplified answer like yours speaks to

Nah, I appreciate you questioning that. I'm a frequent atl visitor, but have never taken up residence. But many people who move to atl say that... that's the lure for the 20s and 30s demographic mostly... they say they want to experience the nightlife and the buzz of city proper and to also hustle... but many go there and live the same way they were before. but the opportunity is still there for sure.

But I think shyt is maxing out for the modest income, single, blue collar black to go down there and have a small turnaround time to double up. those days are about to be done.

If we really wanna examine this, then let's look at job creation versus job destruction ratios. Employment rates. What sectors of employment are booming and where are they booming, and whether that is accessible to the average blue collar black person.

Now, if we're talking off the books hustle, then that's a different story.

As Jamil is saying below about the DMV, it seems atl is moving toward more elements of white collar for blacks. And it has been for sometime just from outsider observation. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.

The DMV is mostly white collar and 9-5 type shyt. And it's hella expensive. ATL is way more conducive for the hustle. Yeah it's hella white collar shyt here but it's also a ton of dudes getting money on they on. On a deeper level the chakras in this city are just aligned with making money and hustling. It's only natural that ATL would get more attention. I fukk with DC heavy myself. But for a non cert holding cat like me it just wouldn't work. I know all y'all Coli nikkas caked up with degrees and certs on the wall but in real life that's not the case. Last I checked most of us nikkas out here don't have degrees and didn't come from a whole bunch of money.

Exactly. Especially the underlined. But you don't see Atl slowly moving in that direction over the past few years?

hell, it's definitely not the atl of the late 90s that I enjoyed so much. But mainline atl has been steadily moving toward pricing out regular, working class Africans I believe. See my post above. Lemme know what you think.

The opposite is happening in Cleveland, and it's kind of odd.
The wealth is moving further and further out of the city, and while they're trying to gentrify the 30 or so blocks around Cleveland Clinic in the hood, everyone that can afford it is trying to get out to the far East and far-West suburbs.
It would be a great time to be buying property here, especially by Case Western, East Cleveland, and the Heights,

Who wants to willingly move to Cleveland as their primary residence tho?

 

[Rawtid]

I don't understand why our people don't connect and make moves. Once you see the seeds of gentrification being planted, we should have already been on top of it buying income property to rent out to these hipsters. If there isn't a grocery store, collaborate and make moves to bring one to the area. One of the things I noticed black folks won't do is attend City Hall meetings. Them shyts is crucial to the future of your community. If you aren't owning anything and seeds are being planted for an overhaul, get ready to commute because of unaffordable housing. Not to mention you arrive about to share housing with section 8 niccas. I ain't having that. Same thing is happening in the Bay area. Niccas need to start thinking about the future. They pushing black folk out of Oakland and into Stockton and antioch. 2500 square foot homes with niccas out front smoking weed, pants sagging, killing the property value. School systems are terrible. Nicca gotta make a 60 mile commute 1 way. I made that commute and I'll never do it again. I don't understand how uninformed so many of our people are and the knowledge about what they are planning is publicly accessible

I agree! In Baltimore, they are basically giving people money to buy vacant properties but people don't want to do it because the process is cumbersome. I've been to one seminar and I'm trying to go to others but they sell out quickly.

 

[ZoeGod]

My think is , ok you want to move to the burbs at least build something! I was in the Dekalb Medical /North Dekalb Area and it seems that Indians set up shop in those parts and built everything they need. Literally they have a shopping mall called "Patel Plaza" with a grocer and other essential stores. Black folks move to the burbs and pretty much just serve as customers to big box retailers.

I think the Westside is perfect for blacks as there is a ton of store fronts and such for sale that can be used for private schools, clinics, stores, etc there is already a black owned bank that covers the area.

Alot of Haitians who came to New York in the 80's and 90s moved away from crime ridden areas in Brooklyn and Queens for the suburbs in Queens, Long Island,Westchester County and New Jersey. But they dont build anything. I mean yeah there is alot of Haitians in Cambria Heights Queens but there isnt much to build since its closer to Long Island than Manhattan or Brooklyn . They look at the allure of owning home which is good but aren't prepared for it finacially. I know this because alot of my family did that. The black middle class has alot to blame cuz they thought suburban living is the wave during the boom years that they got burnt during the recession.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Alot of Haitians who came to New York in the 80's and 90s moved away from crime ridden areas in Brooklyn and Queens for the suburbs in Queens, Long Island,Westchester County and New Jersey. But they dont build anything. I mean yeah there is alot of Haitians in Cambria Heights Queens but there isnt much to build since its closer to Long Island than Manhattan or Brooklyn . They look at the allure of owning home which is good but aren't prepared for it finacially. I know this because alot of my family did that. The black middle class has alot to blame cuz they thought suburban living is the wave during the boom years that they got burnt during the recession.

I mean i understand wanting to leave a crime ridden area but hell black folks go to the burbs and the schools still end up being crap and we dont build any infrastructure or institutions. In ATL there are blacks doing business but there is not many areas that are concentrated "hubs" and the few that are is just a bunch of barbershops, salons, wing stand, car wash, and a soul food spot next to each other.

 

[Poitier]

Let me get this right, people from the south always crap on NYC and claim everyone should move to Atlanta only to show its just as bad if not worse for blacks there. The black Mecca they called it is just like I said it would be . You tell people come to this area, it's better for blacks here and it's the best but it's still in America and long as keep the same habits and don't see the trends coming or own a thing, this will be the end result every time .

lol no

folks been sleeping for damn near a decade. outta 5 black folks from VA down to SC, 1 would say they'd move to the DMV... the other 4 would say atl. doesn't get the publicity Atl does.

The poverty in the DMV for Blacks dwarfs Atlanta, breh.

 

[Poitier]

But I think shyt is maxing out for the modest income, single, blue collar black to go down there and have a small turnaround time to double up. those days are about to be done.

the nonsense I'm reading in here .... dude the A is about to experience a rapid population shift and multiple sectors are about to grow exponentially

 

[AVXL]

Nah, I appreciate you questioning that. I'm a frequent atl visitor, but have never taken up residence. But many people who move to atl say that... that's the lure for the 20s and 30s demographic mostly... they say they want to experience the nightlife and the buzz of city proper and to also hustle... but many go there and live the same way they were before. but the opportunity is still there for sure.

But I think shyt is maxing out for the modest income, single, blue collar black to go down there and have a small turnaround time to double up. those days are about to be done.

If we really wanna examine this, then let's look at job creation versus job destruction ratios. Employment rates. What sectors of employment are booming and where are they booming, and whether that is accessible to the average blue collar black person.

Now, if we're talking off the books hustle, then that's a different story.

As Jamil is saying below about the DMV, it seems atl is moving toward more elements of white collar for blacks. And it has been for sometime just from outsider observation. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.




Exactly. Especially the underlined. But you don't see Atl slowly moving in that direction over the past few years?

hell, it's definitely not the atl of the late 90s that I enjoyed so much. But mainline atl has been steadily moving toward pricing out regular, working class Africans I believe. See my post above. Lemme know what you think.



Who wants to willingly move to Cleveland as their primary residence tho?

I appreciate the perspective. IDK breh if folks come down here and hustle and network, man the possibilities are endless especially for black people. The great thing is its a lot of old heads who will happily drop knowledge and put you on game if you ask...I stay in contact with OGs who mentor me and put me in contact with the right connects, but that's how it is all over the city. But we gotta get up off our asses and go get it. A lotta people who move here expect it to just happen because theyre down here, but it doesn't work like that. There is significant opportunity in almost every industry you can think of here (transportation, construction, IT, health care, corporate business, housing, etc), I don't see us hitting a bubble anytime soon

 

[goatnole]

Where else are they suppose to go when you tear down the projects and move Starbucks and Chipotle to the hood?

 

[JamilALAmin]

Nah, I appreciate you questioning that. I'm a frequent atl visitor, but have never taken up residence. But many people who move to atl say that... that's the lure for the 20s and 30s demographic mostly... they say they want to experience the nightlife and the buzz of city proper and to also hustle... but many go there and live the same way they were before. but the opportunity is still there for sure.

But I think shyt is maxing out for the modest income, single, blue collar black to go down there and have a small turnaround time to double up. those days are about to be done.

If we really wanna examine this, then let's look at job creation versus job destruction ratios. Employment rates. What sectors of employment are booming and where are they booming, and whether that is accessible to the average blue collar black person.

Now, if we're talking off the books hustle, then that's a different story.

As Jamil is saying below about the DMV, it seems atl is moving toward more elements of white collar for blacks. And it has been for sometime just from outsider observation. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.




Exactly. Especially the underlined. But you don't see Atl slowly moving in that direction over the past few years?

hell, it's definitely not the atl of the late 90s that I enjoyed so much. But mainline atl has been steadily moving toward pricing out regular, working class Africans I believe. See my post above. Lemme know what you think.



Who wants to willingly move to Cleveland as their primary residence tho?

Breh it ain't like the 90's anywhere in America no more. Plus in the 90's the city had a massive cash infusion from the shyt leading up to the Olympics. That shyt pretty much changed the A forever. Kinda hard to capture lighting in a bottle like that again breh. But the blue collar shyt will always be there. We got the busiest airport in the world breh. Between that and the warehouses around it that shyt is huge. Don't under estimate that. A whole bunch of Black folks eat down there. I've always said Hartsfield-Jackson being so big has kept a lot of nikkas off the street in the A.

And DC got the same shyt going on in the that we do. PG just a slightly bigger more well known version of Dekalb. Same crime rates, same demographics, same hood shyt in spots, hell some of the areas even look the same. Ft Washington looks like some parts of Stone Mountain until you see a 7-11 or some shyt like that. Its plenty folks up there struggling too breh. nikkas paying a rack and up to stay in the trap in SE and get evicted and move way out and can't even get to they job. DC is doable if you making 75K and up, but you still gon be dropping damn near half of what you make on rent if you trying to be a decent area. I ain't one of them type of nikkas so my Black ass will be in the A breh

And don't knock Cleveland breh. If folks like us all moved to places like Detroit, Clevleand, and Gary we could turn it around. Real shyt. Been putting the bug in nikkas ear about buying shyt in the Midwest. I bought and fixed up a house in Gary for less than 7 racks breh. This ain't no big shyt either homie. Damn near every nikka in this thread could do that.

 

[UserNameless]

I appreciate the perspective. IDK breh if folks come down here and hustle and network, man the possibilities are endless especially for black people. The great thing is its a lot of old heads who will happily drop knowledge and put you on game if you ask...I stay in contact with OGs who mentor me and put me in contact with the right connects, but that's how it is all over the city. But we gotta get up off our asses and go get it. A lotta people who move here expect it to just happen because theyre down here, but it doesn't work like that. There is significant opportunity in almost every industry you can think of here (transportation, construction, IT, health care, corporate business, housing, etc), I don't see us hitting a bubble anytime soon

No doubt. I know some folks who had a little trouble from the onset finding jobs .. hs diploma, some college not much. .. it was rough going for them for 6-8 months. .. ended up living with folks. but they ended up getting something. .. but they coulda gotten that with that pay damn near anywhere. if you move to the A you should be thinking ownership. period. and @Poitier there was a time when you could have a hs diploma and come down there and get it working in the mainline occupations . I don't know if that's the case anymore.

@JamilALAmin I know airport jobs have held plenty of folks down and prevented a kick door. .. and that's true what you said about the 90s and Cleveland. just can't fukk with the whether up there even if there was a mass exodus

 

[BigMan]

Alot of Haitians who came to New York in the 80's and 90s moved away from crime ridden areas in Brooklyn and Queens for the suburbs in Queens, Long Island,Westchester County and New Jersey. But they dont build anything. I mean yeah there is alot of Haitians in Cambria Heights Queens but there isnt much to build since its closer to Long Island than Manhattan or Brooklyn . They look at the allure of owning home which is good but aren't prepared for it finacially. I know this because alot of my family did that. The black middle class has alot to blame cuz they thought suburban living is the wave during the boom years that they got burnt during the recession.

i see Haitians building more business/infrastructure than a lot of other black immigrant groups...I think speaking another language and religion helps them

 

[Poitier]

and @Poitier there was a time when you could have a hs diploma and come down there and get it working in the mainline occupations . I don't know if that's the case anymore.

Outside of working oil fields in North Dakota....that isn't happening anywhere in America and thats even done.