Georgia Public Radio is listener-funded and comprises one NPR member station, WABE, a classical music station operated by Atlanta Public Schools. Official records for Atlanta were kept at the Weather Bureau in downtown from October 1878 to August 1928, and at Hartsfield–Jackson Int'l since September 1928. In 2012, the blueberry crop was more than three times as valuable as the peach crop. [52] There had been controversy over whether Grier should be allowed to play due to his race, and whether Georgia Tech should even play at all due to Georgia's Governor Marvin Griffin's opposition to racial integration. Atlanta is America’s undisputed capital of all things peach. [233][234] However, 64% of Atlantans live within a 10-minute walk of a park, a percentage equal to the national average. [132], Religion in Atlanta, while historically centered on Protestant Christianity, now encompasses many faiths, as a result of the city and metro area's increasingly international population. [77], In 2005, the city approved the $2.8 billion BeltLine project. [265] In 2017 the number of children living in the annexed territory who attended public schools was nine.[266]. Big Peach Running Co. is a locally owned and operated retailer serving the needs of metropolitan Atlanta’s ever-growing community of runners, walkers, & fitness enthusiasts. This is the first time in 30 years that the city won’t offer the spectacle. [29] Through the early 19th century, European Americans systematically encroached on the Creek of northern Georgia, forcing them out of the area from 1802 to 1825. [115] In the 2010 Census, Atlanta was recorded as the nation's fourth-largest majority-black city. Since its construction in the 1950s, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has served as a key engine of the city's economic growth. [180] During the countercultural 1960s, Atlanta hosted the Atlanta International Pop Festival, with the 1969 festival taking place more than a month before Woodstock and featuring many of the same bands. In 1895, Atlanta hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition, which attracted nearly 800,000 attendees and successfully promoted the New South's development to the world. Most famous was the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics. After engineers surveyed various possible locations for the terminus, the "zero milepost" was driven into the ground in what is now Five Points. The city has hosted the NCAA Final Four Men's Basketball Championship five times, most recently in 2020. [123] Since 2010, the Atlanta area has seen very notable growth with immigrants from India, China, South Korea, and Jamaica. The Panthers' Bobby Grier was the first African-American to play in Sugar Bowl, Grier Integrated a Game and Earned the World's Respect, "Rearview Revisited: Segregation and the Sugar Bowl", "Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990", "Do Olympic Host Cities Ever Win? [154][196][197], Atlanta has more festivals than any city in the southeastern United States.[198]. [128] 7.3% of Atlantans were born abroad (86th in the US). Today, named after the largest Georgia Peach farm "Fruitland Nurseries" from the 1800s, Fruitland Augusta vodkas are made with actual Georgia peaches and … Beginning in the 1880s, Henry W. Grady, the editor of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, promoted Atlanta to potential investors as a city of the "New South" that would be based upon a modern economy and less reliant on agriculture. [258] Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said: "Our city does not support ICE. In 2017, AFRD responded to over 100,000 calls for service over a coverage area of 135.7 square miles (351.5 square kilometres). [88] In the mid-1970s, the Fox Theatre, now a cultural icon of the city, would have met the same fate if not for a grassroots effort to save it. Participating Atlanta region colleges and universities partner on joint-degree programs, cross-registration, library services, and cultural events.[263]. The Atlanta metropolitan area is served by two public television stations (both PBS member stations), and two public radio stations. The period was also marked by strife and tragedy. The Atlanta Regional Council of Higher Education (ARCHE) is dedicated to strengthening synergy among 19 public and private colleges and universities in the Atlanta region. [69], At the same time, the white population of Atlanta has increased. [223] Also, Atlanta is within a few hours driving distance of many of the universities that make up the Southeastern Conference, college football's most profitable and popular conference,[224] and annually hosts the SEC Championship Game. The city is home to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, an annual arts and crafts festival held one weekend during early April, when the native dogwoods are in bloom. July averages 80.2 °F (26.8 °C), with high temperatures reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 44 days per year, though 100 °F (38 °C) readings are not seen most years. [104] Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures somewhat moderated by the city's elevation. A small portion in the north is in the 11th district, represented by Republican Barry Loudermilk. On September 21, 2018, Major League Rugby announced that Atlanta was one of the expansion teams joining the league for the 2020 season[221] named Rugby ATL. [166][167][168], Atlanta is noted for its lack of Southern culture. These neighborhoods, many of which contain their own villages encircled by shaded, architecturally distinct residential streets, include the Victorian Inman Park, Bohemian East Atlanta, and eclectic Old Fourth Ward. [149] The Weather Channel is also based just outside of the city in suburban Cobb County. The Atlanta Falcons have played in Atlanta since their inception in 1966. Atlanta averaged 1.31 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8. Apr 7, 2014 - Places around Atlanta. [267] Alternative weekly newspapers include Creative Loafing, which has a weekly print circulation of 80,000. State Nicknames of Georgia. [146] Delta Air Lines, the city's largest employer and the metro area's third-largest, operates the world's largest airline hub at Hartsfield-Jackson, and it has helped make it the world's busiest airport, in terms of both passenger traffic and aircraft operations. Crime is down across the country, but Atlanta's improvement has occurred at more than twice the national rate. The river borders the far northwestern edge of the city, and much of its natural habitat has been preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966. Portions of the city extend eastward into neighboring DeKalb County. [83][13] Atlanta straddles the Eastern Continental Divide. Georgia designated the peach as the official state fruit in 1995 (Georgia also recognizes a state vegetable, a state crop, and an official prepared food). [179], Atlanta has played a major or contributing role in the development of various genres of American music at different points in the city's history. Georgia-grown peaches are recognized for their superior flavor, texture, appearance and nutritious qualities - a peach is featured on the U.S. Mint's Georgia quarter. The peach became the official state fruit in 1995. As of 2013, Atlanta contains the fourth-largest concentration of IT jobs in the US, numbering 85,000+. [86] More recently, preservationists may have made some inroads. Atlanta's performing arts district is concentrated in Midtown Atlanta at the Woodruff Arts Center, which is home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre. [107] Average dewpoints in the summer range from 63.7 °F (17.6 °C) in June to 67.8 °F (19.9 °C) in July.[108]. Specifically, homicide decreased by 57%, rape by 72%, and violent crime overall by 55%. ", "Can Atlanta Become the Music Industry's Next Business Hub? The Canopy Walk is considered the only canopy-level pathway of its kind in the United States. Atlanta is an ideal destination to enjoy a trip without breaking the bank, whether experiencing the city’s history, tasting its unique culinary scene or taking in the sights. Examples include the State of Georgia Building built in 1966, and the Georgia-Pacific Tower in 1982. In 2001 and 2011, Atlanta hosted the PGA Championship, one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Notwithstanding heavy automotive usage in Atlanta, the city's subway system is the eighth busiest in the country. Many of Atlanta's tallest skyscrapers were built in this period and style, displaying tapering spires or otherwise ornamented crowns, such as One Atlantic Center (1987), 191 Peachtree Tower (1991), and the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta (1992). The city's only skate park, a 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) facility that offers bowls, curbs, and smooth-rolling concrete mounds, is at Historic Fourth Ward Park. [248], The city is served by the Atlanta Police Department, which numbers 2,000 officers[249] and oversaw a 40% decrease in the city's crime rate between 2001 and 2009. For example, NBC News recently reported that blueberries have become Georgia’s new top fruit. [191] Atlanta doubles for other parts of the world and fictional settlements in blockbuster productions, among them the newer titles from The Fast and the Furious franchise and Marvel features such as Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War (both 2018). As the state capital, Atlanta is the site of most of Georgia's state government. Some 63% of residents identify as some type of Protestant,[133][134] but in recent decades the Catholic Church has increased in numbers and influence because of new migrants to the region. Previous Next. [299] Community organizations and the city government are addressing the problem. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of a 1950 merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, with staff consolidation occurring in 1982 and separate publication of the morning Constitution and afternoon Journal ceasing in 2001. Later, J. Edgar Thomson, Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, suggested the town be renamed Atlanta. [250] Nevertheless, Forbes ranked Atlanta as the sixth most dangerous city in the United States in 2012. [107] The heaviest single snowfall occurred on January 23, 1940, with around 10 inches (25 cm) of snow. This unique cultural combination reveals itself in the arts district of Midtown, the quirky neighborhoods on the city's eastside, and the multi-ethnic enclaves found along Buford Highway. After Atlanta was awarded the Olympic games in 1990, gentrification expanded into other parts of the city, stimulated by infrastructure improvements undertaken in preparation for the games. Following the announcement, the city government undertook several major construction projects to improve Atlanta's parks, sporting venues, and transportation infrastructure; however, for the first time, none of the $1.7 billion cost of the games was governmentally funded. As noted above, it allowed development of these sites for mixed-income housing, requiring developers to reserve a considerable portion for affordable housing units. There, the nearly-million immigrants that make Atlanta home have established various authentic ethnic restaurants representing virtually every nationality on the globe. [35], On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of Gone with the Wind, the epic film based on the best-selling novel by Atlanta's Margaret Mitchell. [297] Atlanta's tree coverage does not go unnoticed—it was the main reason cited by National Geographic in naming Atlanta a "Place of a Lifetime". Atlanta has long been known as the "capital" of college football in America. Although municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, nearly all of the city's elected officials are registered Democrats. [239], Atlanta is governed by a mayor and the Atlanta City Council. The city's skyline grew taller with the construction of the Equitable, Flatiron, Empire, and Candler buildings. [44], Atlanta played a vital role in the Allied effort during World War II due to the city's war-related manufacturing companies, railroad network and military bases. [57] In 1961, the city attempted to thwart blockbusting by realtors by erecting road barriers in Cascade Heights, countering the efforts of civic and business leaders to foster Atlanta as the "city too busy to hate". [292][298], The city's lush tree canopy, which filters out pollutants and cools sidewalks and buildings, has increasingly been under assault from man and nature due to heavy rains, drought, aged forests, new pests, and urban construction. [77] Construction of the Beltline has stimulated new and related development along its path.[102]. [216] In 2019, Atlanta also briefly hosted an Alliance of American Football team, the Atlanta Legends, but the league was suspended during its first season and the team folded. [211][212] For traditional Southern fare, one of the city's most famous establishments is The Varsity, a long-lived fast food chain and the world's largest drive-in restaurant. Atlanta magazine is an award-winning, monthly general-interest magazine based in and covering Atlanta. [47] In 1953, Van Leer assisted with helping Lockheed establish a research and development and production line in Marietta. Because the peach is so big … Midtown Atlanta is the city's second-largest business district, containing the offices of many of the region's law firms. Information technology (IT) has become an increasingly important part of Atlanta's economic output, earning the city the nickname the "Silicon peach". Thirty years after Atlanta’s inaugural New Year’s Eve Peach Drop celebration, the downtown tradition is taking some time off. Georgia's nickname is "The Peach State" because of its reputation for producing the highest quality fruit. In the 1980s, media mogul Ted Turner founded the Cable News Network (CNN) and the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) in the city. The term "SWATS" came into vogue around 1996 and was initially made popular by LaFace Records groups OutKast and Goodie Mob. [63] During the 1950s–70s, suburbanization and white flight from urban areas led to a significant demographic shift. [268] Three major interstate highways converge in Atlanta: I-20 (east-west), I-75 (northwest-southeast), and I-85 (northeast-southwest). [101], Gentrification of the city's neighborhoods is one of the more controversial and transformative forces shaping contemporary Atlanta. 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