Whenever I go to other areas of Atlanta, I hear and read about how great Kirkwood, East Atlanta, Oakhurst, Candler Park etc. is. (And I agree.) However, I also hear about the petty crime. Locking your doors, security systems, dogs, bums, crackheads, vagrants, break-ins, and the vigilance of the community. When I ride through these areas, while I like the charm, there is a fair amount of litter and such. Also, there are a number of vagrants, bums, and homeless. However, they are still touted as “the best places to be” and understandably so…
But in areas like 30058, there are virtually NO bums, homeless, or addicts roaming the streets. The litter is on par with any of the areas I previously mentioned with the exception of L5P (which has far more). I’ve lived for years with no security system or dog and I’ve left value merchandise in my car (not that that’s a smart thing to do anywhere) but nothing has happened. I even ordered the crime stats from Dekalb PD and APD only to find that the crime in these intown communities far outweighs that of unincorporated Lithonia. Yet on the site, people proclaim that Panola Rd north of I-20 is a crime-riddled haven for illegal activity that all should avoid and it is simply not the case.
The only major difference as far as I can tell (besides the abundance of 1960’s 1970’s and 1980’s (non-historic) homes, and a lack of trendy boutiques and stores, and a farther proximity to the city) is the fact that it has a predominantly African–American population filled with children and teens. I just assumed that people associated Blacks with dirt and crime and the gentrifying White areas with clean safety when the biggest disturbances I remember having in this old working class neighborhood off Marbut Rd. in years was kids playing basketball in the street. The occasional car passing blaring loud music and seeing the youngsters sag their pants (which I know is an eyesore). Yet our property values are low, businesses do not invest, and diverse populations don’t move here because of this stigma that it is a war zone, and that is completely false. In fact, it is a lot safer than all the intown communities I just mentioned.
What can be done about this stigma that Lithonia has and the “prejudice” that many of the posters have? Anything?
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2 comments:
I am for diversity.. but not before I am for revitalization and reclaiming our OWN pride in our communities.. the call for diversity before this ends up not solving real problems unique to the black community...
And I'm for more diversity outside of caucasians.. whenever diversity is touted what we really mean is more white folx..
I'd like to interact with more Native Americans.... Indians.. Asians.. South Africans.. Ghanaians.. etc...
The Indians.. South Africans.. Ghanaians.. etc... are here! Especially by Stone Mountain. It's a few older white folks around young rd, where i live. But I think they been there and never left. What are y'all talkin' 'bout doing to bring up our area without having white folks comin in and kicking us out? I agree with the blog in that I don't want fast food and strip malls everywhere. I'm from the hood, but i wanna take my girl to nice spots too. I've been spending my life trying to come out the hood, i'm not trying to let my spot turn to the hood. It'd be nice if we had an attraction that could get people to come to this area, spend money with us, then go back home.... That's what we do.... It's like white folks gotta touch something for it to be worth something. We can do that junk ourselves if we just got together and did it.
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