East Lake History
An East Lake Resident's View on Atlanta
by Miles Bondurant
Introduction to Atlanta
So, you are interested in Atlanta. Whether you are interested because you are moving here, thinking about moving here, or just thinking about visiting, we want to help you get yourself oriented. Therefore, we decided to provide you with a little primer on Atlanta's history, layout, and culture.
History and General Information about Atlanta
Atlanta started as a railroad junction in the 1830s and quickly became the transport hub of the South. Atlanta thrived until the Civil War. The city was a major Southern arsenal, transportation hub and was a primary target of the federal government during the war. It was nearly decimated when General Sherman sacked the city during the Battle of Atlanta. This battle was portrayed in Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize winning Gone With the Wind, the movie adaptation of which premiered at the Lowes Grand Theatre in Atlanta in 1939. Over 10,000 people perished in the real Battle of Atlanta. Only about 400 of the almost 4,000 buildings remained standing (one of which is a residence located in East Lake) and Ms. Mitchell as well as many of those who died during the war were buried in Oakland Cemetery (which is only minutes from East Lake). However, while you can tour Ms. Mitchell's house, don't go looking for Tara - it was a purely fictional setting.
Of course, ruin ended up working to the city's advantage, as it became the center for southern restoration. Atlanta became the state capital in 1868 and is now known as "the Capital of the New South." This is not just a title, as Atlanta is the birthplace and home of the world's most popular product, Coca-Cola, and headquarters to such giants as CNN, Delta Airlines, and United Parcel Service. Atlanta is also home to the world's busiest airport, Hartsfeild International, with 80.2 million people riding on 915,657 flights in 2001 (Chicago's O'Hare came in second with 72.1 million passengers riding on 908,989 flights).
Of course, Atlanta's star rose not only as a center for industry, but also as a center for human rights. Atlanta is home to our nation's most famous civil rights leader, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., who was born here in 1929. In Sweet Auburn is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, which includes his birthplace, church and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Atlanta was the nerve center of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, Atlanta has elected the first black representative to Congress since Reconstruction, Andrew Young (later ambassador to the UN under Jimmy Carter); and the country's first black mayor, Maynard Jackson. And Atlanta's status as a source for civil rights continues, not only through the MLK Center, but also through other organizations such as the Carter Center, from which former president Jimmy Carter helps improve human rights by resolving conflicts and spreading freedom around the world.
Atlanta is also a star on the sports scene. From baseball great Hank Aaron to golf legend Bobby Jones (who learned to play in East Lake), we are home to some fascinating sports history. Atlanta is home to the Braves (baseball), the Falcons (football), the Hawks (basketball) the Thrashers (hockey), and the Beat (women's soccer). A few major venues include Turner Field (also known as "The Ted"), the Georgia Dome, and Phillips Arena. In the past couple of decades Atlanta has hosted almost every major national sporting event including the World Series, the Superbowl, the All-Star Game, and the PGA Tour Championship (at the East Lake Golf Course, right here in our neighborhood!). Of course, we should not forget that one of the gems of Atlanta's history came when we hosted the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
An East Lake Resident's View on Atlanta
I was born and raised in Atlanta before moving elsewhere for about ten years. When I moved back with my new non-Atlantan wife (she is from Ohio), I was able to look at things from a new perspective. From that perspective, I am compiling a list of things that new residents and visitors should know. I am not saying that these are good things or that they are the "right" way of doing things. I am just telling you the facts.
- Yes, we do have over 40 streets with the word "Peachtree" in the name (Peachtree Battle Road, North Peachtree Avenue, Peachtree Circle). However, when someone mentions "Peachtree" without any more information, they are referring to Peachtree Street - the main north south connection between Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead.
- In the South, "barbeque" is a noun and not a verb (fyi - "cook out" is what you do in the back yard with hamburgers and hot dogs). Furthermore, for those that don't know, throughout the South the definition of "barbeque" is different. For example, in Texas it involves slices of beef brisket and in the Carolinas it involves a mustard based sauce. In Atlanta, "barbeque" usually refers to pulled pork sandwiches - that is, shredded pork roast swimming in a tangy tomato based sauce and served on either white bread or hamburger buns, preferably with a side of Brunswick stew. To truly experience it, try Harold's - you even get cracklin' cornbread with it (trust me, you don't want to know).
- We are not only the home of Coca-Cola, but we have made "Coke" into an all-encompassing reference for all sodas. For example, should someone say that they were going to pick up some "Cokes" for the party, they may show up with Coke, Sprite, Root Beer, etc.
- Should there be the slightest threat of frozen precipitation, we will 1) panic, 2) rush to the store and buy all of the milk, bread, and canned goods available, 3) go fill up our cars with gas, and 4) drive home and stay there until the "winter storm" has passed (hence, making you wonder why we felt it necessary to fill up our cars with gas). You should also know that we do all of this at break-neck speed without any consideration for safety or the rules of the road. Be afraid, be very afraid.
- We have the most amazing ability to spot the one place where pedestrian traffic is at its most clogged (say, a doorway or stairway), and then pick that as the best place to stand (while we check our wallet, talk on the cell phone, look around, etc) thereby bringing what was once clogged to a complete standstill.
- Sooner or later, you will be offered "sweet tea." As a matter of fact, in some restaurants you will automatically be given sweet tea unless you ask for "unsweet tea." Therefore, you need to know what sweet tea is. Sweet tea is an iced drink in which large amounts of sugar is added to the tea while the water is hot (just under boiling) and should not be confused with "sweetened tea" in which you add the sugar after it is cold. Now, I have no idea what the reason is, but there must be some basic chemical difference that makes sweet tea taste better than sweetened tea. Trust me.
- Just because we all say that we live in "Atlanta" does not necessarily mean that this is true. In fact, Atlanta only holds about 500,000 people. However, "Greater Atlanta" - which includes the 20 counties surrounding Atlanta - holds about 3.5 to 4 million people. The result is that there are some life-long Atlantans that know absolutely nothing about the other side of town.