Upon sitting at the Underground Atlanta for hours this past weekend I got a new feel for an understanding to the place we call Underground Atlanta. I am born and raised in Atlanta Georgia and have been to underground countless times. I even know many homeless people and young guys who hang out around the area everyday. As I went to the location to sit and observe I begin thinking to myself that I need to put my experience in perspective of someone who has never been to this location before or someone who does not frequent. As I sat there and observed what was going on I felt a high amount of awkwardness and tension in the air around me. This tension was caused because I was sticking out like a sore thumb as I sat down with my paper, my book bag, and Georgia State football gear. The majority of people who hang around this area are homeless people and young guys selling many products including drugs. These people are the reason Underground Atlanta is longer a tourist site and is now a half abandoned mall. If you have never been there before and you are not familiar with urban life in the southern part of downtown Atlanta then you may be slightly culture shocked and cautious. On the level near nice but slightly run down brick walk way entrance is where you can go witness all of the homeless gathering together to hang out and talk.
As you make your way on the opposite side near Five Points Marta station is where many young boys from neighborhoods in the area conglomerate and set up shop for the many products that they are selling such as cigarettes, candy, and water. The Underground which was once a beautiful place is still very historic and can achieve the goal of once again becoming a tourist spot in Atlanta if the city makes an effort to restore the area.
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