Built Environment Description: Atlantic Station

Atlantic Station is isolated from the assemblage of downtown. It is distinguished by surrounding townhouses and brick apartments, with green yards and walkways as well as ornate statues decorating the landscape. Many people are out walking dogs or sitting on covered porches. The entrance to Atlantic Station follows walkways of cobblestone, through gates that lead to subterranean parking garages that offer valet and are heavily policed. The conglomeration of stores is centered around a pristine green garden area, with an expansive lawn and many plants. The stores within the Station are modern and trendy, and many target youth and younger customers. I went inside Kinnucan’s, H&M, and American Apparel, which were overwhelmingly populated by individual or groups of teens. There are many nicer restaurants in the Station, in between shops for the convenience of consumers. My family ate at the Cheesecake Bistro, whose façade bears a sign that discourages hats and other informal apparel. The interior of the restaurant was decorated with golds and velvets, and the prices of meals were more expensive than college budgets allow. The restaurant was mostly filled with younger couples in their twenties, or older parents with their adult offspring. Overall, most people in attendance at Atlantic Station were younger, and there were many families but few with younger children. Nearby there are numerous apartments, and a Publix and Target that easily supply the weekly necessities for nearby residents. Atlantic Station and the surrounding area is reminiscent of a small, self-functioning town. Its seemingly intentional stratification from the rest of Downtown almost resembles a detachment from the mundane world. The environment and its people felt somewhat dystopic, especially in comparison with the campus of Georgia State; I did not see a single homeless individual, many people were exercising or with pets alongside the streets, and there was an emphasis on art and culture in the impressiveness of statues that bisect the roads.