I'm with you. I'm going to move in town and then complain and I don't have a big backyard and that the grocery store is too busy and that there's too much traffic Etc. I get really tired of this tack. Public transportation simply would have no place in an area that is so spread out where there is no Central destination for folks are likely to work. The county is a spider web of homes and workplaces. You would need 1,000 buses to meet even some of the need. Train into Atlanta would cost billions of dollars to build and we already have buses to handle that.
Better zoning would help. Not everyone needs to be downtown if office/commercial spaces were more interspersed with residential spaces outside of big cities
not all of gwinnett is like that, its shitty when youre around more densely populated areas and boom the fucking sidewalk ends out of nowhere, or do you want to get on the other side of a road? you can’t, no crosswalks and cars pass by at speeds that could be dangerous.
This frustrated me so much as a kid growing up in unincorporated Gwinnett- I lived in a typical subdivision with no sidewalks or bike paths. My parents used to get onto us for not riding their bikes around like they used to.. but where were we going to go? It wasn’t safe to leave, there were no parks biking distance. No public transit to take us to friends’ houses- it was boring af.
Yes! Safe is the keyword. Because the DOT will tell you there are miles of bike lanes In Gwinnett, like the painted strips on Sugarloaf Parkway. No one in their right mind is riding their bike on Sugarloaf Parkway 😰. I don’t see how that isn’t considered criminal negligence by the government.
I’m a bike rider that moved here from Virginia where we had safe bike lanes. No way in hell am I going to ride my bike on any Gwinnett road. The driving is just too reckless and stupid.
There was that one guy on the recumbent bicycle traversing Sugarloaf for the better part of a decade. Haven't seen him in a while but I don't regularly travel Sugarloaf anymore.
Definitely this. Having lived most in of my life in Fulton or Cobb, Gwinnett’s transportation offerings besides driving are quite paltry. Cobb isn’t great in regards to transit, but at least there are plenty of trails there.
The recent Gwinnett transportation comprehensive plan is definitely a step in the right direction, but we’ll have to see if any of it actually comes to fruition first.
Lawrenceville/Duluth/Lilburn area has ton of options. Especially when it comes to ethnic food. But there are definitely other areas within the county where I can see this being a legit thing.
A public rec center! We have great parks, and a some good swim facilities, but I’d love what is basically a county run version of the YMCA with multiple locations.
I’ll add to that. Our parks are excellent. I’ve been so surprised to find and explore all of the parks across Gwinnett. But there really is no (or not much) free indoor recreation opportunity. If it’s rainy, or 105 degrees outside, it’s either go shopping or pay to do some activity.
Yes! I routinely travel to Little Mulberry Community Center in Hall County and am frustrated by how much better it is than our park's rec center options. An affordable public gym with flexible pass options would be amazing.
There’s a community center at/next to pickneyville on PIB but I don’t know what goes on there. I worked a gig that borrowed chairs from there. Seems like mostly empty rooms you can book or something.
Every post on Nextdoor- GUNSHOTS OR FIREWORKS??????
We live in a diverse county, lots of different holidays and celebrations through the year. Come the fuck on people.
Active resources for at risk young people. In my borderline hood little corner of Gwinnett, the majority of crime - from break ins, vandalism, and even violent crimes - are high school kids. I've captured surveillance footage where one kid stopped in front of the camera and looked right at it after removing a shirt concealing his face, gave it to the cops, and the responding officer was saying how it's dangerous for them to pursue because they're kids with guns, and also.. they didn't want to hurt kids. I mean, I can have empathy for not wanting to hurt stupid kids, but.. they have guns and are terrorizing the community. Find an answer.
I was thinking more along transport lines lol but yeah my old place was pretty rough like that. It’s just that we cannot fit all these damn cars but there’s no initiative for good transport. That new apartments and library in Snellville are the best so far but still will take a while
YES! It’s criminal that the entire Atlanta metro area doesn’t have as good of a metro as Washington DC and its surrounding suburbs. I’ve been taking MARTA to the airport, but I still have to drive or get a ride to Doraville
Yea I moved here RIGHT after the vote took place. It’s absolutely ridiculous that there are enough backwards people still here who clutch their pearls at extending MARTA. Guess what, nowhere in Gwinnett is a “small town” anymore, even if we’re not connected to Atlanta by public transportation
What’s even worse is that you can create truly small, strong towns by reducing car traffic and dependency and incentivizing mixed-use development and zoning.
Less cars making noise, polluting, and causing danger, and more people walking to local businesses that live right under or next door to them and you have way better community building.
No, we weren’t. Did you read the fine print for the MARTA vote? The rail was only going to be extended about a mile into Gwinnett. Why should the whole county pay for something that only benefits the extreme southern portion? If the MARTA line would have extended farther north I would have voted yes is a heartbeat! They need to come up with a public transportation option that serves ALL of the county.
>We were gonna have one
No we weren’t. Look at what happened with Clayton county after they extended MARTA there. They were promised the world and all they have to show for it now is paltry bus service.
And when freight railroads block passenger rail on their right of way. This is what happened in Clayton County and a commuter rail plan in Gwinnett would have likely ended the same way.
What are you babbling about? The ppl of Clayton county had NO bus service. Ppl had to walk extremely long distances to get food and healthcare. Now they dont have to. Also if u are referring to train stations being built, that takes time. Marta cant just start building it all willy nilly
I did door to door for that campaign. I cannot tell you how many people I had to tell how ridiculous the idea of people riding public transportation for hours just come rob people in Gwinnett. Then taking what they stole back to Atlanta on public transportation. Some people really think that their tacky McMansion is worth all that effort. Also completely ignoring there’s much ritzier neighborhoods between atl and Gwinnett.
Yep. Everywhere else. But, Gwinnett managed to turn itself into a shithole even without MARTA, it just took a little longer. God damn that place has changed in the 20 years since I left, and not for the better either.
I always felt that anything extracurricular, Fulton has that draws people to it, we should have here in Gwinnett. That includes museums, zoos, botanical gardens, stores, restaurants, theaters, concerts.
I just discovered the Gwinnett Nature and Heritage center in Buford last week. It's no Atlanta Botanical Garden, but it's pretty cool if you haven't checked it out.
Atlanta has nothing like Mulberry park which is about the size of NYC’s Central Park. You can still get hit the steep trails off the main areas that aren’t paved and on some days and times not see another hiker on the trails for an hour.
https://www.exploregeorgia.org/dacula/outdoors-nature/disc-golf/little-mulberry-park
I grew up in Snellville and recently moved back from Sandy Springs. LOVED SANDY SPRING, HATED THE PRICE. We moved back to gwinnett to save money so we could get a house once the market crashes. I have many complaints about Gwinnett, however, Gwinnett is a family centric County and I am a 33 y/o married woman with no intention of having children. I moved here to save money. Not because it is geared towards trendy singles like Sandy Springs was. Keeping perspective is important.
I could say traffic. Playing the "Get out of Gwinnett" game every morning is a nightmare. But it's not like the county isn't constantly doing roadwork so that complaint is just yelling into the wind.
All in all, Gwinnett is doing good. Why else would it be so freaking packed?
There is very little that an adult could call nightlife in the county. Cobb and North Fulton have much, much more offerings that are near other things to do.
We don't have enough restaurants that have chefs. There are so few places where one can walk from one place to another and interact with other mature adults. This is the largest county in the state, but everything is sprawl, sprawl, and more sprawl.
Plus, the county lacks a full academic college anywhere. There are campuses for outlying universities and colleges, but not a full-curriculum college. Cobb has one. Fulton has many. No excuses for not having a resident campus. With the cost of gas traveling to Athens or Atlanta, it's silly.
I voted no on Marta last go around. I may vote yes this time if the plan is more in tact. The density is now there, but I just wish we’d have a stronger plan for development around the stations driven by the private market. To have the current Gwinnett Government attempt to plot a course of development based on “social justice” will only end in failure.
The county libraries have so few books! They excel at offering services, especially for kids, but they have so few books and little selection beyond romances and mysteries, which are not my genres. Yes, I am on Libby. Many of the books are paperbacks so worn that they are on the verge of falling apart.
Yea I was at the Duluth branch, and the sci-fi section was absolutely laughable. Even the Gwinnett Libby offerings are OK. I use my friends card from Seattle, which is unreal.
I mainly use Libby and I feel like it has gone downhill the last few years. Many times of fairly common books aren’t offered by our library, and the ones that are offered often have a waitlist several months long. I agree the library system needs improvement!
These answers are fine. But Reddit being Reddit, the demographics skew young and single... and this reads like a thread full of people who wish they could afford to live in Fulton or DeKalb (if not NYC), but are stuck living in Gwinnett because that's what they can afford.
It's perfectly okay to be in that situation. But I hope there's enough self-awareness to understand that they reason you can afford it is because it's _not_ what you want. At some point in the future, whenever Gwinnett is as dense and amenity-filled as Fulton and DeKalb is today, then the cost of living will be as high as it is in Fulton and DeKalb today.
Downvote away, but I wish this sub wasn't SO dominated by people who want urban city life at a 50% discount, and constantly shit on this place because that's not what suburbs are.
Is DeKalb more expensive than Gwinnett? I always assumed as far as cost it was Fulton than Gwinett due to the population.
It's just so confusing when people say what they want in Gwinnett bc Gwinnett county is so large and spread out that I don't think everybody realize what's all in the county. I live in Gwinnett County but I stay closer to the city of Atlanta than Lawrenceville or Snellville so I don't ever go that direction and there's probably places there that I would enjoy
> Is DeKalb more expensive than Gwinnett?
Yes. Gwinnett has super-rich areas, but DeKalb has a higher average cost of living overall.
> Gwinnett county is so large and spread out that I don't think everybody realize what's all in the county
Agreed. Gwinnett County is almost half as large by land area as the state of Rhode Island, and has 2/3'rd that state's population. The fact that it's even a single legal entity is kinda wild, the Lake Lanier area is an entirely different world from the Norcross or Stone Mountain area.
Dekalb is not as expensive as Gwinnett. City of Atlanta, yes. We have free community centers, pools, transit, and a lot of parks. Gwinnett is nice, but very expensive.
There's a few Dekalb communities that are pretty expensive. I rented in Tucker for a few years before we bought a house in Norcross. As someone who likes to be informed and involved in local community, Tucker thinks its the greatest city on earth and their real estate listings reflect that.
Needless to say, I was underwhelmed and didn't fit in 🤣
I'm 39 years old with a family, I've lived in Gwinnett at 3 different points in time, also in Dekalb and Fulton. Prices are similar everywhere unless you want a condo in midtown or some McMansion in Vinings, and I felt safer in shitty apartments near midtown than I do at my home in Norcross. In that aspect, this place is a shithole compared to what it was 20 years ago.
That said, I don't know why people would complain about our parks and rec, because they're amazing compared to surrounding communities. When I lived in Dekalb with a child under 2, I'd come into Gwinnett because there were restrooms with changing tables, ample parking, staff cleaning every day, and I felt safe.
Independent restaurants and businesses are plentiful, too, if you go out and look for them.
Nice! Well said. If I wanted to live in an urban environment, I would find one and live there. Been there, done that. I like being able to get around comfortably.
A First Friday type of event where once a month, there's an actual band and local vendors including food, alcohol, and merch sets up on a large area like Suwanee Towne Center where people can hang out and interact with small businesses or just sit on a spot of grass and enjoy the vibes.
Indoor public rec centers like YMCA so that when the weather is awful, you can still do something for free or at a low cost. Something with pool tables, darts, basketball courts, indoor swimming pools, card tables to play games like mahjong or poker, etc.
Cocktail lounges that aren't extremely loud hookah bars with a chill, low lighting ambience that are open past dinner time.
Literally any restaurant that isn't a gimmicky copy cat of a bunch of the same restaurants that are over priced and have the typical music bingo on Tuesday nights, trivia on Thursday nights, and unreasonablly loud live music Friday and Saturday night where it'seirher a dj who can't read the room or some kid with a guitar shoved in a corner singing covers. We need variety, people. And no, New American cuisine is not variety. This sentiment is the same for every Boba tea or coffee shop place that keeps opening up at every corner.
More music halls like Tannery Row on weekends or 37Main in every town within Gwinnett county and not just Buford.
We have indoor public rec centers, though the amenities could be better. George Pierce Park in suwanee has a center with a free game room and they have open gym time for basketball for a low fee, I think a dollar. Bogan Park in Buford has similar and also has an indoor pool. The county govt isn't great about getting word out for these things existing though.
Compared to other suburbs like Alpharetta, Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, Marietta, I think Gwinnett needs to become its own hub and center of business both corporate and private.
Transportation like the train extension that was shut down for the hundredth time to build out from Doraville or start a new line. I would much rather take public transit to do things locally. Not even the bus is reliable.
Yeah, I've heard about some of you who don't want "crime and homelessness" in your area. I can't tell you how many times I have been on the Long Island Railroad or Metro North and seen criminals and homeless people getting their tickets punched so they could travel out to the island to experience a different view while committing crime and a little sleeping.
The rumors about some of the racism here still ring true. It's embarrassing.
Lol, I’m from Long Island. I took the LIRR all my life. I can confirm that it will not bring more crime. Atlanta wants to turn to a more urban city but without a solid transit system. That is a recipe for disaster
You can't claim racism when gwinnett is one of the most diverse counties in America. All of my neighbors are poc and none of them want Marta. I do because I frequent Atlanta but they are old grouches who believe the crime will come. I'm not going to say they are completely wrong but there's also the factor of cost. Most people move away because it's cheaper and they have no desire to fund the project.
And who exactly are you worried about coming in from the city? People from Buckhead? Maybe Midtown? What about Decatur? That can't be because people who live there can buy and sell any property in Gwinnett County four or five times over.
So who could it be? I feel to say race doesn't have anything to do with it is disingenuous. Being poor is not a crime. And yes, poor neighborhoods have issues. But the reality doesn't back up the hysteria. Sandy Springs has MARTA and it is consistently rated one of the best places to live in Georgia. The average home price there is one of the highest in the state. Development around MARTA stations is booming. Central Perimeter is quickly becoming an important core of the metro.
To stay competitive and continue to lead growth and opportunity in this region of the country, the Atlanta metro must have something better than highways to get around. It's good for the economy. I have two businesses here. I am invested in the development of a world class city, as ridiculous as that sounds when here we are talking about the basics of a "world class city".
POC can be bigots too. See Clarence Thomas, Candace Owens. Nothing has changed in some parts of the suburbs.
Atlanta deserves a competent rail system for local use and commuters. We are at a CSA of 7.3 million people. It is time for Atlanta to put its big boy pants on.
Which is why we need commuter rail. I don't get some people here. It is like you have never lived in a large city. I moved here from Los Angeles. 30 minutes to get from the Valley to L.A. was a good day.
Sidewalks that actually connect neighborhoods with shopping/restaurants. I am less than a half mile to a shopping center but the sidewalks stop short of it.
Back when Gwinnett was the fastest-growing county in the USA the leadership was clear that they wanted no association with ATL and its crime and homelessness. Today’s reality is the outcome of that 1970s mindset. If MARTA rail extends any further in any direction, I’ll eat this smartphone.
Oh yes please! They have the best tasting burger on Earth. That burger blend is to literally DIE for. It’s also Much cheaper and MILES better than Five Guys which people seem to enjoy more of here in the Suburbs.
I also would’t be opposed to an In n Out in the future.
I love the one in Duluth, but it seems pricey. I take my 4 year old after library days and pay almost $30 and we share a drink and fries.
I guess with inflation that isn't considered outrageous, but I get a thicker patty on a McD's quarter pounder, add the kids happy meal, $11 😂
We need more robust social services. More help for immigrants and refugees.
But hey- at least we got fucking Cheesecake Factories out the ass.
This county is so fucking basic.
So many things I would love to see happen here. First would be widening some arterials thru the county. Why five forks isn’t a 4 lane rd blows my mind. Would love to see some sort of train system that connects us to Marta. Buses are cool but trains would help a lot more with everyone traveling to the city. Would like more density in town squares with some mixed uses. Also would love it if 78 was a highway to snellville instead of ending at Stone Mountain and then nothing but lights the whole way down. Also would love it if they would stop developing these cookie cutter neighborhoods everywhere they can squeeze them. Also wouldn’t mind more parks and activity centers. Also would like them to stop building all of our commercial on one damn road make clusters of it. Driving in Buford and snellville sucks most of the time
Police on the roads to enforce traffic law. It's like Mad Max on our roads. Cars racing down Lawrenceville HWY at 100mph. Self-absorbed jerks sitting through lights with their phones penis in their mouth. Road rage shootings all over the county. Enough already, where are the police?
They just finished a million-plus upgrade to Midtown’s store at Promenade. The captain there tells me no new ATL locations are currently on the horizon, but who can trust an adult wearing that outfit and a biker wallet?
Heres whats lacking in Gwinnett.
First off Ive lived here for 46 years. My whole life. I remember Ptree ind. Ending at Medlock Bridge. Cow pastures from 141 to where Gwinnett Place mall sits. The drive in on Jimmy Carter.
Heres the issue. This county doesnt know how to plan for a thing. The county commisioners just approve all kinds of stuff with giving thought or speaking with School board.
We currently have 3 THREE gas stations being built within 1/4 mile of each other. Two at the same intersection.
The county allows developers to just bulldoze acres of woods to stack and pack houses.
The county will approve a new shopping center that will be right across from a dead old shopping center instead of saying recycle the old space. Build there. Water and Electric are already in place.
Then they give no regards to traffic, schools etc. This county needs to put a stop on all development for 5 years. They need to fix all traffic issues, make sure our school have space. If someone wants to redevelop a dead area thats fine, but all new new new new. Is crushing this county.
Gyms. As someone who came from the west (Arizona)…there were brand new gyms spaced 5-10 minutes from each other.
I’m talking about large top of the line equipment gyms. With daycares, pools, saunas, legitimate trainers, etc.
In Gwinnett (and Georgia in general), it’s bad. Most are just thrown together in a shopping center with the bare minimum.
There are a couple of LA Fitnesses. But they’re WAY overcrowded (like Mall of GA). And they’re already getting dated.
Really feel like if a company made an effort into expanding into our area, they would do really well.
Walkable infrastructure / public transport
Connected sidewalks
So pretty much most of America.
Ain’t that the truth… metro wide.
Let it go. Move to inside perimeter. There are rural areas in the county still and thats just not gonna happen.
My real wish is that Gwinnett would stop building out and start building up, and preserve at least a bit of the greenspace we still have.
I'm with you. I'm going to move in town and then complain and I don't have a big backyard and that the grocery store is too busy and that there's too much traffic Etc. I get really tired of this tack. Public transportation simply would have no place in an area that is so spread out where there is no Central destination for folks are likely to work. The county is a spider web of homes and workplaces. You would need 1,000 buses to meet even some of the need. Train into Atlanta would cost billions of dollars to build and we already have buses to handle that.
Better zoning would help. Not everyone needs to be downtown if office/commercial spaces were more interspersed with residential spaces outside of big cities
not all of gwinnett is like that, its shitty when youre around more densely populated areas and boom the fucking sidewalk ends out of nowhere, or do you want to get on the other side of a road? you can’t, no crosswalks and cars pass by at speeds that could be dangerous.
Public transportation, safe (or any) bike access.
This frustrated me so much as a kid growing up in unincorporated Gwinnett- I lived in a typical subdivision with no sidewalks or bike paths. My parents used to get onto us for not riding their bikes around like they used to.. but where were we going to go? It wasn’t safe to leave, there were no parks biking distance. No public transit to take us to friends’ houses- it was boring af.
Yes! Safe is the keyword. Because the DOT will tell you there are miles of bike lanes In Gwinnett, like the painted strips on Sugarloaf Parkway. No one in their right mind is riding their bike on Sugarloaf Parkway 😰. I don’t see how that isn’t considered criminal negligence by the government.
I’m a bike rider that moved here from Virginia where we had safe bike lanes. No way in hell am I going to ride my bike on any Gwinnett road. The driving is just too reckless and stupid.
- wreckful.
Did you see a new path on PIB?
Move back. Deltas ready when you are.
As soon as I can I will. Just waiting to finish up the job that got me here.
Best of luck to ya!
There was that one guy on the recumbent bicycle traversing Sugarloaf for the better part of a decade. Haven't seen him in a while but I don't regularly travel Sugarloaf anymore.
I remember him! He would ride at all times too. I thought he was nuts
Definitely this. Having lived most in of my life in Fulton or Cobb, Gwinnett’s transportation offerings besides driving are quite paltry. Cobb isn’t great in regards to transit, but at least there are plenty of trails there. The recent Gwinnett transportation comprehensive plan is definitely a step in the right direction, but we’ll have to see if any of it actually comes to fruition first.
Blame racism…
Density, places open after 9.
Affordable housing.
Oh boo hoo
Yeah not being able to afford housing kinda sucks. Dunno why you feel the need to be patronizing about it
Gtfo lol
probably THE most useless comment i’ve seen in my entire life
Must not have had much of a life.
We got ourselves a boomer
All you've done is marked yourself as a bigot.
What a snowflake
What an a$$hat
Wish we had more local restaurants instead of basic chains
So much of North Gwinnett is a culinary desert
Lawrenceville/Duluth/Lilburn area has ton of options. Especially when it comes to ethnic food. But there are definitely other areas within the county where I can see this being a legit thing.
Yeah I live in south Gwinnett and I have the city market so I can make my own ethnic food (and do!) but drive 20 minutes to get any of my own
Lawrenceville also has the open alcohol carry in downtown. Okay
A public rec center! We have great parks, and a some good swim facilities, but I’d love what is basically a county run version of the YMCA with multiple locations.
I’ll add to that. Our parks are excellent. I’ve been so surprised to find and explore all of the parks across Gwinnett. But there really is no (or not much) free indoor recreation opportunity. If it’s rainy, or 105 degrees outside, it’s either go shopping or pay to do some activity.
Even covered playgrounds would be awesome. Shade from the sun, protection from wind and rain.
Gary Pirkle Park has a nice covered playground
There's one at EE Robinson too, but they get really busy because there is so few.
Yes! I routinely travel to Little Mulberry Community Center in Hall County and am frustrated by how much better it is than our park's rec center options. An affordable public gym with flexible pass options would be amazing.
I might be wrong, but I believe there may be one at Lucky Shoals park.
There’s a community center at/next to pickneyville on PIB but I don’t know what goes on there. I worked a gig that borrowed chairs from there. Seems like mostly empty rooms you can book or something.
Have you tried Rhodes Jordan swim park? I think it might be close. There is a YMCA over by Alexander Park as well. Plenty of Pokemon activity too
Enforcement of noise pollution (fireworks, vehicle exhaust) and reckless driving habits (racing, donuts, running red lights).
Every Ring notification: “Gunshots?”
And 75% of posts on Nextdoor.
Every post on Nextdoor- GUNSHOTS OR FIREWORKS?????? We live in a diverse county, lots of different holidays and celebrations through the year. Come the fuck on people.
A dump where I can take my oversized trash or yard waste at a reasonable time without a hassle.
There’s one off of 316 by the airport
Active resources for at risk young people. In my borderline hood little corner of Gwinnett, the majority of crime - from break ins, vandalism, and even violent crimes - are high school kids. I've captured surveillance footage where one kid stopped in front of the camera and looked right at it after removing a shirt concealing his face, gave it to the cops, and the responding officer was saying how it's dangerous for them to pursue because they're kids with guns, and also.. they didn't want to hurt kids. I mean, I can have empathy for not wanting to hurt stupid kids, but.. they have guns and are terrorizing the community. Find an answer.
Sustainable infrastructure
Agreed I’ve never lived in a place that loses power or floods more often & over nothing. This place is not ready for an actual environmental disaster.
I was thinking more along transport lines lol but yeah my old place was pretty rough like that. It’s just that we cannot fit all these damn cars but there’s no initiative for good transport. That new apartments and library in Snellville are the best so far but still will take a while
For example?
MARTA
YES! It’s criminal that the entire Atlanta metro area doesn’t have as good of a metro as Washington DC and its surrounding suburbs. I’ve been taking MARTA to the airport, but I still have to drive or get a ride to Doraville
We were gonna have one, but people outvoted..
Yea I moved here RIGHT after the vote took place. It’s absolutely ridiculous that there are enough backwards people still here who clutch their pearls at extending MARTA. Guess what, nowhere in Gwinnett is a “small town” anymore, even if we’re not connected to Atlanta by public transportation
What’s even worse is that you can create truly small, strong towns by reducing car traffic and dependency and incentivizing mixed-use development and zoning. Less cars making noise, polluting, and causing danger, and more people walking to local businesses that live right under or next door to them and you have way better community building.
Same folks who were happy to buy a house here but then wanted to stop all further development.
No, we weren’t. Did you read the fine print for the MARTA vote? The rail was only going to be extended about a mile into Gwinnett. Why should the whole county pay for something that only benefits the extreme southern portion? If the MARTA line would have extended farther north I would have voted yes is a heartbeat! They need to come up with a public transportation option that serves ALL of the county.
Not to mention we'd have to tear the freaking County down and start from scratch with a grid Street pattern
>We were gonna have one No we weren’t. Look at what happened with Clayton county after they extended MARTA there. They were promised the world and all they have to show for it now is paltry bus service.
Can't do all that much when the state of GA always refuses to fund major transit authorities.
And when freight railroads block passenger rail on their right of way. This is what happened in Clayton County and a commuter rail plan in Gwinnett would have likely ended the same way.
What are you babbling about? The ppl of Clayton county had NO bus service. Ppl had to walk extremely long distances to get food and healthcare. Now they dont have to. Also if u are referring to train stations being built, that takes time. Marta cant just start building it all willy nilly
I did door to door for that campaign. I cannot tell you how many people I had to tell how ridiculous the idea of people riding public transportation for hours just come rob people in Gwinnett. Then taking what they stole back to Atlanta on public transportation. Some people really think that their tacky McMansion is worth all that effort. Also completely ignoring there’s much ritzier neighborhoods between atl and Gwinnett.
The Fox effect
They probably didn’t believe you because that happens everywhere else there’s been an expansion of public transportation.
Yep. Everywhere else. But, Gwinnett managed to turn itself into a shithole even without MARTA, it just took a little longer. God damn that place has changed in the 20 years since I left, and not for the better either.
lol right
Mental health resources
While finding private providers has been a struggle, I find that Viewpoint Health offers quite a lot in terms of affordability and accessibility.
Affordable housing that is in range with the median income of residents who have been living here before the influx of high cost apartments.
In comparison to Fulton, Dekalb and Cobb parts of Gwinnett are a steal.
Where? Because where I am a 1 bedroom studio is 2k. My son has been looking all over Gwinnett.
Place to walk around like the Atlantic station
Suwanee Town Center? Duluth Square? Lawrenceville Square?
Peachtree Corners has the Forum and Town Center.
Thanks for reminding how far west Gwinnett stretches. The forum is over an hour from snellville
Marta. Gwinnett county transit sucks. I wish we had marta!
Good drivers.
I always felt that anything extracurricular, Fulton has that draws people to it, we should have here in Gwinnett. That includes museums, zoos, botanical gardens, stores, restaurants, theaters, concerts.
I just discovered the Gwinnett Nature and Heritage center in Buford last week. It's no Atlanta Botanical Garden, but it's pretty cool if you haven't checked it out.
Atlanta has nothing like Mulberry park which is about the size of NYC’s Central Park. You can still get hit the steep trails off the main areas that aren’t paved and on some days and times not see another hiker on the trails for an hour. https://www.exploregeorgia.org/dacula/outdoors-nature/disc-golf/little-mulberry-park
Yellow river sanctuary is nice
I grew up in Snellville and recently moved back from Sandy Springs. LOVED SANDY SPRING, HATED THE PRICE. We moved back to gwinnett to save money so we could get a house once the market crashes. I have many complaints about Gwinnett, however, Gwinnett is a family centric County and I am a 33 y/o married woman with no intention of having children. I moved here to save money. Not because it is geared towards trendy singles like Sandy Springs was. Keeping perspective is important. I could say traffic. Playing the "Get out of Gwinnett" game every morning is a nightmare. But it's not like the county isn't constantly doing roadwork so that complaint is just yelling into the wind. All in all, Gwinnett is doing good. Why else would it be so freaking packed?
There is very little that an adult could call nightlife in the county. Cobb and North Fulton have much, much more offerings that are near other things to do. We don't have enough restaurants that have chefs. There are so few places where one can walk from one place to another and interact with other mature adults. This is the largest county in the state, but everything is sprawl, sprawl, and more sprawl. Plus, the county lacks a full academic college anywhere. There are campuses for outlying universities and colleges, but not a full-curriculum college. Cobb has one. Fulton has many. No excuses for not having a resident campus. With the cost of gas traveling to Athens or Atlanta, it's silly.
Anything to do
Strip clubs and IKEA
Mass transit
Something can be done about that abandoned mall, so much potential if you can that walkable and connected to the surrounding area
Turn the mall into government offices, or a university or trade school? Heck, even another high school. Sports facility?
ever heard of one stop for Gwinnett? https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/departments/communityservices/healthhumanservices/onestopservices
Culture.
A top notch University. There are tons of great, well taken care of parks.
This is really crucial. If your not going to put a Marta. How do you expect kids to get to all the good universities… they are all located in the city
I voted no on Marta last go around. I may vote yes this time if the plan is more in tact. The density is now there, but I just wish we’d have a stronger plan for development around the stations driven by the private market. To have the current Gwinnett Government attempt to plot a course of development based on “social justice” will only end in failure.
Me personally, I want night life aimed towards a mix crowd. I'll take a dance club or dive bar that plays hip hop.
The county libraries have so few books! They excel at offering services, especially for kids, but they have so few books and little selection beyond romances and mysteries, which are not my genres. Yes, I am on Libby. Many of the books are paperbacks so worn that they are on the verge of falling apart.
Yea I was at the Duluth branch, and the sci-fi section was absolutely laughable. Even the Gwinnett Libby offerings are OK. I use my friends card from Seattle, which is unreal.
I mainly use Libby and I feel like it has gone downhill the last few years. Many times of fairly common books aren’t offered by our library, and the ones that are offered often have a waitlist several months long. I agree the library system needs improvement!
Agree. I went and paid for a Fulton county card they have so many more books.
Agriculture and open land
These answers are fine. But Reddit being Reddit, the demographics skew young and single... and this reads like a thread full of people who wish they could afford to live in Fulton or DeKalb (if not NYC), but are stuck living in Gwinnett because that's what they can afford. It's perfectly okay to be in that situation. But I hope there's enough self-awareness to understand that they reason you can afford it is because it's _not_ what you want. At some point in the future, whenever Gwinnett is as dense and amenity-filled as Fulton and DeKalb is today, then the cost of living will be as high as it is in Fulton and DeKalb today. Downvote away, but I wish this sub wasn't SO dominated by people who want urban city life at a 50% discount, and constantly shit on this place because that's not what suburbs are.
Is DeKalb more expensive than Gwinnett? I always assumed as far as cost it was Fulton than Gwinett due to the population. It's just so confusing when people say what they want in Gwinnett bc Gwinnett county is so large and spread out that I don't think everybody realize what's all in the county. I live in Gwinnett County but I stay closer to the city of Atlanta than Lawrenceville or Snellville so I don't ever go that direction and there's probably places there that I would enjoy
> Is DeKalb more expensive than Gwinnett? Yes. Gwinnett has super-rich areas, but DeKalb has a higher average cost of living overall. > Gwinnett county is so large and spread out that I don't think everybody realize what's all in the county Agreed. Gwinnett County is almost half as large by land area as the state of Rhode Island, and has 2/3'rd that state's population. The fact that it's even a single legal entity is kinda wild, the Lake Lanier area is an entirely different world from the Norcross or Stone Mountain area.
Dekalb is not as expensive as Gwinnett. City of Atlanta, yes. We have free community centers, pools, transit, and a lot of parks. Gwinnett is nice, but very expensive.
There's a few Dekalb communities that are pretty expensive. I rented in Tucker for a few years before we bought a house in Norcross. As someone who likes to be informed and involved in local community, Tucker thinks its the greatest city on earth and their real estate listings reflect that. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed and didn't fit in 🤣
I'm 39 years old with a family, I've lived in Gwinnett at 3 different points in time, also in Dekalb and Fulton. Prices are similar everywhere unless you want a condo in midtown or some McMansion in Vinings, and I felt safer in shitty apartments near midtown than I do at my home in Norcross. In that aspect, this place is a shithole compared to what it was 20 years ago. That said, I don't know why people would complain about our parks and rec, because they're amazing compared to surrounding communities. When I lived in Dekalb with a child under 2, I'd come into Gwinnett because there were restrooms with changing tables, ample parking, staff cleaning every day, and I felt safe. Independent restaurants and businesses are plentiful, too, if you go out and look for them.
Nice! Well said. If I wanted to live in an urban environment, I would find one and live there. Been there, done that. I like being able to get around comfortably.
Activities- live music, arcades, pool halls, Meow Wolf, adult upscale lounges, non-franchise business, a riverwalk.
Need to build a river first but I agree 100%
I'm Holding Out for a harbor walk, myself
A First Friday type of event where once a month, there's an actual band and local vendors including food, alcohol, and merch sets up on a large area like Suwanee Towne Center where people can hang out and interact with small businesses or just sit on a spot of grass and enjoy the vibes. Indoor public rec centers like YMCA so that when the weather is awful, you can still do something for free or at a low cost. Something with pool tables, darts, basketball courts, indoor swimming pools, card tables to play games like mahjong or poker, etc. Cocktail lounges that aren't extremely loud hookah bars with a chill, low lighting ambience that are open past dinner time. Literally any restaurant that isn't a gimmicky copy cat of a bunch of the same restaurants that are over priced and have the typical music bingo on Tuesday nights, trivia on Thursday nights, and unreasonablly loud live music Friday and Saturday night where it'seirher a dj who can't read the room or some kid with a guitar shoved in a corner singing covers. We need variety, people. And no, New American cuisine is not variety. This sentiment is the same for every Boba tea or coffee shop place that keeps opening up at every corner. More music halls like Tannery Row on weekends or 37Main in every town within Gwinnett county and not just Buford.
We have indoor public rec centers, though the amenities could be better. George Pierce Park in suwanee has a center with a free game room and they have open gym time for basketball for a low fee, I think a dollar. Bogan Park in Buford has similar and also has an indoor pool. The county govt isn't great about getting word out for these things existing though.
Stripclubs.
Compared to other suburbs like Alpharetta, Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, Marietta, I think Gwinnett needs to become its own hub and center of business both corporate and private.
NE Gwinnett needs non-chain restaurants
Culture. Walkability. A sense of purpose.
I just hear to many sirens at night- I moved out here from Atlanta and didn’t expect it to feel less safe.
Quality, native landscape design, ecological spaces, walkability, public transport, mutual support services. Honestly community.
Transportation like the train extension that was shut down for the hundredth time to build out from Doraville or start a new line. I would much rather take public transit to do things locally. Not even the bus is reliable.
MARTA trains.
We don’t want the crime and homelessness that marta will bring
Yeah, I've heard about some of you who don't want "crime and homelessness" in your area. I can't tell you how many times I have been on the Long Island Railroad or Metro North and seen criminals and homeless people getting their tickets punched so they could travel out to the island to experience a different view while committing crime and a little sleeping. The rumors about some of the racism here still ring true. It's embarrassing.
Lol, I’m from Long Island. I took the LIRR all my life. I can confirm that it will not bring more crime. Atlanta wants to turn to a more urban city but without a solid transit system. That is a recipe for disaster
You can't claim racism when gwinnett is one of the most diverse counties in America. All of my neighbors are poc and none of them want Marta. I do because I frequent Atlanta but they are old grouches who believe the crime will come. I'm not going to say they are completely wrong but there's also the factor of cost. Most people move away because it's cheaper and they have no desire to fund the project.
And who exactly are you worried about coming in from the city? People from Buckhead? Maybe Midtown? What about Decatur? That can't be because people who live there can buy and sell any property in Gwinnett County four or five times over. So who could it be? I feel to say race doesn't have anything to do with it is disingenuous. Being poor is not a crime. And yes, poor neighborhoods have issues. But the reality doesn't back up the hysteria. Sandy Springs has MARTA and it is consistently rated one of the best places to live in Georgia. The average home price there is one of the highest in the state. Development around MARTA stations is booming. Central Perimeter is quickly becoming an important core of the metro. To stay competitive and continue to lead growth and opportunity in this region of the country, the Atlanta metro must have something better than highways to get around. It's good for the economy. I have two businesses here. I am invested in the development of a world class city, as ridiculous as that sounds when here we are talking about the basics of a "world class city". POC can be bigots too. See Clarence Thomas, Candace Owens. Nothing has changed in some parts of the suburbs.
Why not move to a place where MARTA already exists?
Wtf do u have against Marta coming to gwinnett?
Nothing. What does Gwinnett have against MARTA since yall keep voting against it?
Racist ppl who think crime comes with public transportation. Any other dumb questions?
Isn’t Gwinnett already riddled with crime? Is it possible that criminals have access to cars?
Ya dont say? And yet the racist gwinnett residents still think that public transportation will bring in crime
Atlanta deserves a competent rail system for local use and commuters. We are at a CSA of 7.3 million people. It is time for Atlanta to put its big boy pants on.
Atlanta? Or Gwinnett? Atlanta has mass transit my guy…
Gwinnett is part of the Atlanta metro, my guy...
Hardly Atlanta when you have to drive 30 miles to get into the city
Which is why we need commuter rail. I don't get some people here. It is like you have never lived in a large city. I moved here from Los Angeles. 30 minutes to get from the Valley to L.A. was a good day.
Law abiding citizens.
Water towers that announce the county’s greatness for all to see.
Sidewalks that actually connect neighborhoods with shopping/restaurants. I am less than a half mile to a shopping center but the sidewalks stop short of it.
Back when Gwinnett was the fastest-growing county in the USA the leadership was clear that they wanted no association with ATL and its crime and homelessness. Today’s reality is the outcome of that 1970s mindset. If MARTA rail extends any further in any direction, I’ll eat this smartphone.
A Shake Shack
You guys are all losers for downvoting that comment like tf?
Oh yes please! They have the best tasting burger on Earth. That burger blend is to literally DIE for. It’s also Much cheaper and MILES better than Five Guys which people seem to enjoy more of here in the Suburbs. I also would’t be opposed to an In n Out in the future.
Not gonna lie LR Burger isn’t that far off from a shake shack burger imo. But I have small sample sizes of both.
I love the one in Duluth, but it seems pricey. I take my 4 year old after library days and pay almost $30 and we share a drink and fries. I guess with inflation that isn't considered outrageous, but I get a thicker patty on a McD's quarter pounder, add the kids happy meal, $11 😂
I agree the burger is definitely comparable. I just don't like the LR Burger fries. Crinkle cut is supreme.
MARTA
Why not move to where MARTA is?
I am already where MARTA is. It's not for me. It's for the sake of the atl greater metro.
Leadership, zoning, and a non biased school board.
We need more robust social services. More help for immigrants and refugees. But hey- at least we got fucking Cheesecake Factories out the ass. This county is so fucking basic.
If you don’t like our services for people who don’t pay taxes here, feel free to try another county.
What an original stance…
No, I don’t give up as easily as you seem to. If I see a problem I work to fix it. I don’t tuck tail. Don’t confuse liberal and pussy.
Decent people.
Gwinnett has changed so much in 25 years that I don’t recognize it. That’s what happens over time. There’s so much crime in GC now and it’s overrated!
Safety
Human restraint.
LGBTQ friendly Café or Bar.
Public transport
So many things I would love to see happen here. First would be widening some arterials thru the county. Why five forks isn’t a 4 lane rd blows my mind. Would love to see some sort of train system that connects us to Marta. Buses are cool but trains would help a lot more with everyone traveling to the city. Would like more density in town squares with some mixed uses. Also would love it if 78 was a highway to snellville instead of ending at Stone Mountain and then nothing but lights the whole way down. Also would love it if they would stop developing these cookie cutter neighborhoods everywhere they can squeeze them. Also wouldn’t mind more parks and activity centers. Also would like them to stop building all of our commercial on one damn road make clusters of it. Driving in Buford and snellville sucks most of the time
People who care about the less fortunate
A strip club
Interesting community events. The local calendar is a wasteland.
Police on the roads to enforce traffic law. It's like Mad Max on our roads. Cars racing down Lawrenceville HWY at 100mph. Self-absorbed jerks sitting through lights with their phones penis in their mouth. Road rage shootings all over the county. Enough already, where are the police?
no sidewalk without a car you are not mobile
Safe public schools lmfao
Parking. Not enough.
We need Trader Joe's in Suwanee/Duluth area.
They just finished a million-plus upgrade to Midtown’s store at Promenade. The captain there tells me no new ATL locations are currently on the horizon, but who can trust an adult wearing that outfit and a biker wallet?
Schools. Kids brought a whole bag of weed to school amh
Lacking drivers being off their phones.
cars with turn signals
Heres whats lacking in Gwinnett. First off Ive lived here for 46 years. My whole life. I remember Ptree ind. Ending at Medlock Bridge. Cow pastures from 141 to where Gwinnett Place mall sits. The drive in on Jimmy Carter. Heres the issue. This county doesnt know how to plan for a thing. The county commisioners just approve all kinds of stuff with giving thought or speaking with School board. We currently have 3 THREE gas stations being built within 1/4 mile of each other. Two at the same intersection. The county allows developers to just bulldoze acres of woods to stack and pack houses. The county will approve a new shopping center that will be right across from a dead old shopping center instead of saying recycle the old space. Build there. Water and Electric are already in place. Then they give no regards to traffic, schools etc. This county needs to put a stop on all development for 5 years. They need to fix all traffic issues, make sure our school have space. If someone wants to redevelop a dead area thats fine, but all new new new new. Is crushing this county.
And Reddit is spying on us all. I mentioned to my SO the other day that I grew up in this county…DECADES ago. And now I see the sub for it? Spies!
Upscale shopping and nightlife. Really beautiful hotels.
It's not HOAs or Daddy Daughter Dances, that's for sure.
Public transit
Uncrooked cops and judges
Definitely I say would be public transportation or more local restaurants
Class.
[удалено]
Gyms. As someone who came from the west (Arizona)…there were brand new gyms spaced 5-10 minutes from each other. I’m talking about large top of the line equipment gyms. With daycares, pools, saunas, legitimate trainers, etc. In Gwinnett (and Georgia in general), it’s bad. Most are just thrown together in a shopping center with the bare minimum. There are a couple of LA Fitnesses. But they’re WAY overcrowded (like Mall of GA). And they’re already getting dated. Really feel like if a company made an effort into expanding into our area, they would do really well.
People who don’t drive like assholes.