The Past and Progress

Creative Loafing's Rodney Carmichael has penned a feature on the changing face of Sweet Auburn that is worth a read if you care about the delicate balance between respecting the past and moving toward a more vibrant future in Atlanta. Can Auburn Avenue's vacant dilapidated buildings be transformed, once again, into thriving businesses without destroying the neighborhood's legacy? How can the street's important place in Civil Rights and African-American history be reconciled with today's streetcar plans and pop-up shops? Carmichael talks to business owners and long-time residents to find out. As one source aptly points out, "Streetcars don't wipe out history. People wipe out history." [Creative Loafing]