The Adult 'Hood Podcast: We Miss Old Atlanta!

On this episode of The Adult’ Hood: A Podcast for Geriatric Millennials, hosts Lexi and Alejandro reminisce about “Old Atlanta” while contemplating the future of the buzzy city’s once burgeoning night scene.

For years, Atlanta was the epicenter of Hip-Hop/R&B that cranked out legends including T.I., Jeezy, Outkast, Ludacris, Future, Migos, Usher, Monica, Xscape, Jermaine Dupri, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, and many more.

“Since the last 20 years, Atlanta has always had something new, something fresh,” Ford says.

The A Back In The Day

Felder, who has lived in Atlanta for 21 years, experienced the city’s club scene back in the golden days—frequenting iconic venues like Club Kaya and Club 112. “That was a time,” she says.

Club-rockers like “Put Yo Hood Up” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz was the soundtrack to this era of ATL nightlife. “That’s what makes me think of Atlanta, is listening to Lil Jon in the club,” Felder reminisces.

The City Is Changing

While the city’s nightlife and music put Atlanta on the map and made it a travel hotspot for young Black people everywhere, our hosts agree: the city is changing.

“In ‘05, the city was more alive. You can go to a club and everyone’s going to be in there dancing like Fabo … with their Nextel Chirp … [having] a good time. No one was really shooting like they are now over small things,” says Ford, who lived in Atlanta for nine years.

Crime is an issue, Felder agrees. “In Atlanta we do have a crime issue and I think that’s scaring people from out of town from wanting to come and party,” she says.

ATL’s Culture Shift

Is Atlanta no longer the place to be? Not necessarily. While the nightlife era from the ’90s to the early 2000s has simmered down, a new scene is emerging, Felder observes. Instead of hitting the clubs, millennials of all ages are flocking to pop-up parties.

“You have all these different party series and guess who’s going? The late twenties early thirties. They are going to these parties and supporting. I don’t think they’re here for all this mess either,” Felder says.

While going to the club is no longer a priority for most “geriatric millennials,” this is due to a larger culture shift, Felder suggests. “We might go to soccer games now,” she says. “I think a lot of people shifted to doing other things, like going to the park, going to Braves games.”

“You’re supposed to be going to lounges at this point,” Ford adds. “You’re supposed to be going to private events, Nobu.”

Younger millennials in their late twenties and early thirties are looking elsewhere for entertainment too. “The next generation are not club people,” Felder adds.

Listen to the full episode here.