ATLANTA — For a city brimming with rich history, Atlanta is pretty young.

It’s rural and metropolitan, slower-paced but abundant in things to do. Once considered the heart of the civil rights movement, Atlanta is now a hub for a variety of ethnicities.

“It doesn’t have an identity,” said resident Clarence Hutchinson, 33. “I don’t think you can just pinpoint Atlanta and be like, this is just what it is, because it’s so many things.”

This weekend, Atlanta hosts the 75th Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. For the Syracuse basketball program, this is its first Final Four appearance in 10 years, and some fans’ first time ever in such a city. But Atlanta is no stranger to large-scale events. It has hosted the Final Four before – in 1977, 2002 and 2007 — and was home to the 1996 Olympics and two Super Bowls.

It’s also home to more than 420,000 people. Home to a man who offered a stranger his umbrella during a rainy day. Home to the owner of the second oldest barbershop in the city. And home to a young woman who just couldn’t stay away from her hometown.

Hutchinson is the manager of Vintage Barbershop in Atlanta. Originally from Chicago, he’s used to the expansive spread of Atlanta but appreciates the nice medium of living in a small city that’s just big enough.

“Atlanta is a little bit more slowed down, but not so slowed down to where it feels like old country,” he said. “I guess if anything, it’d be that everybody’s not in a big hurry.”

Another characteristic Hutchinson used to describe Atlanta was shared by others: The city is a melting pot of people, neighborhoods and experiences.

Rachel Peavy was born and raised in Atlanta and still lives there today. An internship in Los Angeles and a job in New York City couldn’t keep her away from her hometown. She now works as the public relations manager for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“People are just nice here,” she said. “I definitely think it’s such a friendly city. … There are people who are local … but there are a lot of transplants in Atlanta, too, so I guess it’s contagious because I feel like everybody here is nice, regardless of where they came from.”

Atlanta is divided into a slew of different neighborhoods, each with its own identity. Buckhead is more upscale. Little Five Points is more bohemian. Edgewood has a great bar scene — Peavy said there is a pizzeria with a speakeasy hidden behind it.

But the city dealt with its fair share of racial injustice before becoming so diverse. Atlanta was once an important part of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home, the church in which he preached and his tombstone are located in the east part of town. April 4 marked the 45th anniversary of his assassination.

In 1999, David Farrow, 60, left New York to practice his saxophone on the streets of Atlanta. For the last year, he has been practicing his craft on Broad Street, an area scattered with ethnic eateries. Every weekday at lunchtime, he entertains passers-by with his music. He has been in newspapers, on television and in art galleries.

Atlanta lets him do it all.

“Anybody can come here and get along. It’s very diverse. You can pretty much come here and do your thing,” he said. “I love it because this is where I do.”

Atlanta is very open-minded. It’s not a place where you’re going to come and have to worry about trying new things and new ideas.”

But as an influx of tourists descends upon Atlanta for this year’s Final Four, Farrow is only concerned with one thing. He laughs as he points to his nearly empty saxophone case — big events mean more tips.

For Peavy, having the Final Four in Atlanta is a much bigger deal. Atlanta’s previous experience with large-scale events proves the city’s ability to host them and host them well, she said.

“We like it when people leave feeling like they’ve met great people and had a really pleasant experience,” she said, “and we hope that they see us and have the desire to come back and experience the city again,”

That desire will not be lost on those who visit Atlanta for the Final Four. Whether young or old, nonchalant or enthusiastic, basketball fans will enjoy Atlanta’s multifaceted personality.

After all, when asked what he liked the most about Atlanta, Farrow could only respond with three words.

“All of it.”

Published on April 5, 2013 at 2:18 am

Contact Maddy: mjberner@syr.edu