Website: Atlanta #1 City for Nerds
Decatur Metro | April 12, 2013City rankings are at best entertaining and good conversation starters and at worst obnoxious. I think this one falls in the former category.
A site called “Movato Blog: The Lighter Side of Real Estate“, has ranked cities across the country based on their appeal to self-described “nerds”, and Atlanta came out #1 ahead of Portland and Seattle.
What this ranker lacks in website name recognition, it makes up for in providing a detailed methodology. Each city was rated on nine factors:
-
Number of annual comic book, video game, anime, and sci-fi / fantasy conventions
-
People per comic book store
-
People per video game store
-
People per traditional gaming store
-
People per computer store
-
People per bookstore
-
People per LARPing group
-
People per science museum
-
Distance to the nearest Renaissance fair
How did Atlanta manage #1? Well, apparently it has more bookstores, more video game stores, more LARP groups per person than any other city in the country. Oh, and of course Dragon*Con didn’t hurt either.
Latest from Decaturish
Did Lewis, Gilbert and Booger move here after graduating from Adams college?
we’re nerdy one!
we’re nerdy one!
we’re nerdy one!
Right on! I am kvelling!
If Fernbank Science Center were a sentient being, I’m sure it would be proud to have given us a boost in the “people per science museum” category!
I had to google “LARPing” which may explain why I often feel like a stranger in a strange land. (Good to know it’s not a middle-age thing.)
I didn’t know either and then when I found out what the letters stand for, my mind went to a place I wish it hadn’t.
My mind went to that same place, sans the regret. I’d rather think of that than the DARPists.
may i introduce you to Furries?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom
No. Just no.
oh c’mon J_T, we’re only one patoot short of a full herd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deluxe-2-TWO-Man-HORSE-PLUSH-FURRY-Adult-STANDARD-SIZE-Mascot-Suit-Costume-/281067161451?pt=US_Costumes&hash=item4170e8876b
That’s just weird, Rick. On the other hand, I am getting this:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=367043236738657&set=pb.198940650215584.-2207520000.1365828030&type=3&theater
excellent, you now have a seat at the Furry table
we meet each Tuesday at the Belgian Bar in BSP
#hardtomiss
I’ll never look at Pete the Cat the same way again…
I had to look it up too. I had a roomate at Tech back in the 70s who was into the Society for Creative Anachronism. Weirded me out then, weirds me out now.
Q: Do Civil War reinactors qualify as LARPists?
Most LARPers wouldn’t want them to be, nor would most reenactors, I imagine, so I’d say no.
The goals of each activity are different. One clear difference is that reenactors are focused on recreating, as accurately as possible, a historic event with a pre-determined outcome. LARPing, like regular role-playing (tabletop, computer, or otherwise), is driven by the real time action and is actually a game, not an attempt to model a previous event.
That said, I have heard tell of large-scale reenactments of, say, the battles from The Lord of the Rings, so there’s crossover.
There’s a great WPBA documentary about Dragon*Con that they filmed a couple years back that does an excellent job of articulating why this ranking is likely accurate, along with a pretty fair taxonomy of all of the nerd constituencies.
Nerd pride, y’all!
I will say, speaking as both a proud nerd and a proud Decaturite, it is a constant source of frustration for many nerds that the Decatur Book Festival and Dragon*Con always fall on the same weekend, as there’s some overlap there…
“I will say, speaking as both a proud nerd and a proud Decaturite, it is a constant source of frustration for many nerds that the Decatur Book Festival and Dragon*Con always fall on the same weekend, as there’s some overlap there…”
Yes, agreed, but I also kind of like that Atlanta is nerd-a-palooza that weekend, to the point that it even overshadows the almighty college football that kicks off that same weekend.
+1
+1000
That would be another conflict…
I wear a lot of hats.
Looks like I’m moving from #1 to #2.
Oddly enough, I’ve noticed Portland has something Atlanta doesn’t relating to this, a large number of game/comic stores in town, rather than in the suburbs/metro area.
Atlanta has Oxford Comics and Criminal Records, that sell comics and games, but none offer a place to play or hold tournaments like the game stores around the suburbs do.
I always had a plan that if I stayed here I’d open a comic / game store in Dec, but someone else is going to have to do that now.
Hopefully someone does!
The closest shop to Decatur is likely Dragon’s Horde in Stone Mountain on Memorial Drive. Heavy on the comics, also has some games. It is in a shopping center that you would never dream would have a game shop! The owner seems very amenable to offering his store to gaming groups, writing groups, etc. for meeting.
I have often thought the same thing (opening a toy/game shop). I have researched it, and it is a really really hard retail space to make a profit. I think a successful store in Decatur needs to cater to both gaming families/parents/kids as well as offer items for kids-with-free-cash-hanging-out-on-the-square. However, I have been surprised lately how many parents I have met who enjoy playing (themselves or with kids) tabletop games (strategic board games, etc)
My game shop would have to be next door to a cooperative bar who could host gaming groups