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Health & Fitness

How Many People Remember Central DeKalb Pre-285?

Lots of people have made comments about what this area was like, and the relationships among the area's people historically. But exactly who are we talking about?

I-285 was designed in 1957, mostly avoiding areas where people lived. When the northeast section was built – 1960-1961, there were only 250,000 people in the entire County (a third of the current population).

Think of the area along La Vista from Tucker to Oak Grove, how many people are here who remember the “historical” area definitions pre-285.

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  1. You’d have to have been born before say 1952. (How many 7 year olds do you know who are deeply aware of their community surroundings?)
  1. You’d have to have been born here and still live here. Or perhaps you could have moved here before 1960, and still live here.

What do you think?  100 people?  500?

 

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I’m not one of those few hundred special people.  My parents moved here in the mid 60’s. 285 was a divider when I got here. And probably at least 80% of the current residents of DeKalb County came after me. And 95% of the people from Oak Grove to Tucker.

 So what exactly does that determine about the current reality of central DeKalb?  Nothing!

 

Central DeKalb is what it is today. Areas and borders should relate to today and the future. Not 1880. Not even 1950.

 

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