Coming to a City Near You

Not only was I living in Atlanta during the Olympics, but I worked in the hotel industry as well. The media was the only negative aspect of the 1996 Olympics, granted there were some things done that shed a not-so-good light on Atlanta, like the vendor problems and the bombing, but the Olympics themselves, to include the new builds and refurbishment of many areas near the Olympic venues that were in dire need of sprucing up, tearing down, rebuilding, etc., and the world-wide audience has simply assisted in really putting Atlanta on the world-wide map as a major city. I don't remember there being any escalated crime, and the traffic was actually better during the Olympics that your average Monday-Friday commute. I frankly think that the Olympics helped to spur more growth and more people moving here. July in Atlanta was not necessarily the best month to host an event of such magnitude, because the weather can be beastly hot and humid, but Mother Nature cooperated and the skys remained blue and spirits seemd to soar throughout the four-week event (pre-post and during). I can't imagine New York not being up for the job of hosting the Olympics -- New Yorkers made a believer out of me in how they handled 911. That was the most notorious special event that our generations will ever know, and yet those Yanks were steadfast throughout the entire ordeal. My vote is for New York!

I worked at the Olympic Games and loved every minute of it. It is a wonderful experience, and worth the hassle if you ask me.