  April 5th, 2004 Stockbridge, GA The Wal-Marts in the Atlanta area lie on the outskirts of the city. Of the 30 or so Wal-Marts / Sams Clubs in the Atlanta region, 2 are within the city of Atlanta. As one of the worst sprawling cities, Atlanta’s big box retailers have managed to support the sprawling growth.
Pollution from commuting vehicles have become so bad, the government has stepped in banning any more construction of highways. Pulling off the highway to the destination for the night, unsurprisingly, could have been anywhere. There was the same strip of stores along a similar stretch of 4 lane street / highway. Strangely enough, Wal-Mart uses an architectural language which changes over the years.
You can tell how old a Wal-Mart is, by looking at its elevation. The colors and profile differ slightly. This Wal-Mart was a little bit odd. The sheriff’s office is inside this Supercenter. Tucked in the vestibule between the two automatic sliding doors, the tinted glass doors read, Sheriff’s Office. It speaks volumes. Which came first, the town or Wal-Mart? Either way, the absurdity of having the sheriff’s office in Wal-Mart remains. If Wal-Mart was new in town, then the sheriff must have relocated his office to the center of town (a retail giant set half a mile back from the major intersection by its own parking lot). And if Wal-Mart created this town, the sheriff is a creation of Wal-Mart, essentially a government security force based in a private retailer. 
