Atlanta:''See Atlanta (disambiguation) for more Atlantas'' '''Atlanta''' is the the capital and largest city of the state of Georgia (state)|Georgia in the USA. ==Understand== ===Climate=== Atlanta is located on the Piedmont Plateau, over 1000 foot above sea level and the coastal plains of Georgia. This altitude means that the city is somewhat cooler than other places in the US South, a fact that certainly helped the growth of the city in pre-aircon days. Atlanta benefits from a very large temperature range. Temperatures in winter can go into the low teens, and snowfall is not unknown. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures commonly reaching 90°F. Rainfall is high in late winter and early spring, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit. ===History=== Atlanta was originally founded as '''Terminus''' in 1836, the name reflecting its function as a railway terminus, and renamed '''Atlanta''' in 1847. Atlanta remains a key junction point of the US rail system, with several lines connecting in a complex of junctions within the downtown area. During the American Civil War, the city became the target of a major Union invasion in the American Civil War as part of Union General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea. Union forces entered Atlanta on September 2nd, 1864 and Sherman ordered Atlanta burned to the ground on November 11 in preparation for his march south. As a consequence almost all of buildings in Atlanta date from after 1864. In the late 20th century, Atlanta has grown to be a major commercial center and is the home of several major enterprises, including Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, UPS and CNN. At the same time, Atlanta became one of the major centers of the American civil rights movement. Martin Luther King was born in the city, and his boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district is preserved by the National Park Service as a National Historic Site; his final resting place is in the tomb at the center of the reflecting pool at The King Center. In 1996, Atlanta hosted the 26th Olympic Summer Games of the modern era. Sadly the games were marred by a terrorist attack on the Centennial Olympic Park, which killed 2 and wounded many more. Subsequently the games were also criticised for poor transport facilities and consequent traffic congestion, and are regarded by many as the least successful games of recent times. However they have left a legacy of civic improvements and sporting facilities which benefit the visitor. ===Visitors=== Atlanta is essentially a place to live and work. There are some interesting things to see in the metro area, but nothing significant enough to motivate a visit to the city from afar. Despite, or perhaps because of, this, Atlanta has become a major conference and exhibition city. Most of the venues are in the area around Peachtree Center, and when there is a large show in town it can sometimes seem like every second person in the city is wearing a name badge. ==Get in== ===By plane=== Atlanta's principal airport is '''Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport''', which is situated 10 miles south of downtown Atlanta. This is often claimed as the busiest airport in the world, and it does have many flights from both US domestic and, to a lesser extent, international destinations. It should be noted that Hartsfield is largely set up as a hub airport, with much of its traffic being transfer rather than arrival or departure traffic. The airport has a single groundside terminal, connected to 5 mid-airport concourses by underground walkways and rail transit. The concourse furthest from the terminal (concourse E) is dedicated to international flights and all immigration and customs formalities are conducted here. This makes international arrival procedures rather cumbersome. Passengers arriving from overseas will need to clear immigration controls, reclaim hold baggage from a baggage carousel, clear customs, check hold baggage back in, ride the underground transit to the main terminal, reclaim hold baggage again from another carousel, and finally exit the airport. Hartsfield airport is the terminus of the southern branch of the '''MARTA''' rail system (see 'Get Around' below), and for travellers going to locations in downtown, midtown or northern Atlanta this forms a good and economic way of getting there. Most MARTA stations have taxi ranks to aid completion of the journey, and some hotels (especially in the Sandy Springs area) have free shuttles which will collect from their nearest MARTA station on telephone request. Alternatively the airport has the usual complement of taxi ranks, airport shuttle vans and car hire offices. For more information: *'''Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport''', telephone 1-800-897-1910, http://www.atlanta-airport.com/ ===By train=== Atlanta is served by Amtrak's Crescent train, which runs daily and serves New York (city)|New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington (D.C.)|Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham (Alabama)|Birmingham and New Orleans (and vice-versa). Southbound, the train leaves New York just before 3pm, calls at Atlanta at around 9am and reaches New Orleans by 8pm. Northbound, the train leaves New Orleans at around 7am, calls at Atlanta at around 8pm and reaches New York by 2pm. In Atlanta, the train calls at the Amtrak station at 1688 Peachtree St. N.W., which is several miles north of downtown and not well served by local public transport. You will probably need to budget for a taxi to complete the journey. For more information: *'''Amtrack''', telephone 1-800-872-7245, http://www.amtrak.com/ ===By bus=== '''Greyhound Bus Lines''' provide bus service to Atlanta from many locations throughout the US. Buses arrive at, and depart from, the Greyhound terminal at 232 Forsyth Street, which is on the southern edge of the downtown area and directly beneath MARTA's Garnett Station (see 'Get Around' below). For more information: *'''Greyhound Bus Lines''', telephone 1-800-229-9424, http://www.greyhound.com/ ===By car=== Atlanta is linked to the rest of the US by the interstate freeway network. The principal interstates serving the city are the I-75 (serving traffic from Chicago and Detroit to Florida), the I-85 (serving traffic from the Mid-Atlantic_(United_States_of_America)|North-East to New Orleans) and the I-20 (serving traffic from California and Texas to South Carolina), all of which cross near the downtown area. A further freeway (the I-285 or Perimeter) rings the city at a distance of about 10 miles out, crossing and connecting with all the above freeways as well as the airport. All these freeways can become very congested inside the metro area, especially during commute times. If commute times co-incide with heavy weather then gridlock is all but inevitable. ==Get around== ===By foot=== Within the downtown and midtown areas, walking is a reasonable way to get around. All the streets have sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. However outside these areas, Atlanta is a distinctly unfriendly place for pedestrians. Many streets have neither sidewalks nor pedestrian crossings, and the width and traffic density of some streets make then almost uncrossable; the problem seems to be worst in the most recently developed areas. In some areas you will need to reconcile yourself to using car, taxi or shuttle for journeys of less than one hundred yards. If you are tempted to brave the traffic on foot, remember that this is the city that allowed its most famous literary citizen (Margaret Mitchell, author of 'Gone With The Wind') to be knocked down and killed by a speeding taxi driver. ===By transit=== Atlanta is well served by '''MARTA''', (''Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority'') which operates both rapid rail and bus networks in the city of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton and Dekalb. The rail network comprises two principal lines making up a cross. The north-south line runs from a southern terminus at Hartsfield airport through downtown and midtown Atlanta, before splitting into two branches serving terminals in north metro Atlanta at North Springs and Doraville respectively. The east-west line runs from an western terminal at Hamilton E. Holmes, via an interchange with the north-south line at Five Points station in downtown Atlanta, to an eastern terminal at Indian Creek. Trains run on all lines every 10 minutes during peak periods, reducing to every 20 minutes on Sundays. The bus network comprises over one hundred different bus routes, with many routes operating every 20 minutes or so. One feature of MARTA is the close integration of rail and bus services. Many rail stations have integral bus stations, and in some cases the buses enter the station's 'paid area' thus avoiding the need to use transfers. A single ride on MARTA costs $1.75 including transfers. Ride tokens are sold in vending machines at all rail stations or at RideStores at Airport and Five Points stations. When starting the journey by bus, drop the token or cash fare into the farebox and, if necessary, ask the operator for a transfer ticket. When starting the journey by train, drop the token into the turnstile and, if necessary, press the button to request a transfer ticket be printed. When transferring to a bus, show the operator your transfer ticket. When transferring to a train, swipe the transfer ticket through the reader on the turnstile. For more information: *'''MARTA''', telephone (404) 848-4711, http://www.itsmarta.com/ ===By taxi=== Until the past few years, Atlanta had lousy cab service. You didn't even want to think about trying to flag down a cab. They were few and far between. It is getting easier in the downtown area along Peachtree St. up to the Buckhead area to flag one down, but your best bet is to go to a hotel or a MARTA train station to get one. ===By car=== ==See== ===Downtown Atlanta=== Downtown Atlanta is the old central area of Atlanta, which still contains much of the commercial activity of the city. All the places to see here are within 10 minutes walk of each other, and within a similar walking distance of any of the MARTA stations at Five Points, Peachtree Center or Omni-Dome-World-Congress Center. *'''Centennial Olympic Park''' *'''CNN Center''', Marietta Street (''adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park''), telephone (404) 827-2300. The world headquarters of CNN shares the CNN center with a large tourist oriented shopping mall and food court. Here you can eat food from around the world whilst watching CNN's multi-channel output to the world on large screens. In addition studio tours are available, which include demonstrations of the technology used and visits to viewing galleries overlooking the newsrooms and newsreaders of CNN, CNN Headline News and CNN En Espanol. Tours run 9am-5pm every day. Admission to the center is free; tours cost $10 (adult); $8 (senior); $7 (child). http://www.cnn.com/StudioTour/ *'''Underground Atlanta''' *'''World of Coca-Cola''', 55 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (''adjacent to Underground Atlanta''), telephone (770) 578-4325 extension 1465. Pay good money to receive the word from the marketing department of the world's largest soft drinks company. Open M-Sa 9am-5pm; Su 11am-5pm. $7 (adult); $5 (senior); $4 (child). *'''The King Center''',449 Aubum Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30312, telephone (404)526-8900. The memorial of Martin Luther King Jr. Which was established in 1968. The place shows Martin Luther King Jr.s nonviolent Social Change works and also it holds Dr.Kings birth home. It is one of the place you should visit in downtown Atlanta. http://thekingcenter.com/tkc/index.asp ===Midtown Atlanta=== Midtown Atlanta is the area due north of Downtown. It also has significant commercial activity, but it is also a major restaurant and arts quarter, with significant 'urban living' apartment coverage. All the places listed are within 15 minutes walk of each other, and within a similar walking distance of the MARTA stations at Midtown and Arts Center. *'''Arts Center''', Home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, the Alliance Theatre, and the Atlanta College of Art. http://www.woodruff-arts.org/wac/index2.asp *'''Atlanta Botanic Gardens''', 1345 Piedmont Avenue NE, telephone (404) 876-5859. Relatively small but interesting botanic gardens, with displays of local plants and the Fuqua Conservatory of tropical and desert plants. Accessible by car but parking is limited, at weekends park at Old Colony Square adjacent to the Arts Center and catch the shuttle bus provided. By transit, catch MARTA rail to Arts Center station then catch bus 36 (27 on Sunday) or walk via the Arts Center courtyard, 15th Street and Piedmont Avenue (15 min walk). Open Apr-Sep Tu–Su 9am–7pm; Oct–Mar Tu-Su 9am–5pm. $12 (adult); $9 (senior); $7 (student). http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/ *'''Piedmont Park''' *'''Margaret Mitchell House''', 990 Peachtree Street, telephone (404) 249-7015. A museum dedicated to Margaret Mitchell, the author of '''Gone With The Wind''' and based in her original home. Open every day (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving Day) 10am-5pm. $12 (adult); $9 (senior/student); $5 (child). http://www.gwtw.org/ *'''Fox Theatre''', 660 Peachtree St. NE, telephone (404) 688-3353 for tour information or (404) 817-8700 for the box office. A fabulous and historic Moorish style cinema and theatre dating from the 1920s and now designated a National Historic Landmark. Tours available M,W&Th 10am; Sa 10am and 11am. $10 (adult); $5 (senior/student). http://www.foxtheatre.org/ *'''Crescent Avenue''', Area off Peachtree near the Margaret Mitchell house. Just north of the Federal Reserve Building at 10th St. Lots of hip nightclubs and restaurants located in renovated homes on side streets. With Virginia Highlands, has taken much of the nightlife from the Buckhead area which mostly attracts hip-hoppers now. *'''Virginia Highlands''',Area east of Piedmont Park in the center of town known for its nightlife and restaurants. The part of Atlanta most like a real city. Pedestrian friendly and packed sidewalks till late at night. Go east on 10th street past the park. Do a quick zig-zag at the football stadium and keep going about another mile to the intersection at Virginia Ave. and you're there. ===Suburban Atlanta=== All these sights can be found somewhere in the suburban sprawl that is Atlanta. A car is probably the best way to visit them, but some are accessible by public transit as indicated in the listing. *'''Atlanta Zoo''', Grant Park, telephone (404) 624-5822. This zoo specializes in primates and African animals but also has a (breeding?) pair of Giant Pandas and a children's zoo. Open every day 9:30am-4:30pm; Sa-Su during daylight saving time 9:30am-5:30pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. $16.50 (adults); $12.50 (seniors); $11.50 (children). http://www.zooatlanta.org/ *'''Cyclorama''' Home of the world's largest painting, "The Battle of Atlanta" and home of the historic Civil War locomotive, "TEXAS" (hero of the "Great Train Race") Located next to Zoo Atlanta in Grant Park. *'''Atlanta History Center''', the Atlanta History Museum, the Swan House, (an opulent 1920's mansion), and the Tullie Smith House, 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd. NW. http://www.ngeorgia.com/attractions/atlanta_history_center.html *'''Fernbank Science Center''' and Museum of Natural History. Planetarium, dinosaurs, IMax theatre. Great for kids.http://www.fernbank.edu/ ===Stone Mountain=== Stone Mountain is some 15 miles east of downtown Atlanta. Stone Mountain village has some interesting craft style shops, but the main attraction is the mountain itself. Please don't be put off by the tacky nature of some of the 'attractions' in the surrounding park; the park itself is an attractively wooded area and the summit of the mountain is just about the only 'must do' in Atlanta. Stone Mountain is the largest exposed piece of granite in the world. It was created when shifts in the earth's crust created extreme heat and friction and melted a large amount of rock below the surface. This heated magma bubbled up towards earth's surface but did not make it all the way. Over time, the magma hardened into granite. Eventually, the land on top of the granite dome washed away through erosion and left what is now Stone Mountain. The top of the mountain is a surreal landscape some 800 feet above the surrounding land, and provides excellent views of the surrounding area and the skyline of downtown Atlanta. The summit can be reached by the attractive but steep walkup trail through woodland (which leaves from near the Confederate Hall and park entrance) or by the Skylift (see below). Please exercise some care when on the summit; the horizontal bare rock of the top curves imperceptibly until it becomes the vertical bare rock of the sides and it is important not to wander too far around that curve. Stone Mountain Park surrounds the mountain, and encompasses a series of attractions. The park promotes its One-Day-All-Attraction pass which permits access to/use of all the attractions for $19 (adult) or $16 (child), and tries to minimise the usage of individual attraction tickets; however these do exist and may be a cheaper option depending on what you want to see/do. The attractions include: *'''Skylift''', a Swiss built cable-car to the summit, passing over a carving of Confederate heroes on the sheer wall of the mountain, created by Gutzon Borglum, who also sculpted the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and the four Presidents on Mt. Rushmore. Operates from 10am-5pm (later in summer). *'''Scenic Railroad''', a railroad which circles the entire circumference of the mountain in a one way loop, giving views of the mountain en-route. There are two stations, the main depot and a stop near the Confederate Hall/Walk up trail/Park entrance. Passengers boarding at the main depot must have a ticket or pass; however passengers are allowed to use the train for free from the Confederate Hall stop back to the depot where all passengers must disembark. Operates from 10:50am-5pm (later in summer). *'''Riverboat''', a scenic cruise aboard a reproduction Mississippi riverboat on 363-acre Stone Mountain Lake. Operates from noon-5pm (later in summer). *'''Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard''' is comprised of original buildings, built between 1790 and 1845, which represent an authentic, pre-Civil War Georgia plantation. Open from 10am-5pm (later in summer). *'''Carillon'''. The 732-bell Carillon originates from 1964 World's Fair in New York City, and provides a daily concert. *'''Confederate Hall''', a museum that educates park guests and local students on the fascinating geology and ecology of Stone Mountain, together with the history of the war in Georgia. This museum is operated directly by the non-profit foundation which owns the mountain, rather than the franchisee responsible for everything else. Open M-F 9am-6pm; Sa 10am-6pm; Su noon-6pm. Free. Stone Mountain Park is best accessed by car, but there is a $7 per car parking charge in addition to the attraction charges. There is no admission charge for those entering the park on foot and the park can be reached by a combination of public transit and walking; catch the MARTA rail system to Avondale and transfer there to MARTA bus route 120; disembark at the intersection of Ponce De Leon Avenue E and J.B.Rivers Memorial Drive and the park entrance is some 15 minutes walk east down J.B.Rivers Memorial Drive past the fire station. For more information, contact: *'''Stone Mountain Park''', telephone (770) 498-5690, the franchisees who manage the park and operate all the attractions other than Confederate Hall. http://www.stonemountainpark.com/ *'''Stone Mountain Memorial Association''', the non-profit foundation that owns the park and operates the Confederate Hall. http://www.stonemountainpark.org/ ==Do== ==Learn== ==Work== ==Buy== *'''Junkman's Daughter''', 464 Moreland Avenue NE (''At Little Five Points''), telephone (404) 577-3188. A warehouse full of quirky gifts and funky fashions. Open M-Th 11am-7pm; F 11am-8pm; Sa 11am-9pm; Su 12pm-7pm. ==Eat== ===Close In=== *'''Mary Mac's Tea Room''', a landmark of southern cooking, 224 Ponce De Leon Ave., NE. Not fancy, just good. http://www.marymacs.com/ *'''The Varsity''', "Whatayahave, whatayahave, whatayahave?" Near Ga. Tech. Visit the website so you'll be prepared: Hint: try "two dawgs walkin, ring one, and a large PC" http://www.thevarsity.com/ ===Little Five Points=== This bohemian district to the east of downtown Atlanta contains many interesting eateries. Here are some of them: *'''Vortex Bar and Grill''', 438 Moreland Avenue. Tel: (404) 688-1828. Great burgers. http://www.thevortexbarandgrill.com/ ===East Suburbs=== *'''Zyka''', Fast food, the Indian way. The decor is simple, and the food is served on plastic plates, but the food is served quickly, hot and wonderful. They have the best naan in the US. Some of the food is spicy and sometimes oily, so keep an eye out. 1677 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA 30033. Tel: 404-728-4444. www.zyka.com ==Drink== *'''Mary's''', gay-friendly neighborhood bar in East Atlanta Village. 1287B Glenwood Avenue. Telephone (404) 624-4411. [http://www.marysatlanta.com marysatlanta.com] ==Sleep== Atlanta offers a wide variety of lodging options to fit all budgets. Here are a few options: *[http://cpatlanta-airport.felcor.com Crowne Plaza Atlanta Hotel at ATL Atlanta Airport] 1325 Virgina Ave. *[http://cpatlanta-perimeternw.felcor.com Crowne Plaza Atlanta Hotel Perimeter NW] 6345 Powers Ferry Road NW *[http://esatlanta-airport.felcor.com Embassy Suites Atlanta Airport Hotel ATL] 4700 Southport Road *[http://esatlanta-buckhead.felcor.com Embassy Suites Hotel Atlanta, Buckhead] 3285 Peachtree Road Northeast *[http://esatlanta-perimeter.felcor.com Embassy Suites Atlanta Hotel Perimeter Center] 1030 Crown Pointe Parkway *[http://hiatlanta-south.felcor.com Holiday Inn Atlanta Airport Hotel South ATL] 6288 Old Dixie Highway *[http://hiatlanta-airportnorth.felcor.com Holiday Inn Atlanta Airport North Hotel] 1385 Virginia Avenue *[http://hisatlanta-perimeter.felcor.com Holiday Inn Select Atlanta Hotel Perimeter] 4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. *[http://atlanta-downtown-courtyardinn.felcor.com Courtyard Downtown Atlanta Hotel] 175 Piedmont Avenue NE *[http://atlanta-downtown-fairfieldinn.felcor.com Fairfield Inn Downtown Atlanta Hotel] 175 Piedmont Avenue *[http://sheraton-atlanta-airport.felcor.com Sheraton Gateway Atlanta Airport Hotel ATL] 1900 Sullivan Road *[http://sheraton-atlanta.felcor.com Sheraton Suites Galleria Atlanta Hotel] 2844 Cobb Parkway S.E. *[http://vinings.wyndham-hotels.com Wyndham Vinings Atlanta Hotel] 2857 Paces Ferry Road *[http://midtown-atlanta.wyndham-hotels.com Wyndham Midtown Atlanta Hotel] 125 10th Street NE *[http://atlanta-northwest.wyndham-hotels.com Wyndham Garden Atlanta Hotel Northwest] 1775 Parkway Place NW *[http://atlanta.wyndham-hotels.com Wyndham Atlanta Hotel] 160 Spring Street NW ==Contact== ==Stay safe== ==Cope== ==Get out== Nearby towns with things to do include Marietta and Decatur (Georgia)|Decatur. For those more interested in scenic beauty and outdoor activities, the Appalachian mountain chain begins about sixty miles north of Atlanta. The southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is on Springer Mountain in north-east Georgia, an easy drive from metro Atlanta. ===Shop=== Shop at: *'''Discover Mills''' Suwnanee *'''Mall of Georgia''' Buford ==External links== *[http://www.atlanta.net/ Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau] - Official CVB of Atlanta WikiPedia:Atlanta Dmoz:North_America/United_States/Georgia/Localities/A/Atlanta {{msg:stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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