Known as the New York City of the South, Atlanta holds great sentimental value for me. It is the city I started my career in, the city where I first started dating Chris and where I accepted his marriage proposal, and it is where I felt like a true bonafide adult for the first time. For professional and personal reasons, Atlanta is a great place to get your start.
Favorite Atlanta Places
World of Coca-Cola
Chris studied brand loyalty in business school, and he consistently teases me about my diehard loyalty to certain brands. Supposedly there are only two states in the Union that care so vehemently about their soda choice; Georgia for Coca-Cola and Kentucky for Pepsi. Split by family history to these two states, I am strictly a Coca-Cola drinker. Yes, there is very much a difference, and I refuse to drink Pepsi.
At the World of Coca-Cola, I can have my fill of my favorite beverage. Packed full of information about the soft drink from its historical beginnings in Georgia to its global market reach today, the exhibition is fun for all despite your refreshment preference. My favorite part is the tasting section where you can sample Coca-Cola from around the world. Throughout our many travels, I’m always curious to see what the famous formula tastes like in each country, and the samples in Atlanta match up quite well with their foreign counterparts.
Margaret Mitchell House
I don’t believe there is a kid in the Georgia public school system, or in the South for that matter, that gets through school without studying Margaret Mitchell’s classic Gone With The Wind. In midtown, you can tour the Margaret Mitchell House where the writer penned the novel of Scarlet O’Hara and Rhett Butler and all the other famous characters in the Civil War South. There is also an exhibition with interesting behind-the-scenes information about the movie.
Virginia Highland
When I moved into the city, I found a great little apartment on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Virginia Highland neighborhood. Till this day, that one-bedroom apartment has been my favorite apartment I’ve ever lived in. I was within walking distance of great entertainment venues, food markets, unique shopping boutiques, art galleries, up-and-coming restaurants, and everything you could want from a neighborhood. If you’re looking for a nice Sunday brunch or lively happy hours, Virginia Highland has something for every taste.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium had just opened when I moved to Atlanta at the beginning of 2006. The city’s tourism theme at that time was “Every day is opening day” due to the many restaurant, entertainment venues and other business openings consistently happening around the metropolis.
Debuting as the world’s largest aquarium, there are more than 100,000 sea creatures swimming in more than 10 million gallons of water. From dolphin shows to the only whale shark exhibit outside of Asia, the Georgia Aquarium offers breathtaking scenery with loads of educational resources on the animals of the oceans.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
A powerful and moving museum dedicated to a main figure of the Civil Rights Movement, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is centrally located in a preserved historic district. Along with the many exhibits in the museum, visitors can also tour Ebenezer Baptist Church, the birth home and crypt of Dr. King, and more in the 23-acre National Historic Site.
Centennial Olympic Park
As home to the 1996 Olympics, the Centennial Olympic Park marks Atlanta’s historical hosting of the games. Today, the park is the site of many festivals and concert series. In the summer, large groups of bathing-suit-clad children can be seen running through the fountains.
Near the park are major landmarks, such as the CNN Center, Georgia Dome and Philips Arena. If a tour of a news studio or the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Hawks, respectively, isn’t your thing, a bit further out you can find Turner Field where the Atlanta Braves have been hitting home runs since 1997 and Zoo Atlanta, home to a recently-arrived pair of Panda cubs.
Atlanta Eats
Atlanta is known for its wide array of dining options. From posh gourmet to Southern favorites, you can satisfy any palette in the capital city.
One of my favorite restaurants of all time is a small Cuban joint on Ponce called Papi’s. My usual dish here is the flank steak with black beans and rice and fried plantains (I’m getting hungry just writing about this). Chris must have barbecue from Fat Matt’s Rib Shack anytime we’re in town. Usually we only recommend places with good food, but if you’re a first timer to Atlanta, you have to check out The Varsity. The food is lousy, but the service experience is a one-of-a-kind. Just make sure you know what you’re ordering before you get to the counter; patience is not a virtue here. If you’re looking for an unique Southern eatery, look no further than Pitty Pat’s Porch, a Gone With The Wind- themed restaurant serving fried chicken, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, sweet tea, pecan pie, peach cobbler and other favorites (seriously, I’m starving now).
Working in Atlanta
As a major business hub and on its way to becoming one of the best cities for tech start-ups, Atlanta offers much in the way of a work-life balance. For the insider’s perspective on maintaining this balance, I asked a former high school classmate, John Duncan, what makes the ATL such a wonderful place.
“I like Atlanta for its relative close proximity to the ocean and mountains,” says John who has worked for more than five years as a graphic designer in the city. Also, with three major business areas, Downtown, Buckhead and Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, John explains the variety Atlanta offers. “It has all of the culture and amenities of a big city, but it has kept its neighborhoods and districts intact so you can choose a place to live depending on your personality and what you like to do.”
Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the largest airport in the world, makes traveling to and from the city convenient and easy, says John. “It has almost any direct flight you would need, and if you have to travel a lot for work, being in Atlanta makes it more time and cost conscious.”
On the negative side, traffic can be torturous in Atlanta. “Depending on where you live or whether or not you have access to MARTA, as the districts are spread out, you will be sitting in traffic,” says John.
According to the season, there are a variety of activities for weekend entertainment, according to John. Sports fans have the major league games to take in, or if you’re more of a music fan, new acts come every week to the city. John enjoys visiting the High Museum of Art for various exhibitions.
I give Atlanta a 8+. What is your favorite city in the South?
-Monica
