edit Atlanta Travel Guide

• Georgia Aquarium The largest aquarium in the world with over 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe all in 8 million gallons of water. This is one popular place and so there are a few number of tickets for walk up guests each day. The Aquarium is selling out many time slots far in advance, so whether you’re using your annual pass or purchasing daily tickets, advance reservations are the way to go. Open Monday - Sunday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; $24.00 (adult); $17.00 (child age 3-12); $20.00 (senior age 55+)
• 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). This attraction will move to a new location adjacent to the Georgia Aquarium during May 2007.
• Stone Mountain - The town of Stone Mountain (just outside Atlanta) is the most popular tourist attraction in Georgia. It's host to Stone Mountain Park, a wooded park with dozens of attractions surrounding a giant granite dome. Be sure to catch the spectacular fireworks and laser show which happens at sunset every Saturday night throughout the summer months and is free to watch. Besides the park the Stone Moutnain Village has some cute little shops to check out and for a bit of history theres also the Stone Mounain Railroad Depot and Memorial Hall.

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, Home Depot, 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 (usually those far outside Atlanta) 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 many interesting things to see in the city and it is well worth the trip from nearby citys for the big name concerts and excellent dining.

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 as though every other person in the city is wearing a nametag.

Atlanta Neighborhoods

• Buckhead
• Dunwoody
• Midtown
• Virginia-Highland
• Morningside
• Grant Park
• Poncey-Highland
• Brookhaven
• Candler Park
• Inman Park
• East Atlanta
• West End
• Garden Hills
• Kirkwood

By plane

Atlanta's principal airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport situated 8 miles south of downtown Atlanta.

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 there. 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.

Park Atlanta provides long-term private parking for Hartsfield Airport.

By train

Atlanta is served by Amtrak, +1 800 872-7245. Amtrak's Crescent train, which runs daily and serves New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, 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. MARTA Bus route 23 stops in front of the station. However, as much of the city is not accesible by MARTA, you may need to budget for a taxi to complete the journey.

By bus

Greyhound Bus Lines, 1 800 229-9424, 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).

By car

Atlanta is linked to the rest of the US by the interstate highway network. The principal interstates serving the city are I-75 (serving traffic from Chicago and Detroit to Florida), I-85 (connecting the Mid-Atlantic to New Orleans) and I-20 (connecting California and Texas to South Carolina), all of which cross through Downtown.

I-285 (commonly called the Perimeter by Atlantans, and the Atlanta Bypass on overhead signs) rings the city at a distance of about 10 miles out, crossing and connecting with all the above freeways as well as the airport.

Despite their sheer width (maxing out at 9-lanes per direction -- some of the widest roads in the world), Atlanta's highway system is reduced to a crawl (if not complete stop) during rush hour. Atlanta rush hour rivals that of Los Angeles, in that is generally runs from 7AM-10AM in the morning and 4PM-8PM in the evening during the work week. Because of this, Atlanta's surface streets have become overcrowded as well during peak times, and a 3-mile commute can be an hour-long affair.

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, other sections of Atlanta and, outside of the city, can be distinctly unfriendly places 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.

By transit

Atlanta is served by MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), +1 404 848-4711, 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. Single use Breeze Cards are sold in vending machines at all rail stations or at RideStores at Airport and Five Points stations. When starting the journey by bus, swipe the card at the fare post next to the driver. When starting the journey by train, swipe the car at the fare gate, your now cash depleted card will act as your transfer. When transferring to a bus, give the operator your breeze card. When transferring to a train, swipe the transfer ticket through the reader on the turnstile.

Note for Weekend Travel: MARTA has a tendency to run slower on the weekends. Typical wait times are 30 minutes for trains and up to an hour for buses. Be sure to accommodate for this.

By taxi

Until the past few years, Atlanta had poor cab service, cabs being 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.

Lately, it has been possible to call a cab (Atlanta Checker Cab Company for example) and have them do pick ups within 5 minutes around the Midtown/Downtown area. The prices are high (expect to pay $10 within Midtown/Downtown and an extra $10-20 if you're going to Buckhead/North Atlanta).

By car

Cars are the most popular form of transport in and around Atlanta and as such, traffic can be pretty bad. Though the Interstates are wide, rush-hour can bring them to a standstill. Traveling during business hours or on non-holiday weekends, though, can be quite easy.
Keep your eyes peeled as you drive, because the average speed on area freeways can exceed 80 miles per hour (this, 80mph, is an unsupported fact, and should be removed), and native Atlanta drivers have learned the art of moving from the far side of the road to make an exit. If you keep your cool and watch the traffic, you'll soon learn the flow. Given a day or two of experience, you'll be driving like a native, though it is unclear whether or not this is a good thing (this is a subjective comment, and adds no value - please remove this sentence)

Atlanta's fragmented communities and county disputes have produced a local road system that in many areas has not kept up with the explosive growth of the region. When changing counties or city limits roads can change from eight lane to two lanes within a block. Keep a lookout for right and left lane must turn signs. Signal early, most drivers will allow you room to merge if its not rush hour. Picking up a free road map or buying one is a good idea. Make sure you plan your route before you get in the car.

Atlanta is located on the Piedmont Plateau, at an approximate elevation of 741 to 1,056 feet above sea level. The city is thus somewhat cooler than other places in the US South, a fact that certainly helped the growth of the city before the introduction of air conditioning.

Atlanta experiences a very wide range of temperatures. Temperatures in winter can drop into the single digits on occasion, and most winters bring some snowfall. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures frequently reaching 90°F/32°C. Rainfall is high in late winter and early spring, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. Overall rain varies from 267.0 to 417.0 (mm/month).

Spring and autumn are by far the best times to visit.

Despite Atlanta's reputation, the city is not as dangerous as many perceive it to be. The crime rate has dropped during the late 1990s and 2000s, and has reached a near 40 year low in 2005. In the past, Atlanta was ranked in the top three for U.S. cities with the highest crime rates repeatedly for many consecutive years, but since 2005 the city's ranking has been off the top 10. Still, precautions should still be taken as in any other major city, such as not traveling alone at night, and being aware of which neighborhoods and areas are more prone to crime. In Atlanta, the Southwest and Southeast area have reported the most incidents of crime. Also to note, statistics indicate that 2006 and 2007 were two consecutive years of an increase in overall crime citywide, but the current rate is still lower than in the not-too-distant past. It should be noted that much of the crime is drug-related and out of sight so long as you are not in low-income areas. Outside of the perimeter, the crime rates are significantly lower (except perhaps in Dekalb County. Muggings are rare, even at night, and as a tourist/visitor to the city, you should be very safe.

Downtown Atlanta

Downtown Atlanta is the central area of Atlanta, which, despite the rise of Midtown and Buckhead, 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, The focal point of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Centennial Park has now become the center for tourism. The Georgia Aquarium, the new World of Coke (under construction), the CNN Center, Phillips Arena and Georgia Tech are all in walking distance.
• 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 $12 (adult); $11 (senior); $9 (child).
• Underground Atlanta - +1 404 523-2311 Fax: +1 404 523-0507 A shopping and entertainment district under Downtown Atlanta.
• The King Center and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, 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. The historic site features a museum and preserves the neighborhood that includes Dr. King's birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church. This is one of the place you should visit in downtown Atlanta.
• Philips Arena, Home to the Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers as well as the Georgia Force. Philips also hosts concerts and other major events.

Midtown Atlanta

Midtown Atlanta is the area immediately north of Downtown. It has significant commercial activity, but it is also a major restaurant and arts quarter, with much '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.
• 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).
• 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).
• 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).
• Piedmont Park Atlanta's largest park at over 189 acres. Great for spending a sunny week-end dog walking, sleeping, reading a book or picnicking. Parking is tough to come by so try to look out by finding street parking or pay about $2-5 at the public parking lots on Juniper (1 block to the West). Not visiting Piedmont Park on your trip to Atlanta would be like not visiting Central Park on a trip to New York.
• Shakespeare Tavern It is a place out of time; a place of live music, hand-crafted period costumes, outrageous sword fights with the entire experience centered on the passion and poetry of the spoken word. With an authentic British Pub Menu and a broad selection of British and Irish ales and premium brews, the Shakespeare Tavern is a place to eat, drink, and nourish the soul.
• 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-Highland, has taken much of the nightlife from the Buckhead area which mostly attracts hip-hoppers now.

Intown Atlanta

These are areas within the City of Atlanta that are commonly referred to as "intown" by Atlantans.

• Zoo Atlanta, 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. $17.99 (adults); $13.99 (seniors); $12.99 (children).
• 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.
• Fernbank Science Center and Museum of Natural History. Planetarium, dinosaurs, IMax theatre. Great for kids.
• Virginia-Highland, 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 (along with Midtown and Little Five Points). Pedestrian friendly and packed sidewalks till late at night. Go east on 10th street past the park. Do a quick zig-zag to the right at the Grady High School football stadium, then a left at Virginia Ave. Keep going about another mile on Virginia Ave. to the intersection of N. Highland Ave.

Sports

• Braves Baseball -- If you're heading down to "The Ted" (the local nickname for Turner Field), take MARTA to the Five Points station and hop on the $1 Braves Shuttle. This is MUCH easier than parking, and MARTA makes a great designated driver should you want to drink at the game.
• Falcons Football
• Hawks Basketball
• Thrashers Hockey
• Georgia Force Arena Football
• Georgia Tech Athletics
• Georgia State Athletics
• Emory Athletics

Atlanta seems to have developed the strip-mall virus, as they pop up more and more intown. Strip malls such as 'The Peach' in Buckhead is just such an example -- housing a Publix grocery, Linen's 'n Things, and Barnes and Noble, along with several of the smaller, independent sellers of all things. The heady perfume of asphalt from the oversized parking lot can make you just dizzy enough to support such retail development in town.

For those seeking a more sanitized experience of "Downtown Americana" we have Atlantic Station, an outdoor mall disguised as a new urban "city-center" development sitting atop a three-story parking garage. All the standard players have shown up -- the Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, etc. While some Atlantans have declared the development to be fantastic, others call it "Disney Downtown for middle-class suburbanites."

Some of the more respectable independent shopping establishments include:

• Junkman's Daughter, 464 Moreland Avenue NE (At Little Five Points), tel: (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.
• Criminal Records, 466 Moreland Avenue NE (At Little Five Points, right next to Junkman's Daughter), tel: (404) 215-9511. The best place in Atlanta for CDs, records, used CDs, comics, toys, posters and magazines.

Of course, Atlanta has its share of malls:

• Discover Mills - Duluth - discount/outlet shopping at its best.
• Mall of Georgia - Buford - huge, simply huge.
• Cumberland Mall - Atlanta
• Phipps Plaza Mall - Buckhead, Atlanta - where the blue-bloods refill their Burbery reserves.
• Lenox Square Mall - Buckhead, Atlanta - standard department-store shopping with a selection of the standard shops.
• Perimeter Mall - Dunwoody - where you'll see the suburban white kids hanging out in the evening.
• North Point Mall - Alpharetta
• Arbor Place Mall - Douglasville - opened in 1999 bringing multi-level upscale shopping to the Douglasville area. The 4th largest mall in the State of Georgia, and home to over 100 shops and restaurants.

• Savannah this southern gem is lightyears apart from Atlanta but is actually only a four hour drive
• Six Flags over Georgia Located off I20 is deffinately the biggest theme park in the area. Only 10 miles west of Atlanta
  
• Athens cool college and football town. Also has a surprisingly good museum (Georgia Musem of Art) and the State Botanical Gardens.
  
• Antebellum Trail journey down the romantic south. Places like Macon, Madison and Midgeville are towns that will take you back to the days immortalized by Gone With the Wind.