Kristin's FAvorite Things to Do in THe ATL
I've lived in Atlanta for 20 years and have stayed pretty close to downtown the entire time. I went to Emory (about 10 mins away), then to Georgia State (downtown) and rode MARTA every day for 8 years. There are so many cool things to do if you know where to look.
1) Streetcar, Sweet Auburn Market, MLK Center
Hop on the streetcar at one of its stops and ride it past Centennial Park to Sweet Auburn Market for lunch. They have a number of eateries inside (I particularly like the crepe one) and produce vendors. Then hop back on the streetcar and stop at the MLK Center, run by the National Park Service. It is really well done and you get to walk down the street to Dr. King's house and Ebenezer Baptist Church. (There is another King Center across the street run by the family, and while it is interesting because it has some King family artifacts, not quite as well presented).
2) Centennial Park
Walk up to Intl Blvd to Peachtree then down the hill to Centennial Park. Riding the new ferris wheel is pricey (about $13/pp) but it is a fun thing to do and a cool view. The car is completely enclosed and it is a very smooth, slow ride. Make sure you are at the Centennial Park Fountain of Rings water fountain at 12:30pm, 3:30, 6:30 or 9pm for a 20 minute water/light/music show. It is also a great place to people watch and there are always lots of kids (and adults) running in and out of the fountain. There is a burger place next to the fountain called Googie Burger, that serves decent fare if you want to stay and eat and people watch, although the line is usually long. On your walk back to the hotel, stop at the Westin's rooftop Sundial rotating restaurant FOR A DRINK. The food is terribly overpriced and the last time I ate there, just plain bad.
3) Georgia Aquarium & Coca-Cola Museum
If you are in the mood for indoor activity, the Georgia Aquarium is quite the experience and totally worth the ticket price. The Coca-Cola Museum is fun when you get to try all the flavors from around the world, but be prepared to feel as if you are in one big Coke commercial. I personally haven't been to the Civil Rights Museum but it is right next to the Aquarium and the Coke Museum and I've heard it is excellent. If you are die-hard sports fan, my husband really enjoyed the College Football Hall of Fame. For food post museums, Stats is a great sports bar a block away, so is Max's Pizza.
4) Beltline/Krog Street Market Afternoon
One of my favorite things to do with my family is to walk along the Beltline (an awesome concept to reuse old train tracks for trails and new ). If you are walking, I would start about a mile down the street from the hotel at the corner of Irwin/Simpson and grab an ice cream at Jake's on your way out. Then just before the second overpass bridge, walk down the path about 100 feet and grab a popsicle at the King of Pops window, which I think is actually their factory location(if it is one of those 90 degree days, an ice cream followed by a popsicle isn't so crazy). Then just after the overpass bridge, there is a skate park =, which is fun to gawk at. If you keep going, you'll hit Piedmont Park. If you want to bike, you can take a tour from Beltline or you can rent a bike from Atlanta Beltline Bycicles.
But then my favorite thing after all that walking and biking, is to stop at Krog Street Market and eat at one of the amazing eateries.
5) Stone Mountain Hike & Laser Show
Stone Mountain Park is about a 1/2 hr drive from downtown and is one of the few large granite outcroppings in the world. If you are up for it, hike up the mountain and back down. They do have a snack bar at the top and a great view of Atlanta. Or you could take the gondola SkyRide to the top if you don't want to hike it. The CrossRoads area also has some fun stuff to do (there is a ropes course and a train and mini-golf). In the evening, bring a blanket and some lawn chairs and watch the laser light show, that gets started at 9:30pm on the grassy lawn facing the carvings.
Awesome Places to Eat
I live in Decatur, which is one the MARTA line or a 15-min drive, and quite a foodie mecca.
Cakes & Ale
The Pinewood
The Kimball House
246
Brickstore (one of the best bars you'll ever go to)
Revival (Kevin Gillespie, if you are into the national chef scene)
Between Downtown and Decatur
Fox Brothers (awesome BBQ by Little Five Points)
Six Feet Under (seafood and southern cooking)
Ponce City Market
My husband works downtown and here are some of his favorite places:
Dua Vietnamese Noodle (this is more of a lunch place)
White Oak (pricier but yummy)
Alma Cocina (on P'tree)
Aviva (in P'tree Center's food court)
Gus Fried Chicken
Cooks & Soldiers
1) Streetcar, Sweet Auburn Market, MLK Center
Hop on the streetcar at one of its stops and ride it past Centennial Park to Sweet Auburn Market for lunch. They have a number of eateries inside (I particularly like the crepe one) and produce vendors. Then hop back on the streetcar and stop at the MLK Center, run by the National Park Service. It is really well done and you get to walk down the street to Dr. King's house and Ebenezer Baptist Church. (There is another King Center across the street run by the family, and while it is interesting because it has some King family artifacts, not quite as well presented).
2) Centennial Park
Walk up to Intl Blvd to Peachtree then down the hill to Centennial Park. Riding the new ferris wheel is pricey (about $13/pp) but it is a fun thing to do and a cool view. The car is completely enclosed and it is a very smooth, slow ride. Make sure you are at the Centennial Park Fountain of Rings water fountain at 12:30pm, 3:30, 6:30 or 9pm for a 20 minute water/light/music show. It is also a great place to people watch and there are always lots of kids (and adults) running in and out of the fountain. There is a burger place next to the fountain called Googie Burger, that serves decent fare if you want to stay and eat and people watch, although the line is usually long. On your walk back to the hotel, stop at the Westin's rooftop Sundial rotating restaurant FOR A DRINK. The food is terribly overpriced and the last time I ate there, just plain bad.
3) Georgia Aquarium & Coca-Cola Museum
If you are in the mood for indoor activity, the Georgia Aquarium is quite the experience and totally worth the ticket price. The Coca-Cola Museum is fun when you get to try all the flavors from around the world, but be prepared to feel as if you are in one big Coke commercial. I personally haven't been to the Civil Rights Museum but it is right next to the Aquarium and the Coke Museum and I've heard it is excellent. If you are die-hard sports fan, my husband really enjoyed the College Football Hall of Fame. For food post museums, Stats is a great sports bar a block away, so is Max's Pizza.
4) Beltline/Krog Street Market Afternoon
One of my favorite things to do with my family is to walk along the Beltline (an awesome concept to reuse old train tracks for trails and new ). If you are walking, I would start about a mile down the street from the hotel at the corner of Irwin/Simpson and grab an ice cream at Jake's on your way out. Then just before the second overpass bridge, walk down the path about 100 feet and grab a popsicle at the King of Pops window, which I think is actually their factory location(if it is one of those 90 degree days, an ice cream followed by a popsicle isn't so crazy). Then just after the overpass bridge, there is a skate park =, which is fun to gawk at. If you keep going, you'll hit Piedmont Park. If you want to bike, you can take a tour from Beltline or you can rent a bike from Atlanta Beltline Bycicles.
But then my favorite thing after all that walking and biking, is to stop at Krog Street Market and eat at one of the amazing eateries.
5) Stone Mountain Hike & Laser Show
Stone Mountain Park is about a 1/2 hr drive from downtown and is one of the few large granite outcroppings in the world. If you are up for it, hike up the mountain and back down. They do have a snack bar at the top and a great view of Atlanta. Or you could take the gondola SkyRide to the top if you don't want to hike it. The CrossRoads area also has some fun stuff to do (there is a ropes course and a train and mini-golf). In the evening, bring a blanket and some lawn chairs and watch the laser light show, that gets started at 9:30pm on the grassy lawn facing the carvings.
Awesome Places to Eat
I live in Decatur, which is one the MARTA line or a 15-min drive, and quite a foodie mecca.
Cakes & Ale
The Pinewood
The Kimball House
246
Brickstore (one of the best bars you'll ever go to)
Revival (Kevin Gillespie, if you are into the national chef scene)
Between Downtown and Decatur
Fox Brothers (awesome BBQ by Little Five Points)
Six Feet Under (seafood and southern cooking)
Ponce City Market
My husband works downtown and here are some of his favorite places:
Dua Vietnamese Noodle (this is more of a lunch place)
White Oak (pricier but yummy)
Alma Cocina (on P'tree)
Aviva (in P'tree Center's food court)
Gus Fried Chicken
Cooks & Soldiers