Welcome to Atlanta – Explore the local scene in authentic Atlanta

Atlanta isn’t just another big city—it’s an urban landscape made up of nearly 45 neighborhoods. Each locale brings a unique flavor to the community and adds personality to the city. Visitors can easily transition from one neighborhood to the next, all the while experiencing Atlanta’s culture.

©2017, Gene Phillips/AtlantaPhotos.com. Courtesy of Atlanta.net

The heart of the city is Downtown. Home to a walkable convention and entertainment district with hotels, a multitude of dining options, and world-class attractions, it’s the perfect starting point for first-time visitors. Centennial Olympic Park is surrounded by the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, CNN global headquarters, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience, all within steps of each other. Downtown is a gateway to any visit and is an ideal place to begin exploring the city.

Midtown is known as Atlanta’s “heart of the arts” and sits along famed Peachtree Street. Midtown boasts the largest concentration of arts facilities and organizations in the Southeast. Visitors can work their way through Atlanta’s cultural history, beginning with the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum at the intersection of 10th and Peachtree streets, making a stop at the fabulous Fox Theatre, and ending at Woodruff Arts Center, home to the High Museum of Art, Alliance Theatre, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For a breath of fresh air, visitors can head to Piedmont Park, one of the largest green spaces in the city.

©2016, Gene Phillips/AtlantaPhotos.com. Courtesy of Atlanta.net

North of Midtown is the ultra-chic neighborhood of Buckhead. Known as the “Beverly Hills of the East,” Buckhead is a shopping haven for fashionistas across the south. Find the latest styles from high-end designers at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, Lenox Square, and Phipps Plaza. However, Buckhead isn’t just for fashionistas. There are award-winning dining options throughout the neighborhood, as well, from several chef Ford Fry outposts—King+Duke and St. Cecelia—to high-end classics like Restaurant Eugene and Chops Lobster Bar.

On the Westside, a blending of Georgia Tech’s college campus culture with nearby loft communities creates a new district within old industrial spaces. The dining scene thrives at Westside Provisions District. Staple eateries including Little Star Provisions and JCT. Kitchen & Bar anchor the district, as new, lively concepts like Little Trouble and Cooks & Soldiers make their mark. Nearby, The Optimist, Miller Union, and Antico Pizza Napoletana create a collective of eateries catering to the city’s sophisticated palate.

Visitors wanting to eat, shop, and play should look no further than Atlantic Station. Centered on 17th Street, Atlantic Station has well-known retail brands mixed with casual dining to make a shopping day just a little different.

Neighborhoods on Atlanta’s Eastside are connected by the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, a multi-use trail and green space that runs 2.25 miles from Piedmont Park to Irwin Street. Along the Eastside Trail are two of the neighborhood’s newest developments, Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market. Locals and visitors alike will find chef-driven concepts alongside curated retail options.

Bordering the Eastside’s BeltLine are more than seven distinct neighborhoods. Locals stop for a pastry at Alon’s in Virginia-Highland, one of the city’s original streetcar suburbs. Inman Park combines small urban green spaces with winding boulevards lined with colorful Queen Anne and Victorian homes in the city’s first planned suburb. The scene edges into a Bohemian style in Little Five Points, where vintage dress matches the creativity of tattoos. Spend an evening in East Atlanta Village, home to a few of the city’s most talked-about live music venues, such as The EARL.

What’s old is new again in Old Fourth Ward, a neighborhood that continues to redefine itself, transforming into a hotspot for nightlife along Edgewood Avenue. Grant Park surrounds the city’s fourth-largest park and is home to Historic Oakland Cemetery and Zoo Atlanta. Once an epicenter of African-American commerce, Sweet Auburn Historic District continues to flourish on the city’s southeast side. Auburn Avenue, known in the 1950s as the nation’s most affluent African-American street, houses the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, bakeries, and clubs near the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Atlanta sits at the intersection of southern charm, creativity, and sophistication. It is easy to fall in love with this beautiful city—its world-class attractions, award-winning dining, and hidden wonders—and be inspired by the city’s endless possibilities.