Hello, I leave in the morning, ( I know I waited to the last minute to ask)
I am bringing my 2 teenage daughters. The underground sounds cool, but no idea where it is. Also we r checking out the Aquraium.
Anyother ideas to keep us busy for a few days so they don;t run me broke in the malls !!! ;)
D
Where is underground Atlanta
If you check this message, I woudl advise against Underground. The area is of questionable safety, the bars and restaurants are essentially empty, and there are no shops there you couldn%26#39;t find in any strip mall. This concept has never taken off, and it%26#39;s likely that nobody will be there except for some panhandlers and a few tourists. If you must go, it is downtown, across from teh Five Points MARTA station. You%26#39;ll know you%26#39;re there when you see dozens of stands selling fake Gucci purses.
The aquarium on the other hand is amazing. You will really love that.
With teenagers, you may want to go to Lenox and Phipps Malls, or Atlantic Station, or walk around trendy neighborhoods like Virginia-Highland or Little Five Points. You may also want to find out what shows and concerts are in town by checking Creative Loafing, a free weekly newspaper.
Where is underground Atlanta
You may have already left but I%26#39;ll try to help.
Underground is an area downtown near the Five Points Marta station that has a number of shops, some fast food retaurants a few nicer restaurants and various bars.
Many of the shops have gone out of business due to lack of customers. The bars don%26#39;t start up until the evening and go until 3 a.m. or so. Personally, I wouldn%26#39;t go out of my way to go there unless you want to go to World of Coke, which is next door. At night, the area can be kind of rough in terms of petty crime and panhandlers.
The Aquarium (best to go during a weekday to avoid crowds) is definitely worth your time. A tour of the CNN studios nearby is also fun.
Knowing teens, they%26#39;ll really enjoy the shopping the most. Take them up to Bukchead (you can take MARTA) for shopping at Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza. There%26#39;s also Filene%26#39;s Basement for bargains. Trust me, they%26#39;ll enjoy that much more than Underground.
There%26#39;s also good shopping to be had at the new Atlantic Station. You can catch a shuttle over there from the MARTA Arts Center station to get there.
Peachy, it looks like we share one mind this morning!
JAtlanta, my favorite line from your post is this one:
';You%26#39;ll know you%26#39;re there when you see dozens of stands selling fake Gucci purses.';
You nailed that one on the head!
Wasn%26#39;t there some new ordinance for panhandling that there was a big fuss about not long ago? I remember becoming hopeful that something would actually be done about it, particularly around the Underground area. The last time I was there, I was approached 5 times. It sounds like not much has changed!
A friend and I were having this discussion on Saturday (he had a panhandler under the window to his loft playing the guitar and the guy just played the same three chords over and over so after a few hours he was about to pull his hair out) so I decided to look up the law.
It essentially bans soliciting funds. They can sit there with cups in hand but cannot ask for money or shake their cups. This applies with a zone that encompasses most of downtown, and all ATMs, MARTA stations and the airport.
I haven%26#39;t noticed a huge difference and I guess when there are no cops around the bums ignore the law. I thought I was about to have to summon a police officer to handle the panhandler who was harassing me Saturday night.
The good news is that Woodruff Park, where may homeless in that area live and congregate, is about to take initiative by removing benches and making it more unwelcoming. The homeless were protesting this on Sartuday. Of course.
Dplady, there was indeed an ordinance passed. But it hasn%26#39;t changed things much.
I don%26#39;t get down there all that much but on occasion, I meet a friend of mine who works at the nearby newspaper building for lunch. When I come up from the MARTA train onto the street, I am always asked for change at least once. They don%26#39;t ask for it as loudly but they do ask. And then mutter angry things when you keep walking.
