My husband and I are coming to Atlanta for a few days prior to a conference he is attending. We are staying at the Omni at CNN center -- we get in late - ish on Thurs the 4th and I leave on Sunday at 8pm. I lived in Atlanta as a small child and only remember Stone Mountain (so of course, I want to visit) We have a reception at the Aquarium on Sat. night for cocktails so we were going to add some time to see the Aquarium then. Do I need to get a rental car, or will we be able to see the sights using the Marta?
Anything we shouldn%26#39;t miss? We are on somewhat of a budget -- so I have read the section about ';cheap eats'; We are in our late 40%26#39;s -- not really into ';clubbing';, don%26#39;t mind a bit of history but are not fanatical about it. Thanks for any leads you can provide...
Atlanta May 4-7
Staying at the Omni at CNN is a great location to the downtown area. You won%26#39;t need a car if you don%26#39;t mind doing a bit of walking. See if there%26#39;s a braves game in town. Lots of good places to eat. Take the CNN tour. Underground ain%26#39;t what it once was. World of Coke is downtown too. Take Marta to Piedmont Park for a picnic or take Marta to Lenox/Phipps or Perimeter Mall for good shopping. There%26#39;s a new shopping and residential area called Atlantic Station at 17th Street and 75/85 that%26#39;s good for shopping too. If you choose to go out to Stone Mountain, you%26#39;ll need a car. It%26#39;s about 45 minutes to an hour NE of Atlanta and it will look exactly like it did when you saw it 40 years ago. Have fun.
Atlanta May 4-7
Roswellmom has made a good list of recommendations. I would also add that you should take some time to stroll through Midtown, see the Fox Theater and visit Piedmont Park. While the hubby%26#39;s in the conference, you can also take MARTA to Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza for some fabulous shopping. Also, you can take MARTA to the Decatur square to walk around - there are lots of cute boutiques, restaurants, pubs, etc.
Historical sites such as the MLK burial site and Oakland Cemetary are easily accessible from MARTA. If you go to Oakland, be sure to check out the great but cheap ';fish camp'; across the street called Six Feet Under. I think World of Coke is probably overrated, and you couldn%26#39;t pay me to go to Underground, but while you%26#39;re downtown you should check out Centennial Park. The aquarium is wonderful. I think I%26#39;m an addict - I just got back from my 5th trip in 4 months.
I would just rent a car for the day to go to Stone Mountain. There are several rental agencies downtown or, if it%26#39;s cheaper, you could always take MARTA to the airport to rent a car. If you have a car the whole the parking fees for your hotel will eat you alive.
Starting today in the Atlanta Botanical Garden adjacent to Piedmont Park they are opening an exhibition of Niki de Saint Phalle%26#39;s amazing ceramic sculptures. They have assembled the largest exhibition ever of her works. I believe it is a total of 41 enormous pieces to include several of her signature Nana sculptures. Some of the pieces are 25 feet long and weigh tons. These pieces have been assembled from private collections and museums across the U.S. and Europe.
If anyone is not familiar with Nike de Saint Phalle%26#39;s sculptures, Google her and see some of it. She passed away two or three years ago but she left behind an enormous body of work. I%26#39;ve seen her work in California and in France and all I can say is that it makes me smile.
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is worth a visit just on it%26#39;s own merits.
Check it out at:
http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do
Thanks for your replies... We decided we were mostly interested in seeing some of the ';neighborhoods'; of Atlanta . Being from Baltimore, that is kind of the charm of our own city.... Hopefully the weather will cooperate for our treking around the city.
Here is the direction we are going so far....
Fri breakfast at Flying BIscuit , Frabel Art Glass studio on Antone, Va-Hi, lunch at Varsity, Cnn tour, Oakland Cemetery, dinner at Six Feet Under, Tickets to CIrque Dreams at the Fox.
Sat. Breakfast_______?, Castleberry HIll, lunch __________?, L5P, dinner at the Aquarium (part of the conference)
Sun. Breakfast at conference, WOrld of Coke, Lunch at conference, Open afternoon til I have to catch a plane at 8 (my husband keeps on at the conference)
If the weather is bad, we will head indoors for some of the neighborhood time and go to High Museum and/or Jimmy Carter Library.
How am I doing so Far??????
saturday breakfast or lunch i%26#39;d suggest trying bobby and june%26#39;s country kitchen on 375 14th street. it%26#39;s is exceptional neighborhood cooking and will not leave you any appetite. nope none at all. GREAT BOBBYCUE
Wow - it%26#39;s nice to hear that you%26#39;re adding the Frabel Glass Studio to their trip to Atlanta. I love their work. Got a couple of small pieces in our house and we love it. Last time I remembered Frabel, they were in Lenox Square. I must be way behind the times.
A bit east of town is the Radial Cafe which has been voted the best breakfast in Atlanta for many years running. I finally checked it out a few weeks ago and the title was well-earned. It is a funky restaurant near the Inman Park area and there may be 30 minute wait but the food is amazing and the prices are great. I had French toast stuffed with walnuts and cream cheese and it was one of the best things I%26#39;ve ever tasted. They also have more traditional breakfast fare and gigantic huevos rancheros. While you%26#39;re visinting unique neighborhoods, here are a few more you might enjoy: East Atlanta (the local bar and grill the EARL has fantastic burgers and fried okra), Grant Park (lovely old neighborhood near zoo and historic East Lake golf course (Dakota Blue is a good cafe/grill), Kirkwood %26amp; Oakhurst (two great Oakhurst restaurants are The Universal Join which is a bar and grill and Billy Goat%26#39;s Cantina which is eclectic southwestern fare).
If the weather is beautiful I would recommend the Oakland Cemetery. It is more like a park than a cemetery and of course, very historical. Here is a past thread about it and another link to 20 photos. This past thread is about Atlanta must sees so you may find other places and recommendations that interest you too.
http://tinyurl.com/egxzq
http://tinyurl.com/pzvjn
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