Things to do in Atlanta, GA

A city with undeniable Southern roots, modern Atlanta, a major tourist destination in the region is known for its growing number of talented celebrities, its diversity, shopping, thriving nightlife, and sultry weather. It's called Hotlanta both for the weather and the nightlife.

Atlanta is the home of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport in the world. According to the airport itself about 90 million people travel through the airport every day. Atlanta is also centrally located, within a short flight of where more than 80% of the people live in the United States, according to Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta International Airport.  So, if you travel by air and have a layover, you are likely to make a stop in Atlanta. If you live or visit Atlanta, you can take a flight, train or bus to dozens of domestic and international destinations.

Through the years, Atlanta has become a hotbed of talent, particularly for rappers and singers who were either born in the city or now call it home. T.I. and his wife Tiny, Bow Wow, Lil Jon, Usher, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, Tyler Perry, and Ciara are just a token of the entertainers who call Atlanta home....  

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A city with undeniable Southern roots, modern Atlanta, a major tourist destination in the region is known for its growing number of talented celebrities, its diversity, shopping, thriving nightlife, and sultry weather. It's called Hotlanta both for the weather and the nightlife.

Atlanta is the home of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport in the world. According to the airport itself about 90 million people travel through the airport every day. Atlanta is also centrally located, within a short flight of where more than 80% of the people live in the United States, according to Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta International Airport.  So, if you travel by air and have a layover, you are likely to make a stop in Atlanta. If you live or visit Atlanta, you can take a flight, train or bus to dozens of domestic and international destinations.

Through the years, Atlanta has become a hotbed of talent, particularly for rappers and singers who were either born in the city or now call it home. T.I. and his wife Tiny, Bow Wow, Lil Jon, Usher, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, Tyler Perry, and Ciara are just a token of the entertainers who call Atlanta home. Julia Roberts is from Smyrna, an area in metro Atlanta, and Tyler Perry got his start in Atlanta, too. There is also a never ending stream of television shows and movies that feature Atlanta, like the Real Housewives of Atlanta, the Braxton's Family Values, and Single Ladies. 

Although the old South is described as conservative and maybe even restrictive, Atlanta is known for its diversity and culture. Thousands of people travel to Atlanta for its annual gay pride festivities. You'll also find a healthy mix of people from various nationalities and religious beliefs. Atlanta, therefore, represents a mix of old South values with modern beliefs from its population, which is a tad bit younger than some other cities. 

From Atlanta's nightclubs and music venues to its comedy clubs, the city has everything from high impact partying, to low-key jazz and poetry readings. People visit Atlanta to party in some of the hottest nightclubs in the region. Sometimes celebrities make guest appearances or stop in to hang out in the clubs' lavish VIP areas. The exclusivity associated with some of the more popular clubs on busy nights, makes the nightlife even more desirable. As the sun sets on Atlanta's night scene comes alive with entertainment to suit a variety of tastes. 

Visitors can find almost anything that they want to buy in Atlanta. There are dozens of malls and hundreds of shopping centers. Warehouse stores with deals on shoes, clothes, accessories and household appliances are also plentiful. For antiques, modern furniture or household accessories you might shop on Miami Circle to explore its numerous home stores. Shoppers who seek the latest styles from sought-after designers are likely to visit Buckhead. Just about every city in the Atlanta area has shopping areas that locales would call the best. 

Although it will forever be known as the city that Sherman burned during his infamous march to the sea, Atlanta refuses to be defined by its long-ago misfortune. More than a century after that transforming event, the city stands as one of the nation's foremost metropolitan areas, a regional powerhouse that proudly bears the moniker, "Capital of the New South."

Atlanta's prominence would have been hard to envision in the early 19th century, when the settlement known as Terminus was little more than a railroad stop. Still, steady growth — and an especial drive to rebuild — following the Civil War gave rise to Atlanta's ever-increasing stature and its current position as a city of commerce, history, culture and advancement.

Beyond being home to Margaret Mitchell — whose tale of loss and resiliency amid moss-draped oaks and plantation houses colors any mention of the South — Atlanta is the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. Raised in the city's Sweet Auburn neighborhood, King still has a presence in latter-day Atlanta, and visitors make frequent pilgrimages to the home, church, and grave of this pre-eminent civil rights leader. An affiliated museum and center for social change also lie in the vicinity.
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Although it will forever be known as the city that Sherman burned during his infamous march to the sea, Atlanta refuses to be defined by its long-ago misfortune. More than a century after that transforming event, the city stands as one of the nation's foremost metropolitan areas, a regional powerhouse that proudly bears the moniker, "Capital of the New South."

Atlanta's prominence would have been hard to envision in the early 19th century, when the settlement known as Terminus was little more than a railroad stop. Still, steady growth — and an especial drive to rebuild — following the Civil War gave rise to Atlanta's ever-increasing stature and its current position as a city of commerce, history, culture and advancement.

Beyond being home to Margaret Mitchell — whose tale of loss and resiliency amid moss-draped oaks and plantation houses colors any mention of the South — Atlanta is the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. Raised in the city's Sweet Auburn neighborhood, King still has a presence in latter-day Atlanta, and visitors make frequent pilgrimages to the home, church, and grave of this pre-eminent civil rights leader. An affiliated museum and center for social change also lie in the vicinity.

Business prospers in Atlanta too, thanks to multinational corporations, global banks, and mom-and-pop operations alike. CNN, the brainchild of Ted Turner, maintains its headquarters here, along with Coca-Cola, a hometown success story begun in pharmacist John S. Pemberton's backyard. The soft drink's history, in fact, is charted in a popular attraction called World of Coca-Cola, which details soda production, Coke products around the globe, and the company's most well-known advertising campaigns.

With its increasing worldwide connections, Atlanta has necessarily tempered some of its traditional Southern character. Half the city's population now has origins from outside the South, although hospitality and graciousness remain strong suits. Plus, the influx of other cultural influences has only added to the regional dining scene. Great restaurants flourish throughout the metro area, serving everything from biscuits and gravy to empanadas, sushi, and even churrasco. And without fail, sweet tea flows by the gallon, an addiction cultivated in native sons and daughters since birth.

Leisure hours offer plenty. Atlanta's nightlife scene promises cutting-edge clubs, hip lounges, and laid-back bars that help smooth out the roughness of a day gone by. Fabulous shopping easily attests to the city's cosmopolitan flair and to its disposable income. For proof, just look to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. Culture also thrives in theater, dance, art, and such enviable institutions as the High Museum and the Fabulous Fox Theatre, an historic venue with Moorish styling that's a throwback to 1920s opulence.

Sports events also draw spectators galore. The Georgia Dome, home to the NFL Falcons, hosts not only home games but huge events like the Super Bowl and Final Four. And Philips Arena, which sits alongside the CNN Center, serves as home to the Hawks and the Thrashers and welcomes big-name concerts and big-ticket events as well.

The "City of Trees" also invites folks outdoors, and thanks to a perpetually mild climate, nature is a constant guest in Atlanta. Ever-popular Piedmont Park and the quieter Grant Park call to athletes and loungers throughout the week, and Centennial Olympic Park remembers the coup scored when the city hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. It offers a picturesque, relaxed oasis in the midst of the city.

And if all that's not enough, Atlanta maintains a wealth of additional charm for residents and visitors alike. Lovely neighborhoods, intriguing architecture, and a passionate regard for the Braves add character to the city and its suburbs, which shelter more than five million residents. It's of little surprise, then, that with such unabated growth and eminently appealing quality of life, Atlanta — rather than proving itself the terminus its original name indicated — has developed into a city of expansion and forward movement. Lately international, perpetually American, proudly Southern.