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Atlanta

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Atlanta
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Atlanta Travel Guide

  • About Atlanta
Visiting Atlanta is like visiting an oversized small town; glittering skyscrapers, super highways and sprawling suburbs belie a magnetic Southern charm that’s hard to resist.The Georgian state capital is an American success story, a mesh of cultures among an enticing mix of tree-lined neighbourhoods. It’s home to world-class attractions, booming businesses, leading sports teams (with glitzy modern stadiums), cute panda cubs and herds of zombies (on screen at least). Atlanta was also pivotal to America’s modern history and gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement.You can splurge on designer gear, fine dining and swanky hotels in upmarket Buckhead. Or you can hang with the skinny-jeaned crowd in Little Five Points. While Five Points refers to downtown Atlanta, its mini-branded spin-off is a hub for the city’s alternative scene, packing in indie bookstores, vintage clothing boutiques, offbeat theatre and bold murals.Back in Downtown, hop aboard the Atlanta streetcar to see the big sights. In the running for the hottest attraction in town, the fabulous Georgia Aquarium claims to house more creatures than any other aquarium, but if you start counting, you may be there for some time.Right next door, a close contender for the sightseeing crown is the World of Coca-Cola, a perennial favourite with sugar junkies, where you can subject your tooth enamel to over 100 different drinks. And be sure to make a stop at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site along Auburn Avenue.Looking for a little action? The Eastside Trail in the revitalised Atlanta Beltline railway corridor is a hit with cyclists, rollerbladers and walkers. It passes by art installations, green spaces and Ponce City Market, a renovated landmark building that’s now chicster-hipster heaven with its trendy food hall, local designers and must-have apartments. Hot on its heels is Krog Street Market, with jewellery, craft ale and funky eateries in a 1920s warehouse.Meanwhile, if you want to snap a selfie with those cuddly panda cubs, head on down to Zoo Atlanta. As for the zombies, hitch a ride on a tour of The Walking Dead locations – just don’t get lost in the herd.
  • Atlanta History
What is now the booming metropolis of Atlanta began as a modest railroad town in southern USA. Georgia chose to build a railway to the Midwest in the early 1830s, and where the Zero Mile Post was driven into the ground, Atlanta was established and it became the rail hub for the southern United States.By 1861, Atlanta was also a manufacturing centre and supply depot, making it a major target in the American Civil War. Union General William Sherman’s troops burned much of the city to the ground, before embarking on his infamous March to the Sea.The city quickly recovered and rose from the ashes giving the city its symbol, the phoenix. Only four years after the fire, Atlanta was established as Georgia’s new state capital and it continued to remain a key rail hub.Atlanta went “dry” in 1886, and later that year, local Jacobs’ Pharmacy began selling a new soft drink instead. The beverage, called Coca-Cola, developed into an American icon and The Coco-Cola Company, incorporated in 1892, has been headquartered in Atlanta ever since.In the late 19th century, elite black colleges were founded and a wealthy middle and upper class emerged among the city’s black population.By the early 20th century, “Sweet” Auburn Avenue was called the most prosperous African-American street in the nation.But disenfranchisement and racial tensions triggered the Atlanta Race Riot in 1906, which led to the deaths of an estimated 27 people; all but two were black. The Jim Crow laws were passed soon after, segregating blacks from whites in public facilities.Discrimination was rife for decades but in the mid 1950s sit-ins and boycotts ushered in a new era of the Civil Rights Movement headed by Atlanta-born Martin Luther King Jr. The city was desegregated throughout the 1960s and 70s.Recovered from its troubled past, Atlanta’s leaders pulled together in a successful bid to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The city updated its parks, transportation, and sporting facilities in preparation. The US brought home the most medals during the Olympics, beating second place Russia by nearly 40.
  • Did you know?
The city got its current name from railroad engineer J. Edgar Thompson. It’s thought to be a shortened version of “Atlantica-Pacifica.” The city’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport with a terminal spanning 45 football fields. It’s purported that Atlanta-born Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind to stave off boredom following an ankle injury which kept her from walking.
  • Weather in Atlanta
Nicknamed ‘Hotlanta’, Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate.Spring and autumn are the ideal times to visit the city. In spring, Atlanta is a beautiful Southern Belle, ablaze with blossoms of Bradford pear, white dogwood and pink azaleas.Summers are hot, humid and languid, and the city moves at a noticeably more leisurely pace.Winters can be unpredictable, often with ice rather than snow. Throughout the year, the city hosts a slew of events from film and food to music and booze, so visit according to your tastes.

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