Home to the world's most famous soda and largest aquarium, Atlanta
is also known for its rich Southern history. The sprawling city offers
many attractions and museums, but the best of Atlanta is tucked away in
neighborhoods that can be enjoyed for little to no cost.
GETTING AROUND: The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
is the best way to get around the city. The citywide bus and rail
system is $1.75 per person and passes through the major tourist areas
of downtown. MARTA also offers a $12 four-day visitors pass, http://www.itsmarta.com/howto/special/visitorfaq.htm,
that must be ordered in advance. When traveling outside of the city's
12-lane interstate perimeter to attractions like Stone Mountain Park,
car rental is best. Atlanta's traffic is legendary, so avoid driving if
you can.
Stone Mountain Park shows a family walking out of Crossroads at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, Ga. (AP/Stone Mountain Park)
MUST-SEES: Stone Mountain Park,
20 miles east of the city, was voted the city's best public playground.
It features a 1,683-foot-high granite rock carved with images of
Confederate leaders. Although the mountain was once home to Ku Klux
Klan meetings, it now is a family-oriented theme park with traditional
outdoor playgrounds and an indoor foam playground.
Parking
is $8, but once inside, you can hike to the top of the mountain for a
beautiful view of the Atlanta skyline and to watch the sun set or rise.
Walk through Crossroads for a trip back to the Antebellum Era. In the winter, take a driving tour of the park to see Christmas lights and 6-foot holiday greeting cards.
A
One-Day Adventure Pass allows guests admission to many of the
ticket-requiring attractions such as the Sky Ride to the top of the
mountain and a scenic five-mile train ride for $25 for adults and $20
for children, http://www.stonemountainpark.com.
Centennial Olympic Park is Atlanta's
lasting legacy from the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The 21-acre park
is located on Marietta Street in the heart of downtown, sandwiched
between the Phillips Arena and the Georgia Aquarium. Four times daily, it has a Fountain of Rings show where synchronized water dances to music and lighting effects at an interactive water fountain
on bricks. From November to January, the park is decorated with
Christmas lights and has a temporary ice skating rink with $7 admission
and $2 skate rental, http://www.centennialpark.com.
View the final resting place for Civil War soldiers and notable Atlantans like golfer Bobby Jones, novelist Margaret Mitchell, and former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson
at the Historic Oakland Cemetery at 248 Oakland Ave. SE. Beautiful
sculpture and architecture meet botanical preserve in the garden
cemetery rich with Atlanta's history, http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/index.html.
The two mule team wagon used to carry the body of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his funeral procession on April 9, 1968 is shown at Atlanta's Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. (AP Photo/MLK Jr. National Historic Site)
NEIGHBORHOODS: The Sweet Auburn Historic District reflects the history and heritage of Atlanta's blacks. The area along Auburn Avenue between Courtland Street and Interstate 75/85 was once dubbed the richest black street in America, http://www.sweetauburn.com. Walking tour maps are available through the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, 404-222-6688. Sweet Auburn includes the Martin Luther King Jr.
Historic Site — King's birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church where his
father preached, the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame and the
civil rights leader's final resting place in The King Center at 526
Auburn Ave. NE, http://www.thekingcenter.org.
Castleberry Hill is Atlanta's historic art district with a trendy edge and dozens of art galleries, photography studios and restaurants, http://www.castleberryhill.org. Walk Peters Street SW between the railroad tracks.
Atlantic Station features condos, a 26-screen movie theater, restaurants and an outdoor shopping mall built on a concrete parking garage, http://www.atlanticstation.com
After hours, many of the restaurants turn into evening lounges and
dance clubs. The area encompasses 17th Street between Interstate 75/85
and Northside Drive.
DISCOUNT TICKETS:
Tickets to Atlanta's newest and most prominent attractions cost a
pretty penny, but several Web sites sell discount tickets to places
like the Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, High Museum of Art, Fox Theater and sporting events.
The
Atlanta CityPass lets guests pick eight attractions for close to 50
percent of the combined admission prices. Atlanta CityPass is $69 for
adults and $49 for youth ages 3-12, http://www.citypass.com/city/atlanta.html.
Also in the Underground Atlanta is the AtlanTIX booth which has half-price tickets to the pricier attractions in Atlanta, http://www.atlantaperforms.com.
NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT: The best of Atlanta's nightlife and restaurants is found along Peachtree Street,
which runs from the heart of the city, north to the ritzy Buckhead
area. There is a concentration of nightclubs in the high energy area of
Midtown, like Sutra Lounge at 1136 Crescent Ave. NE, http://www.sutraloungeatl.com and Leopard Lounge at 84 12th St. NE, http://www.leopardloungeatl.com. Opera at 1150 Peachtree St. NE is a former opera house turned into the most exclusive club in the city, http://www.operaatlanta.com.
Underground Atlanta at 50 Upper Alabama St. has shopping, dining, entertainment and city festivals downtown, http://www.underground-atlanta.com.
The mall-like area is hidden beneath the streets, but is the best place
in the city for souvenir shopping. Return to Kenny's Alley in
Underground Atlanta after dark for dance clubs and other entertainment.
Barley's
Sports Bar and Lounge at 338 Peachtree St. NE hosts jazz bands Thursday
evenings at 8 p.m. for the 21 and up crowd, with no admission. Barley's
is also a great place to watch sports or play billiards.
Apache
Cafe at 64 Third St. NW is a haven for performing and visual arts,
featuring hip hop and neosoul jam sessions throughout the week and
Monday night art sessions.
FOOD: What
is a trip to the South without finger-licking soul food? Try Mae's Soul
Food at 34 Peachtree St. NW. The mac and cheese and fried chicken is
just like your momma's (that is, if your momma could cook).
Dine at Six Feet Under at 437 Memorial Drive SE, a seafood restaurant and pub that overlooks the Historic Oakland Cemetery, http://www.sixfeetunderatlanta.com.
Ru San's 1529 Piedmont Ave. NE has weekday lunchtime all-you-can eat sushi buffet, complete with miso soup, fried rice and stir fry, that is more than worth the price of $8 per person.
DeKalb Farmer's Market at 300 EAst Ponce De Leon Ave in Decatur
is the best place for an afternoon snack. Sample exotic foods in the
140,000-square-foot international grocery store or dine in the Market
Restaurant where the buffet is charged by the ounce, http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com.
