Sunsets in Piedmont Park frame Atlanta's ever-changing skyline.
You may think you know Georgia's capital city, but think again. No place in the South has grown faster and changed more, and it just keeps getting better. You'll want to visit our five favorites; they offer world-class fun for every member of the family. Come take a bite out of the Big Peach, and enjoy its freshness.
1. Georgia Aquarium
The sheer size of the new Georgia Aquarium has earned it the nickname "eighth ocean of the world." Walk through the front
door, and you'll begin to feel like one of the fish. Schools of jacks swim determinedly ahead, leading the way into one of
the best aquariums anywhere. Five galleries--each exploring an individual ecosystem--attract your attention with scores of
big tanks full of slippery creatures. Touch tanks put you up close with rays, shrimp, and urchins. Longnose gars fin through
thick tubes overhead in the rivers area. The big ocean tank, home to whale sharks, monstrous groupers, and cool-looking largetooth
sawfish, draws crowds. Take time to explore the coral exhibit with waves crashing overhead as neon-colored fish dart in and
out of the bubbles. In another gallery, oohs and aahs surround the playful seals, otters, penguins, and beluga whales. Even
18 months after opening, the aquarium is still best viewed in the early and late hours of weekdays.
2. Piedmont Park
Sure, Atlanta has traffic. Yet it also claims one of the largest city parks in the nation where you can revel in the grass
and shaded splendor. One of the biggest crowds congregates in Piedmont Park for the free Bark in the Park concert on July
23. Music and animal lovers bring their pooches to spread blankets on the ground for a night of music by the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra. The doggies instinctively seem to know to stop barking as the orchestra plays. The 185-acre Piedmont Park, which
sits adjacent to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, sports trails and sidewalks, lakes, a weekend farmers market, open-air concerts,
and one of the best views of the skyline. It gets better every year. Plan to visit the garden on Thursday, when it stays open
till 9 p.m. with kiosks offering cocktails. During your stroll, seek out the two permanent art glass works by Dale Chihuly,
created for the site in 2004. One adorns the Parterre Garden Fountain outside (it looks like a wig of glass curls standing
on end), while the second hangs like a chandelier in the conservatory.
3. High Museum of Art
Few cities can match Atlanta's array of cultural events. Some of the most exciting emanate from the recently expanded High
Museum of Art. Perched along Peachtree Street in Midtown, three new buildings double its size and create a plaza, which includes
Table 1280 restaurant. The original architecture and the Italian design by Renzo Piano blend seamlessly. The resulting arts
village is a light-filled space, inside and out. Now the High has room to show off its considerable collection of 19th- and
20th-century American works. A blockbuster three-year show accompanies the new digs. Curators from the High Museum handpicked
European masterpieces from the Louvre to tell the story of the French museum's collections. This year's segment, "Decorative
Arts of the Kings," lets you pull back the curtain and glimpse household items cherished by former Versailles residents. The
High continues to celebrate contemporary culture with its permanent exhibit of modern and postmodern works. This summer's
show, "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005," opens May 12. The photographer's images of celebrities include
her professional and personal favorites.
4. Atlantic Station
The city's shopping and dining just keep getting better. Since it built its first mega-mall, folks have flocked here like
birds to a feeder. Now locals and visitors alike put Atlantic Station on their migratory routes. The multiblock area sits
in Midtown, where I-75 and I-85 North split. The new 17th Street bridge conveniently accesses underground parking. Currently,
Atlantic Station is chockablock with big chains, including such spots as a flagship Dillard's, west elm, and Journeys. Locally
owned shops are also moving in, such as Taste Clothing Boutique, which stocks trendy fashions from New York and Los Angeles.
You'll want to seek out IKEA, a Scandinavian home store a couple of blocks away. It's the only location in the world to serve
grits in its cafe. You can overnight here in TWELVE Atlantic Station hotel, which houses one- and two-bedroom suites complete
with granite-and-stainless steel kitchens, living rooms, flat-panel TVs, and granite baths, in the same building as condos
with similar layouts. Hotel rates start at less than $200. Restaurants can't open fast enough in Atlantic Station. Our favorite,
Lobby at TWELVE, features upscale lunches and dinners. We also go for the pomegranate margaritas and guacamole at Rosa Mexicano.
Two spots owned by Ashton Kutcher and his TV pals have added to the scene: Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante joins the glitzy bowling-and-billiards
complex, Ten Pin Alley.
5. Downtown Hotels
With so much happening in the metro area, you'll want to be in the center of the action. Catering to a twenty- and thirtysomething
crowd, the boutique property The Glenn Hotel boasts a see-and-be-seen, swanky lobby bar. The dark hallways upstairs lead to
chic rooms with traditional luxurious linens. Baths offer little privacy but lots of panache with beaded shower curtains and
round glass walls that are sometimes open to the bedrooms. Rates begin at $199. Families may stay more comfortably at the
Embassy Suites near the aquarium (rates from $165). Rooms include kitchenettes, and outdoors, a cool pool appeals to kids.
Later this year, downtown will see several new boutique hotels open, including a Hilton Garden Inn, The Ellis Hotel, and another
TWELVE hotel/condo combo. Just don't blink too often in this city. New spots for fun and entertainment spring up that fast.
Atlanta Links
Five Additional Reasons To Love Atlanta
Traffic Tips
"Gotta Love Atlanta" is from the May 2007 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
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