Atlanta was a city I had back and forth debated traveling to for a few years. On the one hand, did anyone ever sound particularly excited about Atlanta? On the other hand, how many other cities does Cleveland have cheap, direct flights to for a quick weekend away?
I finally decided to just go check it out, and it turned into a small girls' trip. We had a lot of fun, and I can definitely recommend a couple of nights in Atlanta to explore and escape to a warmer climate (we came in March).
We stayed at an Air BnB in Midtown, an area I would recommend. It felt safe, it was easy to walk around, and it was less congested and corporate than downtown. We had a very sketch experience by accidentally booking an illegal Air BnB and being interrogated in the leasing office upon arrival, but the lady who stopped us was nice enough to at least let us stay. I'm fairly certain that Atlanta has since banned Air BnBs in the city altogether, so a hotel is probably your best bet.
Nice spot, though.
Atlanta Aquarium
The first and most important thing I would recommend anyone see is the Atlanta aquarium. It's truly worth the trip to the city JUST for this aquarium. Chicago had long reigned at the top of my list, but Atlanta knocked it down instantly.
We spent at least four hours there and would have stayed longer if they weren't closing at 8. Actually spent the last hour rushing through the last few sections to get them in. There is so much to see! Multiple biosphere areas including reef, river basin, crocs, sharks, insects, penguins, otters, etc. A 4D theater. Shows throughout the day. We saw the dolphin and sea lion shows, and both were awesome. They have the only whale shark in the United States (it was huge!).
Guys, you can pay to dive or snorkel in that tank, and if I went back I absolutely would. They also offer close encounters with various animals. Top tier.
World of Coca-Cola
While you're at the aquarium, you might as well pop over to Coca-Cola World right across from it. I don't drink soda, but it was a cool little place with lots of memorabilia, one of their heartstring-pulling ad videos they show you in a theater, a vault, and a mock factory walkthrough.
Also, if anyone remembers when Epcot used to have that soda tasting from around the world exhibit - it's here. Tons of drinks from different countries at dispensers with little disposable cups to try them all.
It's worth noting that the Olympic Park is right next to the aquarium and World of Coca-Cola as well, but as we didn't have time to fit it in, I can't offer any reviews.
MLK Jr Home & Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr was born and buried in Atlanta, and you can visit both his childhood home and the grave of him and his wife.
On MLK Jr's childhood porch
Their tomb is in a beautiful memorial in the center of a fountain pool with an eternal flame nearby and inspirational quotes carved into the pavement.
Little Five Points
We spent a day wandering around and shopping in Little Five Points, a hipster area with some pretty cool thrift stores and oddity shops. There's also a brewpub called Wrecking Bar and other bars around.
Food
My restaurant recommendations from my brief weekend include Flying Biscuit, where I had a create your own grits bowl, fried green tomatoes, and sake mary that was the best meal of my trip.
The Vortex, in Little Five Points, which has a very recognizable exterior, good brunch, and cool decor in the bar inside.
And Slutty Vegan, a takeaway spot that is all vegan and all slutty (as in definitely not health food).
Hello, slut here.
We also happened to be in town during a Brunch Festival in Atlantic Station that we checked out, and a lot of popular Atlanta spots sent food trucks in for the occasion. It was a few bucks for samples at each truck and tickets included limitless alcohol (mimosas, bloody marys, mules, brunch punch), and I feel that I got to try a lot more that Atlanta has to offer food-wise, from grilled cheeses to cereal ice cream to sesame fries and vegan tacos.
Bars
Atlanta also has some really funky and cool bars to check out. The funkiest of all was Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room & Ping-Pong Emporium, if the name didn't give that away. It was two stories full of sacrilege, LED lights, and other strange decor like ventiloquist dummies or bicycles hanging from the ceiling.
We had food downstairs, then went upstairs for a drag show that was a ton of fun.
Our second night out, we hit Biggerstaff Brewery (near Slutty Vegan), then went to West Midtown where we started at Little Trouble, a bar that makes you feel like you're in a cyberpunk future. Neon red and blue lights and an upscale lounge vibe.
That was too expensive to stay for more than a couple of drinks, but just down the same strip is Ormsby's, a huge bar that gives off a college frat feel. They had games like bocci and Jenga, two floors, and a rowdy crowd.
The final night we hit Blake's on the Park, a gay bar near our Air BnB, but the downstairs was packed (the bar takes up basically the entire room) and the vibe upstairs was not very energetic, so we didn't stay long.
So I wouldn't go out of my way to return to Atlanta, but I would be happy enough to hang out there again if I ever found myself in the area. Hopefully some of these suggestions help you make the most of your time in the city!
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