Our Readers’ Best Tips on Atlanta
Atlanta readers left about 150 comments on our hack your city request this Monday, and we’ve highlighted the best ones in the original comment thread. Here is a collection of useful and smart attractions in the city that the locals don’t call Hotlanta.
Stephen gives a basic travel guide:
If you want to be a tourist, stay somewhere in the city center. There are many new places to see: World of Coca-Cola, GA Aquarium, CNN Center, Centennial Park (built for the 1996 Olympics), Piedmont Park, High Museum of Art, Little 5 Points, Atlantic Station, countless microbreweries , University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Botanical Garden. There are at least a dozen others.
The waerlogga reader offers a pithy binary:
If the weather is bad, try High . Go hiking in good weather.
I like to explore the main ways people describe their city boundaries: outskirts / city center, east / west side. The 8-point guide by Jasna Kholin has one such description:
When people talk about the perimeter, they mean I285 that surrounds Atlanta. Some people might say ITP or OTP to mean that x is within the perimeter (ITP) or outside the perimeter (OTP). I only heard this from people who moved here, not from people who grew up here. There is some strange pride in being an “ITP”, but there are great experiences and food to be had outside of the city itself.
The size of Atlanta is a matter of public opinion. For example, von Clyderdale says:
Someone from Peachtree City once told me they were from Atlanta and I almost fought them.
Pandalunts warns about all Peach Trees :
If a place has Peachtree in the address, absolutely three times check if it is Peachtree, East Peachtree, West Peachtree, Street, Road, Circle, Highway, Trail, NW, SW, NW, SE, etc. Google Maps are guaranteed to pick the wrong one once.
Reader Xfauler gives this poetic assessment of the neighborhood:
Buckhead’s idea is much better than Buckhead’s reality.
Several commenters have referred to the Krogh street market and ksfowler has a recommendation too:
Atlanta has great food, but if you eat one thing, it should be either Philly or Cheeseburger at Fred’s on Krog Street Market. I’ve traveled across 4 continents in the last 3 years and the cheeseburger at Fred’s is one of the best I’ve ever eaten. While you’re there, have a beer at Hop City.
Bill has “eat this or not that” for the barbecue:
For some reason, Fat Matt’s Rib Shack is getting a lot of attention. George Clooney’s character name checked him in In the Air to supposedly prove he knew where the best things were in the places he travels, but he’s wrong: it’s not gross food or anything like that, it’s just nothing unremarkable barbecue.
You want Fox Bros for something traditional, Heirloom for something a little different (but don’t plan on eating there, there is no seating there).
A nosi reader recommends an entire suburb full of Korean barbecue:
Duluth, Georgia, known as South Seoul, is the American capital of Korean BBQ, one of the world’s greatest cuisines. The breakers should be the best, even though I haven’t been there. The Iron Age is a good starting point for gringos. 678 is good and uses real fire rather than electric pans, but there is no brisket on the unlimited menu. JM BBQ is the best place I’ve been, lots of sauce options, good unlimited menu and different sides, and not as crowded as it was in the Iron Age.
Several readers advised people not to eat at the University. As Zhegrushi put it :
The campus is the most overrated fast food in history.
Lightweight, breathable fabrics. Look, you all … I live in northeastern Ohio right now, and when people say anything about being hot or humid outside, I just roll my eyes. You won’t get to know the hot one until you’ve spent your summer in GA. Yes, southern Georgia is worse, but the daily ATL pollution warnings and the lack of any breeze really make you think you made a bad life choice. Spend 10 minutes outside, walking between bars, and you may well just die from the heat.
Always keep deodorant handy and powder boys daily. It’s not for nothing that everyone wears very short khaki shorts and polo shirts.
Kyle gives a tip on taxes to new residents:
Georgia has a lot of counties. and the county lines are pretty weird in the metro area. Wherever you decide to live, just keep the county in mind, because taxes are different: DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton are different counties. In addition, the City of Atlanta may have its own taxes.
Dad Van Twi started a long but polite discussion with this airport advice:
If you need to get from one side of the airport to the other and you are in a hurry / planning to run or walk fast, do not take the train. I needed to get from D to A, and I decided to take a walk when the train was not there. I got to A at about the same time as the train. YMMV, of course.
Speaking of long walks, nine comments later, the Pope backed up his feedback with a map and some math.
There are approximately 1000 feet between terminals. At 4 miles per hour (if I walked slower, I felt like I was standing still), that’s 5.866 fps, or about 2 2/3 minutes for a sharp stroll through the terminal. It will run faster.
Sayahillman gives museum rivers:
The new Center for Civil and Human Rights: The Atlanta Civil Rights Museum is wonderful and I’m not usually a museum person. They have done an amazing job using technology to create multimedia, interactive, beautifully designed experiences. The Dining Counter exhibit is a must – an emotional, terrible, frightening necessity.
Traffic in Atlanta sounds intimidating. A NotTheOne-WasTaken reader noticed that cars were driving behind at 75 mph; Reader Monjo replied:
If you don’t get to 80, you are probably going too slowly.
According to jdfighter , it’s worth moving to avoid traffic jams :
If you are moving here, for the sake of your own sanity, find a place to live close to where you will be working. Traffic is no joke here, and I promise it is worth paying more for less money, but get closer to your job.
And for pedestrians, snot says:
If you see a cross in the middle of an intersection, it is not a pedestrian crossing. Just don’t.
Nosy also recommends a music festival:
And here are two tons of city-wide cranbaise dishes:
That’s all! Come back Monday when we need tips for a bilingual city.