Atlanta is truly a Melting Pot. I have lived in the suburbs of Atlanta my whole life, but I often take for granted everything there is to do and see in this great city. Here is a quick list of 5 things to do (plus a few bonuses here and there) that would be a great start to getting to know this beautiful city.
1. Walk the Beltline from Piedmont Park to Krog Street Market
The walk takes about 1.5 hours if you're casually strolling. You are sure to see some unique pieces of art, great restaurants, beautiful views of Atlanta, and some excellent people-watching along the way. I recommend starting at Piedmont Park with brunch at The Nook. Get yourself a gigantic Bloody Mary and some totchos (imagine nachos, but with tater tots instead of chips... mind blown) and be on your way through the park. Piedmont Park is full of a beauty in and of itself: a beautiful lake, bench swings, a gazebo where you can feed ducks, giant fields, and spectacular skyline views of Atlanta.
Make your way to the corner of 10th and Monroe Drive to get on the Beltline Eastside Trail. Along the way, you will see beautiful pieces of art including statues, murals, and more. Sometimes there are even musicians! About halfway through you will pass Ponce City Market. Stop in here and take a look around. This building has been around since the late 1800s and has always been a staple in Atlanta's history. Learn more about the history of this classic Atlanta landmark here. There are some amazing restaurants here including H&F Burger, W.H. Stiles Fish Camp, and Hop's Chicken. There is also a carnival on the roof here called Skyline Park. Feel free to grab some coffee, King of Pops, or some edible cake batter for the road!
Keep heading down the Beltline and make your way to Krog Street Market. Krog Street Market is another dining & retail hub with amazing food, drinks, and arts.
2. Go to a comedy show at Laughing Skull
Laughing Skull is an intimate comedy club (actually, it's the smallest full-time comedy club in the WORLD!) located in Midtown. They have great open mic nights as well as "Best of Atlanta" shows where you can see 10 local comedians to 10-minute segment. This is my personal favorite, but you can't go wrong with any show here.
Bonus - you can find the best burger in Atlanta in the same building at The Vortex. Come early and grab a burger before the show.
3. Drinks & games at Ormsby's
Ormsby's is a tavern in West Midtown serving food, drinks, and amazing games! Games AND drinking? What could be better? They have pool tables, bocce, darts, shuffleboard, backgammon, and more!
4. Do a brewery tour
There are SO many local breweries in Atlanta and there are more popping up every day. You can find big names like Sweetwater and Monday Night here, as well as smaller breweries like Orpheus and Atlanta Brewing Co.
5. Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park can definitely be a very touristy area, but it has so much to offer. In one several-block radius you can see the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, College Football Hall of Fame, and take a ride on our new ferris wheel, SkyView.
Fun fact about centennial Olympic Park: personalized bricks were used to build the park's walkways and fund the 1996 Olympic Games hosted in Atlanta. My family has a brick in the park with all of our initials on it! It's always fun going down there to see our brick as well as seeing the thousands of other creative ways contributors chose to personalize their bricks.
Bonus: Eat at the Atlanta Food Truck Park
The Atlanta Food Truck Park is the only permanent food truck park in Atlanta! They always have some great trucks and some awesome events going on. Follow them on Instagram to see their latest happenings.
What's your favorite thing to do in Atlanta? Comment below!
Until next time!
Jess
