AuThENTIC ATLANTA - National Housing Conference

AUTHENTIC ATLANTA
ITINERARY
Atlanta’s Peachtree Corridor is
packed with can’t-miss classics.
Whether you’ve got a few hours
or a few days, use these tips
and treks to create an authentic
Atlanta experience!
Centennial Olympic Park
DAY 1 — DOWNTOWN
Inside CNN Studio Tour
Morning
Start your morning off with a splash!
Georgia Aquarium – the world’s largest
aquarium – is an underwater wonderland,
home to more than 100,000 creatures
from 500 species. Swimming, diving and
lurking among the 10 million gallons of
water, you’ll find dolphins, penguins,
beluga whales, sea otters, piranhas and
so much more. Other wow-worthy
activities include AT&T Dolphin Tales,
Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow, and
behind-the-scenes tours and lectures.
Next door, learn all about the world’s
most beloved beverage at World of
Coca-Cola. Featuring a multisensory
4-D theater where viewers can join the
“Search for the Secret Formula,” liveaction bottling line and opportunity to
taste more than 60 beverages from all
around the world, visitors of all ages will
find happiness in these bottles. When
exploring, be sure to book a VIP Guided
Tour to fill you in on the many exhibits,
including an extraordinary 1880s soda
fountain and more than 1,200 neverbefore-displayed artifacts. Before you
leave, be sure to cuddle up with the
7-foot-tall Coca-Cola Polar Bear and
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grab a complimentary glass bottle of classic formula Coca-Cola.
Just across the street, Imagine It!
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta
features hands-on exhibits and activities
where kids ages 8 and younger can learn
and explore. Whether it’s building a
sandcastle, painting on the walls or
exploring the latest special exhibit,
children will discover why it’s a smart
place to play. Courtesy of Target Free
Second Tuesdays, all visitors can enjoy
free admission from 1 p.m. until closing
on the second Tuesday of each month.
Enjoy year-round, family-friendly
entertainment in Centennial Olympic
Park. Right in the heart of downtown, the
home of the 1996 Olympic Games offers
concerts, festivals, seasonal activities and
Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta
the world’s largest Fountain of Rings.
The Park also offers seasonal activities
such as Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days,
free concerts April-September during
Wednesday WindDown and Music at
Noon every Tuesday and Thursday. Cozy
up for the holidays in December with ice
skating and whimsical sites during the
Holiday in Lights festival.
Lunch
For casual cuisine, head to nearby
restaurants including Ted’s Montana
Grill for famous bison burgers and
Mellow Mushroom for made-to-order
pizza. Cool off with a cold one at Max
Lager’s Woodfire Grill, a Georgia-based
brewery, or head to the Hard Rock Cafe
Atlanta for delicious dishes with a side of
memorabilia from fan faves such as Elvis,
Georgia Aquarium
10/14/11 2:02:03 PM
dishes. For steaks and an award-wining
wine list, visit Ray’s In the City. Head to
the Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar + View,
located at the top of the Westin Peachtree
Plaza, for seasonal, new-American dishes
and a panoramic view of the city. Ruth’s
Chris Steak House at Centennial
Park serves their Signature Steak with
a lovely view of the park below. New to
historic Peachtree Street, but filled with
vintage conversation pieces and heirloom
recipes, Meehan’s Irish Pub and
Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint are two
great spots to unwind, whether you’re in
the mood for a pint or some delicious
barbecue. If hand-crafted beer is your
idea of the perfect dinner drink, head
over to Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill
& Brewery for great food and seasonal
beer made on-site.
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry,
Justin Bieber and more. For fine dining,
visit the Atlanta Grill at The Ritz Carlton
Atlanta hotel for Southern-inspired cuisine
in a lounge-like atmosphere.
Afternoon
Get behind the camera at CNN
Center, the world headquarters of CNN,
CNN International and HLN networks.
The Inside CNN Studio Tour offers three
guided tours where visitors can sit at an
authentic news anchor’s desk, go behindthe-scenes of their favorite daytime
shows and just maybe meet one of their
favorite on-air personalities. The CNN VIP
Tour offers exclusive access behind-thescenes and an expanded experience of
CNN Worldwide.
For even more family fun, head to
Underground Atlanta for gifts and
souvenirs, fast food from the Old Alabama
Eatery, public art and live entertainment.
Seasonal activities include the New Year’s
Eve Peach Drop and the St. Patrick’s
Festival & Parade.
Explore Atlanta’s history-rich culture in
the Sweet Auburn District. Walk the
streets where Martin Luther King, Jr. grew
up and where many of Atlanta’s prominent
black-owned businesses were founded.
The interactive podcast “In Their Words:
Andrew Young on Auburn
Avenue” provides an audio-guided stroll
through this historically influential
Insider’s Tip:
Explore more things to see and do
around Centennial Olympic Park with
City Segway Tours, an entertaining
and unique way to get a lay of the land in
downtown Atlanta.
Discover a new way to explore the city
with ATL-Cruzers Electric Car Tours,
Atlanta’s only electric car tour company.
community. Also in Sweet Auburn,
you’ll find the Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historic Site, including an
interactive visitor’s center that explores
Dr. King’s legacy in the Civil Rights
Movement and displays one of the city’s
two Nobel Peace Prizes. The site also
features the restored King Birth Home,
Ebenezer Baptist Church, the burial sites
of Dr. King and his wife, Corretta Scott
King, and the International Walk of Fame
— a memorial made of shoe prints from
influential Civil Rights activists. Take the
GPS Ranger Tour of the MLK Historic
Site for a guided walking tour at your
own pace.
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Evening OPTION #1
(Top to bottom) “In Their Words: Andrew Young on
Auburn Avenue” audio tour through Sweet Auburn;
and Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Visit the Jimmy Carter Library &
Museum and explore an exact replica
of the Oval Office. Discover interactive
exhibits telling the story of President
Carter’s heroic, global efforts filled with
photos and historic memorabilia and get
a first-hand glimpse of his Nobel Peace
Prize. After taking a walk in the president’s shoes, stroll around the museum’s
lush lawns. An urban oasis, the grounds
feature a lake bustling with wildlife — blue
heron, geese and a 35-pound turtle —
and the Carter-King Peace Trail, a mileand-a-half pedestrian and bike path with
commemorative plaques throughout.
More Atlanta adventures await around
downtown Atlanta. Zoo Atlanta, home to
more than 1,300 animals, including giant
pandas, Sumatran tigers and one of North
America’s largest captive gorilla populations, is just two miles east of downtown
in Grant Park. Here you can explore the
African plains and Asian forests, visit marvelous mammals, adorable reptiles and
amphibians. The Fernbank Museum of
Natural History, also a short drive away,
brings history to life through a variety
of hands-on exhibits and exploration of
global cultures. Each Friday night, enjoy
a classy mix of culture and cocktails with
Martinis & IMAX™.
Dinner
Try a new twist on dinner and a show
at Agatha’s: A Taste of Mystery
Dinner Theatre where you’ll pair your
wine and entrée with a side of murder.
At Pittypat’s Porch, relax in rocking
chairs and enjoy traditional Southern
Don’t get caught on the sidelines.
From April to October you can catch
line drives and maybe even a foul ball
at Turner Field during an MLB Atlanta
Braves game. Don’t miss the action
at Philips Arena during a NBA Atlanta
Hawks or a WNBA Atlanta Dream
basketball game. Beginning in September,
enjoy fierce gridiron battles at the
Georgia Dome during a NFL Atlanta
Falcons game.
Evening OPTION #2
Head to the Luckie Marietta District
and experience Atlanta’s newest dining
and entertainment community. Featuring
more than 20 casual and fine restaurants,
as well plenty of places to stay and play,
the District is a must visit. You’ll find
delicious dishes and cocktails around
every corner, including Der Biergarten
and Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria for casual
cuisines or tap your own beer at STATS.
Having an elegant evening? Try Legal
Sea Foods, Peasant Bistro or
McCormick & Schmick’s for fine
seasonal dining with a gorgeous view.
Evening OPTION #3
Don’t miss the city’s top cultural
connections. The Rialto Center for
the Arts amps up the night with national
and international jazz, world music and
dance, as well as performances from the
Georgia State School of Music. Balzer
Theatre at Herren’s spotlights standing
ovation-worthy independent plays from
Theatrical Outfit, a local theatre company.
Just east of the Peachtree Corridor,
Dad’s Garage Theater Co. performs
side-splitting improv comedy and original,
campy musicals.
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DAY 2 — midTOWN
Morning
Need a bit of inspiration? Visit the
Midtown Arts District and gaze at more
than 12,000 works in the High Museum
of Art, a division of the Woodruff Arts
Center. Here you can journey through
time and across the globe with pieces
from 19th century and 20th century
American and decorative art, modern and
contemporary art, photography, African
art and folk art.
Also at the Woodruff Arts Center, you’ll
find the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra and Tony Awardwinning Alliance Theatre. Both venues
perform original pieces and have hosted
numerous world debuts.
Just across the street, MODA (Museum
of Design Atlanta) presents unique, urban
exhibitions that examine the effects of
design in day-to-day life. This boutique
gallery is a work
of art itself; the
naturally-lit
exhibition space
is on track to be
a Platinum LEED
Design-certified
building.
Piedmont Park
green space features a picturesque lake,
public swimming pool, scenic walking and
jogging paths, numerous playgrounds,
athletic courts and an off-leash dog run.
It’s also home to many
seasonal activities,
such as Atlanta
Dogwood Festival,
Atlanta Jazz Festival,
Gay Pride Festival and
Screen on the Green.
Nestled adjacent to
the park, the Atlanta
Lunch
Botanical Garden
For an
is an urban oasis of
authentic Atlanta
seasonal blooms and
treat, try a chili
mesmerizing water
dog and Frosted
features. Wander
Orange at
through the treetops
The Varsity, the
on the Canopy
world’s largest
Walk, a 40-foot high
drive-in. Grab
suspension walkway
a sandwich or
offering a birds-eye
indulge in someview of the city, or
thing sweet at
find your new favorite
Highland Bakfood at the Edible
Chef Kevin Gillespie demonstrates cooking with
ery-Midtown or
Garden, featuring
ingredients from Atlanta Botanical Garden’s
visit Straits
chef demonstrations
Edible Garden.
(owned by Atlanta
each weekend
native and rapper Ludacris) for Asian
May through October.
fusion dishes served family-style. For
Down the street, delight the kids
beef and brews, head to The Vortex Bar
(and the kid in you) at the Center for
& Grill — serving Atlanta’s Best Burger
Puppetry Arts. The Center is home to
since 1992.
the nation’s largest interactive museum
devoted to puppetry. Visit “Puppets: The
Afternoon
Power of Wonder” to see a few of Jim
Come play the Atlanta way in
Henson’s most-beloved characters. The
Piedmont Park. Boasting more than
Center also offers weekly performances
200 acres of lush lawns, the city’s largest
for kids.
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Dinner
Just steps from Piedmont Park, Park
Tavern serves generous portions of pub
grub with a side of live, local music. For
artisan cocktails and regional, seasonal
dishes, visit Ecco. One of the city’s
favorite neighborhood hangouts, Shout
is a two-tier restaurant with an expansive
outdoor patio that serves an eclectic,
global fusion menu of the city’s favorite
foods. Just two streets over, South City
Kitchen is the go-to for sophisticated
Southern dishes. For fresh food concepts
and historic architecture, head to West
Midtown. This newly revitalized district
offers decadent dining and tons of
walkable shopping. JCT Kitchen & Bar
serves sumptuous Southern staples in
a lively bistro atmosphere. For some of
the best burgers and milkshakes in town,
head to FLIP Burger Boutique, owned
by “Top Chef All-Stars” winner Richard
Blais. At Miller Union the menu changes
weekly based on the week’s harvest,
Center for Puppetry Arts
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featuring simple ingredients in a rustic
preparation.
Evening OPTION #1
Catch the local buzz with tasting tours
of SweetWater Brewing Company
and Red Brick Brewery offered every
Wednesday through Saturday. Both
microbrewery tours feature behind-thescenes information and a chance to taste
the latest local brews.
Evening OPTION #2
Spend an evening among the stars. The
Fox Theatre offers live performances,
including Top 40 concerts, Broadway
productions by Theatre of the Stars and
the Atlanta Ballet’s annual presentation of
“The Nutcracker.” The Alliance Theatre
is one of the largest regional theaters in
the nation and has produced more than
50 world premieres, bringing the world’s
best talents to Atlanta. It is also home to
the Hertz Stage, which is dedicated to
Insider’s Tip:
Atlantic Station, Atlanta’s premier
mixed-use community, has something for
everyone (and you only have to park once).
Shop boutiques and the open-air market
for tons of chic finds, see the latest flicks in
IMAX 3-D and enjoy delicious dining from
your favorite restaurants.
spotlighting local playwrights and actors.
For even more local talent, visit New
American Shakespeare Tavern. This
intimate venue is home to the only theater
to have performed each of Shakespeare’s
39 plays and serves authentic-inspired
English dishes with each show.
Evening OPTION #3
Put on those dancing shoes and
check out Atlanta’s hottest nightlife!
See and be seen at Opera Atlanta
Nightclub, Compound, Halo and the
Koo Koo Room. For hot house beats
and delicious drinks, relax at Whiskey
Blue, Sutra Lounge and Door 44.
DAY 3 — buckhead
Morning
Canvasing 33 acres in the heart of
Buckhead, the Atlanta History Center
(AHC) features two historic houses,
six signature exhibits and the largest
collection of Civil War memorabilia in the
world. Great for the entire family, the
AHC also offers gorgeous gardens and
two delicious on-site dining options.
Major Buckhead design and cultural
districts include Miami Circle, Peachtree
Decorative Arts Plaza, Galleries of
Peachtree Hills and Bennett Street.
Upscale shopping at Phipps Plaza
The Swan Coach House Gallery,
located on the campus of the Atlanta
History Center, exclusively features both
established and upcoming Southern
artists. The Museum of Contemporary
Art of Georgia (MOCA-GA) permanently
houses more than 600 works by local
artists in contemporary mediums.
Lunch
The Swan Coach House Restaurant
located on the AHC campus serves
signature Southern staples in a countrychic atmosphere. At the Buckhead
Diner, enjoy an array of “inventive
Americana” dishes, such as Homemade
Potato Chips with Maytag Blue Cheese
and Veal Meatloaf. Be sure to save room
for the dessert case, which boasts
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numerous homemade treats each day.
Souper Jenny — an Atlanta sensation
— serves, you guessed it, soups. Homemade daily from local, sustainable
ingredients and heirloom recipes, this
cafeteria-style restaurant has some of
the tastiest soups, salads and sandwiches
in town.
Afternoon
Known as “The Beverly Hills of the
South,” Buckhead offers legendary
shopping. At Phipps Plaza, get the
season’s hottest trends from Giorgio
Armani, Jimmy Choo, Versace and more.
Next door, Lenox Square houses more
than 200 stylish stores including Apple,
Kate Spade, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton.
From luxury stores to unique boutiques,
Buckhead shopping has everything for the
chic, savvy and fabulous.
Restaurant Eugene helped spur the
city’s infatuation with farm-to-table
freshness.
Dinner
Evening option #1
After a great shopping adventure,
reward yourself with an expertly executed
steak dinner at the Buckhead location
of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. For a
uniquedining experience, enjoy a multicourse fondue menu and live jazz at
Dante’s Down the Hatch. Replicated
to mimic the interior of an 18th century
sailing ship, Dante’s features a moat with
live crocodiles surrounding the ship’s hull.
For even more sea-faring fancy, head to
Kyma for authentic Greek seafood and
dazzling Mediterranean decor or Atlanta
Fish Market for a menu of more than
100 varieties of fresh fish flown in daily.
Considered one of the most romantic
spots in town, Anis Café and Bistro
takes its cuisine cues from Paris, serving
chic French dishes in a cozy atmosphere.
MF Buckhead serves top-grade sushi in
a sophisticated, lounge-like atmosphere,
while the local, sustainable menus at
The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is home to
the Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Opera.
Sip and see in Buckhead’s lavish
lounges and upscale clubs, such as Gold
Room. Amp up your night with hot beats
and hotter locals at Havana Club and
Tongue & Groove. Looking for a highenergy evening but only want to valet
once? Visit the Andrews Entertainment
Complex, where you can enjoy tapas at
Cellar 56, grab a drink at Prohibition,
catch the latest score at Stout Irish
Sports Pub and show off your moves at
8Traxx, all in one hot nightspot.
Evening option #2
The Cobb Energy Center is one of
Atlanta’s pre-eminent venues for a vast
range of performing arts. Each month
offers a multitude of award-winning
performances presented by the Atlanta
Opera, Atlanta Ballet and Gas South
Broadway Series, as well as concerts,
comedians and more.
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