Atlanta: Where to Go and Not Go

So maybe knowing this won't keep you alive, but it will keep you from having a lousy time while you're in Atlanta.

There are several districts that merit visiting while in town.  I will list them by function and then give you directions on how to get there!

Bar Hopping:
Buckhead is where most Atlantans would point you.  While there are countless bars in buckhead that cater to anyone's taste, they close at 2am and are usually overpriced.  Also parking is a nightmare in that part of town.  Anyone who tells you to go to Buckhead is really trying to keep you away from where the locals go to drink.  Welcome to Virginia-Highland.  Named after the intersection where it is located: Virginia Ave and North Highland.  If you're into live music, try Blind Willie's or Limerick Junction.  If you're into hanging out, Neighbor's has a huge outdoor seating area.  Its the place to be when its nice outside. Its rather small inside so if the weather is foul, I'd try Atkin's Park.  There are also several very good restaurants in this area so its very easy to make an evening out of this small
strip of road. 

Clubbing:
1150: Techno, House, Progressive.  This is where the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, Gabriel and Dresden, Oakenfold, etc come when they headline.
Fever: Typically Top 40, sometimes import House talent like Carl Cox.
Compound: the "Miami" club in Atlanta.  Very Trendy.
Vision: CLOSED  Donald Trump is building a tower on top of it...

Music:
Atlanta has a very vibrant local music scene.  There are several bars that host nightly talent.  Bar include Smith's Olde Bar in midtown and Eddie's Attic in Decatur to name the most well known.  There are some lounges that cater to Atlanta's underground House/Drum n' Bass scene like Hush and The Mark.

Siteseeing:
Atlanta recently earned the proud honor of word's largest aquarium.  If you come to Atlanta it is a must to visit this truly amazing site.  Be warned, the line can be ridiculous if you don't plan ahead and order tickets online.  Google "Georgia Aquarium" and you'll get the URL.

Atlanta is home of some of the world's largest corporations.  Most notably, Coca-Cola was invented on Auburn Ave downtown at a small soda fountain.  I don't even need to describe Coke i don't think, unless you're from the Amazon.  But if you're from the Amazon you probably can't read this anyways because this is on the internet, but i digress.  The World of Coca-Cola is located near the capitol building on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive downtown.  Its a museum filled with coke stuff and you get to drink every beverage that coke makes worldwide at the end!  Kinda cool.  Underground Atlanta is across the street from there.  Its an old street that has a new one built on top of it so the city turned it into a tourist trap!  They have stores and a pretty decent Salsa club there.

Stone Mountain is a random granite formation that the State turned into a park.  You can hike up the back face or take a cable car to the top if you don't want to walk.  There's a mini-golf course, a railroad around the mountain, and a bunch of other fun things to do.  The view of Atlanta from the top is amazing.

Little Five Points: the "Emo" part of town.  This area is filled with eclectic shops (Atlanta's only Techno Vinyl store, Satellite Records) and independently owned restaurants.  There are no McDonalds here!  Its a good place to hang out during the day.  Also, during elections you don't find Republican or Democrat campaign signs...you find the locals in little 5 to be a different breed: Libertarian.

Sports:
MLB Baseball - Braves
NHL Hockey - Thrashers <- Awesome
NBA Basketball - Hawks
NFL Football - Falcons
NCAA Football/Basketball/Baseball - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.  Also, Georgia State, and several other schools.

Under no circumstances are you to ever go to South Atlanta unless you have business there.  My personal southern border is Zoo Atlanta and Turner FieldIt is very impoverished.   While Atlanta might be a beautiful city, we still have our problems so stick to the beaten path and you'll be fine.