Atlanta is a relatively new city in the sense that it hit its stride in the late 90s after the Olympics. It’s known for Coca-Cola and CNN, but there are so many other things that should be celebrated and known about Atlanta. I’ve lived in the city for just over ten years and feel the most like I can pass as a native when I discover new quirks about the city. Here are my top ten quirks that make Atlanta crazy, but great.
1. Many of downtown Atlanta’s streets are two stories above ground. Downtown Atlanta used to be a giant train hub. Later on in the 20th century when more streets were added, they were built above the train lines. A lot of the already existing buildings just moved their front entrance up to levels to open out on the streets. While some of the train lines are still in use, a lot of the “underground” lower levels are now parking garages for Georgia State University and the World Congress Center complex. To learn more about it, join one of Jeff Morrison’s Unseen Underground Walking Tours.
2. You’ll want to hang out in a cemetery. Oakland Cemetery, to be specific. This historic cemetery located two MARTA stops from the heart of downtown Atlanta is so pretty you’ll want to have a picnic there. Even with all of the gothic mausoleums that dot the landscape and, you know, all the dead buried there, Oakland is the opposite of creepy. It also hosts a number of events throughout the year, which will make you want to visit at least every month.
3. You can eat popcorn while enjoying a dance performance. The Fox Theater is a historic movie theater with lavish interiors. Today it’s one of the downtown Atlanta’s main performance venues for concerts, operas, dance performances, and film festivals. It has a concession stand that’s open during shows, which means you can get a bag of buttery popcorn while attended a performance of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. You can’t do that at Lincoln Center in New York!
4. You can experience The Walking Dead any day in Atlanta. Many scenes from the first episodes were shot in downtown Atlanta (think south of Five Points). That area has yet to be rejuvenated and the creators of the show found that the vacant storefronts and forgotten buildings provided the perfect background for a post-apocalyptic story. The old, abandoned Atlanta Journal Constitution building on Forsyth Street has been left alone for so long that it has trees growing out of it.
5. Gone With the Wind fandom is still going strong here. If you’re a GWTW fan, you have a seemingly endless amount of sites to visit. Of course there’s the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in midtown. There’s the Georgian Terrace hotel where Clark Gable stayed during the premier of the film. You can visit Mitchell’s grave in Oakland Cemetery. If you’re willing to venture out to the ‘burbs, you can visit Stately Oaks in Jonesboro, which is as close to the fictional Tara plantation as you’ll get. North of Atlanta in Marietta, you can explore the Gone With The Wind Museum.
6. You can visit a hidden gallery. Mint Gallery is located in a back room behind Young Blood Boutique in Poncey Highlands. The gallery is only a single room, but has great rotating shows and frequently partners with local non-profit arts organizations. Most people get confused about the location on their first visit because their GPS leads them to the front door of Young Blood. Enter the boutique without trepidation, take a look at all the fun, locally made crafts at the store, and then head to the back wall where you’ll find the entrance to Mint.
7. There’s always a festival going on. Atlanta loves its festivals, especially music and arts festivals. Between the months of April and October there is never a week or a weekend when there isn’t something going on. Some of the more popular festivals include Music Midtown, the Dogwood Festival, The Decatur Book Festival and the Inman Park Festival.
8. The second best beer pub in the world is only a MARTA ride away. The Brick Store Pub in downtown Decatur was given that title a few years ago by Beer Advocate. Not only does it have an enormous selection of craft beers, it has a friendly staff that’s well versed in beer, and the interior, wood-heavy decor makes it an incredibly inviting bar.
9. The Globe Theater is located downtown - kind of. So it might not be THE Globe Theater, but The New American Shakespeare Tavern is located just a few blocks south of Ponce de Leon Avenue on Peachtree Street. You can’t miss it because the two story facade has been designed to look like The Globe, nestled between two 20th century commercial buildings. The tavern has a full season of Shakespearean plays and some of the best shepherd's pie in town.
10. You can see where Robert Burns lived. That’s right, the famous Scottish poet’s home is in Atlanta - or at least an exact replica is. The Burns Cottage is located in the Ormewood Park neighborhood is owned by Burns Club of Atlanta, which is essentially a gentlemens club. Once in a while the club will open up the cottage for tours, but it’s a rare occurrence.
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Things To Do In Conyers
Spartan Race
$59 for Spartan Race Entry and One Spectator Pass to the Atlanta Sprint on March 8 ($110 Value)
Racers navigate rolling hills and mud pits full of Georgia clay at the Georgia International Horse Park
Conyers
$110 $59
All-Day Paintball with Rental Gear for Two, Four, or Eight at Xtreme Paintball Conyers (Up to 47% Off)
Xtreme Paintball Conyers
Conyers
$50
$28
View Deal
$69 for an Introduction to CrossFit Package at CrossFit Conyers ($225 Value)
CrossFit Conyers
Conyers
$225
$69
View Deal
Paintball Outings for One, Two, or Four at Wildfire Paintball Games (Up to 48% Off)
Wildfire Paintball Games
Multiple Locations
$26
$14
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Two, Four, or Six Private Swimming Lessons at JustFit Body Maintenance LLC (Up to 53% Off)
JustFit Body Maintenance LLC
Conyers
$60
$29
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All-Day Paintball Package with Equipment Rental for Up to 4, 6, or 12 at Paintball International (Up to 85% Off)
Paintball International
Multiple Locations
$120
$19
View Deal
10 Personal-Training Sessions from Coach Krystie (55% Off)
Coach Krystie
South Rockdale
$800
$360
View Deal
Select Local Merchants
The Great Bull Run brings the thrill of Pamplona's historic event to cities across the United States. Modeled after the Running of the Bulls, this one-day event enables participants to race live bulls, keeping one step ahead of the charging animals to finally prove that toes are better for running than hooves. While the historic Pamplona event has had few serious injuries in its 102 years of existence, The Great Bull Run staff takes even more precautions to ensure runners stay smiling from beginning to end. Additionally, the bulls are given the full respect they deserve, and are not antagonized or harmed before, during, or after the run.
Following the race, runners and newcomers can gather together for a good old-fashioned food fight. Tomato Royale arms entrants with juicy fruit that they can fling at each other. Additional post-run activities include an after-party, live entertainment, and games as well as food and beverages.
1996 Centennial Olympic Pkwy
Conyers,
GA
US
Cupcakes. Tapas. Paninis. French fries. Sushi. Normally if you're craving a bit of each of these, you'd have to go to five different establishments. Not so at The Conyers Food Truck Festival, where mobile restaurants make it easy for diners to sample from a wide array of cuisines. Here, patrons can sidle up to food trucks including Smiley's Street Eats for po' boys, Tex's Tacos for tacos and quesadillas, and King of Pops for fruit-filled popsicles with edible crowns. After eating local fare, they can boogie to live entertainment in the form of dance tunes and folk rock and peruse local vendors for jewelry and gifts. A portion of proceeds go toward Colon Cancer Alliance, which assists those affected with the disease.
1400 Parker Road Southeast
Conyers,
GA
US
As the fall season approaches, softball players in Conyers, Georgia start to get butterflies. They grab their gloves and head to their first team practice with the Rockdale Girls Softball Association, which has taught young girls the tenants of softball and good sportsmanship since Jimmy Carter legalized fun in 1980. Their coaches can teach both fastpitch and slowpitch to a player from the time she is three to when she leaves high school at the age of eighteen. However, kids don't have to pick up the game when they're toddlers. At each age level, coaches draft teams with a mix of new and skilled athletes.
These teams train at RGSA's eight fields and six batting cages. They then test their skills every week during games or special tournaments, such as the Fallen Angels Tournament, which honors former RGSA players who have passed away.
2709 Old Covington Road Northeast
Conyers,
GA
US
Covering oneself in mud, clambering up a jungle gym, and crawling through a tunnel is not how most people spend their Sunday mornings. But for competitors in the Merrell Down & Dirty Obstacle Race Presented by Subaru, it?s business as usual. During a three- or six-mile run, participants test their endurance and strength as they tackle more than 20 challenges in between sprints. These include leaping over marine hurdles, walking across balance beams, and clenching your teeth until tiny wings sprout from your ankles. Youngsters can join in on the fun, too?the Adventure Kids course pits ages 4?13 against child-sized obstacles and a mud pit. Following the race, winners in their division earn awards, then celebrate during a post-race after-party.
1996 Centennial Olympic Pkwy.
Conyers,
GA
US
Starting in the mangrove swamps of South Florida as Tarzan’s Cup, The Jungle Cup tests runners’ warrior instincts and brute strength with a bevy of jungle-inspired challenges. Lone wolves, coed pairs, or teams of four take on the 5K course’s rivers of mud and swinging vines with the hope of winning the coveted Jungle Cup—or at least a finisher’s medal. Obstacles vary based on the run’s location, but contestants can rest assured that their endurance will be put to the test through primal trials such as leaping over fire pits, hurling javelins, and swimming through water hazards. After the race, athletes cool down with a frosty beverage at the Jungle Party, which celebrates their victories with fire shows, hula hoop-offs, and costume contests.
1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway
Conyers,
GA
US
When Highland Golf Club received a major makeover in 1986—its 25th anniversary—many elements were updated to make the course more enjoyable, from the open fairways to the undulating greens. What was not changed was its natural Georgia hillside surroundings. It's still covered in blooming azaleas and pear trees, as well as large Loblolly and White Pines. The five lakes that come into play on seven different holes were also left untouched, leaving plenty of obstacles for golfers and somewhere for the majority of the town's fish to live. The result is a more than 50-year-old course that plays like one much younger, with multiple tee boxes and easy navigation that keeps play at a refreshingly speedy pace.
2271 Flat Shoals Rd SE
Conyers,
GA
US
