What was once a quaint Southern city known for peaches and Gone with the Wind has turned into one of the most vibrant cities in the Eastern half of the United States. Atlanta is a city with a past, which it honors, but doesn’t dwell upon.
So Sherman burned it down in 1864 - its destruction might even be what saved the city from stagnation: the focus on rebuilding and growth. This growth did not slow as the years passed; in the last twenty years, Atlanta has seen an unprecedented economic and physical expansion, so much so that it has the dubious distinction of having the worst suburban sprawl in the country.
As headquarters for such companies as BellSouth, Coca-Cola, CNN, Delta Airlines, The Home Depot and UPS, it is not surprising there has been a huge migration of people from all over the world who want to work and live here. This influx of relocators has given Atlanta a sophistication and ethnic diversity that makes it an extremely exciting place to be.
A dining experience in Atlanta could just as easily be at a Moroccan or Thai restaurant as at a BBQ shack. Sports fanatics could not live in a better location; Atlanta has played host to the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Final Four. History aficionados have much to see in Atlanta. The Confederate Memorial and several Civil War museums at Stone Mountain Park and the Cyclorama in Grant Park remember those who died trying to preserve their way of life.
The African-American Panoramic Experience and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change memorialize those who fought and died to better theirs. The Atlanta History Center, among other things, exhibits what happened when the two collided. For the nature lover, the Botanical Gardens, Lake Lanier, the Chattahoochee Nature Center and the woods of Stone Mountain Park offer a firsthand experience with Georgia’s red clay, piney woods. Museums such as the High, the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the International Museum of Art and Design, the American Museum of Papermaking and the Center for Puppetry Arts, offer a broad range of exhibits featuring visual arts. Many different performing arts companies, such as Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Symphony, the Alliance Theatre Company and 14th Street Playhouse showcase their productions in attractive venues like the Woodruff Arts Center and the Fox Theatre.
For shopping, you can go to the popular tourist attraction of The Underground, or the upscale stores at Lenox Square. For contemporary, funky finds try the colorful shops of Little Five Points; window-shop for antiques and decorator items in Miami Circle; hunt for bargains at the Chattahoochee Avenue Warehouse District.