Atlanta

Atlanta is the city where Coca-Cola was invented (1886), the city that burned in the Civil War and rebuilt, and the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was born, preached, and is buried. Those three facts are enough to generate multiple days of interesting visiting, and the city has added a fourth: it is now one of the most important film and television production cities in the world (the Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and hundreds of other productions). The culture that results from this combination – Southern, progressive, historically weighty, and commercially assertive – is genuinely distinctive.

The MLK Sites

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park covers the Sweet Auburn neighbourhood where King was born in 1929. The boyhood home at 501 Auburn Avenue is part of the park and can be toured (timed entry, free, at nps.gov/malu). Ebenezer Baptist Church on the corner of Auburn and Jackson, where King’s grandfather and father served as ministers and where King himself preached, is still an active congregation. The Martin Luther King Jr. Center contains his tomb, where he and Coretta Scott King are buried in a white marble crypt over a reflecting pool. January brings a range of events celebrating his birthday.

The Sweet Auburn Historic District was once called “the richest Negro street in the world” by Fortune magazine in 1956 – the commercial and cultural centre of Atlanta’s African American community during segregation. Walking the district gives context that the park sites alone cannot.

The BeltLine

The Atlanta BeltLine is a 22-mile multi-use trail system occupying a former railway corridor, connecting 45 intown neighbourhoods through a loop around the city. The project is projected to complete in 2030 and is already one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in the South. The Eastside Trail and Westside Trail are the most developed sections. Ponce City Market (a converted Sears distribution warehouse with food vendors, restaurants, and a rooftop) and Krog Street Market sit directly on the trail and are the best food destinations along it.

What to See

The Georgia Aquarium near Centennial Olympic Park is genuinely one of the world’s largest – whale sharks and manta rays are the main drawcards. The World of Coca-Cola museum downtown is more interesting than cynicism expects, particularly the tasting room where you sample products from global markets. The High Museum of Art in Midtown is the Southeast’s leading art museum. The Fox Theatre, a wildly ornate 1920s movie palace, is worth seeing for the architecture regardless of what’s playing.

Eating

Southern food at Mary Mac’s Tea Room (fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread – an institution since 1945). Staplehouse in Inman Park has the city’s highest critical reputation for refined Southern-influenced cooking; book ahead. The Varsity on North Avenue has been a drive-in diner since 1928 and is entirely itself. For the BeltLine food scene, the range of options at Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market covers everything from excellent ramen to excellent barbecue.

Getting Around

Atlanta is a car city and traffic on I-75 and I-285 is genuinely bad at peak hours. MARTA (the rail and bus system) covers the airport and main tourist districts; use it for airport connections and major sites on the north-south and east-west lines. The Atlanta Streetcar links Downtown and Sweet Auburn. The BeltLine is best experienced on foot or bicycle rental.

Staying

The Four Seasons Midtown is the luxury option. The Candler Hotel downtown is a historic boutique property in a former office building. For the BeltLine and Inman Park/Poncey-Highland neighbourhoods, there are a range of boutique hotels and well-reviewed short-term rentals with direct trail access.