City of Atlanta

There's a reason why this is such a regional center! It has true big city vibes while maintaining a southern grace and charm about it. Long story short, good luck being bored here!

One of my favorite cities in the south. Sure traffic is an issue, but oh what fun awaits! From eating at the Varsity to visiting the aquarium, Atlanta has something to suit all interests. My experiences here are too numerous to list in one review. Family trips for sporting events, amazing concerts, just driving thrust on the way to the mountains and grabbing a bite to eat. It's all good in the ATL!

Thank you to the City of Atlanta for brining me the greatest happiness over the past 4 years. I came here to attend school at Emory University and fell in love with the city. Atlanta is such a great place, especially for young people. From the Beltline to the many weekend festivals, there is so much to do and explore; so many fun and delicious restaurants. I hope to have the opportunity to live here again. If anyone considers moving to Atlanta, they should not hesitate.

Shawty,

Atlanta is the best city in the South, and if you think otherwise ya need to sit yo' butt down. (I guess it's not a fair comparison since most people consider cities like Birmingham, Charlotte, and Nashville part of OTP.)

Sure, I felt a bit apprehensive when I first arrived in The A more than a couple of years ago. I mean, observing two professionally dressed, yolked women deck each other in a Whole Foods parking lot (the one on Ponce) over a space and then later watching a news story about how five people got shot following of a pee-wee football game would scare any non-native. But now I understand.

I understand ATL came into my life to toughen me up. It taught me that if I leave my valuables in the backseat of my car and it gets broken into, it's MY fault. It taught me the importance of unnecessarily and dangerously speeding through neighborhoods while failing to use my turn signal (because I got places to go). I feel like I'm a BETTER driver now. My love for both Ludacris and Outkast deepened. They. Are. Gods.

It also made me numb to the city's ridiculous (and miss it when traveling).

- Crackhead lights part of I-85 on fire thus causing part of it to collapse and quadruples commute times? Not surprised.

- Escaped circus tiger terrorizes neighborhood and attacks dogs? Not surprised.

- Naked men reportedly stealing cars and disrupting traffic? That's called, "Friday".

But despite any frustrations ***insert eye roll*** I may have, ATL's influence is unlike no other.

- It birthed the Civil Rights Movement and nurtured its leader (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr).

- It's hip-hop's new capital and continuously sets the trends in music, culture, and fashion. (I see you, Usher.)

- ATL has the biggest aquarium in the western hemisphere.

- It's home to the busiest airport in the world.

- People all over the world drink our drink (Coke).

- Your favorite chef's favorite chef lives here. (Hugh Acheson? Ford Fry? Ryan Smith?)

- Crispy creme? Chick-fil-A? Like those packages delivered by UPS?

- CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, and TruTV?

- That show you recently binge-watched on Netflix? Yeah, we filmed it here. (Look for the Georgia Peach logo at the end.)

- We had the Olympics, b****.

The MARTA? OK, that's fair. That system is trash. So are most of the sports teams (except Atlanta United). I mean, you can't have it all, right?

Again, if you live anywhere else in the South, sit yo a** down. We are your daddy. Everyone else eats, drinks, and interacts with the world in some way, shape, or form because of ATL.

ATL is ratchet ridiculous-amazingness aka one of only two cosmopolitan cities south of the Mason-Dixon line, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Thanks for embracing me with your big Magic City (or Clermont Lounge) boobies, babe. I love you.

Let me tell you bout a place too hot for SANTA
No Polar Bears, but maybe a PANDA
Rays of sun but none from a MANTA
No Pepsi just Coke and FANTA
The only Montana down here is HANNAH
Lots of immigrants from Guam and GHANA
Wanna do a Scottish accent but I CANNA
Welcome to the wonderful city of ATLANTA

WHAT

The setting of the Anthony Hopkins movie "Hearts In Atlanta", and the hometown of one of the world's great oceans (the Atlanta Ocean), this is a truly spectacular, up and coming city which has been ballooning and growing rapidly, spiralling out of control for a long time, in a mushroom shape (because the north burbs are growing up and out faster than anywhere else).

What can I say about Atlanta that hasn't already been said. No literally, please tell me some original things to say about this city.

It is a wonderful place to come and do food tour. There are some really friendly people around here, but also some unfriendly folks. It's a very young city so it has some of the other problems that young cities have such as Los Angeles and Houston and Washington DC, which is that there is an energy and a fervor in which people can get caught up and lost and left behind. There is an aggression and a selfishness and a sense of capitalism. These cities seem very American in the strangest way. Atlanta always also seems, simultaneously, extremely International. Especially up in the North East.

I used to come to Atlanta often when I was a kid. My first serious girlfriend in the USA who was 28 and worked for the government and dated me when I was 16 - Yes I'm serious - She lives in nearby Alabama. So I would fly into Hartsfield regularly to see her. She drove up to see me and would let me drive her car (with no license) back to her home in Alabama.

My next girlfriend in this region when I was 18, lived right here in Dunwoody. She was also over a decade my senior. Back before it was the coolest place to live and it was just beginning to get trendy and exciting for rich white people. One of the true original leafy suburbs.

I don't come back here too often but those memories will always haunt me. Plus I met one of my very first porn actresses here. Cheyenne Silver. Ended up in Playboy. Hope she's doing well. She was not the girl I dated here. Sadly.

In terms of the whether I actually really like it. The summers are extraordinarily hot but the rest of the year is not only tolerable and bearable but wonderful. Atlanta has some of the nicest climates for all of the time other than the summer.

As for food, this is one of the hotbeds of the whole South. It's not quite on the Houston level and standard, but it definitely is competing with places like Washington DC and Philadelphia in terms of things to eat. And gems that are off the beaten track that nobody really knows about. Most of them are up in the Northeast along Buford Hwy, or in the surrounding suburbs. East Atlanta has some pretty amazing stuff too, as does the South.

Nick's Gyro is one of the best in the whole country and easily the best in the region. The Ghetto Burger is one of the best you'll get, from Ann's Snack Bar, whcih for service can be hit-or-miss, but the burgers never are.

The ethnic options in the Northeast part of town are wonderful. Try Snowflake for the best brown sugar milk tea. Try Chongqing inside the Chinatown food court in Chamblee to get the very best lamb cumin over handmade noodles. And the sticks of lamb at Tsingtao brother in the same food court. For late night cool people and cute chicks try any of the Sweet Hut Bakery locations.

Full list

- Get a Gyro at Nick's Greek To Go.
- Ghetto Burger from Ann's Snack Bar
- Fish Tacos at El Rey Del Taco
- Brown Butter Gelato from Honeysuckle in the market
- Bakery treats from Sweet Hut
- Brown Sugar Milk Tea from Snowflake
- Chongqing in Chamblee for Cumin Lamb w/handmade noodle'
- Tsingtao next to it for Lamb Cumin Sticks
- Flavors of Chicago, Lucky Dog, Chicago Delights for Chi-dogs

Now I feel like I'm being herded into the next review like cATL, so I'm gonna skedATL and go write it. But finally, ATLast, I did a review for Atlanta. Now I'm going to review ATLa the Hun.

Hmmmmm, many would be surprised that I give the city five stars but I love it. The good, bad and the ugly. What better way to celebrate my 300th review? The city is full of treasures that yelp, helped me to discover. Who knew I'd find the El bar, Scotch Bonnet, 10 Degrees South and Desta to name a few. While the public transportation is not the best, I do appreciate what has been done with the belt line. The street car may have been a waste of money because I never see anyone on it. Speaking of belt line, check out the awesome bus tour, I think they are still doing that. Thank You Yelp, I was able to check it out with some other yelpers. There was a movie tour as well..... I learned a lot about the walking dead, courtesy of yelp as well. Who can deny the festivals that the city has. My favorite is the Jazz Festival done in May at Piedmont park, you can't beat great music and awesome vendors. Do yourself a favor and look up festivals on yelp. Thank me later. The truck park is a nice added touch to a variety of food. Oh snap, King of Pops.... I can't name a favorite, I like them all. If you have people coming from out of town, make sure you get the city pass for the CNN center, Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, zoo, High Museum, Civil Rights Museum, etc. Centennial Park alone during the summer is a site to see and whine down Wed doesn't hurt with live music. The sewer system sucks, more options should be done for power and the homeless asking for money on every major highway is not cool but I love it all and do we really need a new stadium.... Falcons rise up! We need to do another FILA event. Forever I love Atlanta. Yelp introduced me to Clairmont lounge and an awesome DJ..... anybody know that Dj's name? There is so much that the city has to offer, let yelp help you find it.

Jermaine Dupri - Welcome To Atlanta ft. Ludacris

youtu.be/j5W73HaVQBg

Atlanta in a box:
Class, manners, great food, country fried culture, heart breaking sports.

I love love love the southern Hospitality of southerners. Everyone is so sweet, and took so good care of me while I was down there years ago. I feel like the way people were brought up is much dofferent from east/west coast.  Another great city with great memories!

#148
How on earth can anyone not love this city?  It is like the New York of the south.  Big buildings, lots of lights, people out at all times, wonderful night life, absolutely wonderful shopping, etc.

We have had the most amazing time here with family and friends.  Shopping, visiting What have you, we have done it all.

I put up at YT thread in the ATL YT Talk section about a week before I came and tons of super wonderful yelpers gave me billions of ideas.  

I spent several years here when I was young, but time moves on, I am much older now, and most obviously tastes, likes and dislikes change.  I have had am amazing time.  I am positive my guests have as well.

Atlanta offers great food, wonderful site seeing, beautifully friendly people, some of the best shopping, I cannot event list everything about this spectacular city.  And some of the cheapest gas prices I have ever seen.  I have been visiting family, friends and new places all week long.  

The skyline is beautiful.  The city lights are gorgeous.  The southern hospitality does not stop.  No matter where you go.  I miss that.

I would suggest a visit to the Dirty South, ATLien style, anytime you have free time to travel.  It is worth the trip.

Stephani Smiles for the CIty of Atlanta ;)

Gotta love the A! I just have such a ball when I'm in Atlanta. The city is full of awesome local flavor with endless activities, shopping, restaurants, bars, adult entertainment venues, museums, landmarks and such.  Home of the #1 aquarium in the US, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's memorial & Ebenezer Baptist Church, Olympic Park and soooo much more.

No matter your vice; ATL can deliver (with a bang)

~Christy said so.

I find myself vexed over the qualifications to write a review on a major city!

ON THE ONE HAND you have locals who may have spent their entire life in that city or a transplant that has logged a few decades (such as myself). But often times, just because someone has lived somewhere for a long time doesn't mean they've actually experienced it. I've met a number of people in many major cities that have barely wandered outside their own neighborhood! Even more who've never been downtown, out to the suburbs or even to their most famous landmarks! I hear tell most New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island! Then there is always the possibility of 'sour grapes', which are people who might give you a bad impression based on past memories isolated to only their experiences or quirky personality.

ON THE OTHER HAND is the tourist viewpoint, which may only have seen a fraction of the city, but talk as if they experienced the whole thing! Case in point, I read a review of a community here in Atlanta called Buckhead. The guy said in his review that Buckhead is no longer upscale and seems to be stuck in time, living off its former glory. That surprised me since Buckhead has been undergoing major renovations for several years. Since he is a yelp friend, I asked him what part of the neighborhood he visited while here on vacation. His answer was basically a 2 block walk from the public train station to Lenox Mall and then back to the train station!!!!  Seriously? 2 city blocks and he found that to be an ample amount of experience to write a review? I was totally baffled! Buckhead has poured billions of dollars into renovations, but he was miles from that part of the neighborhood and didn't see any of it. His review stated: "we simply hopped back on the MARTA-- satisfied in being able to say "been there." Been where? To the tiny area just outside the mall, because surely he missed 99.995% of the rest of it!

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I will admit that prior to yelp I did not really get out to see the city as much. Sure I would venture around to random locations, but not knowing where to eat or what to do is like diving in a pool and flailing your arms vs. swimming laps. Yelp gave me much clearer direction, because if I wanted to see... let's say the Aquarium, I could also find a great restaurant nearby to compliment the experience.

Now I've been all over the city, both inside the I-285 perimeter (what locals call ITP) & far outside of it as well. I've done food tours through great Atlanta neighborhoods like Inman Park and Cabbagetown as well as Autism Walks in gorgeous new developments like Atlantic Station. I've been to baseball/basketball games, the capitol building, Underground Atlanta & almost every shopping mall in the city (thanks to my wife). I've even done a staycation downtown where we engulfed ourselves in experiences like the Georgia Dome, World of Coke, Centennial Park, CNN Center, The Center for Civil & Human Rights, ice skating, Zoo Atlanta and the 22-story Ferris Wheel.

From restaurants on Roswell's Canton Street to riding the entire 61.5 mile Silver Comet Trail to hiking to the top of both Stone Mountain & Kennesaw Mountain, I have seen much. I've visited Acworth to Athens and south to Peachtree City. I've helped at shelters in the roughest of areas and enjoyed places like Six Flags, Noah's Ark and the amazing waterfalls north of the city. I even got to see Atlanta from above as I was falling from the clouds on my first tandem skydive jump.

I've visited historical sites like the home of Dr. Martin Luther King, cover bridges near the city and a number of different museums. I've also ran into several celebrities! My crazy passion for home design has caused me to tour hundreds of model homes or attend events like Street of Dreams where I witness first hand the best of Southern living.

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Why did I say all of that? Because I'm here to tell you Atlanta is awesome!!!!

There is a reason why we are the largest city in the South and home to many Fortune 500 companies. Sure the inner city public school system needs an overhaul and the traffic is a freakin' nightmare (review coming soon), but they're working on it. In years to come Atlanta's Beltline project will be completed and the city will be a premier place to live, play and work. But the beauty of this city is that it expands 360 degrees outside of its boundaries and there are neighborhoods that fit every lifestyle. Cozy historic walking neighborhood with beautiful street art, lofts in historic cotton mills and master-planned communities complete with PGA golf courses. Metro Atlanta is pleasantly diverse!

When I arrived in the 90's, the restaurant scene was sad... but boy has that changed! I used to travel back to my hometown of Chicago on food runs, but now I find myself missing the food in Atlanta whenever I'm gone. Yep, I love it here! It is a wonderful city that continues to improve and I'm so happy to call this metropolitan my home!

Atlanta is my favorite city ever. The people here have such a warmth to them and I love it. I love the art scene and the food as well. There's so many great neighborhoods and there's always something going on. I love Atlanta. In my opinion, the only things the city needs to work on are architecture, public transportation, and historic preservation. I can't wait to see what Atlanta will look like in 20 years.

Never thought I'd give a 5 star review to City Hall, but we came here to get our water turned on in our new home that we are about to rent and our experience at City Hall was mind-blowingly pleasant.  Having moved here from Los Angeles, I am still getting used to "regular" folks being nice throughout the day but it is still unexpected when it comes from a city employee.

From the security guards who greeted us, to the woman who accepted our application, to the cashiers who took the check and answered our questions, everyone we dealt with was friendly, courteous, helpful and friendly.  I am actually looking forward to going here in a few days to apply for a parking permit to get our PODS delivered!

Hopping on the train - happy 200th review with the City of Atlanta!

I'm a native. Yes, one of those rare, elusive creatures who tries to tell you how things were not even 15 years ago in this fine city. Centennial Park? Aquarium? Puh-lease. That's modern compared to the things I've seen and know. You know, like back when L5P was a run-down mess, Buckhead was hip, and Rich's downtown hosted the giant tree, not Lenox. And where is Freaknik when you need it?!

Atlanta is one of my favorite cities, and I'm glad to call it home. The people here are incredibly diverse, and there is never a dull moment. If you can't find something to do here, there's something wrong with you, not the city. It has everything from museums to nightlife, movies to stage plays, local bands to big name concerts. My boyfriend and I often joke that if we tried to hit up every restaurant in the city, we'd a) go broke in a week and b) die well before we hit the halfway mark. It's almost like a mini-NYC... almost.

That's where the gripes come in. Politicians and scared suburbanites holding up the expansion of MARTA. People with zip code superiority complexes. Haters that we don't have enough "touristy things" to do (though the addition of a pirate museum is going to be AWESOME, I must admit). These kinds of people just don't get it. MARTA should be embraced - where else will you see rap battles on trains? - and as a native, I've got a love for most zip codes within the metro area. If you're scared of ITP or OTP, get a grip and open your mind - the world is bigger than a concrete perimeter fence! And those touristy things... sure, they're fun at times, but if I see a city, the heart of it is never found in the spots you won't find many locals. Ever.

Yet I continue to love Atlanta and it's multitude of venues, restaurants, and that big giant airport that offers me so many trips to other places. With gems like the Clermont Lounge and Halloween Parades, it's a hard city to hate in my opinion. Atlanta is my play place, and I'm proud to say this is where I'm from. The south isn't all biscuits and gravy, y'all!

In the wise words of the great DJ Smiles, "I'm in Atlanta, biiiiiiiiitch!"

To celebrate my 300th Yelp, I couldn't think of a more appropriate review than for the city I love.  I know it sounds corny, but I really do love Atlanta.

I love Mayor Shirley Franklin.  She represents us amazingly well and has run the city impeccably during both of her terms.

I love my neighbors.  The people of Atlanta are unlike anywhere else.  A crazy combination of humbleness and cockiness; beauty and filth; intelligence and ignorance; inclusive of everyone while being occasionally exclusive.

R.I.P. Backstreet Atlanta, the original 14th Street Bridge, the Buckhead Village, and Underground (well, Underground before it's current gruesome condition).

Keep rising as the phoenix shows on the official city seal.

Atlanta - "We're not what we need to be, but thank God we're not what we were."

As we are traveling back home, we passed through the ATL. There was so much traffic at 4:00pm in the afternoon.
As we were slowly moving, I decided to take photos of my view from the bus. There was some hard stopping, bumpy roads, and close trucks.

City Hall will always be home I was employed here for 15 years and if I could I would have given them 15 more years.

Alright, here goes nothing.

Me, being corny and all and just realizing my next review (THIS ONE) will be my 1,500th review... decided to review the City of Atlanta, my "city" of residence for the past ~9 years (omg. I've been here almost 9 years...). Moving here for school and, well, never leaving, seems to be one of many trends of Atlantans. Many of my Atlanta friends now aren't actually from Atlanta. Enough about me...

Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is not contrary to popular belief, and is the biggest metropolitan center that I have lived in. Hub to Delta, Coca Cola, CHICK-FIL-A WOOT and other major corporations, Atlanta is probably one of the most booming cities in the South. Atlanta is also home to some major colleges and universities, including my alma mater, Emory University. Atlanta is also becoming the Hollywood of the South, with Marvel filming almost every single one of their movies in metro Atlanta, as well as those random flicks you may not have realized was located in Atlanta... but then you see downtown Atlanta, Piedmont Park, Decatur or even Dunwoody as the backdrop.

We all knew TRAFFIC would be a thing. Traffic is SO FREAKING TERRIBLE FOR NO REASON. Thanks to the cultural diversity, we also have some diverse driving skills. I285, 141, 400, 75 and 85 are my usual highways, although there are the occasional adventures on 20, too. There are never any shortcuts - backroads get clogged quick. Expect your commutes to and from work to be at least an hour unless you get to work at 7am and leave the office before 3pm. Speaking of commuting...

The MARTA transportation is just ugh. What a headache. I take the MARTA to work everyday, and while it does save me the stress of road rage, the stress of the train arriving (and leaving the station) too early or mechanical issues happening on the regular causing major delays is ALMOST worse. Today's (Thursday afternoon) traffic on 285 at 3pm was miserable. Like seriously, where is everyone going? Anyway, irrelevant.

The food scene has evolved so much since my arrival in 2009. From my first excursions off college campus to Buford Highway and Fat Matt's and the surrounding Toco Hills area from Emory, I realized the world (of Atlanta) is my oyster and omg what is this AYCE Korean BBQ??? Now there are BBQ restaurants all over Atlanta, Korean BBQ restaurants have popped up one by one in Duluth, and Toco Hills is just a small part of the Decatur offerings. Buford Highway has BOOMED and has become such a popular stop.

Atlanta sports is terrible. They will only let you down - even if they rise up as high as the Falcons did against the Pats in the Super Bowl... However, at the time I am typing this review, the Braves are looking pretty good - but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Weather is weird. It's the south, but we're famous for the Snowpocolypse several years back, as well as the actual snow (over a foot!) last year. Summers get humid and hot and winters can get bitterly cold. Sometimes, December is warm. Sometimes, April is freezing. But that's the South for ya. That, and CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.

In recent years, there is definitely more to do now than there used to be. There's the typical Georgia Aquarium, Coca Cola Company, the High Museum, Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Zoo, the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park... and I'm probably missing out on so much more. There are music festivals, music fests, food truck parks, breweries galore... so yes, Atlanta is growing to fit its inhabitants.

What else is there to say? Atlanta is a solid city to live in. With mostly solid weather year round, I'm ok with it. Enough food and new restaurants to keep the foodie in my satisfied, as well as stimulating the senses with things to do.

Here's to another 1,500 reviews in Atlanta!

Someone once said that life is either a series of beginnings or a series of endings. Atlanta is both. It's a city that grows on you. It's not love at for sight or after one year or a decade.....

I moved here when it was just a small city. Highway 400 hadn't been built. Alpharetta was just farmland. Roswell was out in the hicks and traffic wasn't too bad. Ha. fast forward a few years and now what do we have... besides horrible traffic....well we got the world's busiest airport, Home Depot, UPS, Porche, AFLAC, Coca Cola and maybe Amazon (?) to name a few Fortune 500 with a regional hub here.

The past 15+ years its become the most sought after place for films and television with Pinewood Studios(Star wars, Marvel, James Bond) building its first North American location in the outskirts of the city.

Lets not forget Hip Pop music. Atlanta is the undisputed "Hip Pop Capital in the world" according to The New York Times. From Lil Jon to Ludacis to Jermaine Dupri to Andre 3000 no other city can boast the talent like Atlanta can. (Let not forget the Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown saga. Whitney and Bobby had a house here and Bobby Brown I heard from a Atlanta police officer would illegally park his cars all over the place. LOL. I believe P. Diddy, L. A. Reid, Tony Braxon and Keith Sweat all still own homes here in the city along with Elton John and Rod Stewart (?) A friend of mine saw him and his entourage shopping at Lenox once....

Then there are the hotels. You name it. We got it. Ritz Carlton (One Ritz Carlton Resort near Lake Oconee) Mandarin Oriental, St. Regis, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, W Hotels (we have 3 of them)...just to name a few...

I think Atlanta can easily compete with the big cities such as New York or Chicago on many levels. The only area I think Atlanta could still improve on is food. I'm still not on "Team Atlanta" when it comes to food. I still think Chicago or San Francisco has better food but maybe in a couple of years this city can prove me wrong.....

1030th review 12/23/2017

Atlanta is my 200th milestone review, for those not in Georgia the climate here is mild not a lot of snow or rain, hot summers and pretty much mild winters makes this place pretty easy to live in sure the traffic here may never be fixed but as entertainment goes I'd say it's the best of surrounding major cities in a 8 hour radius. Plenty of concerts and clubs ( even after the old buckhead days) for families there is world of Coke, six flags, aquarium, stone mountain, zoo, and a handful of museums. There is more to come and atlanta is always building new stadiums and theme parks. Can't say so much for the teams themselves and Atlanta fans have always been fair weather fans but it's still a fun experience at a game no matter what. The restaurants no matter if your wanting southern cooking, bbq, Chinese, Mexican, or fine dining Atlanta has it all. I travel a lot and most cities come close but I still miss my local Atlanta favorites. I have lived in Georgia for 40 years and despite its flaws I've enjoyed Atlanta.