Learn Me Atlanta

I recently got, and took, a job offer to do some work on the Falcon's new stadium in Atlanta. I'm pretty excited about this gig as I think the new stadium is an incredible piece of architecture. I will be making my own arrangements for accommodations and trying to keep myself entertained whenever I can't work because of an event. 

Main questions:

What should I do/see?

Any recommendations for extended stay places/rooms near the stadium?

Anyone want to go karting at AMP with me?

And feel free to contribute any other information about the city you think I should know. My only knowledge is from driving through and craigslist (obviously).

Nobody in Atlanta is from Atlanta.

If it still exists try the Atlanta Sport and Social Club for activities.

The Varsity.

Atlanta region of the SCCA. Great people.

Are you going to be the one to fix the roof?

68TR250 said:

Are you going to be the one to fix the roof?

Ah, you mean Megatron's butthole?

The Varsity is one of those places everyone has to visit when in town just so you can say you went there. The Coca-Cola museum is downtown, very touristy. There is lots of historical stuff to see both in and just outside the city. If you aren't from the south, DON'T try the grits, anywhere. I don't know why they let it pass for food.

The Aquarium is one of the best around if you're into that sort of thing. 

The Silver Skillet on 14th serves breakfast until 2, and is a great diner. Been featured in many movies. Tons of good food around. Not sure about extended stay, but there are definitely some areas (especially right around the stadium) that aren't where you want to be.

 Some buddies of mine actually just wrapped up their project with the stadium, helping figure out how to make the queue system work all the way through so that people are satisfied with how long it takes to get food/drinks..
 

Welcome to the city, whenever you move! I've lived about a mile from the stadium (north, in Midtown), for coming up on 4 years now. If you have more specific questions ask away, I'll try to answer.

Apparently it can get a wee bit "warm" there.

The main tank in the aquarium is quite impressive.

Make sure to go to that place on that Peachtree street, I am sure you can find it (you will get that when you get there).

In reply to white_fly :

My daughter hosts an AirBnB that's pretty close.  She does long term rentals at a reasonable rate. 

PM me if interesteed

My wife is from Atlanta, born at Piedmont Hospital, raised ITP. She loves to correct me when I tell people I'm from here. "No, you were born in Kennesaw and raised OTP, you aren't from Atlanta".

Anyway, for a place to stay try to find something north of the stadium.

Don't bother with Stone Mountain. Go karting at AMP. If you can't make it to AMP, Andretti is pretty fun. The aquarium is pricey but awesome. The zoo is actually very good as well, and this time of year they have the light display at night.

The Varsity is more of an "experience" than a culinary trip. Get a chili dog, chili steak, rings, and a Varsity Orange. Take a tour of Buford Highway, pick a country, eat something you've never had before. I suggest finding some pho.

Speed limits are suggestions. 55 mph zone? 80 mph in the left lane. 65 mph zone? 80 mph in the left lane. Anywhere outside 285 on GA 400? Do you know your actual factory speed cutoff? Turn signals are for the weak.

It will take you 30 minute to get anywhere.

Swing by Fernbank Science Center (NOT the Natural History Museum, not the same). It is free and you can see an actual space capsule plus other cool stuff.

If you want to drool over stuff you can't afford, visit Street Side Classics on Thornton Road. https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles?q%5Bbranch_id_eq%5D=1

Hide/hang a Tom Brady jersey then taunt the fans with social media? 

How sad is it that I've lived in Atlanta for 3.5 years and have nothing of value to add to the post?  I pay so little attention to anything here.  I know how to get to work and back, which is 60 miles each way.  So I know traffic patterns pretty well.  Other than that, I got nothin...

Be careful if you spend anytime looking at craigslist unless you want to end up with more vehicles than you came with.

vwcorvette said:

Nobody in Atlanta is from Atlanta.

If it still exists try the Atlanta Sport and Social Club for activities.

The Varsity.

Atlanta region of the SCCA. Great people.

It seems like it but there are locals raised there.

The Claremont Lounge

JRCrickets

Eats

Little 5 points

Masquerade/ Tabernacle

craigslist is the best there

sweetwater brewery

mountain runs up 129/180/136

Skip the coke museum. so bad. 

Aquarium is amazing, although pricey.  It really depends on what you're looking to do. If you're into outdoors, the beltline is a nice bike option. Piedmont park is always awesome. Plenty of amazing restaurants, beer locations. Anyone that hates Atlanta hasn't given it a chance in my opinion. There's too much to do to hate it. 

You can always tell who's from out of town on the road. Some people consider it getting cut off, we call it changing lanes. If you're trying to get over, skip the turn signal. That just lets the person know they need to speed up. Look for openings, and just go. 

clairmont lounge as your top recommendation? thats just mean. 

Check out Ponce City Market and the beltline.   

The market is a kind of hipstery-but-delicious series of restaurants and shops, plus some additional tech businesses like MailChimp and General Assembly.  The beer/growler shop there sells individuals if you want to sip and peruse the place.  Also there's a rooftop attraction, but I've never been up there.  Of the shops, my favorite is a bookstore accessed from the central courtyard, the rest don't hold much interest for me.  The food is another story entirely.

The beltline is a walking/biking pathway through the city and the market is pretty centrally located on it.  My favorite stretch goes from Piedmont Park (basically ATL's central park), to Ponce City and then down to Krog Street market.  There's a bunch of public artwork and additional bars/restaurants along the way.  My favorite is probably Ladybird though (great patio).  Atlanta now has "city" bikes that can be rented for a few dollars that are handy for a tour.  FYI - they're parked all over at drop-off stations and you rent them using a Smartphone app.

I also recommend the ATL region SCCA Solo program.  Great people.  All of our events are now across the street from Road Atlanta at Lanier Speedway, which is 45min-1hr north of the city depending on traffic.  Nothing worse than heading up to AMP.

Speaking of - yes, I want to go karting at AMP as I still haven't done that myself.  I'll send you a DM with my number, because I don't check my email enough. 

Stone Mountain is a good place if you want to just walk up (or around) it. There's a lot of annoying tourist trap stuff there now, and the car museum they used to have is gone. But if you are in that area, you have to visit the Village Corner German Restaurant and Bakery.

The Varsity is basically a preserved 1950s drive in - the bad along with the good. Atlanta's real contribution to fast food restaurants is Chick-Fil-A. Grits, well, they're an acquired taste, or rather, an acquired non-taste. Imagine making oatmeal out of cornmeal, and that's what you've got. 

Count me in for karting at AMP or Andretti.

There are a number of trendy in-town areas to eat and hang out but I'll leave it to the others to make recommendations.

You've already noticed that Downtown is also about an hour's drive from Atlanta Motorsports Park, a fantastic place to kart or do a track day. Downtown is about an hour's drive from Road Atlanta, another fantastic track day track with some fantastic spectator events. The museum at Barber Motorsports Park is about two hours due west.

Scenic mountain areas are great for a day trip: Helen, Dahlonega, Blue Ridge, Talula Falls, Chatsworth/Fort Mountain, etc. are about an hour and a half away. As the weather warms up there are beaches, camping and boat/waverunner rentals at lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, about 45 min away.

Thanks for the responses!

My job is to manage a team rust-proofing all the nuts and bolts holding the whole thing together, as well as any areas that haven't been coated. What that really means is the stadium will be my playground for a few months and I get to climb all over it.

For the record I've spent plenty of time in the south and I do know what grits are. I've had some well seasoned shrimp and grits, tasteless muck and everything in between. 

In terms of places to stay, I have a pretty high tolerance for sketchy neighborhoods, but I'll be working nights so I think anything noisy is out. 

In reply to white_fly :

You've got mail regarding my daughter's place. 

If you don't like grits, you haven't had them with good redeye gravy. 

I once saw a guy take a number two in broad daylight in Olympic centennial park.  That’s about all I got. 

spitfirebill said:

If you don't like grits, you haven't had them with good redeye gravy. 

Personally, I prefer topping them with Parmesan cheese, although I'm sure this is blasphemy.

MadScientistMatt said:

spitfirebill said:

If you don't like grits, you haven't had them with good redeye gravy. 

Personally, I prefer topping them with Parmesan cheese, although I'm sure this is blasphemy.

Whatever makes you happy.  I don't judge.      

Fueled by Caffeine said:

I once saw a guy take a number two in broad daylight in Olympic centennial park.  That’s about all I got. 

That's odd?  If I had a dollar for every time I'd seen someone do that in public I could spend less time out in public

MadScientistMatt said:

The Varsity is basically a preserved 1950s drive in

With 1950's preserved grease. Everybody not from Atlanta will ask if you went to the Varsity. I don't know many people who live here that go regularly.

I'm in for karting at AMP. Both the cart track and the main track are awesome. How long will you be in town and what vehicle are you bringing?