The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Atlanta, Georgia Now
WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF
PUBLISHED JULY 2022 • 4 min read
Atlanta, Georgia doesn’t settle for doing anything the way it’s always been done. The city didn’t create freedom, soda, grits or hospitality—they elevated them into something sacred. They didn’t invent hip-hop—they just took it to a whole new level. And that small difference doesn’t just set Atlanta apart, it defines the city.
Image courtesy of Discover Atlanta
1. THE SHOPPING
With legendary shopping at over 350 of the world’s finest retailers right in the heart of Buckhead—Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza fashionably anchor Atlanta’s retail landscape. At Lenox Square, shop Bloomingdales, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus, plus designer boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo, or more casual staples like J. Crew and Banana Republic.
At Phipps Plaza, Atlanta’s premier shopping destination—you’ll find fashionable Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, as well as specialty retailers like Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, and Prada.
2. THE ART
Located in Midtown, the High Museum of Art is the Southeast’s most renowned art museum. Boasting a celebrated collection of art ranging from classic to contemporary, as well as architecture by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano, the museum is home to more than 17,000 pieces of American, European, African, decorative and folk art, plus photography and contemporary works.
In addition to its main collection featuring Monet, Tournier, Tiepolo and Ernst among others, the museum welcomes several visiting exhibitions throughout the year.The High Museum of Art invites the public to Friday Night Jazz the third Friday of each month. The evening features music, drinks and art.
While Midtown is the heart of the arts, many Atlanta neighborhoods have found their creative aura through highly talented local and international artists delivering diverse and vivid murals across the city. Covering everything from walls and crosswalks to underpasses and high rises, this prevalent aspect of the city’s art scene continues to evolve and reinvent the perspective of Atlanta. Neighborhoods with the best murals in the city are the Atlanta BeltLine, Old Fourth Ward, Cabbagetown & Inman Park, Little Five Points, Downtown & Castleberry Hill, Midtown, and East Atlanta Village.
3. THE COCKTAILS & CUISINE
Nestled in the quiet, yet booming neighborhood of Vinings North, Park 82 is the newest addition to Atlanta’s premier cuisine. Dedicated to the owner’s oldest son, Tyler, the restaurant is a celebration of his young life and the legacy he left behind. For your artisanal cocktail fix, we recommend trying the Angels Wit—concocted with Ketel One botanical cucumber and mint vodka, elderflower liqueur, honey bitters, and topped with soda water.
Park 82 in Atlanta, Georgia
Image Credit: Nicholas Jude McElroy
Indulge in elevated dishes that evoke Americana with a few added twists. Favorite dishes at Park 82 include the Bone-In 14 oz Ribeye with fingerling potatoes, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and demi glace—as well as Baked Jumbo Shells stuffed with spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, marinated tomatoes, and basil.
For those craving something sweet, end your experience with the Strawberry Tall Cake made from two slices of pound cake, strawberry, mint, white chocolate, ice cream, and graham cracker crust and the Signature Peach Turnover with homemade pastry, peach cream cheese, cinnamon sugar, and caramel icing. Hungry yet?
4. THE GARDENS
Renowned plant collections, beautiful displays, and spectacular exhibitions make the Atlanta Botanical Garden the loveliest place in town to visit every season. An urban oasis in Midtown, the Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award-winning Children’s Garden, a one-of-a-kind Canopy Walk through Storza Woods, and the innovative Edible Garden featuring an Outdoor Demonstration Kitchen.
The Fuqua Conservatory at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is an organic biosphere and home to important collections of tropical palms and conifers; the Fuqua Orchid Center is home to the foremost collection of species orchids in the United States. Conservation gardens and amphibian displays highlight the Garden’s work with carnivorous plant bogs across the Southeast as well as endangered species of frogs from around the world.
5. THE ARCHITECTURE
Designed by Philip Trammel Shutze in 1928 for Edward and Emily Inman, Swan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Noted architect Philip Trammel Shutze designed Swan House and its gardens, as well as many other important buildings in Atlanta. He adapted Italian and English classical styles to accommodate 20th-century living for Swan House, which many consider his finest residential work. Now the headquarters of the Atlanta Historical Society, Swan House has a variety of silver, paintings, textiles, and many examples of English and American antique furniture dated from the late 18th and early 19th centuries on display.
The Swan House in Atlanta, Georgia
Take a stroll through 10-acres of peaceful, native woodlands, a preserved secondary growth forest that sprang from cotton fields abandoned long ago. Deep in the woods, a forest opening is the setting for a log cabin surrounded by a meadow of native grasses and wildflowers. Thriving honey bee hives are in the lower meadow surrounded by an experimental American chestnut orchard. Formal gardens surround and showcase the 1928 historic Swan House and have been preserved as they were in the 1930s. Reminiscent of great Italian gardens, it is perched on a hill with a cascading fountain, terraced lawns, roses tumbling over stone walls, and clipped hedges—making this one of Atlanta’s most Instagrammed sites.
WHERE TO STAY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Nestled into the heart of downtown, The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta celebrates contemporary Southern luxury and places guests minutes from Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park. Recharge in renovated accommodations and savor the details that bring tradition to life, from artfully displayed vintage photography to bourbon tastings in the Club Lounge. And while the city is certainly appealing, the hotel acts as a gathering place for guests and Atlanta residents alike.
