ATLANTA — The Clean Show will return to “The A”—Atlanta—this summer and show organizer Messe Frankfurt wants attendees of this country’s largest textile care exhibition to enjoy their stay while away from the show floor.
Will you be there for the late July/early August event at the Georgia World Congress Center? Here from Messe Frankfurt, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and other sources is some important information about the city and things to do during your spare time.
In Part 1, we looked at travel and lodging in Atlanta, plus some of the activities, attractions and shopping available there. Are you ready to explore further and get the most from the beautiful city of Atlanta?
MIX LEISURE WITH BUSINESS
Atlanta is a dynamic destination with an unmatched convention and entertainment district. Hotels, restaurants and attractions are mere steps away from Georgia World Congress Center, making it easy to traverse when free time arises. Downtime during an event is precious, so why not make the most of it?
Many of Atlanta’s world-class attractions are within Downtown’s walkable Centennial Park District. The iconic green space known as Centennial Olympic Park is the anchor of the neighborhood and surrounded by the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. By purchasing an Atlanta CityPASS booklet (www.citypass.com/atlanta), you can save up to 44% on tickets to visit all these facilities.
Take a ride on Atlanta Streetcar to Sweet Auburn Municipal Market when it’s time for a bite to eat in the city’s oldest food hall.
After spending a little time in Midtown, you’ll learn why Atlanta is called the City in the Forest. Piedmont Park is home to the largest concentration of trees in the district, providing plenty of room to stroll and unwind in the urban oasis. While there is greenery all around, Midtown has Atlanta’s finest arts and cultural institutions. Center for Puppetry Arts, Fox Theatre, High Museum of Art, Museum of Design Atlanta, and the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film make this neighborhood an art lover’s haven.
Buckhead is known as Atlanta’s most stylish in-town neighborhood with remarkable landscapes and architecture. Not only does Buckhead have some of the city’s most superb restaurants and rooftop lounges, it also features Atlanta’s best-known shopping destinations.
Buckhead Village District, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza house popular brands and trendy fashions, situated adjacent to luxury hotels equipped with spas for pampering. The most famous home here is Swan House, located at Atlanta History Center, which served as the backdrop of major motion pictures.
The areas surrounding Atlanta are beautiful and well worth a short drive outside the city. Highlights include Stone Mountain Park, Chattahoochee Nature Center and numerous locations in the metro region with trails for hiking.
FUN TIME FOR FOODIES
Simply put, Atlanta is a foodie city, and Atlantans are known for their love of eating out. Atlanta is one of the most culturally diverse cities in North America and as the home to many headquarters of international corporations, the culinary scene is rich in diversity. Local chefs can be relied upon to create distinctly ATL takes on traditional dishes from all over the world.
To get a true sense of the extensive restaurant scene, venture into the neighborhoods where the locals eat. Pop-ups abound offering a platform for rising talent, supported by established chefs. Seasonal, locally sourced produce appears in the ever-changing menus of many establishments. The neighborhoods each have their specialty to offer:
- Buford Highway offers more than 1,000 ethnically diverse eateries,
- Buckhead is renowned for its fine dining and steakhouses,
- Southwest Atlanta offers the best Southern cuisine in the world, along with vegan and vegetarian options that will have you coming back for more, and
- Both the Westside and Eastside’s food halls from Chattahoochee Food Works to Ponce City Food Market in Old Fourth Ward offer some of the best flavors of Atlanta.
Search restaurants by cuisine if you have a craving for something specific, or browse by neighborhood to discover what’s on the menu just around the corner. Wherever your taste buds take you in Atlanta, we bet you’ll ask to keep the sweet tea coming.
WEATHER EXPECTATIONS
Visitors to Atlanta in late July/early August can expect warm temperatures, with highs averaging near 89. Average lows for that period are in the lower 70s. Besides packing some comfortable clothes, you may want to add an umbrella just in case one of the region’s many summertime thunderstorms rumbles through during your stay.
If you missed Part 1, you can read it HERE.
And we have some more special listings, this time for your dining pleasure:
RESTAURANTS, BARS & NIGHTLIFE
Alma Cocina. Modern Mexican fare and cocktails located in Downtown Atlanta. Enjoy delicious dishes and fantastic service. Bright, fresh ingredients and regional influences shine through lunch tortas and taquito spreads, seasonal guacamoles and salsas, and traditional chicken mole Oaxaca full of rich flavor. Sample from the most diverse tequila selection in the city and an inventive cocktail list while enjoying a destination dining experience to remember. 191 Peachtree St NE, 404-968-9662.
Bacchanalia. One of the most celebrated restaurants in the city, Bacchanalia features contemporary American cuisine from chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison. The entire menu relies on organic ingredients sourced from the chefs’ farm, creating a unique dining experience for the guests. 1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd., 404-365-0410.
Bar Mercado. Did we hear Spanish tapas? Bar Mercado has you covered! It’s a casual, multi-regional Spanish tapas restaurant and bar, and the perfect place to have a drink with your industry friends! 99-V Krog St., 414-480-4866.
Bold Monk Brewing Co. Like your favorite piece of music or your most prized work of literature, the Bold Monk exists to bring comfort in your time of leisure. Bold Monk is a place to simply be…to be satisfied, to be joyous, to be connected, to be well. To be yourself. In their restaurant, brewery, bookstore, coffee house, and beer garden, you’ll find your space. The Complex, 1737 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. NW, Bldg. B, 404-390-3288.
By George at The Candler Hotel. Serving breakfast, brunch and dinner in Peachtree Street’s most elegant dining room, By George offers sophisticated cuisine in the spirit of classic Contemporary American cooking, spearheaded by two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Hugh Acheson. To match Acheson’s food will be an extensive wine program helmed by accomplished sommelier Steven Grubbs and keen cocktails from the talented hands of Kellie Thorn. 127 Peachtree St. NE, 470-851-2752.
Bulla Gastrobar. Featuring a bar and open kitchen, the place serves quality gastronomic creations made with the finest and freshest flavors, along with hand-crafted cocktails and an impressive wine list. A great place to celebrate with business partners and peers! 60 11th St. NE, 404-900-6926.
Der Biergarten. The menu here features traditional German pub foods such as brats, pretzels with mustard, and strudels. German beers like Weihenstephan, Warsteiner and Spaten are on draft. There may or may not be live music on any given night on the patio. 300 Marietta St. NW, 404-521-2728.
No Mas! Cantina No Mas! is downtown Atlanta’s answer to amazing dining and shopping in the Castleberry Hill Historic + Art district. It has become a cultural oasis, with several businesses revolving around Mexico, all under one roof. No Mas! has become a mainstay of visitors looking for something to do within walking distance of all downtown attractions. With 350 seats in the main restaurant, 80-plus tequilas, fresh desserts, every type of coffee, breakfast daily in the cafe, and shopping in the Artisan Market from over 500 artisans of Mexico, there is something for everyone here. 180 Walker St. SW, Ste. B, 404-574-5678.
Northside Tavern. The tavern was built in the 1940s as a neighborhood grocery store/gas station. Today, it has evolved into a lively musical gathering spot known for its blues and has become a fixture of the area, even voted No. 9 of the 50 Best Bars in Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine. 1058 Howell Mill Rd NW, 404-874-8745.
STATS Brewpub. STATS features a classic American menu that includes something for everyone. The unique take on tried-and-true favorites is sure to please every palate. Find your favorite beer, cocktails and wine at every turn while enjoying your favorite sporting event on one of their 70 high-definition TVs. 300 Marietta St., 404-801-3258.
The Tabernacle. Located in Downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park District, The Tabernacle building has a rich and storied history. It opened in 1910 as The Broughton Tabernacle. Dr. Leonard Gaston Broughton, the pastor and a physician, started the Georgia Baptist Medical Center and nursing school, which began as the Tabernacle infirmary with three beds. The Third Baptist Church was an active congregation with over 4,000 members. The congregation relocated during the mid-’80s and the building lay vacant until the 1996 Olympic Games, when it was converted into a House of Blues club. Now operated by Live Nation, The Tabernacle houses a variety of concerts and events regularly. 152 Luckie Street NW, 404-659-9022.
White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails. This spot adds a creative zest to dining and events in downtown Atlanta. The kitchen at White Oak prepares food that reflects the dynamic contradictions of Southern life. The merging of contemporary with traditional, simple with complex, and rural with metropolitan are represented in a menu that requires precise methods of production, yet results in plates that appear simple and familiar. 270 Peachtree St NW, 100, 404-524-7200.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].