IMS organizers have done a fine job creating a guest program that offers the highlights of Atlanta and other nearby
Georgia attractions. Dining and after-hours activities are also researched and noted elsewhere in this issue of Microwave Journal. The purpose of this article is to simply welcome you to Atlanta and point out a few of the city’s finer, but perhaps lesser-known attractions that are a short cab ride from your downtown hotel.
Creative Loafing
Making a fine art of leisure time for many years, Creative Loafing magazine is one of the best sources of entertainment news and tips for ‘what’s doing’ in town. You can access it online at www.creativeloafing.com. For a fast start to Atlanta tickets, music, food and entertainment, Creative Loafing is an excellent source.
Time Out
Even the most dedicated microwave enthusiasts in downtown Atlanta have to take a break. Here’s a short list of places to visit during your downtime:
Fresh Air and the Great Outdoors
The Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm. Located at 1345 Piedmont Avenue, the Garden is actually part of centrally located Piedmont Park. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Piedmont Park
Located at 10th St. and Monroe Drive, Piedmont Park will let you stretch, walk, run and enjoy the impromptu concerts. www.piedmontpark.org
Centennial Olympic Park
This famous attraction is located on Marietta Street and International Boulevard (across the street from the Georgia World Congress Center Centennial Park) and offers walking paths, Music at Noon and the Olympic-themed fountains. www.centennialpark.com
History
Atlanta Cyclorama
Billed as the longest running show in the United States, the Atlanta Cyclorama presents the Civil War Battle of Atlanta from a unique, rotating stage. On display since 1893, the Cyclorama is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 4:30 pm. The grounds also include an extensive Civil War museum. The Cyclorama is in Grant Park near Zoo Atlanta. www.bcaatlanta.com
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
As birthplace of Dr. King, Atlanta hosts this National Historic Site located at John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. Visitors can learn about his life and influence on others. Admission is free; open 9 to 6 daily. www.nps.gov/malu
The Carter Center
Committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering, the Carter Center is located at 453 Freedom Parkway. Visitors can tour the gardens and visit the presidential library and museum. www.cartercenter.org
Swan House and Atlanta History Center
This attraction is a little farther from downtown at 130 West Paces Ferry Road. The complex of living history museums, fantastic gardens and the Swan House restaurant offer a very relaxed and quiet break from the ‘downtown scene.’ www.atlantahistorycenter.com
Art and Theater
The High Museum of Art
The High Museum is close by at 1280 Peachtree Street in midtown. The High enjoys a partnership with the Louvre Museum in Paris, sharing hundreds of works of art and offering visitors a chance to view world class collections, exhibits and events. Open Tuesdays through Sundays. www.high.org
Shakespeare Tavern
Home of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company and located at 499 Peachtree Street, the New American Shakespeare Tavern is unlike other theaters. It is a place out of time with live music, period costumes, outrageous sword fights with the entire experience centered on the passion and poetry of the spoken word. Food is a British Pub Menu with a broad selection of Irish ales and premium brews. Much Ado About Nothing is performed in June. www.shakespearetavern.com
Agatha’s
Featuring ‘Harry Plotter and the Half-Wit Princess’ through June, Agatha’s is home to Atlanta’s original comedy, murder mystery dinner theatre. Open seven days at 161 Peachtree Center downtown. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll eat. www.agathas.com
Places to Visit
Street Scenes
Every town has its funky side and Atlanta has “Little Five Points.” Head shops, casual and varied dining, small and experimental theaters and street performers abound. It’s a business community, a neighborhood, and possibly the coolest spot on the map between Greenwich Village and the French Quarter. Head out to the intersection of Moreland and McClendon Avenues. www.l5p.com
Baseball
Sorry. The Atlanta Braves are playing away games in California and Texas during IMS 2008. They do return for a home stand against Seattle on Friday, June 20. You can visit Turner Stadium, affectionately known as ‘The Ted,’ Monday through Saturday and take in the historical exhibits, the Braves Hall of Fame and other attractions. atlanta.braves.mlb.com
Laid Back
Atlanta’s Virginia Highlands district offers the relaxed, alfresco dining you may be looking for after a day or two on your feet in the Convention Center. More than 40 restaurants, bistros, bars and cafes await you near the intersection of North Highland and Virginia Avenues. www.virginiahighland.com
Unplugged
For a complete change of pace, what could be more removed from a week of ‘Microwave Total Emersion’ than woodworking or knitting? Atlanta is home to two of the finest pilgrimage sites for dedicated followers of these popular handcrafts: Highland Woodworking and Knitch.
Nestled up in the Virginia Highlands, Highland Woodworking, located at 1045 North Highland Avenue, is the Mecca for woodworkers around the globe offering instruction, tools and supplies. When Jimmy Carter isn’t shelving books at his Presidential Library, he’s often seen at Highland Woodworking learning how to build chairs. www.highlandwoodworking.com
Knitch, for serious knitters, is a one-stop, two-story education and supply center: Yarns, needles, kits, conversation and coffee. If you’re traveling with a knitter to IMS 2008, Knitch is not to be missed. It’s located in its own alley off St. Charles Avenue in the Virginia Highland neighborhood. www.knitchknitting.com
IMS 2008 is coming soon. The World Congress Center is ready, and Atlanta’s famous hospitality is waiting. Come as you are and welcome.
RESTAURANTS
AMERICAN
Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Road
(404) 365-0410
Aria
490 East Paces Ferry Road
(404) 233-7673
Park 75
The Four Seasons Hotel at 75 14th Street
(404) 253-3840
Asher (Roswell) 1085 Canton Street
(770) 650-9838
Food Studio 887 W Marietta Street
(404) 815-6677
Greenwoods on the Green (Roswell) 1087 Green Street
(404) 992-5383
Hal’s on Old Ivy 30 Old Ivy Road
(404) 261-0025
Thumbs Up (Cabbagetown/Candler Park/Inman Park)
573 Edgewood Avenue (404) 223-0690
Murphy’s 997 Virginia Avenue
(404) 872-0904
CHINESE
ChopStix 4279 Roswell Road
(404) 255-4868
Little Szechuan 5091 Buford Highway
(770) 451-0192
House of Chan 2469 Cobb Parkway
(770) 955-9444
Pung Mie 5145 Buford Highway (770) 455-0435
Hsu’s Gourmet (Downtown/Underground)
192 Peachtree Center Avenue
(404) 659-2788
ITALIAN
La Grotta (Two Locations)
4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road (770) 395-9925 and
2637 Peachtree Road (404) 231-1368
Di Paolo Cucina 8560 Holcomb Bridge Road (Alpharetta)
(770) 587-1051
Sotto Sotto (Intown) 313 North Highland Avenue
(404) 523-6678
Oscar’s Villa Capri (Dunwoody) 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive
(770) 392-7940
Baraonda (Intown) 710 Peachtree Street
(404) 879-9962
JAPANESE
Soto 3330 Piedmont Road
(404) 233-2005
Sushi Huku 6300 Powers Ferry Road
(770) 956-9559
Hashiguchi (Two Locations) 3000 Windy Hill Road (Marietta)
(770) 955-2337 and
3400 Wooddale Drive
(404) 841-9229
Nakato (Intown) 1776 Cheshire Bridge Road
(404) 873-6582
Kobe (Sandy Springs) 5600 Roswell Road
(404) 256-0810
MEXICAN
Taqueria Del Sol 1200-B Howell Mill Road at Huff Road
(404) 352-5811 and
359 West Ponce de Leon Avenue
(Decatur) (404) 377-7668
Nuevo Laredo Cantina 1495 Chattahoochee Avenue
(404) 352-9009
Zocalo 990 Piedmont Avenue
(404) 249-7576
STEAK
Bone’s 3130 Piedmont Road
(404) 237-2663
Chops 70 West Paces Ferry Road
(404) 262-2675
Morton’s of Chicago 3379 Peachtree Road
(404) 816-6535 and
303 Peachtree Road (404) 577-4366
Prime Lenox Mall, 3393 Peachtree Road
(404) 812-0555
Aspen’s Signature Steaks (Marietta) 2942 Shallowford Road
(678) 236-1400
SEAFOOD
Chops/Lobster Bar 70 West Paces Ferry Road
(404) 262-2675
Prime Lenox Mall, 3393 Peachtree Road
(404) 812-0555
The Atlanta Fish Market 265 Pharr Road
(404) 262-3165
McCormick & Schmick’s 600 Ashwood Parkway (Dunwoody) (770) 399-9900
Red Snapper (Intown) 2100 Cheshire Bridge Road
(404) 634-8947
PIZZA
Baraonda
(Intown) 710 Peachtree Street
(404) 879-9962
Camelli’s Gourmet Pizza (Intown) 699 Ponce de Leon Avenue
(404) 249-9020
Fritti (Intown) 311 North Highland Avenue
(404) 880-9559
Savage Pizza 484 Moreland Avenue (404) 523-0500
Rocky’s Brick Oven Pizza (Two Locations) 1770 Peachtree Street
(404) 870-7625
1395 North Highland Avenue (404) 876-1111
VEGETARIAN
Udipi Cafe’ 1850 Lawrenceville Highway (Decatur)
(404) 325-1933
Rainbow Restaurants 2118 North Decatur Road
(404) 633-3538
Cafe Sunflower (Two Locations) 5975 Roswell Road
(404) 256-1675 and
2140 Peachtree Road
(404) 352-8859
Flying Biscuit Cafe (Two Locations) 1001 Piedmont Avenue
(404) 874-8887 and
1655 McLendon Avenue
(404) 687-8888
R. Thomas Deluxe Grill 1812 Peachtree Street
(404) 881-0246
ADDITIONAL WEB SITES
www.hillfamily.net/atlanta
www.atlantamagazine.com
www.atlantahistorycenter.com
attend.atlanta.net
www.bestinatlanta.com
