atlanta information

Neighbourhoods

More than 4m people live in Atlanta's metropolitan area, but only about a tenth of those live within the city limits. “The Perimeter” refers to the highway (Interstate 285) that rings the city; you probably will be inside it for your entire stay (locals call outside the perimeter “OTP”). At least token familiarity with the city's many neighbourhoods will help in deciphering directions and getting your bearings.

Roughly, downtown Atlanta is south of North Avenue, and Midtown is north of it. Follow Peachtree Street north of Midtown to Lindbergh Drive and find yourself in Buckhead, which is still within the city limits. Other well-known neighbourhoods are in fact cities in and of themselves: Decatur and Avondale Estates to the east, College Park and East Point to the south and Marietta to the north-west. (Hartsfield-Jackson airport is slightly south of College Park and south-west of Atlanta.)

Other neighbourhoods are based around landmarks: Inman Park, Candler Park and Grant Park in eastern Atlanta, and the residences and shops clustered around Buford Highway (immortalised in Tom Wolfe's “A Man in Full” as Chambodia). Virginia-Highland is at the intersection of Virginia and North Highland avenues, just east of Piedmont Park, while Fairlie-Poplar, a smaller residential area, is south-east of Centennial Olympic Park. The West End, south of Interstate 20, sits near the Atlanta University Centre complex.

Bewildered? Don't worry: odds are you'll spend most of your time in downtown, Midtown or Buckhead, with Peachtree Street running north-south through all three neighbourhoods.

posted by none @ 7:38 AM