Discover the Best of Atlanta: A Guide to the City's Hidden Gems, History, and Culture

Atlanta is the only city I know where you can spend days, weeks, even years exploring and still know absolutely nothing about it. It’s not elusive, it’s expansive. It doesn’t hide. It sprawls. It overwhelms. It defies summary. Atlanta has everything: history, innovation, art, music, sports, and food. It’s the love child of Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans, gritty, soulful, and constantly reinventing itself.

It started as a railway town. Burned during the Civil War. Rebuilt from the ashes. Now it’s a symbol of resilience. Of progress. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and the Atlanta History Center trace that arc of a personal, political, and cultural hub. Atlanta gave us more notable figures than almost anywhere else outside Southern California and New York: actors, musicians, activists, and politicians. It’s wild how much of our national heritage came from this city. And yet, Atlanta is overlooked. Maybe because no one knows where to start. There’s too much. Too many neighborhoods. Too many layers. Too many stories. You can’t talk about Atlanta; you have to walk it.

The Braves. The Falcons. The Hawks. Southern comfort food. Coca-Cola. UPS. Home Depot. AT&T. Delta. CNN. Earthlink. Arby’s. All are headquartered here. Not that anyone’s rushing to tour the Arby’s flagship store, but still, the density of industry is staggering. It’s a city that built itself into relevance and then quietly kept going.

The art and music scenes are alive. The High Museum of Art holds originals by Monet, Benzoni, Manet, Ricci, and Traylor. The Tabernacle and the Fox Theatre have hosted Atlanta’s own: TLC, OutKast, Indigo Girls, Gnarls Barkley, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Black Crowes, Collective Soul, and Zac Brown Band. The city doesn’t just produce culture, it radiates it.

Piedmont Park holds the echo of one of Dave Matthews Band’s best outdoor concerts. Ponce City Market hums with energy, shopping, food, and history. Krog Street Market & Tunnel blends grit with charm. And then there’s the BeltLine. A park, a trail, an art installation, a community event. It’s too involved to describe. It’s Atlanta in motion.

Atlanta defies definition. It exceeds expectations. It’s constantly evolving and constantly reinventing. Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, a music lover, or just someone looking for something real, Atlanta has it. And it doesn’t matter if you notice. Most of my extended family lives in and around the city. I’ve spent weeks there. Months. And still, I can say almost nothing about it. I took it for granted. Not anymore. Make the time. Walk the streets. Listen to the rhythm. Atlanta will leave you wanting more.