Atlanta/Midtown
Midtown is a major financial and residential district of Atlanta, and an area for dining and nightlife. In other words, it is an area to work, live, and play, with many sites and activities.
Understand
[edit]Midtown is a large commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta directly in between Downtown and Atlanta/Buckhead. The skyscraper district aligns Peachtree Street. To the east of Peachtree Street is Piedmont Park, and to the west is Spring Street and West Peachtree Street. This area is rapidly growing with new restaurants, bars, high-rise apartments, and condominiums, creating an urban living experience. While urban, the epicenter of Midtown is the 180-acre Piedmont Park.
Midtown is one of Atlanta's largest art districts and has the highest density of art and cultural institutions in the Southeast. Some of these include the Woodruff Arts Center, the High Museum of Art, and the Fox Theatre. Midtown is also the site of major artistic events such as Music Midtown and the Atlanta Dogwood Festival.
Inhabitants of Midtown typically include students from nearby Georgia Tech University and young professionals in their 20's and 30's who come from all over the country/world. As a result, Midtown is one of Atlanta's most diverse neighborhoods in the city. Midtown also has a thriving LGBTQ scene.
Get in
[edit]
Map of Atlanta/Midtown
Midtown is where Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 join a single corridor of I-75/85, also known as the Downtown Connector. Midtown can also be accessed by MARTA trains and several bus routes. Both the red and gold lines (the North-South lines) of the MARTA rail stop at three stations in Midtown: North Avenue Station (N3), Midtown Station (N4), and Arts Center Station (N5). MARTA bus 110, "the Peach," runs North-South on Peachtree Street through the entire length of Midtown (connecting to Downtown to the South and Buckhead to the North), running approximately every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day.
Atlantic Station is accessible by a free shuttle provided that departs from the MARTA Arts Center Station approximately every 5-15 minutes. The MARTA Bus Route #113 also serves Atlantic Station. By car, from Interstate 75/85 Northbound exit at 14th Street, from Interstate 75 Southbound exit at 16th Street, and from Interstate 85 Southbound exit at 17th Street.
See
[edit]- 1 Atlanta Botanical Gardens, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, ☏ +1 404-876-5859. April–October: Tu–Su 9AM–7PM; November–March: Tu-Su 9AM–4PM, M closed. This peaceful oasis includes 30 acres of garden, an urban forest, wildflower trails, the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory and a 10,000 square-foot Fuqua Orchid Center. The Garden also offers visitors a wealth of year-round special events, exhibits, and educational workshops. $19 (adult); $13 (under 12); free (under 3).
- 2 Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-881-2000. Tours available M W-Th 10AM; Sa 10AM and 11AM. A fabulous and historic Moorish style cinema and theater dating from the 1920s and now designated a National Historic Landmark. $10 (adult); $5 (senior/student).
- 3 High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-733-HIGH (4444). The High Museum of Art is one of the leading art museums in the South, where visitors can see a variety of works from 19th- and 20th-century American, European, African and African-American artists, as well as decorative arts, photography, and modern and contemporary art.
- 4 Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), 1315 Peachtree Street, NE (at 16th Street, near Arts Center Station). Tu-Sa 10AM - 5PM, Su noon - 5PM. A small, but densely packed museum. Offers various rotating design exhibits that are quite good. Check the website for regular special events, including "Drink in Design" Thursdays where the museum opens in the evening with special talks, drinks, and music. $10 adult; $8 senior, military, educators; $5 youth up to 17, students with ID.
- 5 Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, 535 Means Street NW (Bus 1 from near North Avenue Station or from Five Points Station, or 20 minute walk from North Avenue Station). Tu W F Sa 11AM - 5PM, Th 11AM - 8PM, Su noon - 5PM. Rotating contemporary art exhibitions. Check the website for closures due to installation. $5 general; $3 students, seniors; free on Thursdays and for children under 5.
- 6 Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA), 75 Bennett Street, Suite A2 (take bus 110 north from anywhere on Peachtree Street, get off at Peachtree Park Drive). Tu-Sa 10AM - 5PM. Hosts both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions with a focus on artists from the state of Georgia. $5 general, $1 students and seniors, free for military with ID.
- 7 William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring St, NW, ☏ +1 678-222-3700. Through its exhibitions, publications, and resources, the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum of the Atlanta Jewish Federation explores Jewish heritage in general and as it relates to other cultures and religions.
- 8 Margaret Mitchell House and Museum, 990 Peachtree St, ☏ +1 404-249-7015. M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM, Su noon-5:30PM; closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving Day, Dec 24-25. Tours on the half-hour, from 30 minutes after opening until 4:30PM. A museum dedicated to Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, featuring her original home where she lived from 1925 to 1932 and wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Those looking for a more complete Gone with the Wind experience should check out the Gone with the Wind Museum in Marietta. $13 adult; $10 senior or student; $8.50 child.
- 9 Rhodes Hall, 1516 Peachtree Street, NW, ☏ +1 404-885-7800. Sa 10AM-2PM. $5 per person for a guided tour of the 1st floor $7 Behind-the-Scenes tour brings visitors to all 3 floors.
- 10 Federal Reserve Bank Money Museum (Atlanta Monetary Museum), 1000 Peachtree Street, NE. M-F 9AM-4PM.
- 11 Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, 500 10th Street NW. M-F 9AM-5PM. Located on campus at Georgia Tech. Free.
Do
[edit]
- 1 Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, ☏ +1 404-873-3391, info@puppet.org. The Center for Puppetry Arts is the largest organization in North America dedicated to the art of puppetry. Located in Midtown, the center offers performances from the Family Series for everyone and New Directions for adults. An interactive museum, Puppets: The Power of Wonder, is the largest puppetry museum in the United States.
- 2 Georgia Institute of Technology. Visit the Georgia Tech campus to watch the Yellow Jackets play a football or basketball game, attend a robotics competition, or check out the latest showing at the Ferst Center of the Arts.
- 3 Piedmont Park (between 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue). Founded in 1904 and comprising more than 180 acres. The park features woods, sports fields, Lake Clara Meer, picnic spots, walking and skating paths and annual events including the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and Bark in the Park.
- 4 Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse, 499 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-874-5299. They tout themselves as "a place out of time" which only begins to describe the atmosphere at the Shakespeare Tavern. Live music, hand-crafted period costumes, and outrageous sword fights sweep the visitor into the passion and poetry of the spoken word. An authentic British Pub Menu and a broad selection of British and Irish ales and premium brews will help keep your physical soul nourished as well.
Buy
[edit]Midtown has stores catering to young urban professionals and to the gay crowd, including hip furniture stores and a few trendy clothing boutiques. The city has planned the "Midtown Mile," a mile-long retail shopping district on Peachtree Street, and retail shops are popping up all over midtown, seemingly on a weekly basis.
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Fat Matt's Rib Shack, 1811 Piedmont Ave, ☏ +1 404-607-1622. Tourist-favorite BBQ destination located toward the Midtown side of the industrial section of town between Midtown and Buckhead where heaping portions of cheap ribs and chicken are served up in a literal shack.
- 2 J.R. Crickets, 129 North Ave NE, ☏ +1 404-881-1950. Su-Th 11AM-2AM, F Sa 11AM-3AM. Their status as "best wings in Georgia" is debatable — they're definitely more "homestyle" than "gourmet", if that helps swing your vote — but they're probably the most well-known. Their new location (after a 2013 fire destroyed the old one) is brighter and more spacious, but retains the dive bar feel that makes J.R. Crickets so characterful. The traditional order used to be plain buffalo wings (hot, medium, or mild; get them "swimming" in extra sauce for $0.75). Thanks to a very quotable scene from the popular TV show Atlanta, the new popular order is "lemon pepper wet" (actually a questionable combination of buffalo sauce and lemon pepper seasoning). 10 wings $9.99, 20 wings $17.99; add $0.59 for lemon pepper.
- 3 The Varsity, 61 North Ave (at Spring St), ☏ +1 404-881-1706. Su-Th 10AM-11:30PM, F Sa 10AM-12:30AM. As the world's largest drive-in restaurant, to some people the Varsity is the last bastion of chili cheese dogs and onion rings, staying true to their heritage with their brusque "What'll ya have?" greeting. To others, it's a overrated place that serves greasy, heartburn-inducing food on a dodgy street corner troubled by thugs and panhandlers. But everyone agrees that the F.O. (Frosted Orange, a sort of orange creamsicle slushie) is unbeatable.
- 4 Willy's Mexicana Grill, 1071 Piedmont Ave (West edge of Piedmont Park), ☏ +1 404-249-9054. This Atlanta chain serves California-style burritos that are rolled up in front of you and has a popular outdoor seating section (where it is not uncommon to see dogs leashed to the tables).
- Taco Mac. Local bar chain featuring rotating taps and excellent wings. Multiple locations throughout Atlanta.
- 5 Eats, 600 Ponce de Leon Avenue (at Glen Iris Drive just east of Monroe Drive / Boulevard, 12-minute bus ride via route 2 from North Avenue Station departing about every 15 minutes). This is in a nearby neighborhood, between Poncey Highlands and Midtown, but sort of in a grey area. Cheap ($8 meat and three veg with cornbread included), amazing, Caribbean-leaning soul food. Get the jerk chicken or the chicken chili, as those are their most distinctive dishes. Go for a ginger beer as well if you get the jerk chicken. $8-10.
- 6 Rreal Tacos, 6th Street NE, Suite 110, ☏ +1 404-458-5887. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM. Fast-casual Mexican restaurant, owned by Chef Adrian Villarreal. Features authentic tacos, along with sides and rotating specials. $10.
- 7 Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina, 187 10th St NE. Casual Mexican restaurant near Piedmont Park.
Mid-range
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- 8 Mary Mac's Tea Room, 224 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, ☏ +1 404-876-1800. Daily 11AM-9PM. A landmark of old Atlanta cooking, this meat-and-three on Ponce has become an old Atlanta institution.
- 9 Flying Biscuit Cafe, 1001 Piedmont Ave, ☏ +1 404-874-8887. Opens at 7AM. Serves breakfast all day everyday and famous for brunch. Great place for kosher and vegetarian eaters as they have no beef or pork products - just free-range chicken, "soysauge", and turkey bacon. Long waits on the weekend, so get there early.
- 10 Cypress Street Pint and Plate, 817 West Peachtree Street (at the back of the building with this address, at 5th Street and Cypress Street). Nice burger and beer place with pub food and a good beer selection. $10-15.
- 11 Pasta da Pulcinella, 1100 West Peachtree St (West Peachtree St between 12th and 13th), ☏ +1 404-876-1114. Great little Italian restaurant. $15-20.
- 12 Babs, 814 Juniper Street (at 6th Street). Amazing brunch spot with some creative dishes and exceptionally friendly service. Cute, cozy spot as well. $10-20.
- 13 Cafe Intermezzo, 1065 Peachtree St NE. European-style restaurant that offers 800+ beverages and 70+ pastries along with an extensive breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner menu.
- 14 Bulla Gastrobar, 60 11th St NE. Spanish tapas spot with a large event space upstairs
- 15 Olive Bistro, 1050 Juniper St NE, Suite 4. Mediterranean joint with occasional live music, trivia, and stand-up events.
- 16 Cafe Lucia, 205 12th St. NE, Ste R1. Quaint coffee shop and eatery near Piedmont Park. Dutch coffee is their specialty cold brew.
- 17 Steamhouse Lounge, 1051 W Peachtree St NW. Casual gulf-inspired seafood restaurant and bar specializing in oysters and lobster dishes. Each year they host the "Oysterfest" food festival right down the road from their location.
- 18 Silverlake Ramen, 1080 Peachtree St NE Ste 9. LA-style Ramen spot. Has a large selection of Sake & a full bar.
Splurge
[edit]- 19 Nan Thai Restaurant, 1350 Spring St, NW, ☏ +1 404-873-7358. One of the most beautifully appointed restaurants in the city, where sexy Asian servers attend to elegantly-dressed couples and businessmen. The food served up by the husband and wife chef team of Charlie and Nan Niyomkul, who run both Nan and its more casual sister restaurant, Tamarind, is a favorite of many celebrities, including Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Brooke Shields.
- 20 South City Kitchen, 1144 Crescent Ave, ☏ +1 404-873-7358. M-Th Su 11AM-3:30PM & 5PM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-3:30PM & 5PM-10:30PM. South City Kitchen provides an accurate reflection of contemporary new Southern cuisine with a sophisticated spin. $15-28.
- 21 Empire State South, 999 Peachtree Street (at 10th Street, about a block away from Midtown Station). Empire State South is another promising option for those seeking contemporary Southern cuisine. $15-28.
- 22 Ecco, 40 7th Street (at Cypress Street, five-minute walk from Midtown Station). Great contemporary American food and cuisine with "European-inspired" influences with especially nice atmosphere inside, a large wine list, and some interesting cocktail selections, $15-28.
- 23 Establishment, 1197 Peachtree St NE Suite 517, ☏ +1 404 347-5291. Upscale restaurant/lounge serving craft cocktails and small American-style plates. Has an interesting and unique rustic-chic, antebellum-influenced decor.
- 24 Tabla, 77 12th St NE #2. High-end and authentic Indian restaurant.
Drink
[edit]Midtown is the destination for trendsetters and fashionistas, though due to increasing pressures to keep the area more upscale and to reduce noise at night, the legislature has begun to enact ordinances which have had the result of pushing club activity downtown. Several bars and clubs are within hopping-distance of one another on Crescent Street, and others are scattered about the area.
- 1 Park Tavern (bordering Piedmont Park). Hand-crafted beers, $1 pints when it rains, and live music events.
- Twisted Taco. Tasty Tex-Mex, margarita pitchers and late-night snacks.
- 2 11th Street Pub, 1041 W Peachtree St NW. Midtown's well-loved neighborhood dive bar. Open late into the night. Also serves bar food during the day. Big gathering spot to watch Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Atlanta United games.
- 3 McCray's Tavern, 1163 W Peachtree St NE. Lively sports bar with two levels. One of the best places in Midtown to watch a game - known for their great food and cheap game-day drink specials.
- 4 The Nook, 1144 Piedmont Ave NE. Neighborhood bar right across the street from Piedmont Park. Has a fun outdoor space. The Nook is known for its large fishbowl drinks and tater tots with toppings. This is also a Michigan State bar.
- 5 High Note Rooftop Bar, 53 14th St NE (You must enter through the Moxy or AC Hotel and take the elevator up). Poolside rooftop bar and lounge positioned between the Moxy Midtown Hotel and AC Atlanta Hotel.
- 6 Anguished Barber, Rear, 1075 Peachtree St NE Suite 5. This place is not just a barbershop, but it also doubles as a full on bar on its own. In one room there is a bar with a cool old school/classic vibe, and in the next room there is a full on barbershop. And yes, you do have access to the full bar if you decide to get your haircut there!
- 7 Cypress Street Pint and Place, 817 W Peachtree St NW. Casual watering hole by Georgia Tech's campus. Inexpensive and great for happy hour. The patio area gets very lively on nice days.
- 8 Orpheus Brewing, 1440 Dutch Valley Pl NE. Well-established local brewery nestled within Piedmont Park. Offers brewery tours and has a fun taproom/porch. Orpheus brews all kinds of beer, but if you like sour beer this is the place for you.
Clubs
[edit]- Compound. An Atlanta hotspot.
Gay and lesbian
[edit]Midtown is the heart of gay life in Atlanta, particularly centered around the corner of 10th and Piedmont/Juniper.
- 10 Blake's on the Park, 227 10th St, ☏ +1 404-892-5786. Serves gay southern hospitality like no other with two levels serving food, DJs and drag shows.
- 11 Bulldog Bar, 893 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-872-3025. A Midtown institution that draws a largely African-American crowd.
- 12 Oscar's, 1510 Piedmont Ave, NE, ☏ +1 404-874-7748. Glam Midtown bar offers a throwback to old Hollywood.
- 13 My Sister's Room, 84 12th St NE. Lesbian nightspot in a 2-story setting featuring local beer, dancing, live shows & a pub menu.
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]Mid-range
[edit]- 1 Crowne Plaza Atlanta - Midtown, 590 West Peachtree St NW.
- 2 Hotel Indigo, 683 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-874-9200. Hip midtown hotel with nouveau New England decor across from the Fox Theatre and close to the MARTA train. Includes events like a doggie happy hour.
- 3 Twelve Hotel, 361 17th St, NW, ☏ +1 404-961-1212. Located in Atlantic Station, this sleek, contemporary all-suite hotel features stainless steel appliances and LCD televisions, and is located amidst the Atlantic Station shopping district. WiFi, 24-hour room service, and swimming pool. US$175-350.
- 4 Home2 Suites by Hilton Atlanta Midtown (formerly Regency Suites Hotel), 975 West Peachtree St, ☏ +1 404-876-5003. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: Noon. A boutique hotel in the heart of midtown with a mix of European charm and down-home southern hospitality. It was renamed in March 2020.
- 5 Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, 800 Spring St, NW, ☏ +1 404-347-9440. Located in the pedestrian-friendly area of Midtown on Tech Square surrounded by shops and restaurants. Features extensive state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities.
- 6 Moxy Hotel Atlanta, 48 13th St NE, ☏ +1 404 249-9446. Midtown's newest hotel. It is trendy and great for travelers that are looking to have a good time. The hotel has a large lobby bar filled with different board games, a rooftop bar (High Note), and is surrounded by bars and restaurants on all sides.
Splurge
[edit]- 7 Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, 75 14th St, NE, ☏ +1 404-881-9898, fax: +1 404 873-4692. This luxurious Midtown hotel is in the lower third of the GLG Grand tower and within walking distance of Piedmont Park.
- 8 Georgian Terrace Hotel, 659 Peachtree St, NE, ☏ +1 404-897-1991. Southern charm abounds at this grandly-appointed historical hotel across from the Fox Theatre.
- 9 The Starling Hotel, 188 14th St, NE, ☏ +1 404-892-6000. This new hotel offers luxury rooms with post-modern decor, and a short walk to Piedmont Park and numerous pubs, bars, and clubs.
- 10 Hyatt Atlanta Midtown, 125 10th Street NE, ☏ +1 404-443-1234. The Hyatt Atlanta Midtown is a luxury hotel in Midtown Atlanta adjacent to 10th Street Park.
- 11 Stonehurst Place, 923 Piedmont Ave NE, ☏ +1 404-881-0722. Stonehurst Place is a luxury boutique hotel and bed and breakfast in Midtown Atlanta. The hotel features six suites, and wedding facilities.
- 12 Loews Hotel Atlanta, 1065 Peachtree St NE, ☏ +1 404 745-5000. Located in a modern high-rise building, this upscale hotel is situated right at the heart of Midtown and is walking distance to nearly everything in the neighborhood.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]| Routes through Midtown |
| Doraville ← Buckhead ← | N  S |
→ Downtown → Hartsfield-Jackson ATL |
| Sandy Springs ← Buckhead ← | N  S |
→ Downtown → Hartsfield-Jackson ATL |