The insider’s scoop about an Atlanta weekend is that the resident and the visitor have a lot in common. Both find themselves at one of the crossroads of American 21stcentury culture, and this brings a feeling like that of sitting down to a beautifully set table. There are personal joys to experience, pleasures to share, and surprises to discover, all in a setting that combines relaxation and stimulation like that of a cocktail mixed by an expert.
Let’s imagine we’re setting out from one of the luxury condos for sale in Midtown Atlanta, or from the Loews Atlanta Hotel, situated on the floors below the lovely private residences at 1065 Midtown. Both properties are known for being nestled among the finest concentration of things to do in Atlanta, and for their views of our precious Piedmont Park.
As evening approaches on Friday, it’s the perfect time to gather with friends, enjoy their company, and put the finishing touches on your plans for the weekend. The places that are richly arrayed around you in Midtown, and in nearby neighborhoods, are here because Atlanta has prospered uniquely from the renewed interest in city living. The green spaces, the office and retail facilities, and the residential opportunities in restored and renovated historic spaces were all here as the canvas, when the artistic and enterprising impulse to return from the suburbs, to a more walkable lifestyle, became a generational trend. The obvious advantages of this became one of the foundations of the value of Midtown Atlanta real estate.
Daylight lasts long into the evening this time of year, and so our first stop Friday evening could be one of the establishments that makes dining and drinking al frescoa pleasure, where the warmth among us matches the warmth around us. The King and Duke, and Whiskey Bluebeckon, up in Buckhead. For Midtown, al frescocan sometimes mean “rooftop,” as it does at the Renaissance Midtown, or in a more casual way at Six Feet Under, in West Midtown. A terrific list of options was published recently by Thrillist, and the selection is wide.
Later Friday night might be a good time to catch a ticket that would be harder to get on Saturday, like The Book of Mormon at our historic Fox Theatre. Here’s a good example of what makes this beautifully restored Moroccan fantasy and former movie palace exceptionally relevant today. A New York cast in a smash hit that’s still a tough ticket to get on Broadway, playing here in Atlanta for just a week, to audiences that are in a position to grab it.
Saturday morning is for the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. The town’s biggest producer-only market for fruits and vegetables is also a fine place for your morning coffee, some locally baked breakfast, and a stroll through Buckhead at the moment when its enterprising vibe begins to take it easy. Saturday night is not, as our famous resident Elton John once sang, “All Right for Fighting.” Rather, it’s a good night to consider the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra or the Alliance Theatre at our beloved Woodruff Arts Center in the High Museum of Art. People there will gladly advise you where to go after, for something noisier, if you wish.
For Sunday brunch, Nine Mile Station, on the rooftop of Ponce City Market, is hip and casual. If you’ve seen enough of rooftops for the weekend, then try the Highland Bakery. Eater Atlantahas a baker’s dozen of other ideas for the best Sunday brunch you’ve had in Atlanta.
Before we disengage for some quiet time on Sunday, before starting the busy week ahead, why not stroll the Atlanta History Center? The Museum and grounds offer an uncommonly rewarding time, whether you focus on a permanent exhibit, like the exceptional account of golf’s greatest sportsman, Bobby Jones, a special event, or one of the installations that tell stories we find so enriching, residents and visitors alike.
If the future is your mood instead, then look into touring our fresh Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a triumph of architecture, a magnet for economic and neighborhood development, and the venue for upcoming games that will draw the attention of the nation and the world.
