Things to do in Atlanta

Best thing to do in Atlanta right now is probably sneak into one of the huge corporate hotels downtown and find the rooftop swimming pools. Some of them even have poolside bars!

I have a rooftop pool in Brooklyn that I'll be forsaking for a week. I hope at least the ATL summer is no worse than usual.

also, I understand Mary's is the most fun gay bar.

I'm going to be in Atlanta for a couple of days - staying downtown, somewhere, near wherever my wife's conference is. I'll have access to a rental car but I don't want to spend the whole time driving around.

Any suggestions for any of the following things? Southern food, local institution type diner / burger / whatever places, really good restaurants, historical things to check out, good places to roam around and hit bookstores, good coffee places, interesting bars, art museums / galleries, and so on?

food at this restaurant is great, esp the scallops - http://www.livingstonatlanta.com/

http://www.luckiefoodlounge.com/ is a more casual bar atmosphere but good for cocktails, sushi etc

southern food: daddy d'z
AWESOME burgers: the vortex. the one on Moreland Ave is better than the one on West Peachtree and it's in the Little Five Points district which is a good place to hit up bookstores/record shops/et al

i was just gonna say the vortex

I always go to 5 Points and hit Wax n Facts (for used vinyl and used cds) and sometimes Criminal Records (if I'm looking for new shit). I'm bad at remembering the names of restaurants and bars, but I agree that you should go to The Varsity (linked upthread).

The Georgia Aquarium is fun, but it's not as big as you'd imagine. It didn't seem that way to me last year, at least. I mean the giant tank is GIANT, but the rest of the exhibits are in-and-out in just a few minutes. I was slightly disappointed.

I used to go all the time in the 90s, mostly for shows/concerts, but most of the things I liked and would recommend back then are gone now.

southern food/local institution: mary mac's
burger/local institution: ann's snack bar
historical crap: atlanta history center

georgia aquarium has some dope fish, but it's kinda soulless and ugly

Crüt, Fever -- my Chicago trip is a bust, but I'm kind of thinking about coming over that way next weekend. Anything happening?

Nothing that I know of, but I'm not really a goer outer.

HOLY SHIT

http://www.cnn.com/specials/live-video-2

better and more clear

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/large-fire-shuts-down-interstate/507589453

http://media.beta.wsbtv.com/photo/2017/03/30/bridge%20collapse_20170330230838170_7652730_ver1.0_640_360.jpg

this is insane. im trying to figure out where this is. is this in midtown before the 85/75 split?

It's right around where Piedmont goes under I-85, just south of the GA 400 onramp.

police thankfully anticipated the collapse and were diverting traffic away before the actual collapse happened

Atlanta and fires, man.

hope everyone is alright tho. ATL is my fav home away from home these days.

For people who don't live here or aren't familiar with it, that is one of the most heavy traffic stretches of road in the entire city at rush hours. I have no idea wtf is going to happen tomorrow (or for the next few months while they rebuild it).

RIP Atlanta

yeah this is the main road! they are going to have to entirely close 85 northbound and people will have to take 75 and surface streets. add in that stupid new baseball stadium about to open up and this is gonna be a messy month.

Imagine how bad the 285 bypass is on a normal day. Now double it. Atlanta will now basically be surrounded by a parking lot.

yep. sounds like all 85 traffic is going to be re-routed to Buford Highway and Peachtree Rd. 8 lanes of traffic on 2 lane roads.

Glad I live on the south side of the city for once.

This will make my May trip interesting.

Glad nobody got hurt (is that confirmed)?

No drivers or fire/police people harmed as of now.

Dang!

So MARTA stores some of their surplus materials underneath that stretch of I-85 and some big plastic conduit caught fire (reports of how vary at the moment), but because it's plastic, it got really hot really fast and basically turned into a petroleum bomb right underneath the roadway.

Superb planning, MARTA!

how is it today yall

no idea. this week i was let go from a project and am currently underemployed. this is divine retribution imo.

I work from home and I'm rarely on the north/east side of town anyway, but I imagine it's Armageddon.

I'd figure this should be taken as an illustration of what can happen when you apply high heat at a rebar joint under heavy weight bearing. Of course, I would not doubt there isn't already some nuts saying there was not anything in that shed that could burn hot enough to cause the failure.

it took me ten minutes longer to get home. but I don't take I-85 anymore.

Three arrested in connection!

http://i.imgur.com/QsIgAUK.jpg

That's the third version of the General Lee jumping the chasm today. But fuck it, it's still a great gag.

http://news.blog.ajc.com/2017/03/31/breaking-3-in-custody-in-connection-with-i-85-fire-bridge-collapse/

Brookhaven smh

https://www.ajc.com/news/police-doctor-visiting-from-england-shot-to-death-inside-brookhaven-apartment/63MD2AEH5VHYPIL7ZCR2XAWEWQ/

Herbie Hancock in the park last night was simply sublime. This city does almost feel world-class sometimes.

(Also Sazeracs at Bon Ton are highly recommended. Nicely located right around the corner from Mary Mac’s.)

Proposed redevelopment at the Star Bar in L5P apparently generating an inordinate level of drama. There’s a lot of context I had been missing.

I didn't say that. But they used to host bubbapalooza, say they were part of the redneck underground and had a wooden confederate flag hanging up on the top right of the stage. Not surprised that the folks with the most nostalgia for it aren't super diverse.

— Adam Harrell (@adamdharrell) September 19, 2022

I'm much more concerned about the closing of Atlanta Medical Center.

Agreed, I thought it’s a done deal tho.

I have no idea how far the redneck underground stuff goes back, but Star Bar has been a hot spot for stand-up for the last ten years and that includes black comics, white comics, and everyone else. No idea who Adam Harrell is, but it sounds like he's just a shit-stirrer.

L5P is already kind of ruined, so this is just people trying to hang on to anything they can. More power to em, I guess.

AMC closing is a bigger deal by 1000%.

re comedy can definitely confirm. I lived really close the first 3 years I was in Atl and went almost weekly to the semi infamous Monday. got to see a lot of sets by local folks who’ve gone on to do pretty well (eg Sam Jay) and even bigger touring comics who are in town for “real” shows would go up, incl a surprise hour+ set with Hannibal B. I would say on average it might consistently be one of the most evenly integrated rooms in town

ftr don’t know anything about the owners or it’s history (and def never saw a confederate flag, so maybe that’s from another era?). their music bookings tended towards smaller punk and metal acts (afaict) that I was generally unfamiliar with, so I think I’ve seen all of two shows there: Thelma & the Sleaze and a sort of hipster old school country cover band