Midtown Atlanta Weekend
By SALLY WALKER DAVIES
Posted: 2008-05-09 14:29:22
Atlanta has as many layers as the famous sweet Vidalia onion that's grown in Georgia. There's chic Buckhead and edgy Five Points -- a newly buzzing downtown that's anchored by Centennial Olympic Park.
To find the beating heart at the center of the city, one only has to travel to the center of the city: Midtown.
Midtown Atlanta is home to a diverse range of entertainment and cultural options, a revitalized green space that rivals Central Park (and frankly outshines it in many ways), and two revitalization projects that promise a fresh and decidedly urban atmosphere for the Peachtree City.
Arts and Culture
Midtown's cultural offerings encompass every conceivable form -- from the recently expanded High Museum of Art to the excellent regional theatre, the Alliance Theatre, one of the many facets of the Woodruff Arts Center, to the historic Fox Theatre, and the performing arts -- the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the city's professional ballet company all call Midtown home. At the High, collaboration with Paris' Louvre Museum is underway. Treasures from the Louvre's collections will be rotated for the next few years, drawing millions to the city for a glimpse of the world's finest artistic treasures.
Go Green
The jewel of Midtown is Piedmont Park, the 180-acre oasis designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, more famously known for as the designer of New York's Central Park. Overuse and lack of funds a resulted in a benign neglect of the park. A community effort reclaimed its former grandeur and has flipped it from might-do to must-see. Anglers have cast a line in the park's lake, Clara Meer, since 1895.
Jogging and walking paths afford a view of the skyline and meander through the park's canopied trees. Playgrounds lure the kids while a play space for dogs draws every breed. The park comes alive during the arts and jazz festivals it plays host to, and a variety of dining and shopping options flank the outer reaches of the park. Those who are more into Olmstead's landscape architecture won't want to miss a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which hugs the park to the northwest.
Dining
In addition to being the cultural center of the city, Midtown may well be turning into the gastronomic center of Atlanta as well.
Midtown has a rich, multi-cultural flavor in its dining options, many of which situateded on Peachtree Street, although on Juniper Street, north of Ponce de Leon Avenue, is a restaurant row district, with upscale dining and trendy night spots.
Try ONE Midtown Kitchen for its mod decor and exquisite views of Piedmont Park and the skyline beyond -- it's a bar that offers small plates and an alluring scene.
Lobby at TWELVE is a restaurant, but probably an even better bar scene, literally in the lobby of the boutique-y and swank TWELVE Hotel in the new Atlantic Station district.
Ecco is a perfect combination of casual sophistication. Al fresco dining is the best way to experience the Mediterranean dishes.
Shop Talk
Midtown bursts with great shopping and even more is on the way. The Atlantic Station development -- an example of new urbanism -- combines big box stores with boutiques, a movie theatre and hip bowling alley, restaurants and a variety of living options.
Coming online is the ambitious Midtown Mile, 14 blocks along Peachtree Street that's a tribute to the Miracle Mile in Chicago. The multi-phase project will eventually combine streetcars and bicycle lanes with upscale retail and prime office space.
Some of the best Midtown shopping, however, is already on Peachtree Street, in an area known as the design district. Retromodern.com is anything but shopping in cyberspace. Look for mid-century modern furniture and sleek home accessories.
Ligne Roset is a lush combination of linens, tableware and lamps, and multi-tasking furniture. Try Space for classic lines and if you'e in the mood to splurge.
Rest Your Head
There's no lack of accommodations for a weekend spent exploring Midtown.
The all-suite TWELVE is part hotel, part residence. Clever packages include the Bed & Beemer, where you get a suite and a BMW to drive, and the Dine-around, which gets you two nights and two meals at two different restaurants for -- you guessed it -- two people. The Georgian Terrace is a graceful, historic gem with excellent package pricing, and the Four Seasons is a lush choice for a luxurious weekend.
To find the beating heart at the center of the city, one only has to travel to the center of the city: Midtown.
Midtown Atlanta is home to a diverse range of entertainment and cultural options, a revitalized green space that rivals Central Park (and frankly outshines it in many ways), and two revitalization projects that promise a fresh and decidedly urban atmosphere for the Peachtree City.
Arts and Culture
Midtown's cultural offerings encompass every conceivable form -- from the recently expanded High Museum of Art to the excellent regional theatre, the Alliance Theatre, one of the many facets of the Woodruff Arts Center, to the historic Fox Theatre, and the performing arts -- the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the city's professional ballet company all call Midtown home. At the High, collaboration with Paris' Louvre Museum is underway. Treasures from the Louvre's collections will be rotated for the next few years, drawing millions to the city for a glimpse of the world's finest artistic treasures.
Go Green
The jewel of Midtown is Piedmont Park, the 180-acre oasis designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, more famously known for as the designer of New York's Central Park. Overuse and lack of funds a resulted in a benign neglect of the park. A community effort reclaimed its former grandeur and has flipped it from might-do to must-see. Anglers have cast a line in the park's lake, Clara Meer, since 1895.
Jogging and walking paths afford a view of the skyline and meander through the park's canopied trees. Playgrounds lure the kids while a play space for dogs draws every breed. The park comes alive during the arts and jazz festivals it plays host to, and a variety of dining and shopping options flank the outer reaches of the park. Those who are more into Olmstead's landscape architecture won't want to miss a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which hugs the park to the northwest.
Dining
In addition to being the cultural center of the city, Midtown may well be turning into the gastronomic center of Atlanta as well.
Midtown has a rich, multi-cultural flavor in its dining options, many of which situateded on Peachtree Street, although on Juniper Street, north of Ponce de Leon Avenue, is a restaurant row district, with upscale dining and trendy night spots.
Try ONE Midtown Kitchen for its mod decor and exquisite views of Piedmont Park and the skyline beyond -- it's a bar that offers small plates and an alluring scene.
Lobby at TWELVE is a restaurant, but probably an even better bar scene, literally in the lobby of the boutique-y and swank TWELVE Hotel in the new Atlantic Station district.
Ecco is a perfect combination of casual sophistication. Al fresco dining is the best way to experience the Mediterranean dishes.
Shop Talk
Midtown bursts with great shopping and even more is on the way. The Atlantic Station development -- an example of new urbanism -- combines big box stores with boutiques, a movie theatre and hip bowling alley, restaurants and a variety of living options.
Coming online is the ambitious Midtown Mile, 14 blocks along Peachtree Street that's a tribute to the Miracle Mile in Chicago. The multi-phase project will eventually combine streetcars and bicycle lanes with upscale retail and prime office space.
Some of the best Midtown shopping, however, is already on Peachtree Street, in an area known as the design district. Retromodern.com is anything but shopping in cyberspace. Look for mid-century modern furniture and sleek home accessories.
Ligne Roset is a lush combination of linens, tableware and lamps, and multi-tasking furniture. Try Space for classic lines and if you'e in the mood to splurge.
Rest Your Head
There's no lack of accommodations for a weekend spent exploring Midtown.
The all-suite TWELVE is part hotel, part residence. Clever packages include the Bed & Beemer, where you get a suite and a BMW to drive, and the Dine-around, which gets you two nights and two meals at two different restaurants for -- you guessed it -- two people. The Georgian Terrace is a graceful, historic gem with excellent package pricing, and the Four Seasons is a lush choice for a luxurious weekend.
2007-03-26 20:58:42
