You think you know the ATL? Think again. From underground cities to chicken-related felonies, here are five absolutely wild facts about our city that will make you look at Atlanta in a whole new light.
1. Atlanta Accidentally Re-Invented Strip Clubs as We Know Them
Cheetah Lounge (opened 1974 on Peachtree) is widely credited as the first club in Atlanta to combine full nudity AND alcohol sales under one roof.
While Atlanta did not invent the concept of strip clubs, it is widely considered to have revolutionized and defined the modern, high-energy, hip-hop-centric strip club culture that is popular today, largely due to the success of clubs like Magic City in the 1980s.
The city’s unique legal, cultural, and musical environment turned Atlanta’s best strip clubs into major economic, social, and entertainment hubs. Here is the breakdown of why Atlanta is considered the “accidental” inventor of modern, influential strip club culture:
- The “Magic City” Shift (Mid-1980s) Before 1985, Atlanta strip clubs were often described as “dusty, old spots” where customer service was poor and safety was a concern.
- Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney: In 1985, he founded Magic City with the goal of changing this, focusing on superior customer service, higher-quality performances, and a more professional environment.
- The Transformation: Barney focused on the “game,” teaching dancers to be professionals, which increased customer loyalty and made the club a premier destination.
2. Atlanta Krogers Are the Centers of Civic Life
People confuse Atlanta’s Waffle House locations with being where the action is but it’s actually the Kroger grocery stores.
Aside from the now defunct landmarks of “Disco Kroger,” now a deluxe Publix shopping center, and “Murder Kroger,” now known as “Beltline Kroger,” the grocer has been distinct in its Atlanta offerings.
And did you know Atlanta residents could renew their driver’s licenses at certain Kroger stores, a program established to reduce long lines at state DDS offices?
Today, this service has evolved into self-service kiosks located inside numerous Kroger locations for convenient license renewals and replacements. Historically, Kroger provided space for official state-run driver’s license renewal centers, with notable locations such as the one on Candler Road.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) has installed self-service kiosks at 53+ Kroger locations (and some Publix stores) to renew or replace licenses and ID cards. Convenience: These kiosks allow residents to handle license renewals, tag renewals, and print temporary licenses while shopping.
3. The CDC Keeps the Last Known Samples of Smallpox… 20 Minutes from Downtown
Yep. The only two places on Earth that still have live smallpox virus are the CDC in Atlanta and a lab in Siberia. It’s stored in a freezer in Druid Hills under security tighter than Fort Knox. Sleep tight!
Read about the most mysterious facts about the CDC’s history.
4. There’s a Massive Underground City Most Atlantans Have Never Seen
Beneath downtown lies a sprawling network of abandoned street-level storefronts and sidewalks from the 1920s, sealed off when the city raised the streets after the Great Fire of 1917.
Today, parts of “Atlanta From the Ashes” or Underground Atlanta’s lesser-known tunnels are used for film shoots (think Stranger Things and The Walking Dead), secret parties, and yes… allegedly ghost tours that will straight-up make you question reality.
5. The World’s Busiest Airport Once Lost an Entire Airplane… for Two Weeks
We all know that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is consistently the world’s busiest airport (sorry, Chicago), famously handling over 100 million passengers annually, but there’s a lot more.
Did you know that Hartsfield was built on an old racetrack? The airport was built on the site of a defunct 1900s auto racetrack known as the Atlanta Speedway, donated by Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler.
- Tallest ATC Tower: ATL features the tallest Air Traffic Control tower in North America, standing at 398 feet.
- A “Mini City”: With over 300 dining and retail spots, a massive art program, and in-terminal amenities, it functions like a self-contained city.
- Two-Hour Radius: Roughly 80% of the United States population lives within a two-hour flight of Atlanta.
It sat unnoticed on a remote ramp for 14 days before anyone realized a 150-foot-long aircraft had vanished in plain sight. Airport officials finally found it after the buyer called asking where his plane was. Peak Atlanta chaos.
6. Atlanta Has More Billionaires Per Capita Than Almost Anywhere Else in America
Think LA or New York have all the money? Nope. When you adjust for population, metro Atlanta quietly ranks near the very top nationally for billionaire density.
From Home Depot founders to Chick-fil-A royalty and a surprising number of quiet tech and logistics titans, the city is low-key one of the richest places in the country. We just don’t flex about it like everybody else.
7. The Varsity Has Sold More Coca-Cola by Volume Than Any Other Single Location on Earth
The iconic North Avenue grease palace has been slinging chili dogs and frosted oranges since 1928, and because it’s practically attached to Georgia Tech’s campus, it moves an absurd amount of Coke.
The Varsity claims (and Coca-Cola corporate apparently backs it up) that more Coca-Cola is sold here than any other single restaurant or venue on the planet. What’ll ya have? Diabetes and a heart attack, apparently.
So next time someone says Atlanta is “just traffic and trees,” hit them with these facts and watch their mind explode. This city is way weirder (and way cooler) than people give it credit for.
Only in the ATL, y’all. Like this content? Read up on crazy, insane facts about Stone Mountain.
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