Things You Didn’t Know About Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia has been called the jewel of the Southeast. No wonder: Millions of people move to Georgia’s largest city every year. But do you ever find yourself wondering “what is Atlanta known for?”

It’s a fair question given the diverse transients that have come and made Atlanta home, bringing with them their own cultures, flavors and traditions. The city, as a result, has become a hodge-podge of different styles and vibes. But it’s still Atlanta.

Atlanta was founded in December 1847 when Georgia officials decided to build a railroad to the Midwest. This terminus would soon become the ATL.

What Kind Of Food Is Atlanta Known For?

We get this all the time. Atlanta may have a Waffle House on every block, but there’s no one food group that the city can be associated with. When it comes to beverages, though, it’s pretty fair to say that sweet tea is the drink of choice.

Fried chicken may come to mind for most folks, but the fact of the matter is that most Southern cities and towns can stake a claim to fried yard bird. And chicken and waffles is served at only a handful of restaurants here so that’s out of the question. Yep, sweet tea, on the other hand, is served in nearly every restaurant.

Want to know more about Alanta’s dining scene? Here are foods that Atlanta is know for around the world.

How Many Peachtree Streets Are In Atlanta?

If you’ve ever tried to navigate around Atlanta’s streets, one thing that can be as confusing is all get out is the number of Peachtree Streets, Avenues, Boulevards, etc., around the city. At last count there were more than 70 streets with the “Peachtree” moniker in their names. It also bears saying that Peachtree Street, Ave and Road are all the same depending on whether the stretch is zoned as residential, commercial and/or a mix of both. But in any event, when you’re in Atlanta, GPS is your friend! (But more on this later).

What Are Some Of The Most Iconic Atlanta Landmarks?

Underground Atlanta used to be the #1 place you’d bring a visitor but not this century! Now, some of the most iconic places are newer and more polished (although there are still a handful of older landmarks you still want to see).

Clermont Lounge

This place is an Atlanta institution of the adult variety, if you get what I mean. If you’re looking for elegance, this is the opposite. But it has been a fixture on Ponce de Leon Avenue because the place has managed to stay open despite the ups and downs of “progress” all around it.

The Varsity

Situated on a plum plot of land in Midtown by the freeway, The Varsity has done for the chili dog what Waffle House has done for the waffle. The restaurant features a drive-in with car-side service, making it one of the last of its kind. The food is not the award variety, but it’s a must if you want to taste what Atlantans have been eating for nearly 100 years.

Centennial Olympic Park

Centennial Olympic Park is an oasis in the middle of downtown Atlanta. One of the lasting remnants of the Atlanta Olympics (which we’ll talk about later) is a beautiful greenspace that serves as the centerpiece of downtown Atlanta.

There are numerous places to take pictures and even a ferris wheel nearby.

Read up on some of Atlanta’s best parks.

Underground Atlanta

Go in the center of downtown and beneath the bustling streets of downtown Atlanta lies Underground Atlanta, a historic area that was once the city’s original street level. Today, it features shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, offering a glimpse into Atlanta’s past.

Atlanta History: Events That Happened Here

Atlanta has been home to some of the most historic events in U.S. history. Here are some things that happened in Atlanta that you may not know about.

The Winecoff Hotel fire happened in Atlanta

The Dec. 7, 1946 fire at the Winecoff Hotel (now the Ellis hotel) in downtown Atlanta is the deadliest such blaze in U.S. history. 119 people died in the fire, which helped spark huge changes in U.S.  building codes, most notably requiring mandating fire-resistant doors and firescapes.

Atlanta Child Murders

One of the darkest moments of the cities history was when a serial killer started exacting lives of young boys and girls around the city, many of them African-American.

While the case proved as controversial as the murders, Wayne Williams was convicted of the crime, which many believe was committed by someone else. Nevertheless, it is an historic event that happened.

The 1996 Olympics

The 1996 Olympics were the culmination of decades of goodwill and moving and shaking by the city’s powers that be. Although it was a triumphant moment when Muhammad Ali lit the torch, the event was also marred by an instance of domestic terrorism which took the form of the Olympic bombing.

Atlanta Is The Only U.S. City Destroyed In A War

During the Civil War in the spring of 1864, the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston, was holed up in Dalton, Georgia. The Union Army wanted to do something about it, amid other troublesome skirmishes taking place, so in early May, 1864, Union forces under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman began the Atlanta Campaign, a “scorched earth” policy to burn the city to the ground. The basically uncontested “March to the Sea” would destroy a swatch of Georgia.

Atlanta Has More Pro Sports Teams Than You May Know

When you think of Atlanta, your mind may immediately focus on the Hawks, Braves or Falcons, but we’ve got more birds than that. Here are a number of professional teams that call Atlanta home:

Atlanta Is A Championship Sports Town

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in November 2021, breaking a more than two-decade drought.

Atlanta United, in just its second season, won the MLS Championship in 2018 with a commanding 2-0 win over Colorado. Atlanta United, which plays at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium set attendance records for the second straight year on the way to their title. Before Atlanta United’s victory, the city had gone 25 years since a title in a major sport. The Atlanta Falcons came the closest in 2017 before losing to the New England Patriots.

Atlanta Has The World’s Busiest Airport

More than 10 years running now (since 1998), Atlanta has had the world’s busiest airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located on the line between College Park, Hapeville and Atlanta, attracts more traffic and has more airplane movements than any other airport in the world. You can also save money at Hartsfield if you strategize.

The airport is named after William B. Hartsfield, who founded the site on an abandoned racetrack, and Maynard Jackson, the first black mayor of Atlanta.

Coincidentally, Hartsfield is home to Delta Air Lines, one of the largest airlines in the world, and a major reason Atlanta is a traffic hub.

Atlanta Is Growing (And Growing)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Atlanta experienced the third-highest population gain of any metro area in the United States, behind the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston. Between 2016 and 2017, metro Atlanta gained nearly 90,000 new residents, bringing the total population in the region to an estimated 5.8 million people.

Here’s how many people live in Atlanta.

Atlanta Is The Birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.

While it is true that Birmingham, Alabama is the cradle of the civil rights movement, Atlanta is generally recognized as the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the movement’s most prominent leader.

Years before the tragic murder of his mother, Mrs. Alberta Williams King, MLK, along with a number of key leaders like Andrew Young, Hosea Williams and more, roused the nation to its senses by pioneering the nonviolent protests that finally toppled segregation across the nation. King was born in Atlanta in the Auburn Avenue neighborhood in 1929. Today that site has been recognized as historic and is just a few blocks from the King Center.

Coca-Cola Was Born In Atlanta

If you like Coca-Cola, you are enjoying a taste of Atlanta with every sip. The soft drink’s long history began in 1886 when an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, created a flavored syrup, took it to his neighborhood pharmacy, where it was mixed with carbonated water and deemed “excellent” by those who sampled it. Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with naming the beverage “Coca Cola.”

There Are 60+ Streets Named ‘Peachtree’

If you’re trying to find your way around Atlanta, “Peachtree” just won’t cut it. There are more than 60 streets with a variation of Peachtree in their names, with some of them as far as 30 minutes away from downtown Atlanta.

Atlanta Is The New Hollywood

Atlanta houses the No. 1 film industry in the United States, having surpassed Hollywood in 2016. The metro Atlanta region began offering generous tax incentives in 2002 to lure movie producers. Today, Georgia has a $90 billion movie industry. See what’ movies are filming in Atlanta.

Atlanta Is Not The Strip Club Capital Of The U.S.

Contrary to popular belief Atlanta is not the strip club capital of the United States, that distinction is Portland, Oregon. Still, Atlanta’s many strip clubs make it No. 1 in the South. Here are the best strip clubs in Atlanta.

Final Word

Atlanta has paid a pivotal role in the South as well as the larger United States. The city is known for more than its hospitality and sweet tea. There’s sports, there’s good restaurants and there’s the booming real estate market.

Are you a beer drinker? You also may want to visit to a craft brewery in the city. 

  Check out these events in Atlanta today and this week and this weekend:

Here are more articles from AtlantaFi.com:

• Here are the REALLY FUN things to do in Atlanta
• Check out these FREE events in Atlanta
• Feeling adventurous? Here are some outdoorsy things to do in ATL