Where to Live: Atlanta, Georgia

And here we go! At 501 Auburn Avenue Northeast you will find the boyhood home of Martin Luther King Jr. Just past that is the historic Fire Station No. 6, followed by the King Center and then the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King was baptized and both his father Martin Luther King Sr. and he were pastors.

These are all part of the 35 acre Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park which includes several buildings in Atlanta, relating to the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Remember this place. You will likely want to come and spend some time here.
Please turn right on Jackson St.

I love a good bridge and the Jackson Street Bridge is one of my favorites! Carefully take a good look at the Atlanta Skyline as you drive across. Known as the “quintessential Atlanta view,” this spot is very popular for engagement pictures. Is there anyone out there taking pictures today? And here’s some fun trivia: Jackson Street Bridge is the iconic shot from the first season of “The Walking Dead.” Hang on to that fun little tidbit of information.

Let’s turn left on South Prado. Thanks. But just so you know, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is located in Piedmont Park, which is on the right.
The Garden opened its doors back in 1976 and became an important gem of Atlanta culture. Inside you can explore their indoor and outdoor botanical collections, plus art collections and well, an active amphibian conservation program. Don’t miss the Saturday and Sunday public amphibian feedings!

So step into a world of magic and serenity here at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where features like the Fuqua Orchid Center treat visitors to a rare collection of high-elevation orchids never before grown in the southeast. Adult Admission: $21.95+tax, Children Admission: $18.95+tax

Please follow your navigation as we head north for a bit. We will be passing some restaurants that you may want to come back to later! We will also pass the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.

How about we drive over a creek? It’s coming right up. Peachtree CREEK is actually a major STREAM in Atlanta. More about that later. We still call it Peachtree Creek no matter what it is. The creek is 7.5 miles long, in case you were wondering. Enjoy the drive and please turn left on Andrews Drive NW so I can show you the Atlanta History Center.

Atlanta History Center is a history museum and research center located in the Buckhead district here in Atlanta. The Museum was founded in 1926 and currently consists of nine permanent and several temporary exhibitions. Their campus is 33-acres and features historic gardens and houses located on the grounds, including Swan House, Smith Farm, and Wood Family Cabin. Their Midtown Campus includes the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. The History Center’s research arm, Kenan Research Center, includes 3.5 million resources and a reproduction of historian Franklin Garrett's office. Atlanta History Center holds one of the largest collections of Civil War artifacts in the United States. So many interesting things to explore here.

Let’s head to Chastain Park. Follow your navigation and make sure you turn left on Powers Ferry Road from Roswell Road.

Chastain Memorial Park is the largest city park in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a 268-acre park near the northern edge of the city. Included in the park are jogging paths, playgrounds, tennis courts, a golf course, swimming pool, horse park and amphitheater. Drive around and see what you think! Just exit the area by heading east on Interlochen Drive Northeast. And be sure to come back to Chastain Park when you have some time for a nice stroll.

Up ahead on your left is the Blue Heron Nature Preserve. It’s a thirty acre oasis right in the city that you can explore free of charge! What kind of wildlife can you find amongst the meadows, wetlands, woodlands and creeks at this fabulous park? Glad you asked. Here is an incomplete list for ya:

Frogs, turtles, hawks, rabbits, beaver, deer, coyotes, opossums, otters, butterflies, hummingbirds, owls, squirrels, chipmunks, racoons, woodpeckers, and of course Great Blue Herons.

Carry on.

Do you like restaurants? Good, me too, and there are quite a few of them on this stretch of Piedmont Road.
There’s a Waffle House ahead on your right, just past PeachTree Drive. Here’s some Waffle House Trivia: The very first Waffle House opened its doors in 1955, about 8 miles away from where you are right now. Yup, Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner were living in Avondale Estates, GA, when they decided to open a 24-hour, sit-down restaurant for their friends and neighbors. Currently there are over 2,100 Waffle House Restaurants spread across 25 states, although most of the city of Atlanta has way more Waffle Houses than any other city.
Across the US, Waffle House serves more than 145 waffles per minute. Not sure how that was calculated but I do think it’s true.

Remember Peachtree Creek? We are gonna cross over it again now. So what is the difference between a creek and a stream?
Well, Google tells me that a creek is a small stream of water that is inland, and that they are more turbulent than streams.
A stream is defined as any body of water with current that moves under gravity to lower levels.
However Google also says that in some parts of the world, the words “creek” and “stream” are interchangeable. Got it? It’s as clear as mud to me. Now let me show you a park. Please stay on Piedmont until you get to Monroe Drive and then turn left.

We are at the north east tip of Piedmont Park. It is on your right. We drove partially along the west side of the park at the beginning of the tour. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is there, remember? There is much more than that garden in this 189 acre park. Hmmm… where should I begin? Well, there’s a pool with 4 lap lanes, and a beach entry pool that has a current channel so you can just float if you want.
There are two incredible parks for kids of all ages, with not just fun things to balance, swing and climb on, but also interactive games and scavenger hunts!
How about a Farmer’s Market? Ok, visit one of the top 5 markets in Atlanta here at Piedmont Park on Saturdays from 9am-1pm, March-November.
You wanna be your own farmer? Ok then. You can rent a garden plot in the park for only $30.
If you want to have a picnic and grill some burgers, there are plenty of options in Piedmont Park as well.
If you want someone else to feed you, the park also offers food carts and outdoor restaurants!
Wait! What about Fido? Not to worry. Piedmont Dog Parks feature three fenced-in acres, separate areas for big dogs and small dogs, shaded areas, dog water spickets, and plenty of benches for when YOU get tired of chasing Fido around the park when it is time to leave.
I haven’t even told you about everything here. You just need to go check it out yourself. But not yet! Keep following your navigation.

Please turn right at the light and I’ll drive you past the Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech. If you live in Georgia, you just call it Tech. The school was founded back in 1885 and it offered only a degree in mechanical engineering. Fast forward and now Tech offers more than 130 degrees.
Oh, and their football team has won the national championships 4 times. Go Yellow Jackets!

Coca-Cola Museum on your right, Children’s Museum on your left, and Centennial Olympic Park straight ahead. How’s that for a random mix of fun things in Atlanta?
Up until 2009, the Coca-Cola Museum was the most visited indoor attraction in all of Atlanta until it was surpassed by the Georgia Aquarium.

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta was founded in 1988 as a “Museum Without Walls.” It is geared toward children under the age of nine.

Centennial Olympic Park is a 22-acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. It was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the 1996 Summer Olympics. It plays host to millions of visitors a year and several events, including a summer popular music concert series and an annual Independence Day concert and fireworks display.

And, that’s that. I hope you enjoyed seeing some sites in Atlanta as much as I enjoyed showing you around.
Thanks for joining me today on this tour of Atlanta Georgia. This is Shelly with UCPlaces saying So Long and Happy Touring!