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THE DRAW
• The cradle of the civil rights movement and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. sits side-by-side with a splash of Confederate history
• A cultural oasis in the Deep South, from a top-notch symphony orchestra to a well-regarded ballet and opera scene, along with a full complement of sports teams
• A growing downtown, along with upscale areas like Buckhead, which have been the catalysts for five-star hotel and dining experiences
THE SCENE
Have you landed in the good-ol'-boy redneck South or a cosmopolitan center of power and deal-making? At their intersection, actually. And nowhere is that more clearly seen than in the city's dining options. Follow the vibrant crowds to attention-worthy upscale dining spots like the Buckhead Diner, Seeger's or over-the-top Bacchanalia. Or take the unlikely road to Harold's for tantalizing Brunswick stew and pungent barbecue; yes, it's near the federal penitentiary, but it still attracts some of the city's most powerful white-collar movers and shakers. In either place, it's clear that Atlanta is decidedly on the move, having established its airport as a major world hub and now creating requisite loft spaces on the edges of downtown. The city's successes come even as it lacks a core: Atlanta is a city defined by its neighborhoods, and held together by Peachtree Street, the crooked spine that features some of the area's hottest hotels.
TO BE SEEN
• Downtown. Ride the glass-cage elevator up the 73-story atrium of the Westin Peachtree Center to the revolving rooftop Sun Dial Restaurant. Sip a cocktail and see the megasprawl, from every angle.
• Midtown/Ansley Park. With the Fox Theater, Woodruff Arts Center and Piedmont Park, music, theater, dance, art and green spaces thrive here. At the High Museum, browse art from the Louvre, with which the High has a new long-term partnership.
• Buckhead. Atlanta's uptown, which combines one of America's top hotels -- the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead -- with a concentration of fine and unusual shopping. Here you'll find small antique dealers and specialty shops like Beverly Bremer Silver along with sprawl malls like Lenox Square and the even more exclusive Phipps Plaza.
• Druid Hills. Frederick Law Olmsted laid out this close-in neighborhood amid rolling hills in the late 19th century, and much of the deciduous forest typical of the piedmont survives.
• Stone Mountain. This mammoth outcropping of granite rises near a historic little downtown. Ignore the kitschy theme-park amusements and climb the 1,686 feet to the top at sunset.
FOR THE VIP
• Take a water whirl. Everyone in Atlanta heads for "the lake" on the weekend. On an Air Atlanta helicopter you can be there first -- at Lake Lanier, largest of the many North Georgia lakes -- with a stopover for lunch if you like.
• Get peachy. Schedule a personalized tour with chauffeur Gary Weaver of the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, who has been driving all the Peachtrees for 30 years.
• Have a chop or two. Reserve the My South Cooks Suite at Turner Field for posh, private Braves game seating and a cooking demo with a meal prepared to order by your own personal chef.
OVERRATED
Underground Atlanta. Its many makeovers have not done the trick of transforming the T-shirt and tchotchke shops into a worthy destination.
UNDERRATED
19th-century history. The Atlanta History Center oversees several historic buildings and gardens; and don't miss Wren's Nest, home of iconoclast Joel Chandler Harris (journalist and author of the Uncle Remus stories), now being revitalized by his great-great-great grandson.
DON'T MISS
The Cyclorama. This massive (358 feet x 42 feet) circular painting depicts the Battle of Atlanta, which left Confederate troops crushed and the nascent city burned to ashes.
WHEN TO GO
Spring. That's when every neighborhood blossoms with dogwood and azaleas. For leaf peepers, fall foliage in the North Georgia mountains is but an hour away. Just beware the unrelenting summer heat and humidity.
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