A Guide to Visiting Atlanta

The city has 75 streets with the word “peach” in the name, and it’s difficult to navigate without a car. But thanks to Black Tie Car Service you don't have to. Allow on of our chauffeurs to take you around Atlanta in style. Feel free to fly into Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and have our drivers waiting there when you land. If you haven’t visited in a while, or at all, Atlanta has developed quite a few new pockets to explore.

Atlanta and Charlotte became sports rivals in the 1980s and ’90s. The NBA’s Charlotte Hornets first took the court against the Atlanta Hawks in 1988. Since 1995, the Carolina Panthers have knocked helmets against the Atlanta Falcons in the same NFL division. That means the Panthers and Falcons play twice a season—once in the ATL, once in the CLT—and, starting this year, residents of the two cities will spend even more time on each other’s turf. By the time you read this, the new Charlotte Football Club will have already played Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. They’re scheduled to play again at Bank of America Stadium on April 9.

So, with the rivalry heating back up, you might as well get to know thy enemy. If you want to have some fun in Atlanta (and not just a long layover at the airport), take the four-hour drive down Interstate 85 and get reacquainted—without the headache of rush hour and with all of the culture, shopping, sports, and good food your time will allow.

If you’re here to shop, stay at Hotel Colee in Buckhead, which puts you within walking distance of the neighborhood’s two high-end shopping malls. The hotel lobby is a revolving art gallery that displays prints by Atlanta-based artists. Renowned designer Andrew Alford fashioned each floor with a different mix of prints and pastels, including a fourth-floor infinity pool with a multicolored pool deck. For a taste of Atlanta history, stay at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, across the street from the Fox Theatre in Midtown. The hotel has hosted notable guests like F. Scott Fitzgerald and President Calvin Coolidge, as well as the 1939 premiere of Gone with the Wind. For a more eclectic scene, book a room at Hotel Clermont. The renovated 1920s building has funky tiled bathrooms and retro artwork, and it’s about a 20-minute walk from Piedmont Park.

Atlanta is full of trendy new restaurants and old-school eateries, but getting to them by car is practically unavoidable. Start your day at Java Jive, a retro diner that claims to serve “Atlanta’s best biscuit.” This cash-only joint has slung waffles, pancakes, and omelets for 28 years. For a light lunch or midday caffeine bump, head to Kinship, a butcher-shop-grocer-coffee-counter hybrid in Virginia-Highland. Co-owners Myles Moody and Rachael Pack can tell you the story behind each bottle of wine they sell while you wait for your sandwich or shop for fresh meat and local cheese. Grab a casual dinner at Taqueria del Sol, a counter-service restaurant with affordable tacos and margaritas and multiple locations across the city. For a livelier night on the town, make a reservation at TWO urban licks, a converted warehouse in Old Fourth Ward where you can hear live music Wednesday through Saturday and nosh on Salmon Chips, Pork Belly, and Smoked Brisket.