as the South’s most dynamic business center, Atlanta is home to a sprawling cityscape of tower- ing buildings made of glass and steel. But there’s
a lot more to the city than high-rises and
commerce. Dotted with expansive green spaces and often referred to as the “City in the
Forest,” this urban oasis was recently named
to Lonely Planet’s 2017 “Best in the U.S.” list.
Atlanta exemplifies Southern hospitality, with
individuals from all walks of life adding to this
multicultural haven’s charm and personality.
Most of your time at MODEX will be spent
at the Georgia World Congress Center, the
third-largest convention center in the United
States with 1. 4 million square feet of exhibit space. However, to really experience the
breadth of what Atlanta has to offer, you need
to step outside the convention center and
explore.
Centennial Olympic Park is downtown
Atlanta’s centerpiece and is anchored by the
Fountain of Rings, an everlasting reminder of the 1996
Summer Olympic Games. Next door, attractions such as
the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, and Center for
Civil and Human Rights surround Pemberton Place. Atlanta
Streetcar is the city’s modern-day trolley, carrying passen-
gers from the convention and entertainment district to the
Eastside section of the city.
Atlanta’s rich history comes to life in Sweet
Auburn Historic District, once the wealthiest
black community in America. The area is a focal
point for the American civil rights movement,
as the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic
Site and Ebenezer Baptist Church are located
within the district.
Beyond the city’s core, Atlanta’s in-town
neighborhoods are packed with personality.
Midtown mixes elegance with culture. The
Westside has become a magnet for foodies,
design enthusiasts, and shoppers. Buckhead
blends boutiques and galleries with fabulous
dining, while Little Five Points keeps it funky
through bohemian grunge paired with eclectic
shops and music spots.
In Atlanta, chef-run restaurants dish up
modern American cuisine in strikingly beautiful spaces.
Among the cutting-edge eateries are cozy diners, cafés, and
bistros. The ethnic mom-and-pop restaurants along Buford
CITY IN THE FOREST
©2012, Katie Snyder, ©2013, James Duckworth, Courtesy of ACVB & AtlantaPhotos.com
10 FUN FACTS ABOUT ATLANTA
1. Atlanta was originally named Terminus and
Marthasville (the latter for Governor Wilson Lumpkin’s
daughter).
2. The city’s current name originated with railroad engineer J. Edgar Thompson. It’s thought to be a shortened
version of “Atlantica-Pacifica.”
3. Atlanta, burned to the ground by General Sherman
during the Civil War, is the only city in North America to
have been destroyed by an act of war.
4. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is
as big as 45 football fields.
5. It was once illegal to put an ice cream cone in your
back pocket in Atlanta. If that isn’t strange enough, the city
also outlawed tying a giraffe to a telephone pole.
6. Stone Mountain outside Atlanta is one of the largest
blocks of exposed granite in the world.
7. Atlanta resident Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the
Wind because an ankle injury kept her from walking, and
she was bored.
8. The Continental Divide out West gets all the love, but
Atlanta is home to the Eastern Continental Divide, which
separates water draining into the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic.
9. The fastest baseball game in history happened in
Atlanta when the Mobile (Ala.) Sea Gulls beat the Atlanta
Crackers 2–1 in just 32 minutes.
10. One of the largest Hindu temples outside of India is
located in the Atlanta metro area.
Source: “ 25 Things You Might Not Know About Atlanta,” Mental Floss, http://
mentalfloss.com/article/54883/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-atlanta
