Fanoftristars From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 1573 posts, RR: 5 Posted (7 years 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1036 times:
Ok, so I'm heading to Atlanta for a short trip 18-20th of May for a little Delta get together and the 5k runway race, but I was wondering where I should stay, what I should do. I'd like to avoid renting a car, and I can get a hotel with marriott or pcr points, so where would you recommend staying that would allow airport access, downtown access (for the delta meeting) and club access (maybe a gay club or two in Atlanta Friday night.)
BHMBAGLOCK From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2698 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1029 times:
Stay at the Marquis(Marriott) if you've got the points. It's a great hotel and you can take Marta there from the airport for $1.75. It's also walking distance to the new aquarium - you have to go see it. The whale sharks and belugas alone are worth the visit.
Can't help you with the gay clubs but I'm sure there are plenty and the concierge will be helpful. The Sundial is a spectacular place(revolving) for drinks on the 72nd floor of the Westin.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1022 times:
As said, the aquarium is new and should be visited. Get your tickets online ahead of time though. World of Coca-Cola is interesting and right downtown. Ignore Underground Atlanta as it is a waste of time and a hangout (yet again) for some of the unsavory elements of the city. Check out Pittypat's Porch right across from the Westin Peachtree for good Southern food. You have to visit The Varsity up by GaTech to get your "oil changed" but make sure you know what you want to eat before stepping up to the counter and hear "Whatay'allhave?!" Get the Frosted Orange and a slaw dog with onion rings.
While there are plenty the biggest one is Backstreet (it came way before that stupid boy band) in Midtown. I've been for "Charlie Brown's Cabaret" upstairs on Saturday nights with all the drag queens on display. CB is great and she/he will wander through the audience insulting everyone with jokes. Very funny. Of course now I'm sure that I'll be kicked out of the GOP for even admitting I went here.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
DL021 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 11433 posts, RR: 81 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1007 times:
If you want gay nightclubs there are plenty here. I don't know their names but the Creative Loafing and the Southern Voice will help direct you to them.
While here make sure to visit the MLK memorial, Stone Mountain, and the Aquarium (get advance reservations).
We should be having a little get-together for ATL anutters so keep an eye out.
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1005 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 2): While there are plenty the biggest one is Backstreet (it came way before that stupid boy band) in Midtown. I've been for "Charlie Brown's Cabaret" upstairs on Saturday nights with all the drag queens on display. CB is great and she/he will wander through the audience insulting everyone with jokes. Very funny. Of course now I'm sure that I'll be kicked out of the GOP for even admitting I went here.
Backstreet closed a few years back, a victim of the new bar closing laws (They fought to stay open 24/7 since the folks that worked at other bars, both straight and gay, would go to Backstreet after their bars closed [Very popular place for the girls that worked at strip clubs to go to.] and this crowd, was the real bread and butter for the club. They were operating under the private club clause in the liquor laws, which allowed them to be open and serve 24/7, but the City didn't see it that way. Once they lost that ability to be serving 24/7, that was the end of the road.) Plus with that area of Midtown being redeveloped, some of the people living in the neighborhoods a few streets over from Peachtree Street complained about Backstreet and some of the other bars/clubs in the area, and nearly all of them have shuttered as a result. Charlie Brown's Cabaret now operates their own place in the Kenny's Alley bar/club area of Underground Atlanta (The "loophole" in the recent Atlanta bar closing hours lets any bar at Underground Atlanta [which is owned by the city BTW] stay open until 4 am S-F, 3 am on Saturdays).
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1003 times:
Well damn! I guess I need to get inside The Perimter a bit more often (or maybe not work out of town as much as I do night be the better idea.) I had no idea they closed. Ok, ignore my earlier advice on avoiding Underground if you want to go to the cabaret. Just be careful down there.
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 4): (The "loophole" in the recent Atlanta bar closing hours lets any bar at Underground Atlanta [which is owned by the city BTW] stay open until 4 am S-F, 3 am on Saturdays).
God bless ATL politics. You all have to close but since we own this space they can stay open. Welcome to Atlanta...city of double standards.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 999 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 5): Ok, ignore my earlier advice on avoiding Underground if you want to go to the cabaret. Just be careful down there.
The Kenny's Alley area of Underground is probably the safest part of Downtown. They've got cameras and cops everywhere down there now. Still not enough to make me consider going down there though. I drive right by Underground whenever I go to a Thrashers game, and if I go anywhere after the game, I usually end up over @ The Highlander. I have admit, one of those clubs @ Underground I may have to go check out. The Alley Cat sounds like my kind of place:
Quote: The Alley Cat is like the Playboy Club with rock and roll music. The main focus of the club is to treat everyone, including the body-pierced and tattooed crowd with a venue where they will be treated like they are at the Ritz Carlton. Our number one goal is to treat everyone like they are kings.
We have an all female staff dressed in black vinyl go-go boots, black vinyl hot pants, tiny tees, rhinestone collars and cat ears. They are encouraged to hang out with the customers while they are serving them.
Throughout the night, the girls perform Vegas style cabaret singing and dancing numbers as a group on stage.
767Lover From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 982 times:
You can stay at:
1) the Marriott Marquis and use Marta (train),
2) or at the Renaissance (a Marriott property) in Midtown and use the Marta train
3) or at the Mariott Suites in Midtown and use the Marta train.
All are accessible by Marta to "gay ground zero" which is the 10th and Piedmont area (the Marta stop is "Midtown".) Gay establishments in the area include Blakes (a bar); Gilberts Mediterranean next to it; Einsteins/Joes on Juniper -- both on Juniper road and have good decks/patios; Loca Luna, a tapas-type place with live music and an "anything goes" sort of attitude.
Gunsontheroof From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3460 posts, RR: 11 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 966 times:
Eat at Gladys and Ron's Chicken & Waffles. Good eatin'!
Gunsontheroof From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3460 posts, RR: 11 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 964 times:
Quoting Kaddyuk (Reply 9): Take a gun and plenty of bullets, climb a clock tower and start shootin'
767Lover From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 949 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 11): Here you just need guns to fend off the NFL linebackers who shoot up the town and get away with murder.
On that note, stay away from Buckhead...not really for the reason above, but because it's probably not going to be to your liking if you're looking for the gay vibe.
Misbeehavin From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 914 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 929 times:
The Aquarium is awesome! A little pricey I think at $25 a pop. Luckily we had a work thing that involved entry.
Quoting 767Lover (Reply 7): 1) the Marriott Marquis and use Marta (train),
2) or at the Renaissance (a Marriott property) in Midtown and use the Marta train
3) or at the Mariott Suites in Midtown and use the Marta train.
There's also a Residence Inn at 10th & West Peachtree that's not too bad. It's right in Midtown and 20 seconds from the Marta stop.
Quoting DL021 (Reply 3): If you want gay nightclubs there are plenty here. I don't know their names but the Creative Loafing and the Southern Voice will help direct you to them.
Yep. And a couple of my friends swear by David Atlanta magazine.
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 2): Of course now I'm sure that I'll be kicked out of the GOP for even admitting I went here.
ScarletHarlot From Canada, joined Jul 2003, 4673 posts, RR: 60 Reply 14, posted (7 years 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 920 times:
One of my absolute favourite restaurants is in Atlanta: South City Kitchen. They have nouveau Southern cuisine and have the most delicious fried chicken ever, with mashed potatoes and bourbon gravy!
Fanoftristars From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 1573 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (7 years 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 856 times:
Everyone, thanks for your help so far. I booked a stay at the Renaissance downtown. So if I don't pick up the rental car, how long does it take to ride Marta to downtown from the airport?
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 17, posted (7 years 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 855 times:
Quoting Fanoftristars (Reply 16): So if I don't pick up the rental car, how long does it take to ride Marta to downtown from the airport?
30 minutes tops is what I would factor for. Check out the MARTA website to make sure though. (I'm bad in that I only use MARTA to go to Braves games though I don't work downtown so I guess it is ok.) They might be doing track maintenance which can always screw things up but the website will tell you.
The ride South is fine and goes through some relatively wasteland areas of ATL. GEt a chuckle out of the Atlanta Pre-Trial Detention Center aka City Jail across from the Garnett Station.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 828 times:
Quoting 767Lover (Reply 12): On that note, stay away from Buckhead...not really for the reason above, but because it's probably not going to be to your liking if you're looking for the gay vibe.
Why was I waited disappointedly for a "Signed, Dl021" at the end of that?
The Downwind at PDK has one of the best hamburgers I've ever had (second only to Mr. Tasty at 1:00 AM in YYZ). A cool view also.
Mary Mac's Tea Room on Ponce De Leon is good traditional biscuits, gravy, fried chicken, and okra for a reasonable price.
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 21, posted (7 years 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 819 times:
Quoting JCS17 (Reply 19): Two words: Clairmont Lounge.
People, gay and straight, go there simply for the novelty to watch the ugliest, fat women strip, all the while getting bombed on cheap booze.
The old joke about the strippers @ the Clairmont:
Two scar minimum, C-section scars don't count.
We took a buddy of mine there about 10 years back for his bachelor party. We were all down @ the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club in L5P when one of my friends said, "Hey, let's go to the Clairmont!" Got my empty can of Bud crushed in between the breasts of Blondie, who is a cult icon in Atlanta. Our group almost got thrown out because the brother of the groom started throwing coins at the girls.
The last time I was there was back in 1997. My friend briefly ran a club about a mile down the street, and his partner in the club and I went down there one night when they closed the club early. He asked me if I wanted to go, and I said, "Sure, I could use a laugh." He proceeds to get pretty trashed and by last call is trying to pick fights. I started to try to get him out of the place before he really did something stupid. In a Cornholioesque way, he started going, "I am the Wizard!" The next night, he asked me about what happened, as the only thing he remembered was getting a girls' phone number and the "I am the Wizard" part.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 22, posted (7 years 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 817 times:
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 21): Got my empty can of Bud crushed in between the breasts of Blondie, who is a cult icon in Atlanta.
I've even had my head crushed between her boobs a few times after drinking too much Pabst Blue Ribbon there. Bad things usually happen when you end up at the Clairmont. Maybe not there but the fact you have degraded yourself enough to be there doesn't bode well for your judgement the rest of the evening.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Kohflot From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (7 years 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 812 times:
Quoting Fanoftristars (Reply 16): So if I don't pick up the rental car, how long does it take to ride Marta to downtown from the airport?
20-25 minutes.. it's not far.
In my opinion, the restaurants are what make Atlanta memorable. If you do rent a car, here are some of my favorite ATL places:
The Flying Biscuit in Midtown. Awesome, fresh breakfast food.
Osteria 832 in Virginia Highlands. Probably the best Italian food I've ever had outside of Italy, and it's pretty cheap!
Watershed in Decatur. Owned by one of the Indigo Girls. It wins the award for "Restaurant Least Likely to be Found in the South". The food is awesome, too.
The Angel in Decatur. Right next door to Watershed. I don't live in ATL anymore, and I've heard this is closed..?
Madras Saravana Bhavan in Decatur. It's not much to look at, but easily the best Indian food on the planet. It's normally packed in the evenings too. It is vegetarian, which turns some people off, but even meat-eaters would never go hungry. If you go, make sure you get a masala dosa.
FriendlySkies From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 4003 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (7 years 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 804 times:
If you want to get anywhere, don't take MARTA.
I've been at Tech for a year and my friends and I have trouble finding stuff to do in ATL...the new aquarium is a let down IMO (compared to Shedd in Chicago anyway), but it's worth a visit. But yeah...lots of places to eat I guess.
25 Misbeehavin: LOL! I agree with the second part of that, but not the first. I'd consider a trip to the Clairmont as "enriching" rather than degrading. Agree! Both
26 Srbmod: Soon to be a national chain, as Raving Brands (the company behind Moe's, Mama Foo's, Planet Smoothie, Doc Greens, Shane's and PJ's Coffee) has bought
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