Atlanta is fun, funky and quirky!
I must confess Atlanta wasn't on my bucket list of cities to visit. But when I got an opportunity to go to Augusta, GA for a practice round of The Masters golf tournament via Atlanta, I thought why not.
I have often said, "I can find interesting things to see and do in any city!"
One of the things I like best about flaneuring is the surprises. This has to be one of the best surprises I have encountered in a long time. Note the empty bottle and piece of litter. Indeed every picture tells a story...
18,000 Step Program
Everyone I asked about what to see and do in Atlanta said, "You will need a car." As everyday tourist, we loved a challenge.
Brenda and I spent 14 days in Atlanta's City Centre and found lots to see and do either on foot (averaging 18,000 steps a day, highest was 27,000+) or using the MARTA train (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Association).
Brenda found this strange and quirky gravestone at the Oakland Cemetery.
Game on!
We found great vintage, antique and thriftshops along Chamblee's Antique Row and a great craft brewery HopStix. Living across the street from Piedmont Park (Atlanta's equivalent to NYC's Central Park) was a delight. While Atlanta's City Centre doesn't have any streets with contiguous retail and restaurants we did find some hidden gems.
We loved the buzz at Ponce City Market a repurposed Sears Roebuck Co. store and distribution centre. It made me rethink, "Why Calgary's Eau Claire Market didn't work? Would it work today?
Atlantic Station a reclaimed steel factory on the other side of the interstate highway from Midtown was also enlightening. Its grid of mid-rise brick condos with street retail and restaurants mimicking an early 20th century warehouse district was a very pedestrian friendly. It has many of the elements of Calgary's University District and West District. It made me wonder, "if East Village shouldn't of had more midrise buildings with street retail to create a more human scale?"
Beltline was bustling
I was gobsmacked by the number of people strolling Atlanta's Beltline a reclaimed railway line that has become a multi-use trail modelled after NYC's High Line without all the fancy furnishing and finishings. I bet there were 50,000+ people of all ages strolling the promenade on the 10km stretch that I experienced on a warm Saturday afternoon.
I was surprised they allowed cyclists (probably about 5% of the users) to use the concrete pathway when it was so busy. I can't believe how aggressive and inconsiderate many of the cyclists were. Brenda headed home early as it was too unpleasant for her liking.
After spending 14 days in Atlanta's City Centre, I am pleased to say the city was more fun, funky and quirky (FFQ) than I could have hoped for.
Check out this FFQing photo essay and let me know what you think. FYI. I have saved the best for last....
Found this strange dude hanging out at the Antique Factory (huge warehouse of mid-century modern artifacts) in Chamblee's Antique Row, which is easy to get to by MARTA (transit train).
Found "Dolly" in the American League thrift store in Chamblee's Antique Row.
Everywhere we went we kept running into funky shops like this one. Around the corner was a fun little printing studio. While Atlanta has no main streets (i.e. streets with continuous shops on both sides of the street), it does have fun off-the-beaten path shops.
If you are looking for curated funky mid-century modern furnishings and artwork you have to go to Decades Antiques and Vintage at 1886 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE. There are several antique and thriftstores in the area.
Little Five Points is like walking into a "magical mystery tour" as all of the building facades are colourful and playful. It reminded us of Berlin.
On Easter Sunday, there were lots of outdoor celebrations like this adult only party that included an egg toss on the front lawn.
Even the cement trucks are works of art in Atlanta!
Aren't these folk art portable toilets at the outdoor science fair in Piedmont Park quirky?
Thought this was a Claes Oldenburg sculpture in Centennial Olympic Park, but it turned out to be an information booth in front of the World of Coca-Cola building. Too much fun!
Another fun, funky, quirky facade...but with a social and political statement.
Atlanta is known as a auto-centric city, but we found using transit was a viable option. This fun sculpture titled "Autoeater" by German artists Julia Venske and Gregor Spanle is located at an intersection that is busy with cars and pedestrians in Midtown
It would have been easy to miss this sun dial at the Inman Middle School in the Virginia/Highland community. It took me two trips to realize it wasn't just a clock.
Found this Jetson sculpture in the lobby of the luxurious student study hall/library lobby with roof top garden that is on par with what you might find at a luxury urban hotel. The Starbuck stays open until 2 am Sunday to Thursday!
How fun is this three storey bench in the lobby of the Georgia Tech School of Architecture building?
Stairs as sculpture? This quirky staircase it at the King Memorial MARTA Station. The entire station is an interesting brutalist / modernist design.
This wall of axes was just part of the fun of exploring the Highland Woodworking store at Highland and Virginia. Think Lee Valley but bigger and totally focused on woodworking tools and materials. It is a must see for any woodworker....
One of my favourite things to do is porch sitting. Our Airbnb in Atlanta was just across the street from Piedmont Park with a lovely big porch. It was a great place to people watch as there was an endless parade of joggers, dog walkers, cyclist and people just strolling along the edge of the park.
Found these fun doors in various spots in Ponce City Market, telling the history of this old Sears Roebuck & Co store and distribution centre. Who knew Sears used to have an Animal Department that sold a Spider Monkey for $31.39 or 25 day-old Farm Master While Leghorn chicks for $1.90! They also sold baby alligators but didn't give a cost. Urban living was very different in the 1940s.
Beltline midweek, with its funky whirligig artworks.
No idea who create this troll or why, it is guarded one of the many underpasses along the Beltline. Kids loved climbing up the hill to the troll.
Found this evil winged gargoyle on a post in the front yard or a house behind our Airbnb. I loved it but can't imagine many would.
Several vendors a the City Market offered whole pigs for sale. How much fun would it be to order a pig from "Porky Pig?"
Found this handmade swing on an island space in the middle of a busy intersection. I had to give it a try. It was a great way to pass the time waiting for the light to change.
Atlantans love bean bag tossing saw these in several locations from parks to outside offices. I was amazed when Brenda stepped and landed two of her four blue bean bags in the hole from 30 feet. I made none.
Atlanta has lots of funky art, like this piece hanging from a tree in Piedmont Park near the dog park.
This piece of art was in the front yard of a modest house. I would love to have one for my garden. It is no wonder we didn't go to the High Art Museum, given all the art along the streets and parks of the city.
Found these origami pieces lined up on the counter a Java Jive a funky diner with great midcentury furnishings. We were told there were made by a 9-year old customer.
You can find the strangest things at antique stores. This totem was found at Antiques & Beyond a huge antique market on Cheshire Bridge.
I wonder why these New Era scientifically process potato chips aren't still available? Treasure hunting in thrift, vintage and antique shops in Atlanta is just too much fun.
Paris on Ponce is an eclectic market with 83 vendors offer mostly vintage treasures. There is an amazing lounge that they use for special events. Unfortunately they didn't have any events happening while we were there. This art installation is at the entrance to the lounge.
One of the first quirky things I notice about the Atlanta streets were all the utility markings on the sidewalk. It wasn't just one or two streets it was everywhere in the downtown and midtown. I mean everywhere. I even ran into a guy who was repainting the lines.
Good food and great chandeliers can be found at Amelie's Bakery. Loved this pots and pans chandelier, but it was only one of a dozen very quirky chandeliers in the store. Note the sign saying "dessert first." This was my happy place.
Found these amazing tree shadows on the sidewalk the evening I walked to Blind Willies blues bar on Highland. This was on my way there, not back and the photo has not been enhanced.
We saw a lot of FFQ work spaces during our Atlanta walkabouts but nothing better than Matchstic. We were peeking in the doorway when the President happening to be leaving and he invited us in. We commented on how much we like the playful mural and then he showed us a wall of small drawings on small clipboards by staff members similar to the mural. We loved them and he told us to take a couple. We are now proud owners of three Matchstic drawings!
This reflective angular block serves as both an artwork and an ATM machine on the AECOM plaza. It was a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by even on a Sunday when the building was closed. Went back the next day to take some more photos of the intriguing artwork in the lobby and was told no photos.
We passed by this fun artwork almost everyday. I love it when art is both fun and makes a social statement.
Last Word
As you can imagine Atlanta has been very fruitful when it comes to ideas for blogs. Over the next month you can expect blogs comparing Calgary's City Centre to Atlanta's, a piece on Ponce City Market, Atlantic Station, Piedmont Park, Oakland Cemetery and the Beltline Trail.
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