While I use to travel in my job, it has been several years since I was in Atlanta for any length of time. In December, my husband and I will travel to Atlanta to the Andrea' Bocelli concert. I've been trying to check out the options for getting from the Buckhead area to the Phillips arena and I have several questions that I'm hoping someone can answer for me.

When I look at our parking options there are a few, but I've read comments from others who had used some of them and they aren't that impressive as they described lots of glass in the lot and close parking plus it is rather expensive. I looked at MARTA and it looks like it might be a better option as there is a station directly across from the arena. However, the concert probably won't be over until maybe 10 or 11:00 PM and I'm wondering if MARTA is safe at that hour. Then there is the question of whether there is parking at or near the Buckhead station and whether that is as pricey as it is near the arena. So, basically I'm trying to find out which of the three options I'm looking at is better. (1) drive and park at the arena; (2) MARTA; (3) Taxi which I haven't priced.

If you are in the Atlanta area or are knowledgeable of that area, I'd appreciate your input and what you think is the best choice. Thanks.

I think it depends on how close your hotel is to the Buckhead station. There is no parking there. If you can walk, then taking MARTA at night from Phillips (where there will be a lot of people) to Buckhead (where there will be a lot of traffic) is safe.

If your hotel isn't close to a station, I would prefer driving. There are plenty of lots that cost about $20 which isn't too much more than taking MARTA. That would cost you $12 total for two people roundtrip since you probably don't already have a Breeze card.

Thanks, yen. I appreciate the info. There's probably a lot of parking that I couldn't find on the internet then. The parking that I found was $30 up for events. However, overall, it's more safety and convenience than the cost anyway so I really appreciate your comments.

For clarification for others who may be looking for Philips Arena info in the future. There is now a parking deck basically over the Marta Buckhead station. Our hotel told us it has free parking.

We decided to drive down and there was good parking. We parked in the centennial Parking Deck and it was a very short distance from the arena. The charge was $20. but it was worth it. My husband was recovering from a broken leg and had just been able to remove the boot, but he had no problem because it was such a short distance.

The food mall has various fast food restaurants, but there are some better restaurants in the arena. i.e.; Red Restaurant.

Are you sure there's parking at the Buckhead station? I'm in that area quite a lot and am not familiar with any free parking in that area at all.

Well, I ask at the hotel (Marriott) and that's what they told me and I followed the signs to the metro. I drove by and there was something that looked like a parking deck. I didn't stop and go in, but it appeared to be parking to me.

Brian, in answer to your question, I was definitely in the Buckhead area. I was on Piedmont NE and the metro ran off that and I don't recall the name of the street the metro was on.
I am familiar enough with the Buckhead area from years past to know that it was the Buckhead area though. The hotel said it was free though I didn't ask anyone else.

That was probably the Lindbergh station on Piedmont Ave at the southern end of Buckhead. There is another station named "Buckhead" just north of there which does not have any parking. The Lindbergh station does have a lot of parking.