Where to stay in Atlanta
 

Hello!

I am going to Atlanta in October. I have seen postings stating that the area to stay in is Midtown, not Downtown. Where are the museums, tourist attractions, good restaurants? Is Downtown very far away?

We stayed with friends near the Buckhead area. However, they said hotels in that area were very expensive..I bet you could get a good price through Priceline..
We took "Marta" their rapid transit system everywhere--downtown to CNN building, Hard Rock Cafe, Coca-Cola building, High Museum (had great exhibit on Winslow Homer) Of course our friends mapped all this out for us or I would not have know where to get off!!!!Great seafood.....
I THINK it was near Buckhead-Called Altanta Fish Market--had a GIANT metal fish hanging up outside..The menu was massive..
also I you are interested in Civil War stuff they have a great exhibit at the Atlanta Historical Society , a few blocks from Lenox Mall.
I would recommend signing up for a tour of CNN...It was very interesting... plus food in the cafe is good...
You will like Atlanta...

Atlanta is very spread out and there is no one area where all the attractions are located. You'd probably do best to stay in Midtown or Buckhead.
Midtown is home to the arts center where the High Museum of Art is located. The best hotel in the area is the Four Seasons. For something a little less pricey you might look at the Sheraton Colony Square or the Wyndham Midtown. Good restaurants in the area include: South City Kitchen, One Midtown, Vickery's and Tamarind.
Buckhead is the main shopping area and has 2 upscale malls: Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. The swankiest hotel in the area is the Ritz Carlton Buckhead. Others include: Swissotel, Crown Plaza, Embassey Suites and Amerisuites. There are lots of restaurants in Buckhead in virtually every price range. Among the best in the upscale variety are: Aria, Blue Point and Seegers. For a more casual atmosphere you might consider: Caio Bella, Anise or Soliel.
Another area with lots of shops and restaurants is Virginia Highland. It has a more urban feel and is good area to walk around.
Some of the major tourist attractions in the city are: Carter Center, MLK Center, Atlanta History Center and Stone Mountain.

Downtown Atlanta is completely dead after 5 p.m. and on weekends. I agree, Midtown and Buckhead are much more interesting, and most of the main attractions are close to MARTA stations.

Agree with avoiding staying in downtown. Midtown or Buckhead are better choices. Some good restaurants in Virginia Highlands. Attractions: Stone Mountain, CNN (make arrangements ahead of time for VIP tour)then walk around Centennial Park for a few minutes, Cyclorama in Grant Park, Kennesaw Mountain Park/battlegrounds area. Avoid Coca-Cola World (one big commercial) and Atlanta Underground. Look at http://mapquest.digitalcity.com/atlanta/dining/ and http://www.accessatlanta.com/restaur...t/restaurants/ for some dining choices...there are many great restaurants in the city; you don't have to spend a ton of money at the fanciest places to get an excellent meal.

I agree with Midtown or Buckhead - although I prefer Buckhead - there's more to do - yet Midtown is just a MARTA ride away. Most of the Buckhead hotels have shuttle buses to take you to shopping or restaurants. As for hotels, priceline has great deals - checkout www.biddingfortravel.com first. You can get a 3 or 4* for $45-50 (a bit higher for Buckhead 4*). Enjoy.