As in most southern cities, acquiring an Atlanta rental car is a necessity
when visiting this state capital. Atlanta's downtown serves as the center
of most business and government doings. It is not, however, the hub
of the social or cultural scene, and other than for fine dining or professional
sports events, pretty much shuts down after business hours.
The ever-changing skyline is dominated by skyscraper hotels and offices,
perhaps none more impressive than Peachtree Center, which serves the
business community in both capacities. An Atlanta rental car will allow
you to get to most of the downtown locations of major chain hotels,
as well as many of Atlanta's most prestigious business addresses, such
as the world headquarters of Coca-Cola. The Georgia World Congress Center
plays host to a never-ending string of trade shows, while in the southern
corner of downtown you'll find the golden-domed Georgia State Capitol
Building.
Opened in 1989, the enclosed mall of shops and restaurants known as
Underground Atlanta also houses the most comprehensive division of the
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a must visit during your
Atlanta rental car tour. Standing near the entrance is the World of
Coca-Cola, the soft-drink giant's interactive museum. For athletics,
visit the 71,000-seat Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons, or
Phillips Arena, featuring Hawks basketball and Thrashers hockey. Across
the street, the massive CNN Center is home to cable television's first
24-hour news network.
After finishing your tour of downtown Atlanta, hop back in your Atlanta
rental car and head towards Midtown. This part of Atlanta's skyline
is dominated by mighty hotels such as the Four Seasons and Sheraton
Colony Square standing side-by-side with the regional headquarters of
such giants as IBM and BellSouth. Midtown is home to the city's greatest
concentration of cultural outlets, including the Fabulous Fox Theater,
the High Museum of Art, and the Woodruff Arts Center, home to the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra.
Besides the fantastic cultural outlets, visiting midtown via your Atlanta
rental car will allow you to see a more diverse side of the city. Known
for its diversity, Midtown is home to much of Atlanta's gay community.
From your rental car, you'll see plenty of rainbow flags fluttering
from porches of the beautifully restored Victorians between Ponce and
10th Street. From the mansion dwellers in Ansley Park to the seedier
elements that haunt the liquor stores of Ponce de Leon to the grungy-cum-preppy
types that prevail around Georgia Tech, a broad cross-section of Atlanta
natives will greet you on the sidewalk.
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