With its vibrant food scene, gorgeous green spaces, and fun festivals, Atlanta has made a name for itself as an international destination. Luckily for us, its sprawling food halls and chic specialty shops are just an easy weekend drive away from Charlotte. And if you think you know Atlanta because you visited last year, think again. This thriving city is changing every day. Looking for the latest chef-driven restaurant, stylish hotel, and shopping hot spot? We’ve found them.
STAY
HOTEL CLERMONT Before it opened as a stylish boutique hotel last year, the Hotel Clermont’s 1924 brick building on Ponce De Leon Avenue had been home to Clermont Motor Lodge—and its famed basement Clermont Lounge strip club. After the Lodge closed, the club was just one of many historic touches that the new hotel’s owners preserved in a multimillion-dollar renovation. Now, the floors above have been remodeled into colorful mid-century modern rooms featuring bold patterns and original art. Days here start with lattes in the bright and airy Café Clermont and end with rum cocktails on the rooftop bar beneath the building’s iconic radio tower and neon sign. And be sure to stop into Tiny Lou’s, the hotel’s charming brasserie that’s received national accolades for its French fare. hotelclermont.com
EAT
IBERIAN PIG When this popular Decatur spot opened a Buckhead location last spring, tapas lovers rejoiced. Known for its traditional Spanish tapas like bacon-wrapped dates, charcuterie, and seared octopus, the new address took it up a notch with its two-story interiors designed by Elizabeth Ingram Studio and featuring elegant hues of deep gold and purple. Be sure to try the Iberian Old Fashioned, made with maple syrup and bacon-infused whiskey. theiberianpigatl.com
REDBIRD This chef-driven restaurant, which opened in August in the hip Westside Provisions District, serves up a menu that’s designed to be shared family-style—not that you’ll want to share any of these dishes. Chef Zeb Stevenson (former chef at Watershed) is creating playful but tasty dishes like chilled mussels with fresh potato chips or chicken liver mousse with black bread. For a frontrow dining experience, snag one of the eight seats at the counter facing the kitchen. redbirdatl.com 8ARM Part coffee shop, part bar, part restaurant, this Virginia Highlands space is a hot spot from sunup to sundown. And while its breakfast sandwiches and late-night cocktails are certainly worth a visit, it’s the family-style and plant-focused dinner service that’s drawing the most attention to the edgy café. With a heavy emphasis on seasonal fare and many gluten-free, dairyfree, and even vegan options, the dishes here are both innovative and remarkably flavorful. 8armatl.com
ROOT BAKING CO. Originally based in Charleston, this bakery and café moved its headquarters to Atlanta last year, opening on the second floor of Ponce City Market’s food hall. It offers full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, but the best dishes are those that feature the bakery’s famed bread. Creamy soup comes served in warm bread bowls, and crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the fragrant sauce in the mussels. And beware—offerings like s’more croissants, oversized chocolate chip cookies, and salted chocolate tarts make the pastry case impossible to resist. rootbaking.com
COLD BEER This new Eastside Beltline restaurant may be one of Atlanta’s most stylish spaces. Designed by Ai3, the sleek two-story restaurant features unexpected pops of color, bold light fixtures, and dramatic moss art amid natural light and neutral tones. And while it would be easy for the interior design and Beltline-side patio to steal the show, chef Kevin Gillespie (best known for his nearby Gunshow restaurant) is serving up seasonal plates and cocktails that are attentiongrabbing all on their own. coldbeeratl.com
LITTLE REY Renowned restaurateur Ford Fry opened this casual Tex Mex–inspired restaurant last spring. And while the bustling dining space featuring hanging live plants and tall windows is great for settling in for a few margaritas alongside the charcoal-roasted chicken, this is an easy spot for taking your tacos to go. Inspired by Austin, Texas, Little Rey even offers breakfast tacos all day from a pick-up window to the outside. littlerey.com
SHOP
HUFF HARRINGTON HOME After launching their eponymous fine art gallery in 2005, Meg Harrington and Ann Huff decided to open this Paris-meets-Buckhead home shop in 2011. Housed in a large industrial-style space on West Paces Ferry Road, the upscale shop features furniture, decor, books, and gifts, all in a chicly curated mix of antique and new. huffharrington.com
CLAY SHOP If you’ve seen the handmade ceramic work of Honeycomb Studio founder Courtney Hamill, then you can imagine her beautiful new Chattahoochee Avenue shop. Known for her minimalist designs with delicate details (think lots of creamy white and shiny gold), Hamill opened the charming shop this fall and filled it with her work as well as pieces from other artists around the country. honeycomb-studio.com
WAITING ON MARTHA HOME When popular Waiting on Martha blogger Mandy Kellogg Rye announced she was opening a brick-and-mortar home store in 2017, her thousands of devoted followers rejoiced. The Vinings boutique feels like stepping into her serene and perfectly styled blog. From tiles and lighting to glassware and throws, the shop carries Instagrammable items for every season and price point. shopwaitingonmartha.com
THE FRONT PORCH MARKET Just down the hill from its sister shop, The Front Porch of Vinings, this charming part-market, part-gift shop is filled with fresh flowers and artisanal food from local makers. Like its next-door neighbor, The Front Porch Market has a rustic vibe with reclaimed-wood shelving and wide-planked hardwood floors. And its selection is ever-changing. Look for a fresh produce stand outside during the summer and seasonal breads and pies around the holidays. thefrontporchmarket.com
HIGHLAND ROW ANTIQUES Those who know antiques know to never miss a visit to this Highland Avenue shop. Filled with a quirky variety of twentieth-century wares— and with a distinct emphasis on mid-century modern style—the shop features everything from Eames chairs to vintage records. And don’t let its small storefront fool you. The real treasures are found in the shop’s huge basement. highlandrowantiques.com
VERDE HOME Set in a ten-thousand-square-foot space in a former meat-packing warehouse, this cosmopolitan store is dedicated to environ - mentally friendly home decor. You’ll find beautiful organic upholstery and sustainably sourced furniture from vendors around the world. And while it features both antique and contemporary decor, the store’s most impressive selection might be in its rug room, where a wall of rug samples offers the opportunity to consider your selection. verdehomeinc.com
BRICK + MORTAR This isn’t your average antique store. After hosting a series of pop-up shops and launching a booth in Ponce City Market, owner David Kowalski opened this delight - ful vintage shop in Westside Provisions. In addition to its well-curated selection of furniture, decor, and gifts, the shop features its own line of candles in scents designed to evoke the South. thisisbrickandmortar.com
L’ARTISAN MUSE You’ll smell the soothing scents of aromatic candles and beauty products before you even step inside this modern space focused on all things wellness. From handcrafted teas to a yoga and meditation studio, this 1,300-squarefoot spot is designed for soothing relaxation. Bring the tranquility home with you by crafting a person - alized home fragrance at the boutique’s botanical blending bar. lartisanmuse.com
DO
ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL For more than eighty years, this April festival has showcased local music, art, and, of course, the flowering tree’s annual spring blooms. And for the last decade, the festival has been held in Midtown Atlanta’s picturesque Piedmont Park, where it includes food and drink tastings, live music, and even a 5K run. dogwood.org
ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL Each day throughout the month of May, some of the country’s top jazz musicians offer soulful and sultry performances around the city. The events culminate in a free two-day festival featuring performances on multiple stages around Piedmont Park and celebrating Atlanta’s rich musical history. atlantafestivals.com
PEACHTREE ROAD RACE Lace up your sneakers! This annual Independence Day race is the world’s largest 10K, drawing more than 60,000 participants and 150,000 observers. Whether you’re ready to run down Peachtree or you just want to join the patriotic crowds to celebrate post-run in Piedmont Park, this is a city-wide favorite each year. atlantatrackclub.org
EXPLORE
HIGH MUSEUM OF ART This striking white building is worth a visit for both its architecture and its art. Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Meier, the High’s collection includes more than Peachtree Road Race 17,000 works of art with a heavy emphasis on Southern artists, African art, and American decorative artists, African art, and American decorative arts. Don’t skip the gift shop, which features handmade art by local artists. high.org
MUSEUM OF DESIGN ATLANTA (MODA) Located in a modern LEED Platinum-certified building in Midtown Atlanta just across the street from the High, MODA is the only museum in the South dedicated entirely to design. Its often-edgy exhibitions focus on interiors, furniture, architecture, fashion, graphics, and other forms of design—and the way they touch our modern lives. museumofdesign.org
THE FOX THEATRE There’s a reason they call this movie-theatreturned-performing-arts-center “The Fabulous Fox.” From the Atlanta Ballet to Off-Broadway shows, the historic theater is home to some of the city’s top performances. And regardless of what’s on the stage, you’ll want to settle in just to experience an evening in the opulent 1929 auditorium. foxtheatre.org
EXPERIENCE
ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN Tucked in the middle of Midtown, this thirty-acre garden features gorgeously manicured garden pathways, fountains, and blooms, as well as an ever-changing roster of events. From yoga classes, cocktail bars, and live concerts to holiday lights, honeybee hives, and a Children’s Garden, there are offerings for any outdoor lover in any season. atlantabg.org
THE ATLANTA BELTLINE What began as a 1999 master thesis for a Georgia Tech student (turn an abandoned railway corridor into a ring of trails and parks around the city) has become one of the city’s most popular destinations. There are still gaps in the fast-growing twenty-two-mile loop, but one of the best spots to hop on for a walk or a bike ride is right outside Ponce City Market. beltline.org
PIEDMONT PARK When it’s not playing host to some of the city’s most popular festivals, this almost two-hundred-acre park is a favorite for those in search of green space in the middle of the busy city. Open meadows, Lake Clara Meer, and wide sidewalks offer the chance for relaxation, play, and some of the most breathtaking skyline views in town. piedmontpark.org
SWEET SERENBE
IF YOU HAVEN’T YET HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE UTOPIC COMMUNITY OF SERENBE, JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ATLANTA, THERE’S NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW.
Set on one-thousand acres, this wellplanned space is designed to have the bucolic countryside at its center. In addition to beautiful homes and an upscale inn, the holistic Serenbe (whose name is a combination of the words “serene” and “be”) features organic gardens, nature paths, artisanal shops, and farm-to-table restaurants. And each week around the community, you’ll find events like from-the-farm cooking classes, goat yoga, wine tastings, and educational workshops.
These days, Serenbe is drawing notice in the design world. Cottages, townhomes, and estates here feel both modern and at home in the surrounding meadows and pine forests. And its commercial buildings are at the cutting edge of sustainable architecture—its Blue-Eyed Daisy Bakeshop is the country’s smallest Silver LEED-certified building.
Whether you want to stay for the weekend—the historic Inn at Serenbe offers twenty-seven elegantly appointed guest rooms on its grounds—or simply need an afternoon outside of the city, Serenbe is a perfect destination for a soothing retreat from modern life. serenbe.com