City of Atlanta

Welcome to Atlanta

Fun fact: Atlanta has more than 70 roads with the word “Peachtree” in their names but Peachtree has nothing to do with peaches! Creek and Cherokee Indians occupied the land where Atlanta now stands and one of the largest villages was called “Standing Pitch Tree,” which morphed into “Peach Tree.” The annual July 4th Peachtree Road Race (one of the largest 10K events in the world) requires participants to register in a lottery system to win an entry to compete.

Also known as The ATL, A-town, Hotlanta and now Atlwood, Atlanta is as diverse a city as one could find in the USA. From music to sports to the burgeoning movie industry, Atlanta has become the end-all city in which to live and work. Regardless of what it’s called, in Metro-Atlanta, you either live “inside the perimeter” or “outside the perimeter”. The Perimeter refers to Interstate 285, a more than 60-mile length of highway that encircles the city. Both I-75 and I-85 run through the center of the ring, transporting residents and visitors to SC or TN to the north and FL or AL to the south.

During the Civil War, General Sherman burned the city on his infamous ‘March to the Sea”, leaving only 400 structures standing. However, Atlanta rose from the ashes stronger than ever (hence the city’s symbol is the phoenix), and by 1865, became the 5th city to be capital of the state of Georgia since 1776. In 1958, the iconic Georgia State Capitol dome was gilded in 43 ounces of pure gold that was mined in Dahlonega, Georgia, home to America’s first “Gold Rush” back in 1829.

Aside from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta’s reputation as “the world’s busiest passenger airport”, Atlanta is renown as home to many music celebrities (including Elton John, Ludacris, Usher, Ciara and John Mayer); actors (such as our own Madea, the RHOA actresses, Ryan Seacrest and Donald Glover); and sports figures from Atlanta’s stand-out teams – the Braves, Falcons and Hawks. Atlanta played a critical role in shaping American history and is home to many of the civil rights movement’s key leaders and organizations including the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.

Another popular landmark in Atlanta is The Varsity – the world’s largest drive-in restaurant – located for more than 75 years on 2+acres in Downtown Atlanta just down the road from the campuses of Georgia Tech, Morehouse, Georgia State University, Spelman college and Clark-Atlanta University.

Whether you choose to eat your way through the endless eateries in Atlanta; shop till you drop at the fabulous Lenox mall or high-end boutique shops; or party until dawn at a local concert; the city offers something for everyone. From the discerning buyer looking for a super-mansion in Buckhead, yearning for the more eclectic feel of Virginia Highlands, a city-dweller needing a high rise or repurposed city loft, or a smart consumer hoping to grab a renovation deal in the pockets of gentrification throughout the city, Atlanta has it all. And it transpires with the southern hospitality and aplomb which is at the core of Atlanta’s soul.