A city guide to Atlanta – so many of you have asked me about things to do in Atlanta, so often I said „I need to write a blog post about this“ while scribbling down names and addresses on a random piece of paper. This weekend I finally sat down to put together this post – thanks to you, Rachel ;-). I hope you have fun in Atlanta on Monday! I’m sure I forgot a couple of spots that are worth visiting, but hey, that’s just a reason for part 2, right?

So here they are: my favorite spots in Atlanta, Georgia! You can go for a single day (or only a couple of hours if you are heading to the airport to pick up overseas travelers) – Atlanta is less than a 2 hour car ride away from Chattanooga (please make sure to avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and late afternoon). Or you can stay overnight – there is so much to do, see and experience for the whole family!

One of my favorite neighborhoods in the entire city is the Westside Provisions District. It’s off I-75-S, exit 252, and it’s just around the corner from IKEA and Atlantic Station (an outside shopping mall with stores such as H&M and West Elm).

You can start your day with a breakfast at the West Egg Cafe, followed by a latte at Brash Coffee (based out of Chattanooga!) or ice-cream at Jeni’s. Shop for locally designed gifts and more at Crafted Westside, find the cutest baby and kids‘ clothes and toys at Seed Factory, or learn about preserving vegetables at Preserving Place.

A little further down Howell Mill Road there is even more to explore: The Merchant is well stocked with all sorts of beautiful things designed by the likes of Garance Doré,  Rifle Paper and ban.do, give in to your coffee craving at Octane Coffee, enjoy freshly made tacos at Bar Taco, or search for your favorite (German) beer at Hop City, a very well stocked beer store.

After this you might want to head over to my second favorite place in Atlanta: the newly opened Ponce City Market. It’s an old warehouse building with lots of (more upscale) shops such as Madewell, Frye, Lululemon, Williams & Sonoma, or Mountain Outfitters. And the food court is amazing, too! More coffee needed? Check out the Dancing Goat Coffee Shop which is just around the corner from PCM. There is also a Whole Foods and T.J.Maxx across the street.

One more insider tip? Never ever leave Atlanta without stopping at Trader Joe’s! My favorites: the cheese selection and the rosemary ham, any kind of cookie box, chocolate trail mixes, and coconut granola.

If you still have time or if you stay overnight, you might want to explore Virginia Highlands (with Piedmont Park and the Botanical Garden close by), spend a couple of hours at one of the many shopping malls (I especially like Lennox Square and Perimeter), or visit Coca-Cola, CNN and the Aquarium (buy your (combi) tickets online before you go to avoid the lines and save money and don’t miss the dolphin show while you are there!).

I’m sure there’s plenty more to do – would you like to share your favorite places in Atlanta? I still plan to visit the Martin Luther King Memorial, take my daughter to the American Girl store, and stroll around the Streets of Buckhead.

Have a great time in Atlanta and let me know which place(s) you like best!