I had a multitude of feelings returning to this city. There are so, so many parts about The ATL that I love, but I will always associate it with residency, so the positive will always be tinged with a little bit of angst. We returned six months after graduation, The Doc now board certified, and the two of us rolled into town like LeBron coming back to Cleveland, hands in the air.
Hoops
I think we may have a condition called basketball fever. The newly-named State Farm Arena dumped a bunch of coin into this place during the off season, and it shines bright like a new penny.
You can now relax in a Topgolf suite, get your hair cut and watch the game, and if you are lucky, see it snow indoors post match up. There are so many good food options (next time I want to hit up Old Lady Gang, I love me some Housewives) but there is only so much you can do in a night.
We chose to eat a few bites at Zac Brown's Social Club, a hip area with down home options. The food was delicious (I can't believe I ate corn in public) and we can't wait to go back again. Full disclosure: I have no idea about who Zac Brown is. Spencer asked me, and I said, "I don't know. I think he's kind of beardy and sings."
They were still working out some kinks ( at a bar next to ZBSC, they had to run our card SEVEN TIMES and all of the charges showed up, it was a whole deal) but I am hopeful everything will be running smoothly by mid season.
The highlight of my night? An OT win featuring Vince Carter, one of my all-time favorite Tar Heels. (The team also includes Jeremy Lin; don't worry about how many 'Vinsanity/Linsanity' jokes I made.)
Christmas Date
The Atlanta Botanical Garden puts on a light show every holiday season. It was one of those things we always wanted to do, but didn't have the time and resources to make it happen. We loved walking around and looking at the magical displays. This is more of a kid-friendly event, but we managed to turn it into the start of a romantic date night. From here we went to Poor Calvin's and enjoyed one of the best meals I've had in a long time, and that is saying a lot, considering how much we eat out. This place offers Thai cuisine with Southern influences. I love fusion restaurants done right, and I have happy dreams about the lobster fried rice.
I also learned that I need to work on my night photography skills.
Walky Walkerson
One of my favorite things to do on a nice day in Atlanta is to walk the BeltLine. What is the BeltLine, you may ask.
From the website--->>> "The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that is transforming the city. It will ultimately connect 45 intown neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar, and parks – all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta. When completed, it will provide first and last mile connectivity for regional transportation initiatives and put Atlanta on a path to 21st century economic growth and sustainability."
We like to jump on at Piedmont Park, walk to Ponce City Market, grab a snack or a drink, then walk to Krog Street Market for some shopping and possibly another snack.
Here is our lunch from Ton Ton Ramen at Ponce:
Here is my 'dessert' at Krog:
There is a crazy amount of local artwork and the people watching is top notch. The trail currently features photographs from a collection called 'Atlanta and the Civil Rights Movement, 1944-1968', which is profound and moving.
Food? Walk a few miles? Drinks? Shopping? Art? Culture? History? Avoiding Atlanta traffic? This was just about a perfect afternoon.
Relax
We first stayed at a W Hotel when we went to NYC many years ago. I love the modern decor and the lounge can't be beat. We are probably not quite cool enough for this place, but from time to time we like to pretend that we are.
What has been your experience when you visit an old home town?
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