Atlanta Population 2010: 420,003, #40 in U.S., #1 in Georgia 1950: 331,314, #33 in U.S. 2010
Metropolitan Area: 5,268,860, #9 in U.S. 1950 Metropolitan Area: 671,797, #23 in U.S. Setting Atlanta
was established in 1837 (with the name of Terminus) as the terminus of a new
railroad line. Downtown's Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Olympic Games. Georgia State University is located downtown. Buildings Tallest building: Bank of America Plaza (1992), 1,040 feet (in Midtown, north of downtown). It is the tallest building in any state capital. List of tallest buildings The Westin Peachtree Plaza (1976, 723 feet), located downtown, has an observation deck on the 72nd floor. The domed Georgia State Capitol (1889) is 272 feet tall. Stores Atlanta
has no downtown department stores. Underground Atlanta is a historic area with shops and restaurants. Trains The Amtrak Crescent train goes daily from Atlanta’s Peachtree Station (1908, north of downtown) northeast to Washington, D.C., and New York City and southwest to Birmingham and New Orleans. The
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has a rail system with four lines. MARTA, which began in 1979, operates underground, aboveground, and at ground level. MARTA serves Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 2.7-mile Atlanta Streetcar opened in December 2014. It runs from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Historic Site. Museums The World of Coca Cola, Children's Museum of Atlanta, and Georgia Aquarium are located downtown.
| Downtown Atlanta Theaters
Downtown Atlanta
has no first-run movie theaters. The
Fox Theater (1929), in Midtown, is a restored movie palace that
now has a variety of concerts, as well as touring Broadway shows. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra plays at Atlanta Symphony Hall (1968), in Midtown. The Atlanta Opera plays at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (2007), just northwest of Atlanta. Theatrical Outfit performs in a downtown theater. Sports The Atlanta Braves of the National League moved in 2017 from Turner Field (1996), just south of downtown, to SunTrust Park, 10 miles northwest of downtown. The NFL Atlanta Falcons play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (2017). The NBA Atlanta Hawks play at State Farm Arena (1999), which was built on the same downtown site as the old Omni Coliseum. |