Hello hello to all of my fellow Atlantaians (Atlanters? Atlantites?), and a fine how do!
So, after I graduated from the University of Georgia about three months ago, I’ve been floating around north Georgia like a lost leaf in a big wind. I was in Duluth for about two months until circumstances conspired to move me out of there, but while living there I was far, far too preoccupied with trying to find a job to have a social life. Now I’ve moved again, this time to Alpharetta. I’m still getting my apartment set up, but I think I’m going to like it alright in this neck of the woods.
Basically what this amounts to is I don’t know my way around Atlanta very well at all. I can get to Ikea, Atlantic Station, North Point and Lennox malls, and all that Olympic crap, but that’s about it. Since I grew up (for eighteen years) in south Georgia, Atlanta still sort of looms like Mecca before my eyes. I figure there must be some great stuff to do in this city, but I just don’t know what. So, Atlanta folk – what do you guys like to do for fun around Atlanta, hopefully more towards the Alpharetta/Roswell area and hopefully more towards the cheaper side of the spectrum (and yes, I know how contradictory that is!). Where are the quiet bars, where are the wild clubs, the incredible hole-in-the-wall restaurants, the best parks, the best place to learn fencing, all that great stuff? This place is overwhelming for my small-city self – what do you like best about it?
Outside the perimeter, about all we have to our advantage is the outdoorsy stuff.
Here’s a list of maps of hiking trails along the Chattahoochee River. The link is OK, but the the links to the maps are in Adobe.
The farther away from the metro center, the less people you’ll have to share the place with. Me, I like it when deer trot across a few feet away
Of course, no man is an island, so for that there’s meetup.com. The closer you are to the metro center, the more options you have. Go ahead and log in, plug in your zip code and seach for “fencing,” etc.
Hey there! I live and work in Alpharetta and have done so for about 10 years, living in Roswell for 10 years before that.
Before I get to the things I would recommend, if you haven’t been, check out www.atlantacuisine.com at least for restaurant ideas. Also keep in mind that if you hadn’t noticed, the place is growing by leaps and bounds. I don’t want to sound like the typical old man, but when I moved here 20 years ago, Alpharetta had only one stoplight, the area where the mall is was old farmland known as ‘devil worship road’ where we used to take dates to scare them, and 400 did not really have any exits in this area.
As for my own recommendations, which, keep in mind I’m married so I’m not hip for clubs for singles:
Startime is on the corner of Holcomb Bridge and Hwy 9 (Alpharetta Hwy) in Roswell. It has an admittedly dumpy movie theater and the video games in there need to be updated, but it has a huge laid back bar, and a surprisingly good comedy club. In the past few years they went from getting people you never heard of to getting bigger names in comedy: http://www.funnyfarmcomedyclub.com/atlanta/joomla/index.php
Twisted Taco is at 400 and Holcomb Bridge, just a bit east of 400. I haven’t been to this one, but I have been to the Buckhead location and the place is a wild bar, full of young singles. When we ate next door at the now belated VIII-Fifty, this Twisted Taco was PACKED.
on Hwy 9, north of Holcomb Bridge, set back a little bit, are two outstanding restaurants. The first is Oba!, a Brazilian steak place. Unlike Fogo de Chao, this place is a little bit dirty, a little less fancy, a lot cheaper (I think it was $12 for all you can eat), but the food is equally outstanding. The only catch is you have to go up and get your meat, but you can see it all roasting in front of you as you get it. In the same shopping center is a new place, Veranda Greek Taverna: http://www.verandagreektaverna.com/. I have been to a few Greek places, but none have compared to this. Outstanding all around, and even though they don’t make their desserts in house, they are also amazing. They feature, or used to feature, $5 tapas at lunch and all day Sundays.
Pura Taqueira, I haven’t been in some time, was the de facto place for Mexican food. It is near Old Milton and Hwy 9. Unfortunately they changed their menu and became too popular for their own good, which is why I haven’t been back, but it is still worth considering. Likewise, if you continue south on Hwy 9, across the road from the restaurants above, as well as three different spots at Hwy 9 just a hair south of Holcomb Bridge are fantastic taco shacks. Like Oba, they are not super clean, but they are always packed at lunch and their tacos (and everything else) is wonderful and cheap.
If you are in Roswell, on Green Street, hidden behind Hwy 9 just north of the historic section, is some of the best bbq you will ever have, Swallow at the Hollow. In addition to the amazing food, they have concerts on Friday and Saturday nights that feature blues, folk, and country music.
Speaking of music, the new Verizon amphitheater was built behind the mall. Not cheap for the most part, in addition to the orchestra, they have some very big names performing here (which still blows my mind when I think about what this city/town used to be like): http://www.vzwamp.com/
There are parks all over. Wills Park on Hwy 9, near the Sky Car Wash and the Maserati dealership, is a very large park where you can play ultimate frisbee and they often have festivals of some sort. Just north of the intersection of Old Milton and North Point Pkwy is the Greenbelt Parkway, which is a walking/biking trail that goes on for quite some distance. It is adjacent to the YMCA, but is free for everyone. As mentioned, the Chattahoochee River on Hwy 9 in Roswell (south of the historic section) has very nice riverside parkland for relaxing or picnicking.
I’m really only touching the tip of the iceberg. While we are still very much the 'burbs, and while it depresses the hell out of me that a lot of great restos have shut down while Applebee’s thrives, the place is not completely without hope. The nice thing is that while there is a LOT to offer here, you are very close to 400 which if you get the Fastpass (and you will want one), you can easily zip into the city for much much more, or park at the N. Springs station right at 400 and take MARTA into the city.
I live just north of Windward Parkway and work on Hayne’s Bridge and 400. If you ever want to meet up for lunch or whatnot, let me know.
Great stuff guys, thanks! Those maps are really a wealth of info, Slithy. I think a nice hike would be the perfect thing to get away from today’s level orange smog alert.
Tommy, I LOVE Greek food! I read that part of your post on my lunch break today and then sat and glared at my peanut butter sammich furiously. And, I’ve never been to a comedy club, that sounds like fun too. Man, now I’m excited!
Matilda’s is a really cool little outdoor music venue tucked away in Alpharetta. I go there for bluegrass acts (for which Matilda’s is best known), but they also feature jazz, blues and other stuff. The music is in the back yard of a house which has been converted to a folk art studio.