Darn hamsters…
The Cove has been closed for several years,
Backstreet (http://www.backstreetatlanta.com) ,however, is still open
That would be the Masquarade (http://www.masq.com/). The Botanical Garden are very cool. There really is a lot to do in Atlanta, but it does depend on your interests. For example, I provided the information about Backstreet because the Cove was mentioned, but I have no idea if that is “up you alley” so to speak 
There are a LOAD of bars in Atlanta, gay, straight and otherwise (for example, Backstreet was open 24 hours for a long time, and although it is esentially a gay bar, it used to become a very mixed bar after the other bars closed- I don’t know how the city of Atlanta’s recent crackdown on 24 hour bars has affected this, however)
So, in order to better assist- what do you like to do?
Thanks for all the info!
Me: Single het male, not much of a “pickup artist” (And I’m going for work, so even if I was, I won’t really have the time.) Early 30’s, so I’m not much into the college scene anymore.
Hrm, what do I like… 80’s music, “classic” rock, pubs more so than danceclubs, um… people places, I suppose you’d call them, I like to peoplewatch ;). (On that note, can anyone recommend any good fetish clubs? :D)
On the sober side, museums and zoos are good, pre20th century architecture, parks, bookstores (Not the big 3, small second hand ones), natural points of interest. I’m takin’ the jeep, so they don’t have to be on the highway.
That help?
Ok, now all of you know much more about me than I ever thought you would when I de-lurked a year ago.
Beltane,
Thanks I always forget the name is The Masquarade. Enki, you would like this place.
Fetish??? Try the Chamber, but be warned, eltrician tape pasties and lots of leather and performance shows. Read the “Creative Loafing” police blotter, for this week. There seems to have been a few incidents reported at a club on Faulkner street. lol
Hmmm, well I guess Enki has quite a few choices now! The Chamber is a top fetish establishment, or so I have been told…:))
Have a good trip! I am sure you’ll find something to do!
For more natural history stuff, theFernbank Museum is good. They also have an IMAX theater.
My most exciting outings are to knitting groups and Waffle House, so I’m not much help on other stuff! But I hope you enjoy your visit!
Oooo, IMAX is always a winner! And don’t be knockin’ the Awful Waffle, they have fed me well for years. 
Definitely going to try to check out the Masquarade, I think I’ll like it. As for the Chamber, well, we’ll see how bad work is. 
As others have indicated, much depends on where you’ll be living and whether you’ll have access to a car or not. Atlanta is nearly impossible without a car, unless your home and work and all of your activities are in the downtown/midtown/Buckhead area (and I say that as someone who tried for several years to get by without one).
I’m not sure I’d go so far as to call the High Museum of Art a “must-see”; it’s decent enough, and some of the special exhibits have been excellent, but the permanent collection is nothing special. I still go a couple of times a year, but if you’re nearly broke and don’t have a particular interest in whatever the special exhibit is at the time, there are probably better ways to invest the $8. The High’s Folk Art and Photography Gallery, on the other hand, is one of the best-kept secrets in town, has really interesting and valuable permanent collection materials, and it’s free. It’s located downtown in the Georgia-Pacific Center building, a block or so from the main branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County library, which is mediocre at best. Downtown Atlanta is beginning to show signs of life – for a long time, Evil Captor’s Getrrude Stein quote was only too apt a description of Downtown Atlanta. Over the last few years, however, the expansion of Georgia State University into the Fairlie-Poplar area, the development around Centennial Olympic Park, and a general trend for younger people with no kids to move back into the city center have all contributed to the beginnings of a renascence; the Fairlie-Poplar district is much livelier than in the past.
Unfortunately, the second most important thing to have in Atlanta after a car is money; it’s not that the cost of living is that high, particularly compared with New York or Boston or San Francisco, but there’s not a lot of free and cheap things to do. What there is can generally be found on AccessAtlanta’s Free & Cheap page; Generally, AccessAtlanta’s events calendars are the most comprehensive onlline source of information about what’s out there.
Museum-wise, there are a few worthwhile places besides the High, but again, they generally aren’t cheap. The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is good, but it’s $12 to get in (more if you want tickets to the IMAX theater too). Likewise for the Atlanta History Center. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is a little cheaper at only $7 and is probably worth one visit, but I wouldn’t make it top priority on a two-week itinerary. The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University is one of my favorites in town. It’s in a building that was expanded and redesigned by architect Michael Graves, has the largest collection of ancient art in the Southeast, with objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East and the ancient Americas. The museum also houses collections of 19th- and 20th-century art. A $5 donation is requested for admission. Finally, while I haven’t been there myself yet, I’ve heard good things about the new Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA), which grew out of a corporate art collection and is devoted to Georgia artists, and since admission is free you can’t go too far wrong.
If you like animals at all, you probably should splurge ($16.50) and go to Zoo Atlanta; it’s one of the better zoo facilities in the country, and one of only three in the country to have a panda exhibit. I really like the Atlanta Botanical Garden, but late January is probably not ideal time for it – save the $10 on that one in case you’re still around in two or three months.
Bar-wise, for hanging out and not spending too much, now that the Stein Club is no more, I’d recommend Manuel’s Tavern at North and Highland, which has very good and affordable food, good selection of beers, and great atmosphere, particularly in the main bar section. It’s also the new home for a Stein Club tradition, the Atlanta Open Orthographic Meet (aka, the Annual Stein Club Spelling Bee). Likewise for Moe’s and Joe’s in Virginia-Highlands – 40 years ago, when DeKalb County was still dry, Moe’s and Joe’s did a thriving business as the closest bar to Emory University, and it’s still going strong. I also really like The Local on Ponce de Leon as a low-key hangout spot, and Atkins Park for ending up the evening.
Cheap food: Fellini’s Pizza. Several locations. I practically lived on slices from Fellini’s when I lived across the street from the Ponce location for several years.
Places you have to go just because they’re there, even though the food’s not really very good:
The Majestic, a 24-hour diner on Ponce de Leon. The food’s barely passable most of the time. So why go? Entertainment value. The staff as likely as not will remind you of extras from a Fellini or John Waters film. The clientele are often even stranger. The ambience is classic twentieth-century American diner. And when you roll in at 4 am after seeing some band play at the Masquerade or the Cotton Club or the Star Bar or wherever, there’s a fair chance that the band will be joining you at the Majestic if they’ve got the post-show munchies. A fairly recent makeover has replaced some of the authentic retro stuff with faux retro stuff, but the essentials of the place are the same: neon, bad food, weird staff, even weirder patrons.
The Varsity. A lot of people will tell you how much they love the food at the Varsity. A lot of people love Cheese Doodles too. Nevertheless, you can do worse than a Varsity burger or hot dog (like nearly anything at the Majestic). And the experience is like nothing else in the world. The world’s largest drive-in restaurant, with it’s own parking deck and several acres of parking. Still offers curb service. Must have a dozen or more dining rooms, each with a TV tuned to a different channel.
That’s a start, anyway.
Great info, **rackensack[b/]!
Yes, I have transportation, so I won’t be relying on public transit. Both the Majestic and the Varsity sound like must see places for me.
And weather permitting, I’m gonna try to hit the zoo as well.
Thanks again to everyone for all the helpful information!
PS - The local libraries have internet access, right? I found out that the company apt I’m staying at doesn’t have internet access, so I’m going to need to find access to the Dope somewhere, as well as personal email.