Keep calm and admit Atlanta is the capital of the South

Although we’ve gotten lovely articles in the past few weeks about why Roanoke, Va and Nashville are the capitals of the South, everyone knows who the real title belongs to.

Atlanta is becoming the new Hollywood

Several amazing Hollywood blockbusters filmed in Atlanta such as Furious 7, Captain America: Civil War,  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Divergent Series: Insurgent and The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Just this summer, Spiderman Homecoming filmed some scenes in Atlanta and The Black Panther is scheduled to start filming in January.

Atlanta has become such a popular place to film because it’s much cheaper for production companies to film here than in other cities and it’s not nearly as crowded as other big cities like New York or LA. Sometimes you can drive by the sets or catch glimpses of celebrities around the city. Fans of the Hunger Games can even spot an Easter egg in Catching Fire symbolizing the nightclub in Atlanta the cast enjoyed going to while filming in the city.

Birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s still surreal to me that the leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s shares the same hometown as me.  In the center of the city sits the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site which several people visit each year.  Tours take visitors through time to locations such as Ebenezer Baptist Church, where MLK and his father served as pastors and his birth home.

Tourists can also find the grave where MLK and his wife were buried and listen to his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech play over the intercom.

Hip Hop capital of the World

The first thing that probably comes to mind when you think of hip hop in Atlanta is the show Love & Hip Hop Atlanta but there’s actually more to it than that. Atlanta is most likely dubbed the hip hop capital of the world because the hip hop culture is huge. In the city you can find a ton of clubs, street art and music shops dedicated to rap and hip hop.

Many artists such as Future, Young Jeezy, Usher and T.I. grew up in Atlanta and perfected their craft. There are also several record labels in Atlanta owned by popular artists including BME Recordings co-founded by Lil Jon, 1017 Brick Squad Records founded by Gucci Mane, Disturbing Tha Peace co-founded by Ludacris and Grand Hustle Records co-founded by T.I.

The Georgia Aquarium

Although it was once the largest aquarium in the world, I still take pride in the fact that the Georgia Aquarium is now the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere. Since it opened in 2005, adults and children alike have been amazed by the aquarium each year.

People from all over the country visit the aquarium to see the thousands of colorful fish, the Dolphin Celebration show, the Sea Lion show and the 4D Funbelievable Theater. Locals have birthday parties, reunions, business events and even proms at the aquarium. Scenes from one of my favorite movies was filmed at the aquarium. It’s a great place to hang out and learn about marine life and that’s why it’s one of the attractions that makes Atlanta wonderful.

We hosted the Olympics

In case you forgot, in 1996 Atlanta was the place to be. It was our turn to host the Olympics that year and it made an incredible impact on the city. According to the Georgia Encyclopedia, in preparation for the games, new hotels were built, new restaurants opened, sidewalks were replaced, street lights were added, more trees were planted in the city and public art was displayed.

Post Olympics, Atlanta has become an entirely new city with increased tourism, upgraded sports venues, and pedestrian life. To commemorate the games, the city unveiled the Centennial Olympic Games Collection in the Atlanta History Center and the beautiful Centennial Olympic Park, which proved a great background for prom pictures.

CNN Headquarters 

The CNN Center in Atlanta is the headquarters of CNN, yes THE CNN one of the top news stations in the world. It’s located downtown and holds all of the offices, newsrooms and studios seen on TV. Visitors can go on behind the scenes tours, meet the broadcasters and even record themselves reporting a segment.

This is also a must-do for all Atlantans and is also just really fun. Plus, they have an amazingly huge food court.

 Coca-Cola Headquarters 

The company that created those super cute polar bear commercials is headquartered in Atlanta. Other than being the number 1 provider of beverages in the country, The Coca-Cola Company is a huge part of the Atlanta community. They helped fund Emory University as well as much of the 1996 Olympics.

Coca-Cola is also a permanent part of Atlanta culture in that it’s rare to find an establishment that only sells Pepsi products and it’s basically every Atlanta child’s rite of passage to visit Coca-Cola World at least once. Coca-Cola World is located downtown literally right next to the Georgia Aquarium and tourists can enjoy learning about the history of Coke, how it’s made and taste Coca-Cola products from all around the world.

Largest Airport in the U.S.

This might not seem like a good thing when you’re waiting in the TSA line for hours and then have to run from one end of the airport to the other to catch your flight. But, the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is good in the fact that it offers so many direct flights that I’ve never had to take a connecting flight in my life, even for international destinations. Atlanta is often where people come to catch their connecting flight. Also, if you’re waiting on someone to arrive, the airport is far from boring.

With 263 concessions stands, 114 restaurants, 90 retail shops and free wi-fi, guests can always find a way to occupy their time. The Atlanta Journal Constitution even wrote an article about busy travelers doing their Christmas shopping at the airport, that’s how crazy big it is.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A opened their first restaurant called the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, GA in 1946. Since then, people all across the country have been able to enjoy chicken sandwiches, their signature lemonade and sweet tea. In addition to being one of the largest chain restaurants in the U.S. and one of my personal favorites, Chick-fil-A also gives back to the community.

They are involved with community outreach, give out several scholarships each year and support many charities. And to make things even better, the Chick-fil-A headquarters is in Atlanta.

CDC headquarters

The Center for Disease Control is probably the only entry on this list that the general public cannot just walk into, except for the museum. The CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has a billion buildings around the city, holding some of the worlds most deadliest diseases, for research. This year the CDC celebrates their 75th anniversary of researching diseases and protecting the American people. Currently they are searching for a cure to Ebola and are researching the Zika virus in order to prevent it from spreading further.

I can’t imagine growing up anyplace but Atlanta, I’ve made so many great memories there and I’ve literally bullied my friends from college into visiting. Because no matter where you go, Atlanta is not a city that can be forgotten about easily. Whether it’s the food, the music, the scenery, the history or the people, Atlanta is bound to leave a mark on your heart and to me that’s what makes it special.