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Image from Pixabay

Atlanta is a big sprawling city, often described as a collection of friendly neighbourhoods, rather than one homogenous whole. Downtown is where you’ll find the skyscrapers, shopping, fancy places to eat and drink and some of Atlanta’s landmarks. This is why the central neighbourhoods of Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead have the lion’s share of Atlanta’s accommodation offerings. But Old Fourth Ward and Little Five Points are arguably cooler.  

Our Guide to the Neighbourhoods of Atlanta

Atlanta neighbourhood map care of Environs Homes

Downtown

Image by Sandra Lewis-Glass from Pixabay

Downtown Atlanta is where many of the city’s major attractions are. There’s also a huge range of accommodation, and even more places to eat and drink. If you want to stay close to the State Capitol, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the big ferris wheel, the aquarium (which is the world’s third largest), the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the College Football Hall of Fame, the CNN Center, or the World of Coca-Cola, Downtown is the place to be. It is a major transport hub too, so you’re not limited to attractions you can walk to!  Within the Downtown area are a couple of smaller neighbourhoods worth considering. If you’re looking for somewhere particularly historic, try Castleberry Hill, or somewhere convenient for the theatres and performing arts, stay in Fairlie-Poplar. Atlanta’s Olympic Park is a vast space right in the heart of town, so there’s plenty of green space Downtown for anyone who wants it — and always plenty happening as well!

Midtown

By Daniel Mayer - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Midtown Atlanta is artier than Downtown, but it still has its share of skyscrapers, high end shopping opportunities, and smart places to eat and drink. There are the obvious arty haunts: The High Museum of Art and the Museum of Design, Atlanta, the FASH Museum of Fashion and Film, and Midtown is home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra too. But Midtown also has numerous smaller galleries, theatres and studios.  Plus music venues, bars and clubs, and even places to watch the wrestling! Atlanta’s beautiful Botanical Gardens are in this neighbourhood too.  And of course, it’s right next door to the major sights of Downtown.  There are plenty of accommodation options in Midtown, at all price points, but this is the area the big-name luxury hotels are drawn to, so if you’re looking for an upscale stay you will probably end up in Midtown.  

Buckhead

Flickr user Mike

Buckhead is a conglomeration of neighbourhoods to the north of Downtown, including Buckhead Village, Buckhead Heights, and Buckhead Forest. It’s another fantastic district for shopping, eating well, and going out afterwards, but elegant with it, with more of a residential feel, with tree-lined streets and historic homes.  Here, the high-rises crowd together, allowing space for the historic rows and avenues to flourish. The largest hotels are in the central high-rise area, along with the big shopping malls. Buckhead is a fantastic place for boutique shopping too, though, possibly because of its demanding locals, who appreciate a local or independent treasure. Buckhead is also a good choice for anyone who appreciates a chic boutique hotel or a luxurious one.

Old Fourth Ward

Flickr user Nate Shivar

Just east of Downtown, Old Fourth Ward was always an industrial neighbourhood, but industrial has been becoming cooler and cooler, and Old Fourth Ward is definitely now a cool neighbourhood as well.  What with being home to the Ponce City Market, the Sears warehouse turned food market hall and shopping centre, and the BeltLine, a disused rail-line turned 22-mile loop of trails and parks that guide you through the city, one brewery or art gallery at a time. The Irwin Street Market is a more artisanal foodie market option, and there are plenty of well-regarded places to eat and drink. And all around are pockets of street art. Old Fourth Ward is also where you’ll find the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, the D.R.E.A.M. Gallery, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the World Peace Rose Garden and The King Centre, which is where he’s buried.  If you’re interested in Atlanta’s history, you might appreciate a stay at the Hotel Clermont, once home to Al Capone.

Little Five Points 

Flickr user Clinton Steeds

Little Five Points is cool, and has been for a while. It’s known for its murals and street art, unique shopping and dining options, and for the hipsters who hang out here. There’s people watching to be done, but there’s also plenty of eclectic shopping, vintage boutiques, impromptu performances, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. The Halloween parade here is something else, but there’s a bit of the everyday, with costumes and make-up galore. It’s not particularly convenient for sightseeing - four kilometres from the Downtown area, but it is itself a ‘sight’.

Poncey-Highland

Flickr user Nicolas Henderson

Poncey-Highland is a fairly central Atlanta neighbourhood, and rubs shoulders with Virginia-Highland to the north and Little Five Points, Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park to the south. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and the Carter Centre in Freedom Park are probably the neighbourhood’s most significant sights, but Poncey-Highland is also on the route of the BeltLine and home to the Plaza Theatre, the home of independent cinema in Atlanta. As well as having the Hotel Clermont within its boundaries, Poncey-Highland has some great accommodation options, with plenty at the high end of the scale, but good, affordable options too.