Atlanta area lodging

i n c u b u s

So I have a concert I'm driving up to the ATL for next friday and I figured it would be easier to stay the night there and drive back the next morning. That being said I'm skeptical of just picking a hotel from a website at a good price at the risk of it being a dump or in a bad area because I'm bringing my gf along. The show is actually at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park which is a bit north of Atlanta if I understand correctly. Can anyone help me out with some suggestions on which areas are good to stay in and which ones to stay the hell away from? Keep in mind that I'm not looking to pay a fortune on a room and I don't mind staying in La Quintas and such so long as the surrounding area isn't trash or unsafe. I'd preferrably would like to stay outside of the city itself.

FirstComradeStalin

Encore Pkwy isn't really even in Atlanta--it's in Alpharetta. I don't go up there much, but there really aren't any places around there that would be considered dangerous by any means. Just go on Priceline or something and book any hotel that fits your budget and is close by and you'll be fine.

For reference, I'm from Alabama, too, and there are really a lot of horror stories about Atlanta crime that get warped by the time you hear them. It's not so bad, as long as you stay away from certain neighborhoods in downtown Atlanta. While you're in the area, it's a good idea to visit places in Decatur, Buckhead, and Midtown, which are nice areas with a vibrant nightlife that you and your gf would enjoy. If you're into bars and whatnot, go to the Virginia Highlands area after 11.

i n c u b u s

FirstComradeStalin wrote: »

Encore Pkwy isn't really even in Atlanta--it's in Alpharetta. I don't go up there much, but there really aren't any places around there that would be considered dangerous by any means. Just go on Priceline or something and book any hotel that fits your budget and is close by and you'll be fine.

For reference, I'm from Alabama, too, and there are really a lot of horror stories about Atlanta crime that get warped by the time you hear them. It's not so bad, as long as you stay away from certain neighborhoods in downtown Atlanta. While you're in the area, it's a good idea to visit places in Decatur, Buckhead, and Midtown, which are nice areas with a vibrant nightlife that you and your gf would enjoy. If you're into bars and whatnot, go to the Virginia Highlands area after 11.

Thanks! I appreciate the familiar perspective. Its not that I think Atlanta is a teribble and dangerous place but that last couple times I've gone I haven't felt 100% secure. For example I paid $20 to park in a parking lot only to find this guys scoping us out as we parked. He eventually started to walk towards my car as we left and watched him so we decided to go someplace else.

dacount97

There are a couple of sketchy areas up here, I live right by there. Not horrible, but not great either. Off the top of my head, there are a couple of hotels off of Holcomb Bridge that wouldn't be great to stay in. If you want to run ones you are thinking of by me, I'll let you know if you should watch out.

tardcore

I was just in the city yesterday at the Aquarium and then walked over to Atlanta Underground. As my friends and I were walking back to our car (still in the Atlanta Underground area), a black male, about early twenties, stopped us and told us we need to be gone by dark. I'm not sure if because he was trying to help us because of the other black males there or if he himself was racist against white people. My advice is to stay away from Atlanta Underground when looking for a hotel. There seemed to have been a lot of pan handlers and racists around there.

FirstComradeStalin

There is no reason to ever go to Atlanta Underground, day or night. By day you'll get ripped off with everything you buy, and by night you just get stabbed/mugged.

That's definitely one of the areas to stay away from. Also most of NW Atlanta, Bankhead, College Park, and anything around the State Capitol. Downtown has its moments as well if you're there late at night. MARTA is a well of stories involving crackheads, and it's never a good idea to go on it after dark.

If you're from the outside, stick to Buckhead, Decatur, Midtown, and the areas along Ponce de Leon. When you hear about how Atlanta is a growing, young, and vibrant city, people are talking about these areas. It's mostly singles or young families in their 20s or early 30s, so it has a nightlife that caters to that group.

Taterskin

There aren't any 'bad' areas north of 285 along 400. Well I guess it depends on what your definition of bad is. Any of the hotels in the area of the venue should be fine.

i n c u b u s

Thank you for the advice so far guys, based on what you guys have said I decided to get a place actually in the town of Alpharetta that way we wouldn't have to drive far after the show. I knew Alpharetta wasn't in Atlanta but I wasn't sure just how close it was to it. The place is a Hyatt Place on Windward Parkway, anyone seen it or know anything? I basically went off the reviews and what not on priceline and got a killer deal on a king size suite. I'm pretty shocked because its only a week in advance.

dacount97

Windward Parkway is a nice area, but there isn't much to do there after dark (definitely not after a concert). There are some cool places like http://www.puretaqueria.com/ and http://www.smokejackbbq.com/ to have dinner / drinks beforehand, and they are right around the corner, but both places close at 11.

i n c u b u s

Awesome, yea I think we're going to be too wiped out after the show to do anything so we'll probably just chill in the room. The next day however is a Saturday so now that I think about it, why not check out the Coke factory or the Aquarium while we're there? I went a few months ago and it was pretty cool to kill a couple hours with. The only problem was getting reliable parking like I said above.

dacount97

The aquarium has an attached parking deck, and it's 8 bucks or so last I remembered. It's right next to Centennial Park and the Coke Museum, so you could hit all 3 if you wanted to.

Another cool place closer to Winward is the Botanical Gardens (Midtown area) if you are just looking for a place to hang out. Right now they have Henry Moore sculptures all over the place, and it's pretty relaxing. I think it's 15 bucks a piece plus parking. http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/

Along the same theme is the High Museum of Art (midtown), if that is your thing, which has Monet's Water Lilies right now. http://www.high.org/

Just avoid the zoo, it's free weekend for Atlanta residents, so it's supposed to be packed. Any other weekend it's pretty cool though. http://www.zooatlanta.org/

i n c u b u s

Great advice man thank you.