|  Known
as the 'Capital of the New South', Atlanta is one of the fastest growing
cities in the United States. A modern, vibrant metropolis with a booming
economy and massive local development, the city is home to CNN, the
headquarters of the worldwide cable TV news service and Coca Cola.
The birthplace of Martin Luther King, Atlanta has been linked to the
civil rights movement for a number of decades and the King Center is
a living memorial dedicated to preserving his legacy and continuing
his work for human rights and peace. Underground Atlanta is a multi-levelled
mall, below ground level and is one of the few remaining traces of the
nineteenth-century.
Little is left of Atlanta's 'Deep South' roots, so to capture some of
the atmosphere of those days, visitors go to the Atlanta History Centre.
Set in the grounds of a former estate, it houses an antebellum mansion,
a farmhouse and the recently opened Atlanta History Museum that covers
over 150 years of the city's history.
Downtown
Since being rebuilt after the Civil War, downtown Atlanta has often
been transformed by waves of development and is now a thoroughly modern
metropolis. Among the few remaining traces of the 19th century city
left is Underground Atlanta, a multileveled mall that is, as
the name indicates, below ground level - the result of several levels
of train trestles having been built over the streets below. One of the
city's finest historic buildings is the gilt-domed 1889 State Capitol,
which has tours and exhibits.
To the west is the National Historic District of Fairlie-Poplar,
which was the city's commercial center 100 years ago. Its 20-odd blocks
are lined with brick and tile buildings constructed between the 1880s
and WWI. News junkies will want to head a couple of blocks northwest
to CNN Center, headquarters of the worldwide cable TV news service;
tours take in broadcasting studios and backrooms full of technicians,
writers and researchers.
Sweet Auburn
For decades, Sweet Auburn was Atlanta's black downtown - a city within
a city where African Americans created the institutions they were excluded
from by white Atlanta. Though the construction of I-75/85 in the 1940s
cut the neighborhood in half, it became the hub of the Civil Rights
Movement in the 1950s and 1960s and has remained the center of Atlanta's
black life and culture. Several of the neighborhood's early 20th century
churches, homes and commercial buildings are in good shape, making for
an excellent walking tour. One of them houses the African American
Panoramic Experience, known as APEX, which has several exhibits
on the area's history and a movie about the neighborhood.
Several blocks of Auburn Avenue have been designated part of the Martin
Luther King Jr National Historic Site, in honor of the civil rights
leader who was born here in 1929. King's birthplace is open for tours.
A block west is Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached.
Across the street is the Martin Luther King Jr Center for Non-Violent
Change, which has a visitors' center and exhibits on the civil rights
campaigner's life and work. King's tomb is on view at the site.
Grant Park
Just south of downtown, Grant Park offers one of the most unique multimedia
experiences anywhere: the Atlanta Cyclorama. Built in the 1880s,
the Cyclorama features a big circular painting of the Battle of Atlanta
that revolves around the audience, with sound and light effects and
an informative commentary. There's also a diorama and a short movie
on the campaign. At the southern end of the park is Zoo Atlanta,
where naturalistic habitats include an African rainforest and a Sumatran
tiger forest.
Buckhead
A few miles north of downtown is Buckhead, one of Atlanta's toniest
suburbs. It's got upscale hotels, restaurants and shopping malls, and
some of Atlanta's best architecture. Among its showpieces are the 1917
Brookwood Railway Station, one of the country's few surviving
train palaces, and the 1938 Cathedral of Christ the King, which
has over 60 stained-glass windows.
The Atlanta History Center is one of the best of its kind in
the country. Located on the grounds of a former estate, the center includes
an antebellum mansion and farm house, both offering guided tours. The
focal point of the center is the recently opened Atlanta History
Museum, which has excellent exhibits covering over 150 years of
the city's history
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