What is Atlanta's ICONIC spot?

briantech · #1 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:36 PM**

New York has Times Square
Paris has the Eiffel Tower
San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge
St Louis has the Arch
New Orleans has Bourbon Street
Shanghai has the Bund
Sydney has the Opera house

What is Atlanta's spot that every visitor absolutely should go see?

My vote would probably go for Centennial olympic park. It's got the fountains, the backdrop of all the skyscrapers, the large concentration of attractions surrounding it.

There's nothing in buckhead that can come close, and one could probably make an argument for peidmont park.

ATLaffinity · #2 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:43 PM**

we don't really have a structure that is iconic.

i think the Botanical Gardens/Piedmont Park area is more compelling than Centennial. i like both.

to be honest, having Buckhead is iconic in itself. there's no equivalent in Charlotte or other comp cities.

Ansley · #3 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:47 PM**

I would have to vote for Piedmont Park -the former site of the Cotton States Expo, the finish line for the (iconic in and of itself) Peachtree Road Race, home of our most recognizable festival, the Dogwood Festival, and other terrific events. And, unlike CP, it's old and has stood the test of time. Besides, its an awfully pretty place!

dirtybird · #4 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:50 PM**

Also, all the iconic spots briantech lists are also the most photographed. We don't have anything like that.

briantech · #5 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 3:52 PM**

Eh its kind of hard to call an entire neighborhood, "iconic".

For instance, I was running the PRR route saturday around 9 am, and got to the intersection of Piedmont and Peachtree.

A couple guys tapped me on the shoulder, they had swedish accents it sounded like, and had clearly just walked out of their hotel a couple blocks away and were trying to see the sights.

They asked me where they should go to "see buckhead". What was I supposed to tell them? "Well, you're standing in it" I said. I told them the mall was a couple blocks the other direction, had some nice shopping... but uh... well thats about it. You can only stand around looking at the 3rd tallest concentration of buildings in atlanta for so long.

I don't think there's anything iconic about buckhead. It's a giant construction site now, the night life it was once famous for has all but disappeared, it has no museums or attractions that aren't shopping malls.

For a visitor just walking around, there just isn't that much to do there at 9am on a saturday.

cybele · #6 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 4:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by briantech

... it has no museums ...

Well, the Atlanta History Center is pretty cool.

rbp · #7 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 6:17 PM**

Given the comparisons, the pictures that say "Atlanta" as soon as you see them would have to be, at least for me, the Varsity, the Tech Tower and the view of downtown looking south from the connector around North Avenue.

atl2phx · #8 Posted **Jun 30, 2009, 7:34 PM**

IMHO, atlanta is missing a truly iconic landmark. back in the 70's you might have said it was the hyatt regency, but it's iconic status has long faded.

my list, high to low, would be:

CNN Center/COP
Buckhead Residential/WP Ferry
Peachtree Plaza
Hartsfield
Grant Field/Tech
Peachtree Street/Road, as an entity (FOX, peachtree center, buckhead, midtown mile (ha!))

cybele · #9 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 3:50 AM**

What about Stone Mountain? Every out of town visitor we've ever had has wanted to see it. I can't think of any other city where you'd find anything like it.

cabasse · #10 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 4:05 AM**

sabino86 · #11 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 5:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabasse

I'm ready to use those cutting torches I bought a while back...

(four 0 four) · #12 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 3:06 PM**

The sooner the better. And can you take care of the huge peach near Brookwood too...it'd be very much appreciated!

Rail Claimore · #13 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 4:24 PM**

Centennial Park or Woodruff Park would probably be the "iconic" spot of Atlanta, which to me, means the most prominent gathering place in the city.

Atlanta isn't really any less of a city for not having something like Times Square that stands out above the others. Chicago is an example of a much larger/more urban city that doesn't have a clear focal point either. Millennium Park is changing that though.

Uptowngirl · #14 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 8:30 PM**

Atlanta just needs more urban spaces, and less mass market plastic architecture. I find the city of my birth to be somewhat lifeless and homogenized.

atl2phx · #15 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 9:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uptowngirl

Atlanta just needs more urban spaces, and less mass market plastic architecture. I find the city of my birth to be somewhat lifeless and homogenized.

homogenized? even after backstreet closed? ha....JK.

seriously, i kindof see where you could describe atlanta as homogenized, particularly in regard to the metro suburbs and exurban sprawl, but not really the city proper.

lifeless? c'mon, thats a stretch by many standards, unless of course, you're comparing atlanta to NO at mardi gras, jazz fest, halloween or the french quarter in general.

NativeAtlantan · #16 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 10:18 PM**

Le Arch de Ikea

KB0679 · #17 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 1:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NativeAtlantan

Le Arch de Ikea

I think Centennial Olympic Park is as close as it gets. I love that place.

Pompuss · #18 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 2:13 AM**

Yes, I too would have to say centennial park. And its becoming more so with the addition with the Aquarium, the Coke museum, the future Civil Rights Museum, CNN and Omni, close proximately to Phillips and the Georgia Dome, and downtown itself.

NativeAtlantan · #19 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 4:00 AM**

some might say it's the airport

atl2phx · #20 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 3:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NativeAtlantan

some might say it's the airport

validated by the long running absolute atlanta print media campaign.

reggiekay420