What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Atlanta

The Atlanta of the '60s was the city too busy to hate. Today's Atlanta is still busy, but it channels all of its energy into being a mecca for entertainment, fine dining, professional and college sports, and shopping. It is also one of the largest convention cities in the country. There is always something new on the horizon; from a new entertainment venue to a restaurant opened by an internationally recognized chef, Atlanta is home to an ever-changing, ever-improving list of places to explore and things to experience. Here's a smattering of some recent additions to Atlanta, as well as a rundown of upcoming changes.

Where to Stay

Despite the huge decline in convention business following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, developers continue to construct and renovate hotels in Hotlanta as if we were preparing to host another Olympic Games. InterContinental Hotels Group has unveiled Hotel Indigo, 683 Peachtree St. (tel. 404/874-9200; www.ichotelsgroup.com), a new boutique lodging designed to cater to guests who want something smaller and more personal you're your standard, everyday hotel. Located in Midtown, the hotel occupies a former Days Inn that received a whopping $415 million face-lift.

The former Swissôtel has become the deluxe Westin Buckhead Atlanta, 3391 Peachtree Rd. NE (tel. 404/365-0065; www.swissotel.com). The hotel underwent a host of upgrades, and now features 365 rooms and 11 suites on 22 floors, as well as the largest grand ballroom in Buckhead. The gorgeous hotel lobby remains the home of the world-renowned Palm restaurant, which got its start in New York City.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide (www.starwood.com) has announced plans for a second Atlanta W hotel, to be located in Buckhead on the site of the old Lenox Inn. Scheduled to open in 2006, the $160 million hotel will have 225 guest rooms plus 120 condominiums, making it the second hotel in Atlanta to include a residential component (the Four Seasons in Midtown has 93 condos on its upper floors). Other features will include a 200-seat restaurant, a 33,000-square-foot spa and health club, and a 3,600-square-foot ballroom.

Where to Dine

Atlanta is quickly embracing its new role as a fine dining city. Atlantans -- as well as visitors -- are smitten with LUXE, 89 Park Place NE at Woodruff Park, (tel. 404/389-0800; www.luxerestaurant.com), a new addition to the downtown dining scene. Occupying the former Mumbo Jumbo space, LUXE offers modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean influence. The restaurant's interior features a unique wall-length leather and granite banquette in the dining room. Check out the pre-theater, prix-fixe menu for a great before-show meal.

At last, Emeril Lagasse brings his highly sought after contemporary Creole cuisine to Hotlanta. Emeril's Atlanta, located at 3500 Lenox Rd. (tel. 404/564-5600; www.emerils.com), features the famous TV chef's signature round wine room -- some 9,000 bottles occupying this temperature-controlled tower. Guests can see right into the kitchen, where the Creole-influenced menu items are created to order.

What to See & Do

The new World of Coca-Cola (tel. 404/676-5151; www.coca-cola.com), estimated to be finished in 2006, and the Georgia Aquarium, slated to open its doors to the public in late 2005, are expected to make the northwest section of downtown Atlanta -- already occupied by a half dozen major attractions -- the ultimate tourist area. At 5-million gallons and 400,000-square-feet, the Georgia Aquarium will be among the most elaborate in the nation, with more than 50,000 freshwater and saltwater fish and mammals.

Speaking of downtown attractions, Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW. (tel. 404/659-KIDS; www.imagineit-cma.org) opened recently. The 30,000-square-foot museum features colorful, hands-on exhibits and terrific activities. It's recommended for children ages 2 to 8, but all are welcome. Imagine It! is so popular that the museum encourages visitors to purchase tickets online in advance to ensure entrance.

Georgia's Stone Mountain Park (tel. 800/317-2006; www.dcvb.org/stone.htm) recently added the Ride the Ducks Adventure, a 40-minute tour of the park in a comfortable, open-air amphibious World War II vehicle. You'll travel over land before plunging into the waters of Stone Mountain Lake. The ride is a huge hit with kids and adults alike.

Also new to Stone Mountain Park this year is the Treehouse Challenge, featuring two dueling tree houses, where boys and girls join forces to compete against the opposite gender. Each treehouse is three-stories high and features over three dozen interactive activities and challenges. A giant scoreboard keeps track of activity points and declares that "Boys Rule" or "Girls Rule" every ten minutes based on points scored.

Adding to its reputation for family fun, Six Flags Over Georgia (tel. 770/948-9290; www.sixflags.com) added five new family-friendly rides in 2004. The park's tenth roller coaster, Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster, opened recently, winding riders in and out of an old Spanish fort at kid-size speeds of just under 30 mph. Up, Up & Away will delight younger riders with 12 balloon-shaped gondolas twirling through the sky. Kids love the new Rockin' Tug, which simulates the motions of a boat on the open ocean. Gotham City is the site of Gotham City Crime Wave, a high-flying swing ride that spins riders in a wave-like motion 30 feet in the air. A new indoor attraction, Shake Rattle & Roll, has become a favorite, featuring 50's-themed sights and sounds. Riders enter via an unassuming facade and then spin through an interior outfitted with pink Cadillacs, poodle skirts, and music from this classic era.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (tel. 404/733-5000; www.atlantasymphony.org) announced that it would break ground on a new facility in 2005. The $240 million new home for the symphony will sit on 6 acres at Peachtree and 14th streets. Plans include a living, working, and learning environment with two 30-plus story mixed-use residential/hotel and restaurant towers, green space, and retail space.

Already named one of the top 10 art institutions in the country, the High Museum of Art (tel. 404/733-HIGH; www.high.org) will unveil its $130 million expansion to the public in 2005. The added 177,000-square-feet (which will more than double the size of the facility) will include additional gallery space for the museum's expansive permanent collection, enlarged special exhibit space, a coffee bar, and a new retail shop.

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