Search
Close this search box.

Stay the Weekend and Explore Atlanta after the Preparedness Summit

Image Credit: Dronestagram

For this year’s Preparedness Summit, Emergency Management experts from various industries will gather at the Preparedness Division’s new home in Atlanta, GA. After enjoying three days of informative sessions covering emergency management and health preparedness and response, we encourage you to spend the rest of the weekend in Atlanta to explore all it has to offer.

Enjoy Atlanta like a local; shopping, dining, and entertainment are within walking distance or easily accessible via local transportation.

Midtown

Midtown is known for its cultural attractions, institutes of higher education, noteworthy architecture and urban layout.

Eat and Drink:

5 Church – Their cutting edge interior design and sophisticated ambience is the perfect setting for your next corporate, social or charitable event. 5 Church is available for any size gathering, from an intimate group to an extravagant gala. It is open for dinner Monday through Saturday, for lunch on weekdays and for brunch on the weekend.

The Varsity – The World’s Largest Drive-in is located on more than two acres. The grounds can accommodate 600 cars and over 800 people can be accommodated in the building. Over the course of a George Tech football season, up to 30,000 people visit The Varsity on game days.

Ponce City Market – As a community hub, Ponce City Market adds the in-town convenience and comfort of popular retail establishments situated around the Central Food Hall. The Market also features The Flats, exceptional residential apartments, and Class-A loft office space.

Sweetwater Brewery – You’ll want to visit the Sweetwater Brewery taproom, home of the “freshest beer straight from the source.” Belly up to the bar or hang out on the patio with a pint, taster, flight or can. Or, hop on a tour for $8 and you’ll be treated to 15 oz. of samples along the way.

Play:

Margaret Mitchell House – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operated by the Atlanta History Center, you won’t want to miss a visit to the three-story building where Margaret Mitchell lived and wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone with the Wind.

High Museum of Art – The prize-winning architects Richard Meier and Renzo Piano designed the four buildings that comprise the High Museum. Classic and contemporary art meet in this museum’s collections, which focus on photography, decorative arts, African, European, and American art and more.

Piedmont Park – This 189-acre Midtown Park offers a rich history of the area and features stunning skyline views, trails, sporting and swimming facilities.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens – Explore more than 30 acres of breathtaking botanical bliss. Atlanta’s Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to Piedmont Park in Midtown.

Woodruff Arts Center – The Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre, both widely known for awarding-winning shows.

Fox Theatre – Midtown’s Fox Theatre is the home of the Atlanta Ballet, a summer film series, and performances by national touring Broadway shows.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History – Explore the museum’s 75 acres of “nature adventures.” Immerse yourself in the museum’s hands-on science exhibits. This museum makes culture and natural history come alive.

Westside

Westside is home to a collection of historically significant buildings that have been restored and converted into retail space, restaurants, loft apartments and condominiums. The community’s glory days as one of Atlanta’s industrial centers are still apparent in the pre-Civil War train tracks and cavernous warehouses. There are even cobblestone alleys that were once traversed by horse-drawn carriages.

Eat and Drink:

Six Feet Under – Whether at the Westside or Grant Park location, this casual fish house offers fried (and occasionally not) seafood dishes and a healthy selection of craft beers.

Bacchanalia – Set in a slick industrial space in an off-beat neighborhood, Bacchanalia features “contemporary American cuisine” and “light and creative plates.”

The Optimist – Ford Fry’s The Optimist brings a seaside fish camp experience to landlocked Atlantans in a country-modern space that includes a raw bar.

Miller Union – This American eatery offers a farm-fresh, Southern-accented menu in a “rustic, yet modern atmosphere.”

The Earl – Live music and hearty bar food are on the menu at this popular club, which hosts local and national acts.

Play:

King Plow Arts Center – This 7,000-square-foot music venue is housed in a 100-year-old iron and steel foundry.

Buckhead

The district’s high-rise office buildings, hotels and condominiums form a highly urbanized core, while residential neighborhoods feature large single-family homes.

Eat and Drink:

The Regent Cocktail Club – At this club, you will find classic cocktails, a deep whiskey selection, and a snazzy indoor/outdoor rooftop space.

Bones – Bones offers the thickest and juiciest steaks in town. Locals have been gathering here since 1979 for the best prime rib, steaks, lamb chops and live Maine lobsters (flown in daily).

Buttermilk Kitchen – Buttermilk Kitchen is a breakfast and lunch concept created by Chef Suzanne Vizethann. Its mission is to nurture people through food by using sustainable, local ingredients.

The Ivy: This converted mansion is located in the heart of Buckhead. You’ll find a sophisticated vibe complemented by classic southern menu items. Grab a drink at the bar for a more casual atmosphere.

Play:

Atlanta History Center – Located on 33 acres in historic Buckhead, the Atlanta History Center allows you to explore Georgia’s past through award-winning exhibitions.

Shopping – Buckhead is well positioned for the shopper on a spree. The North Atlanta neighborhood is home to two of the area’s best shopping malls – Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza.

Old Fourth Ward / Iman Park

Old Fourth Ward is a historic neighborhood in Atlanta. Settled in the early 1800s, the Ward is the birthplace of America’s best-known civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Eat and Drink:

AMER – Looking for a classic cocktail with a twist? AMER serves contemporary fare with a focus on bitters for a “new classic” cocktail.

Ticonderoga Club – Ticonderoga is “a place of meeting, of congregation, of plots and schemes; a place of boisterous drinking and grateful dining, of revelry, revelation, revolution; a home for friends and wayward strangers. Ticonderoga: the club to which any of striving soul and honest heart are welcome to join.”

Paper Crane Lounge/Staplehouse – This “neighborhood restaurant” offers great food and cocktails. In addition, it is a subsidiary of Giving Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization. All after-tax profits from the restaurant will ultimately benefit The Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency assistance grants to metro Atlanta restaurant workers facing unanticipated crises.

BeetleCat – BeetleCat is a shore-style, casual cocktail lounge with a coastal 70s and 80s vibe, located in the new Inman Park Quarter. With formal dining upstairs, a tiki-style bar downstairs called “The Den,” and patios accompanying both, it is impossible to not find a good spot.

Play:

Jimmy Carter Center – The museum provides a unique experience, allowing visitors to view a life-size replica of the Oval Office and enjoy a “Day in the Life of the President” presentation.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home – Settled in the early 1800s, Old Fourth Ward is the birthplace of America’s best-known civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tours of his home are given on a “first come, first serve” basis.

Krog Street Market (KSM) – The Market is a new-fashioned dining hall, with 11 stalls and five restaurants to choose from.

The BeltLine – The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that is transforming the city. It will ultimately connect 45 in-town neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcars and parks –all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta.

Virginia Highlands

Virginia-Highlands (VaHi to locals) is named after its major intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue. It’s a destination for foodies and families alike. The area is packed with charming bungalow houses.

Eat and Drink:

Murphy’s Atlanta – Home to the neighborhood for over 30 years, you’ll find your southern classics at Murphy’s Atlanta. Also known for its brunch, just a heads up… they don’t take reservations so expect a wait.

Taco Cowboy – Owned by Atlanta restaurant legend, Tom Catherall, Taco Cowboy offers a variety of tasty tacos and small plates along with dangerously strong margaritas.

D.B.A. Barbecue – D.B.A. Barbecue offers classic dishes like St. Louis ribs and potato salad, but if you really want to splurge, go for the Archie Bunker: a Texas toast base is loaded up with smoked pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, barbecue sauce and cheese. They also offer plenty of local beers and cocktails to wash it all down.

Atkins Park – This isn’t just a bar with plenty of space, televisions and food – it’s also Atlanta’s oldest, continuously licensed tavern. It actually started as a deli in 1922, but has since evolved into a neighborhood favorite.

Bookhouse Pub – If you like tiki drinks and dark interiors, this place is for you! The cocktails are classic, and they also have a variety of beer and wine offerings.

All of the places and options listed above are designed to guarantee that you have a fantastic and memorable weekend in Atlanta. I hope you have a wonderful time at the Preparedness Summit and enjoy getting to know our new home!

Written by

Akshay Birla

More to Explore

Harrahs Cherokee

NCEMA 2024 Spring Conference

NCEMA 2024 Spring Conference This conference presents an invaluable opportunity for face-to-face interaction, where we can exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore the latest

Read More »
NACCHO

NACCHO Preparedness Summit

NACCHO Preparedness Summit Registration is now open for the 2024 Preparedness Summit, happening from March 25-28, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio! This year’s theme, “Public Health,

Read More »
NEMA 2024 Mi-Year Forum

NEMA 2024 Mid-Year Forum

NEMA 2024 Mid-Year Forum NEMA 2024 Mid-Year Forum, March 17-21, in Washington, DC. The theme for this year’s Mid-Year Forum is Celebrating NEMA’s 50 Years of

Read More »