Destination Gay Atlanta Travel Guide: 2019-2020 Edition

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PO Box 77401 Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941 F: 404-963-6365 EDITORIAL

Editor: Patrick Colson-Price PColson-Price@thegavoice.com Digital Content Senior Staffer: Katie Burkholder KBurkholder@thegavoice.com

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger RBoeger@TheGaVoice.com

BUSINESS

Managing Partner/Publisher: Tim Boyd TBoyd@TheGaVoice.com

SALES

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor DTaylor@TheGaVoice.com Sales Executive: Jim Brams JBrams@TheGaVoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 Sales@RivendellMedia.com

voice

A PRODUCT OF

georgia

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WELCOME: Atlanta Mayor

10 WELCOME:

Atlanta Convention and

Visitors Bureau 14

STONEWALL 50: Atlanta celebrates 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Rights Movement

18 EVENTS:

ATL’s biggest LGBTQ events 22 FESTIVALS:

Popular events to welcome all 26 TRAVEL TIPS:

Getting around Atlanta 30 NEIGHBORHOODS:

Atlanta’s best gayborhoods 42 ARTS:

Theater, dance, and music 57 SIGHTSEEING:

12 day trip options 60 FILM INDUSTRY:

Hollywood of the South

4 Destination Travel Guide

64 FOOD:

Dining options for all 87 NIGHTLIFE:

Our best LGBTQ nightlife hotspots 97 SHOPPING:

Retail therapy heaven 104 LODGING:

Your home away from home 112 THE GAY OUTDOORS:

Outdoor activities geared towards the LGBTQ

community 114 ORGANIZATIONS:

Where to get help

and volunteer 118 WORSHIP:

Inclusive congregations 120 FITNESS:

Options to help keep you

fit during your stay 122 SPORTS:

Where to participate in your favorite sports activity

BE YOURSELF, HERE.

Discover the Unexpected.

Whether you are looking for art, crafts, music or dance, we have something for everyone.

Be he/him/his or she/her/hers and them/they/their in Georgia’s DeKalb County. Discover the unexpected in our progressive communities.

Visit us at DiscoverDeKalb.com to learn about all the great things happening in DeKalb. #DISCOVERDEKALB

ATLANTA

Greetings from The Mayor As the 60th Mayor of Atlanta, it is my pleasure to welcome you.

Atlanta is the birthplace of the civil rights movement and a place where impossible dreams take form. We are home to one of the largest and most diverse LGBTQ communities in the world, and we have proudly had LGBTQ inclusive protections since 1999. With a 34-member LGBTQ advisory board, and LGBTQ liaisons in the Mayor’s Office and public safety departments, we ensure that the needs of our LGBTQ community are proactively met, and their voices are always heard.

As we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Uprising at the Stonewall Inn this year, and the 50th Anniversary of Atlanta Pride next year, Atlanta still remains “The City Too Busy to Hate.” Ranked by Orbitz as number three among the “Top 10 Cities LGBTQ Travelers are Booking for Gay Pride This Year,” there is so much to be proud of here in Atlanta. From a thriving LGBTQ nightlife scene, including the longest-running lesbian bar in the Southeast, to art that

8 Destination Travel Guide

highlights the work of LGBTQ changemakers and countless LGBTQ-owned small businesses, Atlanta is truly the LGBTQ capital of the South.

While visiting Atlanta, I encourage you to explore the world-class attractions our city has to offer, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of CocaCola, the Atlanta BeltLine, Ponce City Market, the Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the Woodruff Arts Center, Piedmont Park and more.

On behalf of the people of Atlanta, I hope you enjoy our Southern hospitality, indulge in our great restaurants and experience the rich and diverse heritage of our historic City.

Welcome to Atlanta, and best wishes for an enjoyable stay!

Sincerely, Keisha Lance Bottoms

ATLANTA

A Top Destination For

LGBTQ Travelers It is my pleasure to welcome you to Atlanta. As a global partner with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, our city prides itself as being a destination that welcomes all visitors.

Atlanta is the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the cradle of the American civil rights movement. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park explores the life and history of Dr. King, allowing visitors to follow in his footsteps.

Hop aboard Atlanta Streetcar for an easy way to traverse Downtown and connect to the Centennial Park District.

Anchored by Centennial Olympic Park, families will find several top attractions including Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, CNN Studio Tours, Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame and National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The center educates visitors on the connection between the American civil rights movement and the global human rights campaign.

Atlanta has pride year-round with LGBTQ programming and events. The city’s annual Pride Festival is a week-long celebration in October and is the largest in the Southeast.

The event draws thousands of members of the LGBTQ community, allies and advocates for parades, marches and rallies. Orbitz named Atlanta the No. 3 destination LGBTQ travelers are booking for Pride events this year.

Atlanta’s art scene generates cultural offerings unmatched in the South. Out Front Theatre Company tells LGBTQ

10 Destination Travel Guide

stories through theater and performing arts in Atlanta’s Westside. Midtown offers an array of visual arts, music and theatrical venues such as Fox Theatre, High Museum of Art, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Museum of Design Atlanta.

Since 2013, Atlanta has earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. Our city’s intown neighborhoods are very LGBTQ-friendly, adorned with personality and pride flags on many businesses and homes. Edgewood Avenue in Old Fourth Ward offers quirky late-night fun, including pingpong, music and retro arcade games. Midtown is home to a multitude of dining options, nightlife and the iconic rainbow crosswalk.

We look forward to welcoming you to our city, where y’all means all and Southern hospitality is always included.

Sincerely, William C. Pate President and CEO Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

LET’S MAKE HISTORY!

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Come explore the meaning and relevance of our shared past through exhibitions, historic houses, and 33 acres of enchanting gardens. A world of history awaits you!

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Our dynamic exhibitions tell the stories of courageous rights advocates—and connect the U.S. civil rights movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today.

Learn more and buy your tickets today.

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LGBTQ ATLANTA

Welcome to Our Atlanta!

Our open arms and hearts will make you feel right at home!

In the midst of such a monumental year for LGBTQ history, Atlanta continues to stand tall as one of the crowned jewels of equality in the country. But our fight started 50 years ago outside of the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The effects were felt near and far, even in Atlanta where gay men began to form closer bonds to protect the rights they were denied. Soon after activists and protesters organized the first march in the country in New York City, Atlanta took to the streets to stand up and made their voices heard. Their hard work, tireless nights, and victories and defeats have not gone unnoticed. In this 2019/2020 season, there’s a lot our Atlanta LGBTQ community can be thankful for. As you hold this book in your hands, it’s a reminder of the pride and support that runs throughout the streets of Atlanta.

For those new here, our newspaper, Georgia Voice, is the oldest LGBTQ print media outlet in Atlanta, with the founding member’s roots tracing back to the 1980s, when LGBTQ rights were rushed before the public eye only to be attacked and vigorously denied. The members of our team that launched this publication fought to be the voice of Atlantan’s then, and we continue to be your voice now.

While there’s so much history around the country of how we’ve taken encouraging strides towards a more egalitarian future, we pride ourselves on creating a safe haven for all Georgians and those around the country looking to experience a taste of southern hospitality without fear.

carried over a puritanical approach to freedom — that is, not until 1817, 85 years after we became a state, when our first anti-sodomy law was enacted. A further amendment took place in 1833, when “carnal knowledge and connection against the order of nature by man with man, or in the same unnatural manner with woman” was outlawed carrying a possible “life imprisonment with labor” sentence. In 1884, the U.S. Supreme Court heard (and overturned) Georgia’s first-ever conviction of sodomy with a two-sentence verdict: “Judgement reversed.”

In 1949 the penalty for the catchall “crime” was reduced to 1-10 years imprisonment, something Michael Hardwick (left) of Bowers v. Hardwick was staring down in the face after he was caught having consensual sex with his partner. The Supreme Court was called upon for the law again in 1986, when a heterosexual coupling lead to the conviction of a Georgia man. In Powell v. State, the Supreme Court ruled that an individual’s right to privacy trumped the anti-sodomy law, dismantling it in the state of Georgia and making homosexuality here legal in the process. Henceforth, our LGBTQ presence grew exponentially. Here’s a quick look at Atlanta’s LGBTQ history.

As we continue to shed light on issues that affect our community, both negatively and positively, we’d like to take you on a ride back in time to see just how our city has evolved since the Stonewall Riots, and how those events in history have impacted and changed the city that we call home!

1971: The first Pride parade, organized by the Georgia Gay Liberation Front, takes to the streets.

Georgia’s LGBTQ History

1972: Mayor Sam Massell appoints the first-ever community liaison, Charlie St. John, an activist and journalist working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Georgia is also known as The 13th Colony, for obvious reasons. What wasn’t so “on the books” was how we

14 Destination Travel Guide

1972: The Metropolitan Community Church, which works specifically to reach out to our community, establishes itself in the Atlanta area.

1996: The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Visitors Center gives the city an Olympics-worthy campaign to attract LGBTQ tourism to our welcoming city, starting with the games.

1997: Cathy Woolward becomes first openly gay politician elected to the Atlanta city council.

2000: Karla Drenner becomes first openly gay member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

2001: Cathy Woolard is elected the first openly gay City Council President of Atlanta.

2003: Fulton County becomes the first county in the state to pass domestic-partnership registration for county residents and municipal employees in same-sex relationships.

2004: The passage of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage stymies the recognition of same-sex relationships by our state.

2005: The General Assembly passes a law which legalizes the ability of counties to establish domesticpartnership benefits for county employees.

2007: The city-county government of Athens legalizes health benefits for unmarried domestic partners.

1974: Bill Smith, a local activist, founds the Atlanta Barb, the first publication for, by, and about our community.

1976: The Atlanta Gay Center is opened.

1978: Anti-gay activist and national celebrity Anita Bryant speaks to an anti-LGBTQ crowd as she plays host to the Southern Baptist Convention and its parishioners. The event, drawing a crowd of 4,000, is held at the Georgia World Congress Center. (Above) 1982: The first official proclamation for Pride is issued by the city government of Atlanta.

1983: The Atlanta Campaign for Human Rights is established. It’s now known as Georgia Equality.

1984: Mayor Andrew Young inaugurates the first Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Day. 1985: Congregation Bet Havarim, the first LGBTQ welcoming synagogue, opens its doors.

1988: Our predecessor, Southern Voice, begins its historic LGBTQ coverage of Atlanta and the surrounding area.

1988: Mayor Maynard Jackson becomes first Atlanta mayor to attend Pride.

2010: Simone Bell becomes first openly lesbian African-American woman to be elected to the Georgia General Assembly.

2011: House member Rashad Taylor comes out, becoming the first male, openly gay member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

2015: The Eleventh Circuit Court ruled in Glenn v. Brumby that firing someone based on gender-nonconformity violates the Constitution’s prohibition on sex discrimination, giving trans and gender nonconforming employees legal protections in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

2016: With the help of a veto pen, Gov. Nathan Deal vetoes House Bill 757, legislation that made it through both bodies of our state government. The bill would have allowed state adoption agencies to deny children to same-sex couples on religious grounds.

2018: The Senate passes SB 375, which calls for allowing private adoption agencies receiving state funds to deny adoptions for certain couples or individual parents based on sincerely held religious beliefs. It does not make it through the house.

To date, there are still no protections against hate crimes targeting those who attack members of our community on gender identity or sexual preference.

1992: Emory University establishes its Gay and Lesbian Student Life office.

Now that you’ve got a crash course in Georgia LGBTQ history, it’s time to see what Atlanta and our surrounding communities have to offer while you’re here in our great city!

1993: Fulton County is the first county in the state to issue an official Pride proclamation, joining Atlanta.

Enjoy Y’all, The Georgia Voice

Destination Travel Guide 15

LGBTQ ATLANTA

HRC Gives Atlanta a Perfect Score!

The feat was only accomplished by 78 cities across the country, and Atlanta is one of them, receiving a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign in their 2018 MEI Scorecard! 78 cities across the country received perfect scores, including neighboring Birmingham, Alabama, the first city in the deep south to accomplish this.

So what is the MEI? It stands for Municipal Equality Index and rates municipalities of varying sizes drawn from every state in the nation. In total, there are 506 municipalities included based on size, the number of same-sex couples, cities with the state’s two largest colleges/universities, and cities selected by HRC members.

According to the HRC, this year’s MEI introduced brand new criteria, including anti-conversion therapy protections, all-gender single occupancy facilities, and city services youth bullying prevention policies, and reintroduced city employee domestic partner benefits. Inclusive Workplace and Non-Discrimination Ordinance Enforcement by Human Rights Commission points were analyzed in the overall score and the MEI deducted points for religious exemptions that single out the LGBTQ community.

In Atlanta, the city got a perfect score on non-discrimination laws for employment, housing and public accommodations.

The city also scored big on non-discrimination in city employment, trans-inclusive healthcare benefits, city contractor non-discrimination ordinances and inclusivity in the workplace. Law enforcement scored perfect due to having an LGBTQ police liaison or task force, and the cities dedication to providing 2016 hate crimes statistics to the FBI. Atlanta leadership’s public position on LGBTQ equality

16 Destination Travel Guide

and on pro-equality legislative or policy efforts added to the perfect score. Bonus points were awarded because Atlanta has city employee domestic partner benefits, services to people living with HIV or AIDS, and openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leaders.

Here’s how other cities in our region stacked up against Atlanta’s perfect score!

Augusta = 33 Columbus = 36 Decatur = 45 Savannah = 40 Jacksonville = 79 Greenville = 20 Columbia = 71 Chattanooga = 45 Charlotte = 64

ATLANTA

Atlanta Pride FILE PHOTO

Top LGBTQ events in the ATL

There’s no end to what you can do out and about in Hotlanta, but the city’s home to a few signature events each year that are worth planning a trip around. We rounded out some of Atlanta’s most well-attended events, fundraisers, parties, and galas that showcase what the LGBTQ “mecca of the South” has to offer visitors and residents alike.

Joining Hearts Main Event

July 20, 2019 An extra dose of “fun” is added to “fundraising” each summer during the Joining Hearts party, which donates 100 percent of proceeds to providing housing for people with HIV. The annual party, held at the Piedmont Park Pool, regularly features free-flowing drinks and plenty of shirtless boys with this year’s entertainment, DJ Rick Braile and Andres Vergel, plus more DJ’s throughout the weekend.

JoiningHearts.org

Black Gay Pride

Aug. 29–Sept. 3, 2019 What began as informal house parties grew into the largest Black Gay Pride celebration in the world. Join fellow black LGBTQ folks for a Pride skate party, comedy shows, parties, slam poetry, and more for this annual Labor Day weekend of festivities.

AtlantaPrideWeekend.com

Peach International Tennis Championships

Labor Day Weekend Held each year over the holiday weekend, the Peach International Tennis Championships is hosted by the Atlanta Team Tennis Association, the city’s LGBTQ league.

It draws players from throughout the region for competition in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed

18 Destination Travel Guide

doubles in as many as four divisions.

Atta.org

Out On Film

Sept. 26–Oct. 6, 2019 You’re invited to attend the 32nd annual Out On Film LGBTQ movie festival! A slew of movies will hit the big screen in Atlanta theaters as part of this epic event, many of them documentaries or indie films never before seen in such venues.

OutOnFilm.org

AIDS Walk Atlanta

Sept. 29, 2019 Every October, AID Atlanta turns Piedmont Park into a festival with food, drinks, music, the AIDS Quilt display, and more for its largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in the Southeast. In addition to the festival, Atlantans and tourists are encouraged to register as individuals or teams to run or walk its 5K course to raise money for critical research.

AIDSWalkAtlanta.com

Atlanta Pride Festival

Oct. 11–13, 2019 For more than 40 years, Atlanta Pride has been the most powerful reminder of the city’s LGBTQ progress.

An estimated 300,000 attendees come to the weekend of festivities and to support local businesses and

Thriving Children Gala SCREENGRAB PHOTO

for The Health Initiative while honoring local LGBTQ healthcare heroes. Expect an afternoon of drinks, dancing, and fun.

TheHealthInitiative.org

Thriving Children Gala

Mid-May 2020 A massive charity gala raising money for homeless- youth nonprofit Lost-n-Found Youth, the Thriving Children Gala serves up food and drinks from some of the city’s top restaurants, excellent music and an unforgettable evening.

AtlThrivingChildren.org

Big Peach Softball Tournament organizations at the market. The festival continues to bring locals and visitors alike to Piedmont Park and the parade down Peachtree Street.

AtlantaPride.org

Big Ol’ Slice of 100% Atlanta Gay Pride

Late May 2020 Hosted by the gay Hotlanta Softball League, the Big Peach draws hundreds of players from dozens of teams around the country for a weekend of softball competition in multiple divisions, plus plenty of socializing.

HSLBigPeach.com

Oct. 12-14, 2019 Come party with thousands of men from around the country for this ultimate circuit party experience! This year’s DJ lineup includes Alex Acosta, Danny Verde, Alyson Calagna, Joe Gauthreaux, Kevin DuRard, Micky Friedmann, Paulo, and Tony Moran.

GaBoyEvents.com

Southern Fried Queer Pride

Toy Party

AIDS Vaccine 200 Bike Ride

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

Peach Party Atlanta

December 2019 One of the most poignant signs of LGBTQ Atlantans’ commitment to their city and neighbors is the mound of toys on display each December at the annual Toy Party.

The event, presented by For the Kid In All of Us, has grown into one of the largest social events of the year.

ForTheKid.org Jan. 21, 2020 No city celebrates Dr. King’s birthday like the legendary civil rights leader’s hometown, and Atlanta’s black gay clubs enjoy their second-busiest weekend of the year during MLK weekend. Thousands jam into parties and hundreds attend a community brunch honoring LGBTQ pioneers in the community.

Dixie Invitational Bowling Tournament

March 2020 An annual weekend tradition in March, the Dixie Invitational gathers LGBTQ bowlers for a long weekend of “family, friends, and fun.”

DixieBowl.org

HRC Atlanta Gala Dinner & Auction

Late April 2020 Raising about $400,000 annually for the Human Rights Campaign, the Atlanta HRC dinner is a standard-bearer throughout the nation. The annual black-tie affair, which will celebrate its 33rd year, features leading activists and entertainers advancing gay rights, and honors local LGBTQ leaders and allies.

HRCAtlanta.com/gala-dinner

The Health Initiative’s Garden Party

Mid-May 2020 This annual event at The Phillip Rush Center raises money

May-June 2020 This homegrown version of Pride puts the spotlight on queer and trans Southerners, offering an inclusive atmosphere at each of its parties, potlucks, pop-ups and workshops.

SouthernFriedQueerPride.com Late May 2020 Each year, dozens of bike riders gather for a 200-mile fundraising ride from Emory University to Rock Eagle 4-H Center. The ride raises money for HIV/AIDS research at the Emory Vaccine Center and other LGBTQ nonprofits, while celebrating the memories of lives lost to the disease.

AV200.org June 2020 Atlanta’s premier circuit party weekend brings in the hottest DJ talent from around the world! Thousands of the hottest men from around the world converge in the metro to dance the night away to the best beats in the Southeast. peachpartyatlanta.com

Stonewall Month

Throughout June 2020 This year, the Atlanta Pride Committee has a special month planned for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In addition to the Touching Up Our Roots historic trolley tour, highlights include Evening for Equality (a gala fundraiser for statewide LGBTQ political group Georgia Equality on June 15), films, community discussions and more.

AtlantaPride.org

Atlanta Pride Run

June 13, 2020 Taking it back to where Pride began, more than 50 years of progress! 2020 marks the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which kicked off the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Celebrating their 29th year, The Atlanta Pride Run & Walk is an annual 5K race and walk organized by the Front Runners Atlanta running club. Proceeds from the registration and other fundraisers are donated to a local charity that supports the LGBTQ community in Georgia.

Frontrunnersatlanta.org

Destination Travel Guide 19

Enjoy the Stroll, Feed Your Soul Warm welcomes. Good times. Just minutes away on MARTA.

DECATUR ARTWAY

OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GALLERY

SECRET DOORS DECATUR ALL AROUND DOWNTOWN

THE BOOK AS ART

AUG. 9–SEPT. 27

VISITORS CENTER 113 Clairemont Ave., Decatur 30030 | visitdecaturga.com

Clockwise: Dreamsicle,

by Nathan Pierce; Chasm,

by Elizabeth Ashcroft; Secret Door by Heather Muse.

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ATLANTA

DragonCon FILE PHOTO

More To Do In Atlanta

Outside of the LGBTQ scene, there’s still plenty to do around the Atlanta metro area. Each event draws in hundreds, sometimes thousands from around the state and across the Southeast.

The more, the merrier right?!

Atlanta Comic Con

July 12-14, 2019 Embrace your inner nerd at Atlanta’s #1 family-friendly comic convention.

Head to the Georgia World Congress Center to enjoy a weekend of comic books, cosplay, panels, celebrity appearances, and more!

AtlantaComicCon.com

Atlanta Ice Cream Festival July 27, 2019 Come out to Piedmont Park for Atlanta’s sweetest festival! Partake in the Ice Cream Eating Contest and enjoy other family-friendly activities.

AtlantaIceCreamFestival.com

Zombie Pub Crawl

July 27, 2019 The city that brings you “The Walking Dead” brings you the 10th annual Zombie Pub Crawl, where you can fill the sidewalks and pubs of the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood decked out in your best zombie costume.

AtlantaZombieCrawl.blogspot.com

22 Destination Travel Guide

Atlanta Balloon Glow

Aug. 1-4, 2019 Check out glowing hot air balloons, plus food, retail, and kid-friendly activities, at Atlanta Balloon Glow in Piedmont Park! Ogle at the magnificence for free or take a ride for just $20 a person.

Facebook.com/Events/ 361830717950013/

Decatur BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Festival

Aug. 10, 2019 Head to Legacy Park to sing the blues and chow down on the best BBQ metro Atlanta has to offer! This delicious festival proudly benefits the Community Center of South Decatur by supporting educational programs, community events, and providing grants to other non-profit groups in the city of Decatur.

DecaturBBQFestival.com

Piedmont Park

Arts Festival Aug. 17–18, 2019 Enjoy art, live music, and family-

friendly fun while basking in the summer sun at this two-day festival.

Up to 250 painters, photographers, sculptors, and other visual artists will be featured at one of Sunshine Arts Magazine’s Top 100 Best Arts Festivals.

PiedmontParkArtsFestival.com

Grant Park Summer Shade Festival

Aug. 24–25, 2019 For 17 years, Atlanta art and music lovers have flocked to Grant Park every August to say goodbye to summer at the Summer Shade Festival with two days of outdoor fun including a 5K Run for the Park, food trucks, craft beer, an awesome Kids Zone, and killer live music.

SummerShadeFestival.org

Atlanta Greek Festival

Sept. 27–29, 2019 For over four decades, Greek Orthodox Cathedral has opened its doors to host one of Atlanta’s landmark cultural events, The Atlanta Greek Festival. Come experience

good food, good music, and tons of fun. From upcoming hip-hop acts to timeless R&B, gospel stars, rap veterans, and alternative greats, the Sweet Auburn Music Fest has it all.

SweetAuburnMusicfest.com

Candler Park Fall Fest

Decatur Book Festival COURTESY PHOTO

warm hospitality, exuberant dancing, sumptuous wines, unique artisan jewelry and apparel, rich history, deep faith, and some of the most delicious food in Atlanta!

AtlantaGreekFestival.org

Decatur Book Festival

Aug. 30–Sept. 1, 2019 For years, more than 1,000 worldclass authors and thousands of book worms have gathered in the historic downtown Decatur square to enjoy the largest independent book festival in America. Come enjoy book signings, author readings, panel discussions, an interactive children’s area, live music, parades, cooking demonstrations, poetry slams, writing workshops, and more.

DecaturBookFestival.com

Dragon Con

Aug. 29–Sept. 2, 2019 Sci-fi and fantasy lovers, this one’s for you! At Dragon Con, you’re sure to see some of the biggest names in scifi and fantasy, some of your favorite characters in the form of cosplay and costumes, and so much more. There are five host hotels this year: Hyatt Regency, the Hilton, Marriott Marquis, the Sheraton, and the Westin.

DragonCon.org

Yellow Daisy Festival

Sept. 5–8, 2019 Travel a bit outside the perimeter to historic Stone Mountain Park for this festival. The 51-year-old awardwinning festival connects families and friends with shopping, live music, delicious food, and oodles of fun. The Yellow Daisy Festival is a big show with a small-town feel, perfect for those of all ages.

StoneMountainPark.com/Events/ Yellow-Daisy-Festival

Music Midtown Sept. 14–15, 2019

No matter what your sound, Music Midtown is sure to have something for you. Two days of outdoor concerts from some of the biggest names in hip-hop, pop, country, and rock paired with delicious food makes for a great time.

MusicMidtown.com

North Georgia State Fair

Sept. 19–29, 2019 There’s nothing better than a classic state fair. Great rides, free concerts, live-action/death-defying events, and all the trimmings that come with the annual state fair abound once again in Jim R. Miller park in Marietta.

NorthGeorgiaStateFair.com

East Atlanta Strut

Sept. 28, 2019 The East Atlanta Strut is a free, one-day extravaganza that showcases the hottest in-town neighborhood in Atlanta, East Atlanta Village. More than 10,000 folks from the Atlanta metro area join the Strut as paraders, shoppers, eaters, drinkers, and players.

EastAtlantaStrut.com

Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival

Oct. 5-6, 2019 Fall Fest in Candler Park has been recommended by City of Atlanta, Scoutmob, and AJC as a must-do for Fall. The free event features two full days of music, 200+ artists and vendors, Tour of Homes, 5K & Fun Run, Kidlandia, and Atlanta’s best food trucks — with all proceeds going directly to benefit the community.

FallFest.CandlerPark.org

Little Five Points Halloween Festival & Parade Oct. 19, 2019 Each October, over 35K people flock to Little 5 Points to experience the signature Halloween festival in the Southeast and one of the top ten Halloween events in the country.

Come enjoy great food and drink, live entertainment, and the best Halloween parade in the South!

L5PHalloween.com

A3C Hip Hop Festival Oct. 8-13, 2019 Georgia Freight Depot A3CFestival.com

Decatur Craft Beer Festival Oct. 19, 2018 Downtown Decatur DecaturBeerFestival.org

Festival on Ponce Oct. 12-13, 2018 Olmsted Linear Park FestivalOnPonce.com

Sept. 28-29, 2019 Head out to Historic Fourth Ward Park to celebrate community and tradition and enjoy fine arts and crafts, a children’s play area, local food and beverages, and live acoustic entertainment. This festival is presented by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces.

OldFourthWardParkArtsFestival.com

Taste of Atlanta

Sweet Auburn Music Festival

Walker Stalker Con

Oct. 5–6, 2019 This festival, deemed the most exciting urban music festival in the U.S., draws in thousands of people to the Sweet Auburn District to experience

Oct. 18-20, 2019 Historic Fourth Ward Park TasteOfAtlanta.com

Stone Mountain Highland Games Oct. 18–20, 2019 Stone Mountain Park Smhg.org

Oct. 18-20, 2019 Georgia World Congress Center Hall B WalkerStalkerCon.com

Continues on page 24

Destination Travel Guide 23

ATLANTA

Continued from page 23

Anime Weekend Atlanta Oct. 31 – Nov. 3, 2019 Cobb Galleria Center and Renaissance Waverly Hotel awa-con.com

Native American Festival and Pow-Wow

Nov. 7–10, 2019 Stone Mountain Park StoneMountainPark.com/Events/ Native-American-Festival-and-Pow-Wow

Chastain Park Arts Festival Nov. 2–3, 2019 Chastain Park ChastainParkArtsFestival.com

Atlanta Veterans Day Parade and Festival

Nov. 19, 2019 Downtown Atlanta Facebook.com/GeorgiaVeteransDay

Atlanta.net/Buckhead/Things-to-do/ Events

Chomp & Stomp Chili Festival

Callanwolde Artist Market Feb. 7-9, 2020 Callanwolde.org

Early November 2019 Cabbagetown Park ChompAndStomp.com

Cupid’s Undie Run

Voices of Note Holiday Concert

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

The Children’s Christmas Parade

Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade

December 2019 VoicesOfNote.org

Dec. 7, 2019 Peachtree Street at 16th Street Choa.org/Donors-and-volunteers/ Foundation-events/Childrenschristmas-parade

Atlanta Ballet’s “Nutcracker”

February 2020 CupidsUndieRun.com/City/Atlanta

February 2020 Ajff.org

Mid-March 2020 AtlantaStPats.com

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Mid-April 2020 Dogwood.org

Dec. 7–24, 2019 Fox Theatre AtlantaBallet.com

Inman Park Festival

Nightly November 2019 – January 2020 Atlanta Botanical Garden AtlantaBG.org

New Year’s Eve Peach Drop

Atlanta Film Festival

Dec. 31, 2019 Underground Atlanta

April 30-May 10, 2020 Various theaters AtlantaFilmFestival.com

Macy’s Great Tree Lighting Show

A King Celebration

Atlanta Jazz Festival

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights

November 2019 Lenox Square Mall

24 Destination Travel Guide

January 2020 Morehouse.edu/KingCollection/ Celebration.php

Late April 2020 InmanParkFestival.org

Late May, 2020 Piedmont Park AtlantaFestivals.com

RANDOM ATL FACTS Atlanta’s had three original names: Terminus, Thrasherville, and Marthasville.

Atlanta is a shortened version of AtlanticaPacifica, due to a railroad line that connected the Southeast to the Midwest.

Cupid’s Undie Run

The “zero mile-marker” for our then-city of Terminus was staked into the ground at Little Five Points.

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Decatur Arts Festival

There are 55+ streets with Peachtree in the name.

Virginia-Highland Summerfest

Peachtree might actually be a corruption of “pitch tree,” as the Creek Indians had a Buckhead-area settlement known as Standing Pitchtree. (Pitch is a polymer that comes from pine trees.)

Late May 2020 Downtown Decatur DecaturArtsFestival.com

Early June 2020 VaHi.org

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Flying Colors Butterfly Festival

Atlanta is the only city in America destroyed as an act of war. (Thanks, General Sherman and the Civil War.) A meager 400 buildings survived.

Tunes from the Tombs Music Festival

The city, quite clearly, bounced back. That’s why the city’s symbol is a phoenix, as it rose from ashes.

Early June 2020 Piedmont Park AtlFoodAndWineFestival.com

Early June 2020 Chattahoochee Nature Center ChattnatureCenter.org

Early June 2020 Oakland Cemetery OaklandCemetery.com

Atlanta Summer Beer Fest

Mid-June 2020 Historic Fourth Ward Park AtlantaSummerBeerFest.com

Peachtree Road Race July 4, 2020 PeachtreeRoadRace.org

Atlanta is a perfect location for flight — it’s a three-hour trip from many major American cities, which is why Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest.

Our airport’s terminal is the size-equivalent of 45 football fields.

Destination Travel Guide 25

ATLANTA

Insider info

for LGBTQ Atlanta

Avoid the “confused tourist” look with our handy-dandy guide to navigating the A. Getting Around Town

Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta’s public transportation system, known as MARTA (ItsMarta.com) can be a convenient way to travel around town, but the bus system is often confusing — even to locals! You may want to stick to our trains, which are easy to navigate and have stops near some of the city’s largest tourist attractions. MARTA’s train is also a cheap, quick way to get to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

OFFICIAL PHOTO

The Atlanta Streetcar (https://atltransit.org/about/ agencies/asc/) is up and running. Phase One of the project is finished and connects the Centennial Olympic Park area to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. Cars run about every 15 minutes and there are 12 stops along this 2.7-mile route.

If you’re looking for a quick, convenient way to tour the city, we’ve got a perfect way! It’s hard to miss the thousands of lightweight, electric, cordless scooters on almost every street corner in the city. Since the California-based Bird system arrived in Atlanta last year, what’s followed is an influx of competing companies looking to monopolize on two wheels! There’s Lyft, Uber, Lime, ElectroBike and now Jump, which offers bicycles and scooters. All you have to do is download the scooter app, enter payment info, scan the QR code, and then you’re on the go!

Overall, Atlanta isn’t the most walkable city. However, the Atlanta BeltLine (BeltLine.org) is working to change that. The massive project is comprised of a 22-mile route around the city along abandoned railroad tracks and 33 miles of multi-use trails for the ultimate outdoor experience.

The BeltLine links you to Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market and dozens of other green spaces to experience all of what Atlanta has to offer.

Other walkable pockets that provide a charming afternoon of shopping and dining include the tourist area around Centennial Olympic Park (including the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola), Atlantic Station, Decatur, East Atlanta Village, Little Five Points, VirginiaHighland, the Midtown epicenter of 10th and Piedmont, and more.

26 Destination Travel Guide

Depending on where you plan to shop, make sure to carry cash for parking. Not feelin’ it? No worries!

Download the Park Mobile app, which allows you to pay for parking in a number of city lots without feeding a meter. Our city’s parking enforcement is known for vigilance, especially in Midtown, and you will be ticketed or even booted.

Stay Safe

As with any big city, Atlanta has its share of break-ins, robberies, and other crimes. If you’re out for a night on the town, think safety first: Don’t leave valuables in your car, park only in well-lit areas, and remember there’s safety in numbers.

If drinking is part of your nightlife plan, consider taking a cab: A DUI is a terrible souvenir and roadblocks are common near popular bars. Unlike other major metropolitan cities, hailing a cab on the street isn’t easy in Atlanta, so save a cab company’s number in your

Continues on page 27

Continued from page 26

MARTA PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA

phone, or ask the bar to help you call one. If you can’t hail a cab and/or need an alternative, Lyft and Uber have your back.

Should you need, the Atlanta Police Department has two dedicated LGBTQ liaison officers. Request their help if it makes dealing with police more comfortable.

Style For Days! (And Nights)

Our nightlife is casual, but not sloppy. Shorts, jeans, polos, stylish tees, and button-ups are generally appropriate in most bars listed in this guide. Keep your casual choices classy and comfortable, but look like you give a damn if you want to catch the eye of that hot local girl or guy across the bar. If you’re considering a night of dancing at Heretic Atlanta or the Atlanta Eagle, less is more! Grab your leather harness, a pair of nasty pig socks and some tight shorts to show off for the crowds! Trust us, we love our visiting men and will give you a good ol’ dose of southern hospitality!

Welcome to Atlanta, Y’all!

It’s fine to integrate with the locals, but nothing will have us clutching our beads faster than misusing the Southern expression “y’all.” A contraction for “you all,” y’all is only

used for in plural. Use it to refer to one person and you might be met with a “bless your heart.” We’ll still make you breakfast, though.

Southerners are also taught to mind our manners, so expect to have locals hold the door for you (whether you’re male or female), and be prepared to do the same.

Oh, and don’t be offended if someone calls you “ma’am” or “sir” — our mamas raised us that way. Note: If you hear “sir” at the Atlanta Eagle, it might have an entirely different meaning. Sir, yes, sir!

Destination Travel Guide 27

To learn more about our story, please visit: lovetitos.com

NEIGHBORHOODS

Welcome to our

Neighborhood!

Atlanta is full of microcosms — neighborhoods big and small, each with its own distinct flavor and flair.

Though some parts of the metro area have a reputation as LGBTQ enclaves — we’re looking at you, Midtown and Decatur — in reality, the queer heartbeat pulses throughout all parts of the city and some of its neighboring suburbs. Here’s our take on the must-dos and hidden gems of Atlanta’s best gayborhoods: Ansley Mall/Cheshire Bridge

Locals consider this the ultimate gayborhood, and the experience that goes along with it is one to treasure!

The Ansley Mall shopping center houses everything a queer person would need to live a productive life! From supermarkets, pharmacies, an LGBTQ-friendly gym, Starbucks (known as the “Bearbucks”), and a wide assortment of other gay-friendly establishments. Atlanta doesn’t get any tastier than Ansley Mall/Cheshire Bridge, with regard to both cuisine and clubbing. The neighborhood entices LGBTQ diners: savory enchiladas from La Hacienda, a juicy burger from Hob Nob, or

30 Destination Travel Guide

American fare at Roxx Tavern.

The nightlife is hot, from the go-go boys at BJ Roosters, the hip-hop flow at Mixx Atlanta, the drag queens at Midtown Moon, drunken karaoke at spots like at Felix’s, or the thumping dance floors at the Heretic!

It’s all just a quick drive or Uber/Lyft ride from your front door! Even the apartment complexes are queer rites of passage — shout out to Vaseline Valley, err, Ansley Forest. In this ‘hood, you can search for a soulmate equally at Starbucks or in an adult-video arcade or from the comfort of your own living room! You’re sure to find

PIEDMONT PARK ISTOCK PHOTO

hundreds of men within just a few hundred feet from you on the popular Grindr, and Scruff apps! Simple enough!

Midtown

Midtown went from being a dilapidated slum in the ‘70s and ’80s to becoming the city’s top gay neighborhood in the ’90s and ’00s. From those roots, today it stands as arguably the premier neighborhood in all of Atlanta, with sky-rise condos and office towers, miles of chic places to shop and eat, and an unrivaled nightlife scene.

And we haven’t even gotten to Piedmont Park, which hosts every major festival Atlanta offers, including the Atlanta Pride Festival, Music Midtown, and the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. The park recently underwent a breathtaking expansion, with serene trails that course alongside the Atlanta Botanical Garden and connect with the BeltLine.

The intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue is considered the crossroads of gay Atlanta and a starting point for many LGBTQ visitors to the city. There are popular gay bars like Blake’s on the Park, while restaurants like 10th & Piedmont, Henry’s and G’s Midtown are likely to be just as brimming with LGBTQ folks as any club.

For that matter, the nearby laundromat, Caribou Coffee, and Subway are likely flaming, too. If you’re in need of a great Sunday funday celebration especially during the height of spring and summer season, Zocalo and TEN Atlanta are ground zero for strong frozen margaritas, DJ’s and the who’s who of the Atlanta gay scene!

Other heavily-LGBTQ restaurants include Einstein’s and Joe’s on Juniper, both on Juniper Street, as well as FROGS Cantina, Apres Diem, and other eateries in the Midtown Promenade shopping center. The gay nightlife that aided the area’s transformation was largely pushed out of the core of Midtown by gentrification, but the bars that remain — Blake’s on the Park and Bulldogs — are two of the city’s most reliable good times.

Midtown is also a cultural hub, with the Fox Theatre on the southern border, while to the north is the Woodruff Arts Center, home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Alliance Theatre, and the High Museum of Art.

Buford Highway

Atlanta’s global village, this area on the city’s northern border is a melting pot of cultures, cuisine, and queer life.

The neighborhood’s diversity and affordability make it a popular area for LGBTQ residents to live and party. If you’re looking for authentic international fare — be it Korean Barbecue (Hae Woon Dae), Mexican seafood (Marisqueria El Veneno), or Bangladeshi dishes (Panahar) — head to Buford Highway, which is home to more than 1,000 immigrant-owned businesses. The busy strip of Buford is home to the drag-themed restaurant Lips Atlanta and the EDM-heavy Rush Lounge. Just on the other side of Interstate 85 is the original location of Lost-n-Found Youth Thrift & Consignment Store, as well as the Barking Leather shop.

Continues on page 34 Destination Travel Guide 31

NEIGHBORHOODS

Continued from page 31 Buckhead

Home to Atlanta’s old money, and long considered one of the poshest areas in the Deep South, Buckhead is a land of condo towers, sprawling estates, and ritzy retail. From Lenox Square Mall to Phipps Plaza, if you’re looking to grab the hottest designer items from Fendi and Armani to Versace and Gucci, this is your neighborhood! It has a legacy as one of Atlanta’s wildest party districts, although it’s tamed significantly in the past decade and has become mostly a straight, college crowd in the past few years.

Where rowdy nightclubs once proliferated here, the neighborhood is increasingly known for upscale restaurants such as Umi sushi bar, Fogo de Chao, and Del Frisco’s Grille. Though the LGBTQ offerings in Buckhead have waned, venues like the Buckhead Theatre cater to LGBTQ events including circuit parties from Peach Party and Joining Hearts Weekend.

Inman Park/Candler Park

Here, you’ll find quaint, growing neighborhoods filled with young families and hip, locally-owned businesses like the LGBTQ-friendly Sugar Magnolia B&B in Inman Park, and the lesbian-run My Favorite Mechanic in Candler Park. The latter neighborhood is named for the scenic Candler Park, which bustles with neighborhood festivals such as the Sweetwater 420 Fest, Fall Fest, the Candler Park Music & Food Fest, and Atlanta’s Black Gay Pride Festival. Inman Park has the Krog Street Market, a tasteful collective of trendy

34 Destination Travel Guide

restaurants with easy access to the BeltLine. It’s also home to the Skin and Bone Docs, a gay owned business specializing in sports medicine and dermatology among other specialities. The family-oriented Candler Park also has a robust and vital LGBTQ presence, most notably the Phillip Rush Center on DeKalb Avenue, which is the common ground for Georgia Equality, The Health Initiative, The Counter Narrative Project, and about a dozen other LGBTQ organizations.

Virginia-Highland/Poncey-Highland

Highland Avenue has emerged as one of the trendiest strips in Atlanta, cutting through several popular neighborhoods. Centered at the intersection of Virginia and Highland avenues, Virginia-Highland is packed with independent restaurants and retail — from clothes shopping at Dakota J’s, to steaks and martinis at Highland Tap, brunch at Murphy’s and many more shopping and dining treats. The annual SummerFest, held in June, is also among Atlanta’s most popular neighborhood festivals.

A few blocks south is Poncey-Highland, which is the younger (and slightly less affluent) sibling of VirginiaHighland. The neighborhood has gay-popular restaurants like Fellini’s Pizza and El Ponce Cantina, an independent movie theater that shows “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the Majestic Diner, an Atlanta institution that provides life-saving nutrition to clubgoers in the early-morning hours.

Manuel’s Tavern is another iconic restaurant along

ROOFTOP VIEW AT PONCE CITY MARKET COURTESY PHOTO

Highland Avenue, just a few blocks away from the Carter Center and Presidential Library. Continuing south, Highland Avenue exploded with residential and retail targeting young professionals, buoyed by the nearby BeltLine.

Little Five Points/Reynoldstown/East Atlanta

Moreland Avenue is the artery that unites these three prior neighborhoods, all of which share an eastside flavor.

Little Five Points (L5P) is one of the city’s most colorful, with record stores, vintage clothing stores including Rag-o-rama, head shops, pubs, and an affinity for all-natural food (Sevananda Market, Arden’s Garden). It’s also one of Atlanta’s hippest theater districts, with Variety Playhouse, Horizon Theatre, Dad’s Garage, and 7 Stages. It’s also a hotspot for getting inked and pierced (Kolo) with a handful of tattoo shops including Southern Star, Sacred Heart and Long Island Ink. To the south of L5P is Reynoldstown, which experienced a boom thanks to the Edgewood Retail District. Aside from Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream (an eastside treasure), the shopping district has nothing of interest for most tourists (Lowe’s, Best Buy, Staples), although there’s always LGBTQ eye candy for locals while shopping at Target and Kroger. Residentially, Reynoldstown remains primarily comprised of refurbished bungalows, reflecting a different type of neighborhood redevelopment from the condo towers and luxury apartments that are driving other parts of Atlanta.

The attitude here is, not surprisingly, embodied by the East Atlanta Village (EAV), your hipster capital of Atlanta, in a totally non-ironic sort of way.

EAV’s primary strip is home to kick-ass restaurants (Graveyard Tavern, Holy Taco, The Glenwood) and SoPo Bikes, a lesbian-founded bicycle cooperative that teaches folks how to repair their bikes, and pay-whatthey-can for parts and equipment. EAV is also home to the legendary gay bar Mary’s (if it even cared about that kind of thing). Once recognized as the best gay bar in the country, Mary’s is the kind of speakeasy where facial hair and eyeglasses increase your chances of scoring, and where drunken karaoke is an almost spiritual experience.

Speaking of channeling nirvana, up the street from Mary’s is Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand, the lesbian-owned drop-in whose food has earned a devout local following.

Downtown/Old Fourth Ward

As you might expect, downtown Atlanta is built for tourists — but do tourists want to go to Hooters? If you walk past places like Hard Rock Cafe, downtown offers plenty of options for unique outings. The crown jewel of downtown is the Georgia Aquarium, which hosts the annual Atlanta Pride opening party every October.

The aquarium’s popularity drove a resurgence in the surrounding area, which now includes the LGBTQ-inclusive Center for Civil & Human Rights, Centennial Olympic Park, and the World of Coca-Cola. Old Fourth Ward is likewise becoming the poster child for Atlanta’s redevelopment, its turnaround accelerated by the Big-Bang-popularity of the Atlanta BeltLine. The recreational path bustles with straight and LGBTQ walkers — not to mention shirtless jogging men! The Old Fourth

Continues on page 38 Destination Travel Guide 35

NEIGHBORHOODS Continued from page 35 Ward portion of the BeltLine also hosts the bedazzling Lantern Parade every September, and connects with fun joints like Jake’s Ice Cream and romantic restaurants like Two Urban Licks. On the southern tip of Old Fourth Ward, near the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolence, is Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium, an irreverent must-experience for any Atlanta visitor or resident.

Along the northern edge of Old Fourth Ward is Ponce City Market, a historic structure that has undergone an extreme makeover, re-emerging as a knockout condo/ retail complex that houses an eclectic mixture of food choices from around the world, plus unique shopping outlets that redefine what it means to be a hipster! Plus, the sweets corner (edible cookie dough, doughnuts, ice cream, and candy from around the world) nestled within the market is sure to keep you coming back!

Grant Park/Cabbagetown

Just south of Old Fourth Ward is Cabbagetown, an eclectic neighborhood where old factories were converted to hip lofts and businesses and where LGBTQ residents and merchants are helping the area carve a new identity.

The area’s main commercial strip, which it shares with neighboring Grant Park, is Memorial Drive, lined with businesses and restaurants that pay homage to the neighborhood’s industrial roots with their facades.

Among the places to eat on Memorial Drive is Ria’s Bluebird Cafe, a breakfast joint that continues to thrive in honor of its beloved departed founder, Ria Pell, a badass lesbian who triumphed on the Food Network reality show “Chopped.” Another strip worth checking out is Carroll Street, a tucked-away hotspot that features cozy, acclaimed restaurants. Across from Carroll Street is the historic Oakland Cemetery, which offers tours of the final resting places of local notables such as Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone With the Wind,” and Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first black mayor and partial namesake of the city’s airport.

Adjacent to Cabbagetown is Grant Park, one of Atlanta’s oldest in-town neighborhoods and the city’s largest historic district. Grant Park is full of older Craftsman and Victorian homes, and is also full of gay residents who played a key role in the neighborhood’s rebound from its decline after Interstate 20 split the ’hood in half back in the ’60s.

The neighborhood is named after the 130-plus acre park which houses Zoo Atlanta.

Castleberry Hill

One of the defining traits of many Atlanta neighborhoods is gentrification, as the urban exodus of past decades reverses itself with suburbanites flocking to in-town neighborhoods. Castleberry Hill was on the forefront of this transition more than a decade ago, but unlike many other almost-unrecognizable neighborhoods, Castleberry Hill found a nice blend between fresh, modern residences and businesses, while retaining its original character.

Located just west of downtown, the strip bills itself as Atlanta’s historic/creative district, and features countless

38 Destination Travel Guide

art galleries, popular event venues like The Loft and Coze, and delightful date-night options such as the elegant Blu’ Bisque, where patrons sip cocktails while trying to paint like Picasso. Bonus? No Mas! Cantina, which regularly hosts events for LGBTQ groups.

Decatur/Oakhurst Village/ Avondale Estates

Sappho capital of the south, Decatur is a city where the LGBTQ social scene is more likely to be centered around PTA meetings and soccer games than bar stools and dance floors. Along with neighboring Avondale Estates, Decatur is among the most densely concentrated areas of same-sex couples in the nation. The growth has been phenomenal over the past decade, transforming this area into rainbow flag wielding, equality stickered homes and cars as far as the eyes can see! The result brings queer life to Main Street, through the downtown square and in the many LGBTQ-affirming churches. The city is home field for the Decatur Women’s Sports League and the highly regarded Paws, Whiskers & Wags Pet Crematorium — two bona fides of Decatur’s lesbian cred. And new to the Decatur business circle is lesbian/feminist Charis Books and More.

Formerly in Little Five Points, this bookstore is a go-to spot for book signings, readings and the latest in written masterpieces.

West End

Located a few miles south of downtown, the historic West End neighborhood is home to the renowned Atlanta University Center, comprised of Morehouse College, Spelman University and Clark Atlanta University.

Each of the historically black schools is known for having sizable gay and lesbian populations, and in recent years, LGBTQ students increased their organizing and programming. Most recently, Morehouse College plans to begin accepting Trans students into its institution.

HARTSFIELD-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT COURTESY PHOTO

West End also has a range of unique destinations, from the emerging art and business district known as The Metropolitan, to longtime venues like Busy Bee Cafe.

A few blocks from the Atlanta University Center is the Herndon Home Museum, a historic site that chronicles the Herndon family, chiefly Alonzo Herndon, Atlanta’s first black millionaire, and his son, Norris Herndon, an openly gay man who helped finance the civil rights movement.

Also located in West End is Club Rain, which is one of Atlanta’s hottest Friday night parties for black gay men, while the nearby tennis courts at Perkerson Park are a LGBTQ hidden gem.

College Park/East Point

College Park is a city that almost everyone has been to, but few have ever visited. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is located in the city just south of Atlanta, but there is more to College Park than terminals and baggage belts. The city’s rejuvenated Main Street (located directly across from the MARTA train station) is dotted with restaurants such as Noodle and Tony Morrow’s BBQ. About four miles north on Main Street, in the direction of downtown Atlanta, is East Point. This city has also enjoyed an upswing in its downtown commercial district, and is home to Greenbriar Mall. College Park and East Point are both predominantly African-American areas, but both have a vibrant LGBTQ presence comprised of folks of all colors.

Stone Mountain

Neighboring Decatur on the eastern edge of the metro Atlanta area is Stone Mountain, a city named after a massive boulder that bears an etched tribute to Rebel soldiers on one side — a Mount Rushmore for the Confederacy. The boulder is located in Stone Mountain Park, which has a golf course, fishing lakes, and hiking

trails all the way up the gigantic rock, giving everyone the pleasure of trampling all over the grounds.

Outside Stone Mountain Park, the city itself is a predominantly black area, which includes a vibrant LGBTQ community that’s got you covered for Saturday night and Sunday morning. Phase One nightclub on Memorial Drive has been bringing LGBTQ hip-hop fans together for a decade, while Victory Church is a dynamic congregation that has welcomed LGBTQ Christians for almost 20 years.

Stone Mountain is a diverse city, and LGBTQ residents are instrumental in their communities, too. Half a dozen operated businesses are helping revitalize downtown Stone Mountain, including a nonprofit community coffee shop called Cafe JAYA and the ART Station Contemporary Arts Center and Theatre Company.

The ’Burbs

LGBTQ life in metro Atlanta extends far beyond the city limits. In addition to Decatur, Stone Mountain, East Point, and College Park, other nearby cities made accomplishments in gay progress and acceptance. The metro area grows more conservative as you move out of the in-town core, but many LGBTQ people gladly call places like Sandy Springs, Marietta, Kennesaw, and Dunwoody home. It’s certainly worth checking out an act at the Cobb Galleria Centre, or hiking up Kennesaw Mountain.

Blue Ridge, about a 90-minute drive from Atlanta, is a mountain town of less than 1,500 residents and its main street is filled with LGBTQ-owned businesses. Lake Cove is a popular summer hangout. The energy that spurred LGBTQ advancement and a better quality of everyday life in Midtown consistently gained momentum and spread in all directions of metro Atlanta, and allows queer culture to thrive in the conservative South.

Destination Travel Guide 39

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THE ARTS

FOX THEATRE: “Wicked” Courtesy photo

Atlanta for

the Artsy Types

Some folks call it ATLwood these days, but Atlanta had a top-notch art scene long before the film crews moved in. Whether you prefer box seats for theater, dance, vocal performances, or just enjoy strolling galleries to admire visual art, there’s something for you nestled in the metro area.

Off Broadway

If plays and musical theater are your things — but a pricey ticket to the Big Apple isn’t — take a look at what’s on stage in the ATL. From “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to “Wicked,” there’s a little something for every age range!

Coming up for the 2019/2020 season, the famous Fox Theatre brings off-Broadway musicals, panels, and glow-in-the-day guests to the stage, including “Cats,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and “Hello, Dolly,” plus “Miss Saigon” and “Hamilton.”

You may have heard of the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center because it boasts its very own Tony Award. This season, Alliance is back at the Woodruff Arts Center with “Becoming Nancy” and “Maybe Happy Ending” at the Coca-Cola Stage. Upcoming productions include “Small Mouth Sounds,” “53% Of,” and “Seize The King.”

Atlanta is also home to theaters that bring independent and lesser-known works into the spotlight. Horizon Theatre has 172 seats to watch its contemporary plays, including this year’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog

42 Destination Travel Guide

in the Night-time.” LGBTQ-owned Out Front Theatre Company has a summer camp and regular performances to be determined.

Actor’s Express, a member of the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, grows talent through regular performances at the King Plow Arts Center. Shows this upcoming season include “Head Over Heels,” “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” “Skintight,” “Downstairs,” “Fun Home,” and “The Brothers Size.

7 Stages Theatre, located off Euclid Avenue, has brought works of political and social importance to the stage since 1979. It also hosts educational workshops and youth events to get the community more engaged in the performing arts.

Now’s the time to make plans to attend the spectacular shows scheduled for the City Springs Performing Arts Center at City Springs! The brand-new venue opened its doors in the summer of 2018, and in its second season, there’s sure to

Continues on page 44

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Continued from page 42 be memorable performances by a variety of artists.

Theatrical Outfit is an Atlanta-based theater company whose purpose is to provide their diverse audiences, actors, and artists with rich theater experience. They often draw from classic and contemporary literature that pays tribute to our roots, like works from Southern authors such as Harper Lee, Cormac McCarthy, Flannery O’Connor, and Mark Twain to name a few.

Serenbe Playhouse is a professional theatre committed to site-specific performances and programs that connect art, nature, and community. This is the place you go when you want to see, perhaps, the sinking of an actual ship in their water-logged version of “Titanic,” or watch them land a helicopter in a field for a production of “Miss Saigon.”

Serenbe does not hold back. Upcoming shows feature “The True Story of Pocahontas,” and “Hair.”

The mission of the Alliance Theatre is straightforward and ambitious: As the premier theater of the Southeast, the Alliance sets the highest artistic standards, creating the powerful experience of shared theater for diverse people.

The 2019/2020 season is their 51st anniversary season, so you best bet they’ve got something up their sleeves to keep you planted to your seats.

Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company co-founded by Tony-winning Broadway director Kenny Leon and Jane Bishop in 2002.

The theatre company produces world-premiere plays by diverse playwrights, as well as a commitment to preserving African-American classics. As there is no permanent theater space for the company, they have dubbed themselves a “moveable feast,” presenting plays at the

44 Destination Travel Guide

SERENBE PLAYHOUSE: “True Story of Pocahontas” COURTESY PHOTO

Southwest Arts Center, Theatrical Outfits Balzer Theatre, Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center, and the Rialto Center for the Arts.

Also new this season, the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, Georgia, welcomes in performances this upcoming season including “Children of Eden,” “The Roommate,” “Christmas Canteen: An Aurora Original,” and “On Your Feet.”

Song and Dance

There’s more — much more! — to Hotlanta’s art scene than theater. Atlanta Ballet is one of the nation’s premier dance companies, and its 89-year history helped make it the State Ballet of Georgia. The dancers bring us a fabulous slate of performances this season, including their annual “The Nutcracker” performance during the winter holidays, as well as “Beauty and the Beast.”

Voices of Note, the organization that includes both the Atlanta Women’s Chorus and the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, presents dynamic vocal performances that act as catalysts for social change.

The Atlanta Opera is another can’t-miss swarm of vocal talent, bringing performances like “Frida,” “La Cenerentola,” “Salome,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Madama Butterfly,” and “Glory Denied” to audiences at the Cobb Energy Centre in Marietta.

We can’t forget the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

This season, the symphony pays tribute not only to the classical greats but also enchants Atlanta with the popular blockbuster movie, “Home Alone.” The symphony also invites you to experience your favorite movies in spectacular fashion — while watching classic films on a giant 40-foot

Continues on page 50

Our 2019-20 Season!

La Cage aux Folles Oct. 24 —

Nov 9, 2019 Georges is the owner of the La Cage Aux Folles nightclub, which features a drag show starring his partner and the love of his life, Albin.

After twenty years of un-wedded bliss, the pair face the hardest challenge of their relationship, yet: meeting their son, Jean-Michel’s fiancé’s parents.

Christmas with the Crawfords

Dec. 5 — 21, 2019 This riotous camp classic is based on the actual Christmas Eve live radio broadcast from the Joan Crawford’s Brentwood mansion in 1949. This mashup musical parody is a loving homage to Hollywood’s “Golden Age.”

Bull in a China Shop

Jan. 30 — Feb. 15, 2020 Inspired by the real letters between Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks spanning from 1899 to 1937, this fastpaced comedy asks: What is revolution?

What does it mean to be at odds with the world? How do we fulfill our potential?

warplay

Mar. 12 — 28, 2020 A poetic and funny re-imagining of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, warplay requires us to reexamine our assumptions about heroism and love.

Tickets and more at: OutFrontTheatre.com

The Boys in the Band

Apr. 30 — May 16, 2020 In his Upper East Side apartment, Michael is throwing a birthday party for Harold and as the evening wears on – fueled by drugs and alcohol – bitter, unresolved resentments among the guests come to light when a game of “Truth” goes terribly wrong.

Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ Theatre

FRIDA LA CENERENTOLA Mar 28 - ApR 6, 2019 SALOME Maison Rouge @ Paris on Ponce PORGY & BESS MADAMA BUTTERFLY GLORY DENIED

ON SALE NOW!

404-881-8885 ATLANTAOPERA.ORG

2019 | 2020 Season

90th Anniversary

Love Fear Loss

September 20–22, 2019 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre The Carlos Family in Honor of Thalia N. Carlos Presents

The Nutcracker December 7–24, 2019 The Fox Theatre

Heart / Beat

Gospel, Brubeck & Rhythms of the City February 7–15, 2020 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Emily Carrico. Photo by Rachel Neville.

Giselle

March 27–29, 2020 With the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Firebird

May 15–17, 2020 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Be a Part of our 90th Anniversary Season Packages start at just $75.

Visit atlantaballet.com/subscribe or call 404.892.3303.

arts@tech

2019-2020 season

professional artists series

Kinetic Light: DESCENT

Dökk by fuse*

Friday, October 4, 2019

Elevenplay

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Four Seasons Double Concerto November 15 & 17, 2019 enra

Kid Koala

Kinetic Light: DESCENT

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Kaki King: DATA NOT FOUND

(residency only)

February 10-14, 2020

Kid Koala’s Satellite

Saturday, February 15, 2020

enra Scrap Arts Music

Elevenplay

arts.gatech.edu 404-894-9600

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Scrap Arts Music: Children of Metropolis Friday, April 17, 2020

THE ARTS Continued from page 44 screen in Symphony Hall while the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the film scores. Don’t miss “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” with the ASO in their upcoming season.

Eye Spy

It’s hard to be in Atlanta without noticing all the visual art around — it’s in gift shops, it’s on murals, it’s on the famous Krog Street Tunnel. And it’s also on display in more traditional museums and galleries, like the High Museum in Midtown.

This year, the High Museum’s art exhibits include “European Masterworks: The Phillips Collection”, “Strange Light: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin,” and all the wonderful art on display year-round. The High also has plenty of kid-friendly activities if looking at paintings isn’t quite what your little ones had in mind.

If you happen to be an alumnus of one of the Atlanta area’s universities, make time to stop and see some of the artwork on display at their museums. Kennesaw State’s Zuckerman Museum of Art has one art curation coming up — “Sonya Yong James: One Hundred Blossoms and the Sweetest Scent” and the ongoing “Ruth V. Zuckerman Collection: Inside Out.” The city’s numerous art galleries constantly curate new

HIGH MUSEUM: “Strange Light: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin” COURTESY PHOTO

shows (and performances), so be sure to check out Westside Cultural Arts Center and Mutiny Artwrx, for starters. And if seeing art isn’t enough for you, you can make your own. Pit-stop at Healium Arts Center, Decatur Glassblowing, All Fired Up, and Mudfire for some one-of-a-kind, handmade souvenirs from your trip to the big city.

www.outonfilm.org 50 Destination Travel Guide

T E L L U S

S C I E N C E

M U S E U M

ADMISSION FOR UP TO 4 PERSONS

BECAUSE SCIENCE MATTERS!

I-75 EXIT 293

100 TELLUS DRIVE CARTERSVILLE GA

Not valid with any other discounts, coupons, offers, specials or deals. Excludes programs and special ticketed events. Must present this coupon at the time of purchase.

#tellusmuseum

tellusmuseum.org

2019-2020 S E A S O N

AWC: Vintage Holidays!

A 1940’s Radio Show AWC pays tribute to our parents and grandparents and our love of country and family. We will reminisce and celebrate the era that birthed some of the most beautiful music ever composed — all wrapped in a beautiful holiday package.

AGMC 39th Annual Holiday Extravaganza This concert is Atlanta’s wellloved traditional kickoff to the holiday season — music to inspire holiday cheer and good will. No one rings in the holidays like the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus!

AWC: She Rises Through song and story this concert celebrates the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, along with a focus on human rights for all. You will be inspired and uplifted as we celebrate diversity and community.

AGMC: Queens & Queen!!

AWC: Phoenix Rising: Untold Stories of Atlanta

AGMC: Returning to the Root

AWC explores what it means to call Atlanta home! From the Native Americans that called this area home, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, and gay rights, to Robert Shaw’s impact on choral music and of course, popular and hip-hop music – there is so much that makes Atlanta a rich and diverse city!

The central tenant of all the world’s religions is love. At their best, religions teach us to treat each other with loving kindness. This concert explores our relationship to religion and music — how it’s intended to create connections, acceptance, and most of all, express love.

Season subscriptions can be purchased at www.voicesofnote.org or by calling (404) 320-1030

This show will make you clap your hands and stomp your feet! AGMC pays tribute to the iconic Queens of Music: Cher, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and a special tribute to the well-loved group Queen, complete with a full rock band!

Sponsored By:

Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

SIGHTSEEING

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN: Imaginary Worlds: Alice’s Wonderland COURTESY PHOTO

Inside and Out of Atlanta

You’ve powered your way through our infamous Atlanta traffic jams, the crazy Georgia drivers, and that always crowded HOV lane! Congrats! Now you’re ready to relax and take in the sights and sounds in and around the metro! The city and surrounding areas have a lot to offer, but if you want to branch out a bit further, there’s a ton to see and do. Here are some of our favorite attractions you shouldn’t miss, both inside the perimeter (inside of the Interstate 285 loop) and outside the perimeter (outside of the Interstate 285 loop).

In Atlanta

Atlanta Botanical Garden With 30 acres of cultivated gardens and a fantastic restaurant, Longleaf, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens offers something new to see every season of the year. If you’re visiting during the winter holidays, stop in and see the incredible Garden Lights exhibit after dark, and don’t forget to stop into the satellite garden in Gainesville for even more natural beauty. AtlantaBG.org Center for Civil and Human Rights Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Center for Civil and Human Rights connects the AfricanAmerican, LGBTQ, and global human rights movements in an engaging and thought-provoking way, which is why this attraction is at the top of many lists and has quickly become a favorite of locals and visitors.

CivilAndHumanRights.org City Winery This popular live-music venue and restaurant has made its mark in multiple major cities across the country and found a home in Atlanta at Ponce City Market. LGBTQ lovers of great wine, food, and music will enjoy the ambience at City Winery, which also houses an intimate

300-seat performance space for popular bands.

CityWinery.com Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola Located across the street from one another, visitors can go from high-fiving a polar-bear mascot to watching live penguins, marine mammals, and fish swim to their hearts’ content. Plan your trip in advance, and you can schedule a time to come face-to-face with beluga whales or spend the night under the sea. GeorgiaAquarium.org; WorldOfCoca-Cola.com‎ The Roof at Ponce City Market Yes, that’s the name — The Roof. It’s 1.7 acres of sheer entertainment that harkens back to its 19th-century amusement park roots, featuring a beer garden, snow cones, gourmet hot dogs, and more. And if that isn’t enticing, miniature golf and other low-tech rides, including a giant slide simulating a free fall, are also available.

PonceCityRoof.com Zoo Atlanta One word: pandas. Kidding. They’re, of course, a

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Destination Travel Guide 57

SIGHTSEEING Continued from page 57 highlight of Zoo Atlanta, but definitely not the only animal to learn about. Come see birds, reptiles, mammals, and more — and if you time it right, you can even help feed the giraffes. ZooAtlanta.org Piedmont Park Grab an electric scooter or bicycle, or put on your comfiest walking shoes for an afternoon of sheer beauty! The sprawling hills, breathtaking lake, and miles of walking paths are perfect for an afternoon outdoors. The park offers several baseball fields, beach volleyball courts, several playgrounds, two dog parks, and even a pool for those hot summer days! It’s also the perfect place for a picnic under one of the parks hundreds of lush, shaded trees! PiedmontPark.org Six Flags Over Georgia Love the thrill of going upside down at 60 miles per hour?

Head to Georgia’s most visited amusement park just miles from downtown Atlanta! Located in Austell off the Chattahoochee River, the theme park houses more than 11 roller coasters and a total of 44 rides for all ages. Don’t forget to cool off at Hurricane Harbor with three water slides and more than a dozen attractions. SixFlags.com/ OverGeorgia

A short drive away

Anne Frank in the World: 1929–1945 Pay homage to one of the most iconic figures of modern history by visiting this exhibit in Sandy Springs, just a few miles up Georgia 400. The Anne Frank exhibit houses hundreds of photographs that tell the life of this young woman who died during the Holocaust, in addition to other exhibits related to the time period. Holocaust.

Georgia.gov/Anne-Frank-World-1929-1945 Babyland General Hospital Children of the 1980s will get a kick out of this peculiar tourist attraction in Cleveland, Georgia — the hometown of Cabbage Patch Kids creator Xavier Roberts. Babyland is the place where Cabbage Patch Kids are “born” and presents itself as a real hospital, with staffers dressed as doctors and nurses. CabbagePatchKids.com/Pages/ Babyland-General-Hospital Blue Ridge This mountain town 90 miles north of Atlanta is full of lush scenery, can’t-miss shops, and restaurants in the downtown area. It’s also a surprising haven for a sizable number of LGBTQ people, so you’ll see plenty of friendly faces.

BlueRidgeMountains.com Booth Western Art Museum A little less than an hour from downtown Atlanta, you’ll land in Cartersville — home to Booth Western Art Museum, one of the greatest museums featuring contemporary Western-American art, presidential portraits, and letters and Western-movie memorabilia.

There’s also a cafe and multimedia theater on the premises. BoothMuseum.org

58 Destination Travel Guide

CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST: Horseriders on Jake and Bull Mountain Trail System COURTESY PHOTO

Callaway Gardens Head southwest of the city for 1.5 hours and you won’t regret what you find at this resort complex in Pine Mountain.

Gardens of azaleas and magnolias, lakes, and even a large enclosed butterfly habitat dot the area, and the Festival of Lights is worth a drive up during the winter holidays.

CallawayGardens.com Chattahoochee National Forest Point your car toward North Georgia and take your pick of the 750,000 acres of lush scenery, with rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, plus the perfect terrain for hiking, swimming, picnicking, kayaking, and more. Fs.Usda.gov/Conf Helen Because nothing says “Deep South” quite like a replica of a Bavarian alpine. Helen is a quirky little north Georgia town, great for a day trip to stroll around the various shops or go river rafting in the Chattahoochee. Plus you’re only a 20-minute drive from beautiful Anna Ruby Falls. HelenGa.org Lake Lanier Lanier is the most popular lake for Atlanta residents looking for a day or weekend to water ski, swim, sunbathe, or just relax on the water. Plus make sure to visit Gay Cove on the west side of the lake just north of marker 21 to find some like-minded friends! DiscoverLakeLanier.com State Botanical Garden of Georgia Sure, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is no slouch at 30 acres of beautiful grounds, but head for Athens, Georgia, to visit its much bigger brother — there are over 300 acres to roam there! Be sure to stop for a meal or afternoon cocktail in the always fun downtown area.

BotGarden.uga.edu Stone Mountain Park The city of Stone Mountain is uber-LGBTQ-friendly, with numerous “family-owned” businesses dotting the downtown area and a welcoming mayor to boot. Just make sure to visit the 3,200-acre park and either walk or take a chairlift to the top to get the ultimate Georgia view.

StoneMountainPark.com

FILM INDUSTRY

THE WALKING DEAD: Filmed exclusively in Georgia PUBLICITY PHOTO

Hollywood of the South Atlanta’s Booming Film Industry

Atlanta is famously known as the “Hollywood of the South,” and there’s a good reason why! With over 1,500 movies and over 20 television shows shot here since 1972, the impact of the film industry continues to grow in Georgia, making Atlanta a favorite destination for filmmakers and fans alike. The Governor’s Office confirms $2.7 billion in direct spending from 455 qualified TV and film productions in the 2018 Fiscal Year alone. It’s all thanks to a tax credit for film production that exceeds $500,000 in spending in the state. That means big budget films and TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Mile 22” take pride in calling Georgia home for their productions!

The Walking Dead

The most notable of all TV shows filmed in Peach state is “The Walking Dead,” and if you’re an avid zombie fanatic, you’ll surely recognize many locations around the Atlanta metro from the popular show that was filmed exclusively in Georgia. Senoia, Georgia, home to Riverwood Studios, is a city located 35 minutes south of Atlanta in Coweta County, Georgia, and a focal point in the filming of the TV series and many other productions including “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and the 2011 remake of “Footloose.”

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre located in the outskirts of Atlanta may look familiar to “Walking Dead” fans as its role of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in

60 Destination Travel Guide

episode five of the show’s first season.

The Hunger Games

Another all-time blockbuster series “The Hunger Games,” has deep roots in the Georgia film industry. Three of the four installments (“Catching Fire” and both “Mockingjay” films) were filmed right here in the Atlanta area. Start off with a tour of Swan House (130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW) in one of Buckhead’s most upscale neighborhoods. The property was used as President Snow’s mansion in the films.

Head to the West Midtown area of Atlanta to the Goat Farm Arts Center (1200 Foster St NW) which served as a District 12 backdrop, home to Katniss Everdeen. While exploring the lot, keep an eye out for pieces of coal on the ground. During production, they were used as props to bring to life District 12’s coal mining industry! A true souvenir if found!

The Black Panther

Are you a “Wakanda Forever!” fan? Get excited to see a few key filming locations right here in Georgia! In the movie, an axe from Wakanda is stolen from a museum in London. The exterior shot of that museum is actually Atlanta’s High Museum of Art in downtown Atlanta (1280 Peachtree St. NW).

The interiors of Atlanta’s City Hall (55 Trinity Ave) was used in a post-credit scene where T’Challa addresses

STRANGER THINGS: Scenes filmed in the Atlanta area PUBLICITY PHOTO

the United Nations. The location of the battle between T’Challa and Erik Killmonger was filmed at Bouckaert Farm, also known as Chattahoochee Hills Eventing (9445 Browns Lake Road, Fairburn, Georgia), which sits along the Chattahoochee River about 15 miles from Atlanta’s international airport.

legacy of film connections. The Grand Ballroom was used for a gala that coincided with the premiere of “Gone with the Wind.” More recently, 1974’s “Cockfighter,” “Identity Thief,” “The Change-Up” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” all used the hotel as a filming location.

The movie’s monumental opening and ending scenes depicted apartment projects in Oakland, California, but the buildings filmed were actually the Wheat Street Towers (375 Auburn Ave. NE), a low-income apartment complex east of downtown Atlanta, near the city’s Sweet Auburn Historic District.

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis has the largest atrium in the world, which makes it a unique filming location. In “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” the hotel stands in as the Victor’s Capital Housing. In “Flight,” Denzel Washington’s character, Whip Whitaker, gets drunk in the hotel lobby the night before his hearing. The unique atrium was also used recently in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

Stranger Things

While the ‘80s-themed sci-fi Netflix series takes place in a fictional Indiana town, several scenes from the show were filmed in the Atlanta area. Hawkins National Laboratory — the place where science opened a portal to the mysterious Upside Down universe — is located at Emory University’s Briarcliff campus. Head North up Interstate 85 to Gwinnett Place Mall, and you’ll recognize the sprawling building as the ‘80s shopping center in several scenes in the third season of “Stranger Things.”

25 miles southwest of Atlanta on Interstate 85, you’ll arrive at the small town of Palmetto. Plug in 506 Center Street in your GPS and you’ll arrive at Bradley’s Piggly Wiggly Express.

That’s where Eleven steals waffles! Just don’t steal any while you’re there! They’ve got the place on waffle lockdown!

Locations Around Atlanta Piedmont Park

Atlanta’s largest green space has been used in films, including “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”

The Georgian Terrace

Built in 1910, The Georgian Terrace Hotel has a long

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Georgia Aquarium

The world’s largest aquarium has served as a backdrop for dozens of films including “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “The Last Song,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip,” and “Miracles from Heaven.”

Clark Atlanta University/ Atlanta University Center

Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities have been in many sports and college films. “Stomp the Yard” was filmed at Clark Atlanta University, along with Morris Brown College, Morehouse College, and Georgia Tech.

“We Are Marshall” was filmed partially at neighboring Morris Brown College. “Drumline” used Clark Atlanta and Morris Brown as backdrops for the movie as well. Atlanta Movie Tours’ Heritage Tour showcases these locations.

Want to take a tour?

A tour company called Atlanta Movie Tours takes locals and visitors to several locations from “Black Panther” and other films mentioned above on it’s Hero Tour, Heritage Tour and Best of Atlanta Tour.

AtlantaMovieTours.com

Destination Travel Guide 61

FOOD

Agave Restaurant

COURTESY PHOTO

Our Scene’s Cuisine

Atlanta dining is some of the best in the country and it’s here that you’ll get a taste of almost every culture around the world, and many of them are gay-owned and LGBTQfriendly spots! Grab some beers and bar food with a couple of buds or sit down to a romantic dining experience with your partner! It’s all here!

10th & Piedmont

991 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-602-5510 10thAndPiedmont.com Located at the formed home of LGBTQ landmark Outwrite Bookstore, 10th & Piedmont has made its own place in gay Atlanta. Owned by the same team as neighboring G’s, 10th & Piedmont features organic ingredients and multicultural flavors with a Southern flair.

a mano

587 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE Atlanta, GA 30312 404-549-7727 AmanoAtl.com Handmade pasta and other seasonal Italian dishes in a cozy cottage with a snug bar and patio.

Agave Restaurant 242 Blvd. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30312

64 Destination Travel Guide

404-588-0006 AgaveRestaurant.com From stuffed mountain trout tomatillo to Mexican rack of lamb and traditional Posole soup, Agave is known for eclectic Southwestern food plus an extensive tequila bar.

Alon’s Bakery & Market Virginia-Highland 1394 North Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30306 404-872-6000

Buckhead 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30346 678-397-1781 Alons.com Relaxed bakery and sandwich shop featuring prepared foods and sweets in snug digs with sidewalk seats.

Apres Diem

931 Monroe Drive

Suite C-103 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-872-3333 ApresDiem.com For a romantic night out, you can’t beat Apres Diem. Among the bistro’s perks are its candlelit ambience, great wine choices, and wait staff that never seem in a hurry to rush customers out the door. The roasted lamb and Moroccan salmon are great, too.

Atmosphere French Restaurant

1620 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30324 678-702-1620 AtmosphereBistro.com Conveniently located on Piedmont Avenue near Ansley Mall, Atmosphere offers French food with a modern twist in a charming remodeled home.

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FOOD Continued from page 64

Bacchanalia

1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30318 404-365-0410 StarProvisions.com/bacchanalia Long rated as one of Atlanta’s best restaurants, Bacchanalia offers a seasonal, organic menu of contemporary American cuisine from chef/owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, who source many of the ingredients from their own farm.

Bangkok Thai

Ansley Square 1492 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-874-2514 BangkokThaiAtl.com Long-running family-friendly eatery serving traditional Thai favorites such as pad Thai & curries. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best Asian.

BeetleCat

299 N. Highland Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 678-732-0360 BeetleCatAtl.com BeetleCat is a shore-style, casual cocktail lounge with a coastal ’70s and ’80s vibe in Inman Park.

BoccaLupo

753 Edgewood Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-577-2332 BoccaLupoAtl.com Tucked away in Atlanta’s historic Inman Park is BoccaLupo, an ItalianAmerican eatery owned by Atlantanative chef, Bruce Logue. An intimate restaurant, BoccaLupo focuses on extruded and rolled, hand-cut pastas. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Italian.

Café Intermezzo

1845 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30309 404-355-0411 CafeIntermezzo.com It may have a full menu, but the desserts make it a top-flight destination. Bring your sweet tooth — tarts, tortes, and oodles more beckon.

Second location in Dunwoody. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best coffeehouse.

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Bangkok Thai COURTESY PHOTO

Casseroles

1393 North Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30306 404-228-3260 CasserolesAtlanta.com Take-out hideaway delivering an array of premade casseroles, from brunch to dinner, to heat at home.

Campagnolo

980 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-343-2446 CampagnoloAtl.com Before Maureen Kalmanson opened up Henry’s Midtown Tavern, she brought us this popular Italian and Mediterranean restaurant.

Campagnolo offers a casual atmosphere for dinner and a weekend brunch. The patio provides a street-level view of Atlanta’s most beautiful, LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best Italian. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for most romantic.

City Winery

Ponce City Market 650 North Ave. N.E. #201 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-946-3791 CityWinery.com/Atlanta Hip, intimate venue with a New American restaurant, bar, and on-site winery inside Ponce City Market.

The Colonnade Restaurant

1879 Cheshire Bridge Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-874-5692 ColonnadeAtlanta.com The gays mingle with the grays at this Atlanta landmark of Southern food served up the way you want it. This place gives tomato aspic a good name.

Dancing Goats Coffee Bar Ponce City Market 650 North Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-874-0370

Decatur 419 W. Ponce De Leon Decatur, GA 30030 404-687-1100 BatdorfCoffee.com Modern haunt with espresso, singleorigin coffee, & free WiFi inside a restored, historic building.

Deep End

621 North Ave 470-823-3102 DeepEndAtl.com This taqueria and cocktail bar offers up some Tex-Mex staples and creative trivia (“Game of Thrones,” anyone?) for visitors and residents of the Old Fourth Ward.

Located across from the Ponce City Market, this place has plenty of parking for your transportation convenience.

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Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand 489 Moreland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30316 404-474-9651

881 Marietta St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 404-254-0408 TheSausageStand.com Delia Champion burst onto the Atlanta food scene in 1993 when she opened the first Flying Biscuit in Candler Park.

The lesbian restaurateur returned in 2011 with her Chicken Sausage Stand, which offers “slingers” (link sausages served on a hoagie) and sliders based on her homemade sausage recipe, dished up with a variety of creative toppings. Open 24 hours on weekends.

Doc Chey’s Noodle House

1424 North Highland Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 404-888-0777 563 Memorial Drive S.E. Atlanta, GA 404-688-4238 DocCheys.com Pick up spring rolls, dumplings, curries, and stir-fries — or on a stay-in evening, have those goodies brought to you. Three area locations (Midtown, Decatur, and Grant Park) make it easily accessible. Peace. Love. Noodles. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best takeout.

Doc Chey’s Dragon Bowl 1556 N. Decatur Road

“King+Duke has an amazing outdoor patio and drinks right by the St. Regis in Buckhead!! The Ford Restaurant Group is rocking Atlanta!”

— Keewan Williams

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Einstein’s COURTESY PHOTO

Atlanta, GA 404-378-8188 DragonBowlAtl.com Bustling noodle shop dishes up classic Asian fare plus beer and wine in a family-friendly space.

Eats

600 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-888-9149 EatsOnPonce.net Eats is quick, conveniently located, and won’t put a dent in your finances.

Pasta dishes and good ol’ jerk chicken, plus the likes of green beans and baked sweet potatoes. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best cheap eats.

Floataway Cafe

1123 Zonolite Road Atlanta, GA 30306 404-892-1414 StarProvisions.com/Floataway-Cafe The menu features fresh cuisine created with French, Mediterranean, and Italian influences. Changing daily, the menu reflects seasonal influences and the finest local ingredients.

Flying Biscuit

1655 McLendon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-687-8888

1077 Juniper St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-876-7925 EinsteinsAtlanta.com Still going strong at its Midtown spot after oh-so-many years, Einstein’s is a terrific place for a quick bite to eat while meeting with clients/ colleagues, or for a lovely brunch or dinner with friends, with a menu that never seems static.

1001 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-874-8887 FlyingBiscuit.com Founded in Atlanta and now a franchise with multiple locations, the Biscuit is the place for breakfast and brunch. Breakfast is served all day (with lip-smacking omelets) and there are salads, sandwiches, desserts, and entrees that sate. It’s not unheard of to see weekend lines, but the wait is worth it. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best breakfast.

El Azteca

Folk Art

Einstein’s

1784 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-249-1522 ElAztecaAtlanta.com Located in the heart of Midtown/ Buckhead, El Azteca serves authentic mexican food, amazing margaritas, and have an all-you-can-eat sunday brunch! Also located in Dunwoody, Milton, and Sandy Springs.

465 N. Highland Ave., N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-537-4493 FolkArtRestaurant.com A feel-good restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch in Inman Park. Artful eats for simple folks!

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Fontaine’s Oyster House

1026½ N. Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-872-0869 NightcapFoodAndSpirits.com Belly up to the bar or grab a cozy booth and enjoy some of Atlanta’s freshest oysters and happy-hour food specials. Great covered patio.

Fox Brothers BBQ

1238 DeKalb Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-577-4030 FoxBrosBBQ.com Featuring meats slow-cooked with hickory chips, Fox Brothers BBQ serves up delicious food with Texas roots and Southern style.

G’s Midtown

219 10th St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-872-8012 GsMidtown.com/gs-midtown The owners of Gilbert’s changed the name and did a total rebranding and renovation in their switch to G’s, but the popularity never waned as people continue to flock to this Midtown gastropub.

Green Ginger

265 Ponce De Leon Place Decatur, GA 30030 404-373-2788 GreenGingerDecatur.com Featuring Asian fusion cuisine with a focus on sushi and Thai.

Enjoy the creative drinks at the bar or their covered patio in this casual but chic restaurant in downtown Decatur.

Henry’s Midtown Tavern

132 10th St. Atlanta, GA 404-537-4477 HenrysAtl.com Maureen Kalmanson, owner of Italian eatery Campagnolo, opened Henry’s in May 2013 with a chef-driven menu of appetizers, tacos, wings, sandwiches, entree salads, and desserts. The huge multi-level deck provides a casual atmosphere for you and your dog! * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best sunday brunch. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best patio.

72 Destination Travel Guide

Herban Fix COURTESY PHOTO

Herban Fix

Downtown 565-A Peachtree St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-815-8787 HerbanFix.com Located in downtown Atlanta, Herban Fix creates authentic plantbased fusion cuisines for vegans, vegetarians, and meat-lovers.

Highland Bakery

655 Highland Ave., N.E., #10 Atlanta, GA 30312 404-586-0772 HighlandBakery.com Southern dining with traditional comforts and interesting twists. Stop by for brunch or anytime to try their famous sweet potato pancakes and decadent desserts. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best bakery/sweets.

Hobnob

1551 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-968-2288 HobnobAtlanta.com HOBNOB offers a Southern twist on tavern food. The likes of fried green tomatoes and collard greens go toe-to-toe with hamburgers and other traditional/classic dinner ideas.

Home grown GA

968 Memorial Drive S.E. Atlanta, GA 30316 HomeGrownGa.com This Reynoldstown meat-and-three is well-known for their tasty use of locally

grown produce and affordable prices for breakfast, brunch, and lunch.

Iberian Pig

121 Sycamore St. Decatur, GA 30030 404-371-8800 TheIberianPigAtl.com This modern Spanish restaurant serves up cured meats and cheeses, with exquisite attention to style and flavor. Sample charcuterie (cured meats) or enjoy one of the delectable entrees.

Joe’s on Juniper

1049 Juniper St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-875-6634 JoesOnJuniper.com Joe’s is a must-stop for travelers looking for a gay dining experience: sassy waiters, popular music, and a wide variety beyond bar food. It’s THE patio to see and be seen on good weather days.

Kevin Rathbun Steak

154 Krog St. NE #200 Atlanta, GA 30307 404-524-5600 KevinRathbunSteak.com Modern chophouse featuring steaks and seafood in a dimly lit converted warehouse with a chic feel. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best local chef. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best meatery.

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La Hacienda

900 Monroe Drive N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-941-7890 Facebook.com/LaHaciendaMidtown Casual Mexican restaurant offering tableside guacamole, a full bar, a rooftop patio, and vibrant decor. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Mexican.

Lazy Betty Atlanta COURTESY PHOTO

Las Margaritas

1842 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-873-4464 LasMargaritasMidtown.com Lively, casual space draws groups for Pan-Latin cuisine, margarita pitchers, live music, and more. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best Mexican.

Lazy Betty Atlanta

1530 Dekalb Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30307 404-975-3692 www.LazyBettyAtl.com Chef Ron Hsu’s new restaurant uses exquisite ingredients and a thoughtful approach, where every part contributes to the whole.

Come together, eat well, and live unhurried.

Livingston Restaurant & Bar 659 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-897-5000 LivingstonAtlanta.com The perfect place for cocktails and a bite to eat before catching a show or for dinner afterward. Located in the

Georgian Terrace Hotel just across the street from the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

Super LGBTQ friendly.

Majestic Diner

1031 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-875-0276 MajesticDiner.com “Food That Pleases Since 1929” and the most colorful clientele one can find, the Majestic is open 24/7 with good, Southern food that makes latenight eating an even guiltier pleasure.

Mama’s Cocina Latina

1958 Piedmont Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-885-9199 Familiar Mexican specialties and cocktails served 24/7 in a roomy, down-to-earth venue with a patio.

Mary Mac’s Tea room

224 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-876-1800 MaryMacs.com Established in 1945 and only getting better. Business folk, celebrities, and families of every stripe love the Tea Room. With chicken and dumplings, collard greens with crackling bread, and Georgia peach cobbler on the menu, it’s understandable.

Metrofresh

“Hankook Taqueria is an amazing Korean/Mexican fusion of deliciousness! They are reasonably priced with great value.”

— Jessica Houston

74 Destination Travel Guide

931 Monroe Drive, Suite A-106 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-724-0151 MetrofreshAtl.com This “world food” restaurant delivers fresh fare fast and gives back to its community. Fundraisers for AID Atlanta and PALS are just a few of its generous gestures. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best vegetarian.

Metrotainment Bakery

1119 Logan Circle NW Atlanta, GA 30318 404-873-6307 MetroBakery.com Long known as the champion of sweets for LGBTQ Atlanta, Metrotainment Bakery provides some of the hottest spots we love to hang with the happy ending we all deserve. Cheesecakes, cupcakes, wedding cakes, pies, cookies, and just about any iteration of high-quality treats are available at the many cafes they deliver to daily.

Midtown Moon

1492 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-872-4403 Facebook.com/MidtownMoon Come on in to our restaurant and we’ll treat you like a queen! Steak specials every day! From burgers, sandwiches, and salads to lite bites!

Miller Union

999 Brady Ave. Atlanta, GA 30318 678-733-8550 MillerUnion.com Rustic Southern fare made with local organic ingredients. Harvest Dinner is especially lip-smacking and fun.

Minero

Ponce City Market 675 Ponce De Leon Ave., N.E. Ste.136 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-532-1580 MineroRestaurant.com Imaginative, locally sourced Mexican fare and craft cocktails served in buzzy quarters with a patio inside Ponce City Market.

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Noni’s

Italian Deli & Bar 357 Edgewood Ave. Atlanta, GA 30312 404-343-1808 NonisDeli.com With a risotto of the day, Noni’s lasagna Bolognese and Noni’s meatballs, there is plenty to inspire your love at this East Atlanta eatery. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Italian.

Nowak’s

1397 North Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30306 404-347-9747 NowaksRestaurant.com Nowak’s neighborhood bar and restaurant, serving high quality steaks and seafood, is located in the North Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Morningside.

Parish

240 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-641-4434 ParishAtl.com Unique people, delicious food, and good-for-the-Earth goods all come together at The Brasserie and Neighborhood Café at Parish.

Expect to find inspired familiar American food, inventive beverages, and warm hospitality. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill

216 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-607-1525 PapisGrill.com Papi’s features an extensive menu, and their specials include Churrasco steak and camarones al ajillo (shrimp scampi). The Midtown location is the most convenient for LGBTQ tourists, but Papi’s also has restaurants in Stockbridge, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, and Tucker.

Park Tavern

500 10th Street NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-249-0001 ParkTavern.com The Park Tavern has something for everyone. Located right on the corner

76 Destination Travel Guide

Playa Bowls COURTESY PHOTO

of Piedmont Park and 10th — offering scenic views of the Midtown Skyline and Piedmont Park.

* Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Sunday brunch.

Parker’s on Ponce

Little Five Points 1156 Euclid Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-223-0393 ThePorterBeerBar.com A vast beer selection, inventive pub fare, and a funky setting draw fans to this bustling, hip bar.

116 East Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 404-924-2230 ParkersOnPonce.com Located in the heart of historic downtown Decatur, Parker’s calls itself a steakhouse, but it’s so much more.

It’s hard to pass on the salmon, sea scallops, and calamari here. Two local brothers have created an oasis of wood, warmth, and wine, which begs your return.

Playa Bowls

Beltline 661 Auburn Ave. NE #160 Atlanta, GA 30312 404-963-1746 www.PlayaBowls.com Playa Bowls is your slice of summer, anytime. They use the freshest, highest quality ingredients, to serve healthy, delicious açaí, pitaya, coconut bowls and smoothies with sustainability and community in mind. Also featuring Ahi tuna poke bowls.

Poor Calvin’s

510 Piedmont Ave., N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-254-4051 PoorCalvins.com Offering a rare cuisine of Thai fusion with Southern influences, Chef Calvin Phan has brought his perspective of international culinary fusion to this quaint restaurant. Acknowledged as one of Atlanta’s best kept secrets, it serves up an innovative blending of Eastern flavors and Western techniques and presentations.

The Porter Beer Bar

Pure Taqueria

300 N. Highland Ave. N.E. (Inman Park) Atlanta, GA 30307 404-522-7873 PureTaqueria.com Six locations featuring award-winning authentic Mexican food and the city’s best margaritas. Menu highlights include fresh fish tacos, unmatched “street” tostadas, corn-masa cakes, and ceviche that makes you forget you live inland.

Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee Inman Park 745 Edgewood Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30307

Decatur 908 W. College Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 www.RevolutionDonuts.com Their goal is to revitalize the American doughnut — to help restore it to its former glory as a simple, tasty, hand-crafted treat.

Ria’s Bluebird

421 Memorial Drive Atlanta, GA 30312

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FOOD Continued from page 76 404-521-3737 RiasBluebird.com Retro and tiny with an all-day breakfast menu chock full of killer huevos and pancakes. We sadly lost queer chef Ria Pell in 2013, but her legacy continues at this popular spot.

Roxx Tavern

1824 Cheshire Bridge Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-892-4541 Best known for its burgers and gay male crowd, Roxx Tavern serves up heaping dishes of atmosphere and friendliness. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best bar food. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Sunday brunch. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best patio.

Shake Shack BeltLine

670 DeKalb Ave. NE Suite 103 Atlanta, GA 30312 470-377-8697 ShakeShack.com Shake Shack is a modern day “roadside” burger stand known for its delicious burgers, chicken, hot dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine, and more.

Sotto Sotto

313 N. Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-523-6678 SottoSottoAtl.com Cozy eatery offering pasta, risotto, and other Italian classics, plus an allItalian wine list.

Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee COURTESY PHOTO

Southern Art & Bourbon Bar 3315 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30326 404-946-9070 SouthernArt.com InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta’s swanky bar serves 70+ bourbons and fare from acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Art Smith.

Southern Art combines a hip, urban eatery with classic down-home charm and offers Southern-inspired cuisine in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.

Southern Sweets Bakery

186 Rio Circle Decatur, GA 30030 404-373-8752 SouthernSweets.com You can find Southern Sweets’ desserts in numerous Atlanta restaurants. Across from the DeKalb Farmers Market, the bakery also offers lunch and breakfast menus along with its award-winning sweets.

Star Provisions Market & Café

“JCT kitchen in West Midtown!

It’s upscale Southern food/craft “King+Duke has an amazing cocktails.

Beenand onedrinks of my right favorite outdoor patio by places years ! They evenThe the St. for Regis in Buckhead!! have a upstairs bar andisoutdoor Ford Restaurant Group rocking lounge.perfect this time of year.”

Atlanta!”

— BrianWilliams Pollard — Keewan

80 Destination Travel Guide

1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30318 404-365-0410, ext. 4 StarProvisions.com Star Provisions is the culinary dream shop for the gourmet expert and novice alike. Imagine having access to a restaurant pantry and walk-in cooler for your cooking preparations.

Also features a bustling breakfast, lunch, and dinner counter.

Steamhouse Lounge

1051 West Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-233-7980 SteamhouseLounge.com Award-winning lobster bisque and fresh seafood served in a laid-back atmosphere with tables and booths inside the two-level indoor space, plus a wrap-around outdoor deck, patio, and outdoor bar.

Superica

Krog Street Market 99 Krog St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 678-791-1310 Superica.com Yeehaw, amigo! Atlanta has a stylish “Mex-Tex” restaurant featuring reinvented Texas favorites such as puffy tacos and fajitas. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best Mexican.

Sweet Cheats

692 B Kirkwood Ave. S.E. Suite B1 Atlanta, GA 30316 404-590-6086 SweetCheatsAtlanta.com Have a treat day (fine, a cheat day) at this bakery and coffee shop, specializing in cupcakes, cruffles, custom cakes, and catering for parties, weddings, and corporate events.

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TEN Atlanta

990 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-347-3360 TenAtlanta.com Billed as an upscale restaurant by day and bar by night, TEN Atlanta has quickly made its place in the city’s LGBTQ scene. Brunch and dinner menus include a variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and Southern entrees like the fried catfish.

Taverna Plaka

Yeah! Burger COURTESY PHOTO

2196 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-636-2284 TavernaPlakaAtlanta.com Ever been to a lively Greek taverna with a full bar, belly dancing, napkin throwing, and covered patio seating?

It’s a must.

Come in for a comfortable, modern soul food restaurant that gives Southern classics and brunch a creative approach. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best local chef. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for most romantic.

Ton Ton

The Varsity

Ponce City Market Central Food Hall 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E. Ste. 151 Atlanta, GA 30308 TonTonRamen.com Ton Ton is top notch when it comes to a seat-yourself ramen bar with a cozy dining area and a brief menu of brothy noodles and Japanese bites.

Twisted Soul

Cookhouse & Pours Apex West Midtown 1133 Huff Road N.W. Atlanta, GA 30318 404-350-5500 TwistedSoulCookhouseAndPours.com

61 North Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-881-1706 TheVarsity.com First visit to ATL? Get thee to The Varsity for a naked dog, a burger, or a PC (Google it.) This is the largest drive-in in the country where, for a few dollars, you can lessen your hangover with grease and be insulted at the same time if you don’t order quickly enough.

Vickery’s Bar & Grill

Glenwood Park 933 Garrett St. Atlanta, GA 30316 404-627-8818 Vickerys.com The perfect place to grab a casual lunch, gather with friends for cocktails, or wine and dine your special someone.

Victory Sandwich Bar 340 Church St. Decatur, GA 30030 404-377-9300

“Miller Union has excellent food and a quiet setting! Very much related to farm-to-table.”

— Scott Smith

82 Destination Travel Guide

913 Bernina Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-963-1742 VicSandwich.com Trust: Their hip atmosphere, delicious homemade sandwiches, and Jack and Coke slushies are divine.

* Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best cheap eats.

Wahoo Grill

1042 W. College Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 404-373-3331 WahooGrillDecatur.com This neighborhood bistro serves seafood and American fare in a glasswalled interior and on a garden patio.

Woody’s CheeseSteaks

981 Monroe Drive Atlanta, GA 30308 404-876-1939 WoodysCheeseSteaks.com Drop in for one of their delicious cheesesteak sandwiches, subs, and hot dogs — all within walking distance from Piedmont Park, gay Atlanta’s backyard.

Yeah! Burger

Virginia-Highland 1017 North Highland Ave. NE 404-437-7845 West Midtown 1168 Howell Mill Road E. 404-496-4393 YeahBurger.com Shakes, cocktails and beer paired with natural and organic burgers that come with an array of toppings. Gluten-free and dairy-free options availablie

Zocalo

187 10th St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-249-7576 EatZocalo.com A favorite at the Midtown epicenter of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue, Zocalo offers “Mexican comfort food,” margaritas, and more.

Destination Travel Guide 83

NIGHTLIFE Atlanta Eagle PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Party Like An ATLien

From extravagant drag to superstar DJs, Atlanta’s LGBTQ bars and clubs offer something for everyone.

Amsterdam Atlanta

502-A Amsterdam Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-892-2227 AmsterdamAtlanta.com Mostly a guys’ spot with a few women mixed in. Sports, music videos, and gay-TV faves play on the many flat screens around the bar, and their full menu includes low-priced lunch specials. ’80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party on second Saturdays of the month.

Atlanta Eagle

306 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-873-2453 AtlantaEagle.com The home of Atlanta’s leather community for more than 30 years, this is where masters, slaves, daddies, bears, and cubs dance in the den.

There’s a leather shop on site for all of your naughty needs. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best

dance floor. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best overall LGBTQ bar.

BJ Roosters

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-634-5895 Facebook.com/BJRoostersAtlanta Just your friendly neighborhood gay bar that features pool, darts, videos, and an eclectic handful of go-go boys on the bar and milling about.

As they do.

Blake’s on the Park

227 10th St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-892-5786 BlakesOnTheParkAtlanta.com Blake’s is a must-do for gay male travelers. There’s not much of a dance floor, but that doesn’t stop the party.

Blake’s attracts a beautiful mix of men of all ages, a fair number of women, and boasts some of the city’s most

legendary drag queens. Conveniently located just off Piedmont Park. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best place to meet men.

Bulldogs

893 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-872-3025 Facebook.com/BulldogsBarAtlanta An ATL institution since 1978 and located in the heart of Midtown, Bulldogs has some of the finest DJs spinning house and hip-hop to go with those heavy-handed bartenders assuring you get your money’s worth. Expect a line out the door on weekends.

Deep End

621 North Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30308 DeepEndAtl.com Funky, casually hip spot for cocktails, live music, and late-night tacos, with

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NIGHTLIFE

The Heretic

PHOTO BY TOBY/HERETIC; VIA FACEBOOK

Continued from page 87 a patio and central bar. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best after hours. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best new bar.

Felix’s Atlanta

1510-G Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-249-7899 FelixsAtlanta.com A friendly, small neighborhood bar in the Ansley Square strip mall. Fun for early evening drinks and hanging out with friends. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best overall LGBTQ bar.

Flex

76 4th St. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-815-0456 FlexSpas.com/Atlanta Flex is a gay bathhouse complete with sauna, steam room, pool, sun deck, and private rooms. A membership is required and available on daily, six month, and annual rates. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best after hours.

Friends Neighborhood Bar

736 Ponce De Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-817-3820 FriendsOnPonce-Atl.com A no-attitude bar with inexpensive drinks and pool tables popular for the alt-gay crowd, this quiet, easygoing spot was made for hanging out with friends. It’s also a great choice if you’re new in town. Located steps

from the BeltLine path.

The Heretic

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-325-3061 HereticAtlanta.com If you’re looking to dance with a mix of shirtless and light leather crowds, the Heretic is definitely the place to go. You’ll find a diverse mix on weekends with heavy beats from guest DJs from around the country. It’s a butch bunch, but you’ll find all types scattered about the Heretic’s labyrinth layout. 3-Legged Cowboy dancing on Thursdays draws out the ladies, too. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best dance floor. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best place to meet men.

The Hideaway

1544 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-874-8247 AtlantaHideaway.com Midtown’s oldest neighborhood gay bar. Free pool and wi-fi. Located behind Cook’s Warehouse at Ansley Mall.

Manifest4U “Heretic has a casual atmosphere, great DJ’s spinning, attentive bar staff, and all ages and types of gay men frequent there.”

— Rob Jameson

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2103 Faulkner Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-549-2815 Manifest4u.org Offering a safe space wherein men seeking men may explore and strengthen their sexual identities.

Providing an alternative, offline and in-person event space for men who embrace an open lifestyle, seeking camaraderie with other men.

Mary’s

1287 Glenwood Ave. Atlanta, GA 30316 404-624-4411 MarysAtlanta.com Mary’s has been the hip bar of choice for alt-gays and selfproclaimed queers for several years. Proudly called East Atlanta’s gay dive bar, don’t miss Mary-oke held every Tuesday and Saturday evening, and massive theme parties almost every weekend. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best place to meet women.

Midtown Moon

1492 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-872-4403 Facebook.com/MidtownMoon Midtown Moon has something for everyone: a wide range of glam and camp drag keeps the energy going in the main area, an upstairs with pool tables, a balcony overlooking the performance area, and perhaps the best patio in Midtown. Mosey on down there after work and you’ll find a dinner crowd noshing from Moon’s full menu of tavern favorites. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best place to meet women.

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NIGHTLIFE

Midtown Moon FILE PHOTO

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Midtown Tavern PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

* Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best new bar.

Midtown Tavern

554 Piedmont Ave 404-618-1889 MidtownTavern.net Located in walkable, happening Midtown, this tavern is spot-on for comforting American pub-fare and a host of shows that keep things fresh. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best after hours. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best new bar.

Mixx Atlanta

1492 Piedmont Ave. #B Atlanta, GA 30309 404-228-4372

MixxAtlanta.com Atlanta’s premier video venue hosts three different lounges for socializing with friends or hosting a party or an event. “Chill” on weeknights with piano night on Tuesdays and other weekly events, then “Sizzle” with DJs Fridays through Sundays. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best bar food.

My Sister’s Room (MSR) Sports Bar & Grill

“Woofs is great because they show sports, have the best wings and there are always people I know there.”

— Michael Vinson

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84 12th St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 678-705-4585 MySistersRoom.com Now in Midtown, MSR is the longestrunning lesbian bar in Atlanta, with nightly events that cross musical genre’s and performances. Nonsmoking with a sports-themed menu and a fun patio. Open Monday to

Friday after 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday after noon. Over 21 after 8pm nightly. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best place to meet women.

Opus 1

1086 Alco St. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-634-6478 Neighborhood bar with a devoted local following. No pretense here.

Oscar’s Martini Bar

1510 Piedmont Ave, Suite C Atlanta, GA 30324 404-815-8841 OscarsAtlanta.com A recent renovation with a new look and feel in the same location at popular Ansley Square. Video

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open daily @ 7pm DJ Friday & saturday nights @ 10pm store open thursday-saturday @ 10pm

306 ponce de leon ave, ne, atlanta, ga 30308

NIGHTLIFE

My Sister’s Room

PHOTO BY HOFFMEISTER/MSR; VIA FACEBOOK

Continued from page 90 on demand with weekly events that include show tunes, karaoke, and DJs. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best overall LGBTQ bar.

Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium 586 Edgewood Ave. Atlanta, GA 30312 404-522-8275 SisterLouisasChurch.com Though not specifically geared to a gay audience, you’ll find plenty of gay folks partying throughout the week.

Church, as it’s commonly called, is a quirky spot loaded with tongue-incheek religious art and a killer Organ Karaoke every Wednesday. Also look for super-gay patio parties helmed by lesbian DJ Vicki Powell.

Swinging Richards

1400 Northside Drive Atlanta, GA 30318 404-352-0532 SwingingRichards.com Legendary men’s strip club acclaimed for its huge stable of totally nude hunky dancers. A particularly fun adventure for a group of friends looking to celebrate and cut loose.

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T’s

699 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-872-2209 ModelTAtlanta.com Atlanta’s favorite little neighborhood bar. Come out for weekly events like poker and karaoke. Enjoy billiards, video games, or play a favorite song on the jukebox as the bar sings along. Known for its friendly atmosphere, great drinks, and good times, it’s “always a party.”

Tripps Bar

1931 Piedmont Circle Atlanta, GA 30324 404-724-0067 TrippsAtlanta.com Cozy, unassuming bar with karaoke, darts, and free wi-fi. Taco bar on Wednesdays.

Woofs

2425 Piedmont Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-869-9422

New Location

after July1: 494 Plasters Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 WoofsAtlanta.com Atlanta’s only gay sports bar, Woofs

hosts a pretty regular bear crowd with little elbow room on game days. The weekly line-up includes trivia, poker, sports on 21 screens, pool, darts, and a popular menu of bar grub. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best bar food. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best place to meet men.

Xion

2241 Faulkner Road Atlanta, GA 30324 Facebook.com/XionAtlanta Known for hosting big-name DJs, frequently on major party weekends, Xion is a members-only after-hours social club. Join if you want to party as Saturday night technically becomes Sunday morning at this club, located behind Jungle and only open Sunday morning from 3am to 9am. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best dance floor.

COMING SOON Future

Underground Atlanta 180 Alabama St. SW Atlanta, GA 30303 Future-Atlanta.com This 14,000-square-foot cabaret and dance club will be housed in downtown Atlanta.

step into something new 404.873.2664 1447 PIEDMONT AVE NE BOYNEXTDOORMENSWEAR.COM

SHOP

Atlantic Station COURTESY PHOTO

Non-Stop Shopping

There’s no doubt that Atlanta has one of the most diverse shopping experiences in the southeast. Each neighborhood within the city shows it’s own style and vibe through the shops and businesses that call it home. Whether you’re looking for the perfect souvenir, a treat for yourself, or just like browsing what there is to offer, we’ve got your go-to stops for a shopping trip you’ll never forget!

Ansley Wine Merchants

1544 Piedmont Ave. NE 211 Atlanta, GA 30324 678-271-3040 AnsleyWine.com Located in Ansley Mall, this 7-daysa-week wine shop offers over 1,000 bottles of wine, 600 types of liquor, 200 types of beer, mixers, and a knowledgeable staff happy to help you find the perfect pairing. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best liquor store.

Atlanta Water Gardens

2165 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-235-0739 AtlantaWaterGardens.com Providing “serenity to the city,” Atlanta Water Gardens offers fountains of every size, sculptures, statuary, garden accessories, and amazing gifts. A stroll through the outdoor showroom alone will relax you for the rest of the day.

Atlantic Station

Book Nook

Barking Leather

Boy Next Door Menswear

1380 Atlantic Drive Atlanta, GA 30363 404-410-4010 AtlanticStation.com Located off 17th Street near Interstate 75/85 in Midtown, Atlantic Station is a mixed-use development on the site of an old steel mill. This open-air mall includes an excellent mix of shopping and restaurants — Athleta, Earth and Sky Creations, Kinnucan’s, Gap, H&M, and West Elm, to name a few— a Regal Cinema, plus the city’s IKEA store.

805 Lambert Dr NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-900-5847 BarkingLeather.com Leather clothing, accessories, and more for the BDSM, fetish, and fashion lifestyles. Want something different? If they don’t have it, they’ll “fetch” it for you.

3073 N Druid Hill Rd NE Decatur, GA 30033 404-448-2166 BookNookBookstoreDecaturGa.com Book Nook has helped customers find quality used books, music, movies, board games, video games, and comics since 1973. Whether you’re looking for something specific, want to sell or trade, or to browse and relax, this bookstore is the place for you. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best bookstore.

1447 Piedmont Ave. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-873-2664 BoyNextDoorMenswear.com Boy Next Door is proud to offer an expanding selection of brands for men’s activewear, undergarments,

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SHOP

Intaglia Home Design COURTESY PHOTO

Continued from page 97 and swimwear, not to mention the perfect outfits for business and date nights. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best apparel store.

Brushstrokes Pleasures

1510-D Piedmont Ave NE. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-876-6567 BrushstrokesAtlanta.com An Ansley Square staple since 1989, Brushstrokes is the one-stop-shop for gifts, pleasures, DVDs, and other adult entertainment. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best novelty store.

Charis Books & More 184 S Candler St. Decatur, GA 30030 404-524-0304 CharisBooksandMore.com

Charis Books & More is the oldest and largest independent feminist bookstore in the Southeast, carrying a wide range of titles covering feminist, LGBTQ, and intersectional topics. The store also offers writing groups, book discussions, author visits, and more, funded in part by its charitable arm, Charis Circle. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best bookstore.

The Cook’s Warehouse 1544 Piedmont Ave NE #403 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-815-2993

5001 Peachtree Blvd Atlanta, GA 30341 678-691-8600 CooksWarehouse.com This local chain carries a huge selection of more than 15,000 kitchen tools and supplies, including the top brands of cookware, cutlery, kitchen electrics, and gadgets as well as some unique local products.

More than 700 cooking classes taught yearly by renowned chefs are also offered.

Domestic Comfort

“Brushstrokes Pleasures has a huge selection of adult “supplies”, underwear, swimsuits, shirts, and athletic wear, and they also specifically make sure to carry brands and selections that cater to ALL sizes from twink to bear.”

— Jamie Williams

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1512 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-872-2500 DomesticComfort.com Put your feet up in luxury. Domestic Comfort not only has a lovely showroom, but it offers interior design services and made-to-order custom upholstery and furniture. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best furniture store.

Eco Denizen

999 Peachtree St NE #180 Atlanta, GA 30309 678-705-9880 ecodenizengiftshopatlanta.com/ This eco-friendly shop offers great gifts like responsibly-sourced jewelry, handmade crafts, beautiful candles, stationary and cards, home décor, and more. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best gift shop.

Green’s Beverages 737 Ponce De Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-872-1109

2614 Buford Highway Atlanta, GA 30324 404-321-6232 GreenBeverages.com Green’s offers two locations and a huge stock of liquors, craft beer, and wine. Kegs, too. Party responsibly, kids. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best liquor store.

Intaglia Home Collection

1544 Piedmont Ave NE, Ste. 105 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-607-9750 IntagliaHome.com A furniture and home décor store that brings a fresh approach to Atlanta furniture, one that ultimately relies on timeless interior design. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best furniture store.

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SHOP

M2/Mode Marche COURTESY PHOTO

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Jonathan Buckhead

110 E Andrews Dr NW #4 Atlanta, GA 30305 404-846-7988 JonathanBuckhead.com Get a diamond for that special someone or a ring to pop the question at private jeweler Jonathan Shapero’s posh boutique. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best jewelry store.

Kaboodle Home

485-B Flat Shoals Ave SE Atlanta, GA 30316 404-522-3006 KaboodleAtlanta.com

Kaboodle Home in East Atlanta Village offers local art, locally-made eclectic home furnishings, home décor, candles, gifts, and more. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best vintage, antique, and consignment store.

Kudzu Antiques

2938 E Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 404-373-6498 KudzuAntiques.com A family-owned business, Kudzu has grown over 35 years into one of Atlanta’s most beloved furniture stores. The unique marketplace imports fabulous finds from worldwide to craft an eclectic selection of both old and new items. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best vintage, antique, and consignment store

Lost-n-Found Youth

“Boy Next Door is always awesome to work with. Friendly staff always willing to help you find a swimsuit, shorts or a nice shirt that you can be confident and comfortable in. Great discounts as well!”

— Mo Stringer

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Thrift & Consignment 2585 Chantilly Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 678-856-7824 Lnfy.org Lost-n-Found Youth’s thrift stores have thousands of donated items for sale.

Proceeds help fund the operation of the nonprofit, which has a mission to take homeless LGBTQ youth off the street and transition them to more permanent housing. *Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best thrift store.

M2/Mode Marche

1544 Piedmont Ave NE #226 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-892-7463 M2Atlanta.com Midtown’s shoe and clothing boutique for any gender offers carefully selected unique, high-quality brands.

Find them in the iconic Ansley Mall. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best apparel.

The Merchant Atlanta 99 Krog St. NE Atlanta, GA 30307 404-331-1200

3393 Peachtree Rd NE #4007A Atlanta, GA 30326 404-254-4588 ShopTheMerchant.com Whether you’re looking for books, bedding, stationary, candles or something one-of-a-kind, shop The Merchant’s perfectly curated selection of giftwares, stationary, and vintage goods. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best gift shop.

The Mission Motif

747 Miami Cir NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-370-1505 MissionMotif.com Atlanta’s source for Arts and Craftsstyle furniture, The Mission Motif

Park Pet Supply COURTESY PHOTO

supports a portfolio of fine artisans and designers to deliver top-quality, customizable products perfectly suited for you. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best furniture store.

Nandina Home & Design

6170 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-521-9303 NandinaHome.com Whether you’re looking to outfit your home in rustic, minimalist, or mod styles, Nandina has you covered.

After a consultation, their team helps you select appropriate fabric, colors, art, and accessories to pull together your dream home.

Out of the Closet Thrift Store

1858 Cheshire Bridge Rd Atlanta, GA 30324 470-447-6473 OutOfTheCloset.org A nationwide enterprise, Out of the Closet is a multipurpose thrift shop that donates 96 percent of proceeds to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

In addition to shopping, it also offers confidential HIV testing and a pharmacy, where prescriptions are filled while you shop. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best thrift store.

Oxford Comics and Games

2855 Piedmont Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-233-8682 Facebook.com/ OxfordComicsAndGames Browse the amazing selection of new and vintage comics, graphic novels, action figures, DVDs, posters, and more! *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best bookstore.

Paris on Ponce

716 Ponce De Leon Pl. NE Atlanta, GA 30306 (404) 249-9965 ParisOnPonce.com Spend an hour (or a day) exploring the charms of the seemingly endless – 46,000 square feet to be exact warehouse of eclectic art, antiques, furniture, and other oddities. *Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best vintage, antique, and consignment store.

Park Pet Supply

479A Flat Shoals Ave #A Atlanta, GA 30316 404-588-0140 ParkPetSupply.com Park Pet Supply offers dozens of brands of natural-based and gourmet remedies, foods, and treats. Plus, you can adopt one of its “Park Pets” if you don’t have a furry friend already.

The Pet Set

976 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-249-6668 2480 Briarcliff Road NE Atlanta, GA 30329 404-633-8755 ThePetSet.com This shop offers an extensive line of pet toys and accessories. If Fido is traveling with you, take him in for a day spa or grooming. *Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best pet supply and grooming and finalist for best pet daycare.

Phipps Plaza

3500 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-261-7910 Simon.com/Mall/Phipps-Plaza Buckhead’s Phipps Plaza is for Atlanta’s most upscale shoppers.

Anchors include Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Belk, with many posh smaller retailers like Johnny Was, Cole Haan, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Anne Fontaine, Tiffany, Rigby & Peller Lingerie, and more!

Ponce City Market

675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404-900-7900

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SHOP

Tokyo Valentino Erotique COURTESY PHOTO

Continued from page 101 This vibrant marketplace breathes new life into the historic Sears, Roebuck & Co building. Check out the numerous eclectic and trendy shops and boutiques, the impressive Central Food Hall, or mini-golf, carnival games, and craft cocktails on The Roof.

Professional Estate Sales

2250 N Druid Hills Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30329 770-648-1919 ProfessionalEstateSale.com This amazing team of estate sale professionals dedicated to offering superior service will go through your home staging and price all items prior to managing your three-day estate sale. Well-known and respected in the area for their professionalism, they will respect your home as well as your wishes on any particular items.

Simple Finds

3614 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd Chamblee, GA 30341 678-691-4241 A unique destination for the littlest decorative item or helping outfit an entire room. Not only do they showcase a myriad of antique

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and vintage items, but also a wide variety of everyday items from beautiful accessories to more current furniture items.

Trina Turk and Mr Turk

Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-949-1444 MrTurk.com With a California dapper style, Mr Turk is designed for men – and Trina Turk for women - who want to make a statement with their wardrobe with simple silhouettes in unique patterns, textures, and colors.

Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits

2161 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-881-0902 TowerWineSpirits.com Tower is not just a package store. In spite of being #1 in volume sales for the entire state of Georgia, Tower offers personalized service to each customer to help you find just the right drink for every occasion. Wine consultants are always on hand. * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best liquor store.

Worthmore Jewelers

Tokyo Valentino Erotique

500 Amsterdam Ave NE. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-892-8294

850 Northside Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30318 404-875-9200 TokyoValentino.com This iconic Atlanta landmark has touted the largest selection of adult toys, products, lingerie, and bondage gear in the Southeast since 1995. No matter what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here. *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best adult novelty store.

117 E. Court Square Decatur, GA 30030 404-370-3979 WorthmoreJewelers.com With a slogan like “enlarging your family jewels since 1994,” you know to expect more than just your average jewelry store. A wide array of wedding rings, watches, necklaces, and even custom work at two locations — Midtown and Decatur — in an LGBTQ-welcoming atmosphere. * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best jewelry store.

1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30324

LODGING

THE CANDLER HOTEL ATLANTA COURTESY PHOTO

Lodging in Luxury

When looking for the perfect place to call your temporary home away from home, Atlanta has dozens of high-end yet affordable options to help you enjoy your stay in Atlanta.

Whether you prefer a boutique property or a chain hotel close to all the attractions, you’ll find it below with our best LGBTQ-friendly hotels.

AC Hotel Atlanta Buckhead at Phipps Plaza

3600 Wieuca Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 470-231-3030 Marriott.com This modern European hotel experience offers authentic tapas and cocktails at AC Lounge, delicious breakfast at AC Kitchen, and a heated indoor pool.

Aloft Atlanta Downtown

300 Ted Turner Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30308 678-515-0300 AloftAtlantaDowntown.com This hip new hotel is just steps from downtown Atlanta’s hottest attractions. Get some R&R at the Bliss Spa and enjoy free wifi throughout the hotel. *Pet friendly

Artmore Hotel

1302 West Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-876-6100 ArtmoreHotel.com In the heart of Midtown’s arts district, this independent boutique hotel

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boasts a lovely renovation of a 1924 architectural landmark building, plus easy access to MARTA and the High Museum of Art. *Pet friendly

unique dining options. Relax in their modern rooms and enjoy the upscale amenities and gorgeous city views.

Atlanta Marriott Buckhead

127 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-523-1200 This hotel, the newest boutique-style in Atlanta, is housed in a 17-story high-rise originally built in 1906 as Atlanta’s first steel skyscraper.

Located in the heart of downtown, this hotel perfectly blends modern and historic styles while putting you only blocks from some of Atlanta’s favorite attractions.

3405 Lenox Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-261-9250 Marriott.com Stretch out in style in rooms featuring luxury Revive bedding and flat-screen TVs, take a break on the spacious, modern outdoor patio, or take a dip in the outdoor pool. With easy access to Lenox Square, this supreme location is perfect for any traveler. *Pet friendly

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

265 Peachtree Center Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-521-0000 Marriott.com Experience urban energy and a stylish vibe in the heart of downtown at the newly renovated four-star hotel with amazing atrium and cool cocktail lounge, indoor/outdoor pool, spa, and

The Candler Hotel Atlanta

Canopy By Hilton Atlanta Midtown

1414 W Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30309 404-685-1677 Canopy.Hilton.com This new hotel in Midtown offers complimentary Canopy Bikes to explore the Arts District and delicious culinary options at Xhibit Studio Kitchen and Bar. *Pet friendly

Courtyard Marriott Atlanta Downtown

133 Carnegie Way NW Atlanta, GA 30303 404-222-2416 Marriott.com Experience both historic charm and sophistication at this high-energy downtown location with an array of boutique amenities including on-site restaurant The Bistro. Easy access to Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and much more!

Crowne Plaza Atlanta Midtown

590 W. Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308 404-877-9000 CPAtlantaMidtown.com Enjoy panoramic views of the city from all rooms in this hotel at the edge of downtown and Midtown, on-site coffee shop THRIVE Coffee, and on-site bar and restaurant NEXT. Want to splurge?

Four unique pool suites have private terrace pools. *Pet friendly

The Ellis Hotel

176 Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30303 404-523-5155 EllisHotel.com Superb service and an excellent location, the Ellis has been rated the #1 business hotel in Atlanta by TripAdvisor. *Pet friendly

Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park

267 Marietta St NW Atlanta, GA 30313 EmbassySuites.Hilton.com 404-223-2300 The Embassy touts spacious two-room suites, free made-to-order breakfast, and complimentary evening reception with snacks and drinks, plus 16,000 square feet of flexible space for events.

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

75 14th St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-881-9898 FourSeasons.com/Atlanta The only five-star, five-diamond hotel in the city, chic urban meets Southern tradition in this neoclassical wonder of polished marble and sweeping staircases. Just steps from the High Museum of Art, eclectic Peachtree Street, and Piedmont Park. *Pet friendly

Georgian Terrace Hotel 659 Peachtree St NE

THE GEORGIAN TERRACE COURTESY PHOTO

Atlanta, GA 30308 404-897-1991 TheGeorgianTerrace.com Across the street from the Fox Theatre, the Georgian Terrace is more than a century old and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Very LGBTQ friendly — the perfect place to hold your wedding! *Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best hotel.

Glenn Hotel

110 Marietta St NW Atlanta, GA 30303 404-521-2250 GlennHotel.com 110 rooms of intimacy, comfort, and personalized service in downtown Atlanta. Enjoy cocktails on the rooftop SkyLounge or eat at Glenn’s Kitchen.

Grand Hyatt Atlanta

3300 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-237-1234 GrandAtlanta.Hyatt.com Located in the heart of Buckhead with easy access to luxury shopping at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. Soak in views of Stone Mountain, downtown, and a Japanese Zen garden. International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association approved.

Hilton Atlanta

255 Courtland St. NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-2000 Hilton.com A central location meets high-quality amenities with extensive meeting space, comfortable guestrooms, and three unique dining options.

*Pet friendly

Hilton Atlanta Airport

1031 Virginia Ave Atlanta, GA 30354 404-767-9000 Hilton.com/AtlantaAirport Perfect for the busy business traveler, located only minutes away from Hartsfield-Jackson. Offers tons of business amenities and a barber shop, beauty salon, laundry and valet, pool and fitness room. *Pet friendly

Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown and Homewood Suites

97 10th St. NW Atlanta, GA 30309 404-524-4006 / 404-524-4076 HiltonGardenInn.com HomewoodSuites.com These modern, connected properties are located just one block from the Midtown MARTA train station. Both offer complimentary wi-fi, fitness center, and pool. Homewood Suites is an allsuites hotel with fully equipped kitchens.

Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown

275 Baker St Atlanta, GA 30313 404-577-2001 HiltonGardenInn.com This contemporary hotel in vibrant area is only one block from top Atlanta attractions including the Georgia Aquarium. Offers over 9,000 square feet of multi-use event and meeting space with lots of natural light.

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LODGING Continued from page 105

Hotel Clermont

789 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30306 470-485-0485 HotelClermont.com Set in a landmark 1920s building overlooking the vibrant Poncey– Highland district, this trendy and sleek boutique hotel is adjacent to a bus stop, three miles from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and five miles from the High Museum of Art.

Hotel Indigo Midtown

683 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404-874-9200 HotelIndigo.com This Midtown boutique hotel offers free wireless throughout the property and is directly across the street from the Fox Theatre. Bring your pets to visit live-in furry resident, Indie. *Pet friendly

Hyatt Atlanta Midtown

125 10th St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-443-1234 Hyatt.com Four-star property with 194 redesigned guestrooms with floorto-ceiling windows and views of Piedmont Park and downtown Atlanta.

Hyatt Place Atlanta/ Downtown

330 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404-577-1980 AtlantaDowntown.Place.Hyatt.com Located in the heart of downtown and ideally situated near popular area attractions, their 24-hour guest kitchen offers cafe-quality, made-to-order meals, and snacks along with free breakfast daily for members. *Pet friendly

Hyatt Regency Atlanta

265 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-577-1234 AtlantaRegency.Hyatt.com Downtown location with easy access to the Georgia World Congress Center, the Mercedez-Benz Stadium, and the Georgia Aquarium. The world’s first contemporary atrium hotel, built in 1967, is home to the most event space in the city and the largest hotel ballroom in Georgia.

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HOTEL INDIGO MIDTOWN COURTESY PHOTO

Inman Park Bed & Breakfast

Loews Atlanta Hotel

100 Waverly Way NE Atlanta, GA 30307 404-688-9498 InmanParkBandB.com Built in 1912 as a residence of CocaCola magnate Robert Woodruff, this lovely B&B has been lovingly restored and is on the National Register for Historic Places. All rooms have private baths. Very LGBTQ friendly.

1065 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-745-5000 LoewsHotels.com/Atlanta-hotel Luxury in the heart of Midtown, Loews is known for their hospitality.

Gay-friendly, pet-friendly, and the incomparable Exhale Spa make Loews a top choice for visitors. *Pet friendly * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best hotel

Inn at the Peachtrees

Moxy Hotel Midtown

330 W. Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308 404-577-6970 InnAtThePeachtrees.com An affordable stay and modern alternative to big downtown hotels, this hotel features complimentary breakfast buffet, free wireless internet, and meeting rooms.

Very LGBTQ friendly.

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta

3315 Peachtree Rd Atlanta, GA 30326 404-946-9000 InterContinentalAtlanta.com Offers an upscale urban retreat within easy reach of attractions and adventures. Shopping, dining, entertainment, and top city attractions are steps away.

JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead

3300 Lenox Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-262-3344 Marriott.com Discover timeless elegance at one of the premier hotels in Buckhead, featuring luxurious suites, modern amenities, and updated décor.

48 13th St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-249-9446 Marriott.com This brand-new hotel offers everything you need in a boutique hotel — including a complimentary cocktail with your room key! Located in the heart of Midtown, enjoy access to great local spots, free wi-fi, and TVs equipped with streaming services. *Pet friendly

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center

100 CNN Center NW Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-0000 Omnihotels.com 1,059 spacious luxury guest rooms and suites with breathtaking views overlooking the downtown Atlanta skyline, Centennial Park, and the lively CNN Center atrium. *Pet friendly

Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel 866 W Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308 678 412-2400

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towerwinespirits.com 2161 Piedmont Rd Atlanta, GA 30324

5877 Buford Highway Doraville, GA 30340

@TowerAtl

LODGING

W ATLANTA MIDTOWN COURTESY PHOTO

Continued from page 108

Reméde Spa. *Pet friendly

Marriott.com This way gay-friendly boutique hotel is in the heart of Midtown, close to MARTA and all Midtown attractions.

Twelve Downtown

Ritz-Carlton Atlanta

181 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-0400 RitzCarlton.com Luxury, first-rate service and an excellent location for business and downtown tourist fun.

Sheraton Atlanta Hotel

165 Courtland St NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-6500 Marriott.com Southern charm and modern style blend in this expansive, completely renovated Atlanta hotel ideal for both business and leisure travelers. *Pet friendly

Stonehurst Place

923 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-881-0722 StonehurstPlace.com This romantic B&B combines the comfort and intimacy of a small inn and the amenities and luxury of a large hotel. Honeymoon suites are available for newlyweds. Very ecofriendly and LGBTQ friendly.

St. Regis Atlanta

88 West Paces Ferry Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30305 404-563-7900 StRegisAtlanta.com A true in-town luxury resort with several restaurants, extraordinary cuisine, and wines plus the fabulous

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400 W Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308 404-418-1212 TwelveHotels.com Look no further than Twelve’s spacious designer suites if you’re looking for an upscale urban experience right in the middle of downtown.

Twelve Midtown

361 17th St NW Atlanta, HA 30363 404-961-1212 TwelveHotels.com Located in thriving and colorful Midtown, Twelve offers complimentary wifi, an on-site pool, and on-site restaurant Allora Bistro.

W Atlanta Buckhead 3377 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 678-500-3100 WAtlantaBuckhead.com

W Atlanta Downtown 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd Atlanta, GA 30308 404-582-5800 WAtlantaDowntown.com

W Atlanta Midtown

188 14th St NE Atlanta, GA 30361 404-892-6000 WAtlantaMidtown.com Three excellent locations in Atlanta, each with its own charm and the W stamp of quality. The W Atlanta Midtown is walking distance to Piedmont Park, where Atlanta Pride is held each October. *Pet friendly *Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best hotel.

Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead

3376 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-995-7500 WaldorfAstoria.Hilton.com Previously the Mandarin Oriental, you can expect over-the-top luxury and pampering at the exclusive spa, relaxation in the private gardens, and incredible views of the city at this boutique hotel located near Lenox and Phipps Plaza.

Westin Buckhead

3391 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-365-0065 This upscale hotel has sweeping skyline views and close proximity upscale shopping. Only a threeminute walk from the Buckhead MARTA train station. *Pet-friendly

Westin Peachtree Plaza

210 Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-1400 Marriott.com Towering 73 stories and topped by the famous Sun Dial Restaurant, this John Portman-designed hotel is conveniently located in the heart of downtown – a business traveler’s dream location. *Pet-friendly

The Whitley

3434 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-237-2700 Marriot.com This hotel touts a blend of cosmopolitan style with timeless elegance, an ideal location in Buckhead, and easy access to worldclass shopping, dining, and nightlife. *Pet friendly

GAY OUTDOORS

THE RIVER’S EDGE COURTESY PHOTO

The Gay Outdoors

Who wants to be cooped up indoors on a beautiful, sunny Georgia day? There’s plenty of outdoor activities geared towards the LGBTQ community and they’re not far from the Atlanta metro! From organized groups to weekend getaway spots, you’ll find what you need to take in the outdoor sights and sounds!

Women’s Outdoor Network

Meetup.com/WonAtlanta Take a stroll along one of Georgia’s many remote rivers or pitch a tent with other women in the Atlanta metro area. You’ll also have a chance to venture out in the metro area to enjoy nights out on the town! The group’s been around for nearly 20 years and focuses on helping women stay in shape and healthy. Membership is $15 per year.

Funky Black Girls

Meetup.com/FunkyBlackGals Grab your girlfriends and take a trip into nature with this group geared towards adventure-seeking black, queer women. You can plan on hiking, horseback riding, camping, and canoeing with those who share your passion for the outdoors!

Wilderness Network of Georgia

Meetup.com/WildNetGa This gay men’s outdoor group will take you on an adventure you won’t

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forget. It’s a volunteer-driven gay men’s group and open to gay and bisexual men of all ages. This group plans regular activities, including whitewater rafting trips, hikes in Georgia’s scenic mountains and even a group outing to the annual Beltline lantern parade. Day and overnight trips give members a chance to connect and bond with other men in the area.

In The Woods Campground

142 Casey Court Canon, GA 30520 InTheWoodsCampground.com Let your wild side out at this “naturist” campground in Northeast Georgia, owned and operated by two gay men. The campground sits on 30 acres of wooded area and is clothingoptional so you can relax freely with nature plus more than four miles of walking trails. Event weekends give you something to look forward to with pool parties and more to help you meet others!

Oz Campground

50 GA-230 Unadilla, GA 31091 OzCampground.com Many events including Muscle Bear fitness weekend, Country Boys weekend and drag shows make this the perfect place for those looking to take a breather from busy city life.

After a hard day’s hike, relax in your personal cabin, tent or RV underneath the night sky.

The River’s Edge

2311 Pulliam Mill Road Dewy Rose, GA 30634 CampTheRiversEdge.com The campground bills itself as “100% gay owned-and-operated,” so you’ll be with like-minded individuals who love nature as much as you do! This campground is clothing-optional and gives you the opportunity to take in the outdoors as little or as much as you want to. Pitch your tent along the river, bring your RV or rent one of the luxurious cabins at this clothingoptional facility.

LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS

ATLANTA FREEDOM BANDS COURTESY PHOTO

LGBTQ Organizations

Abound Throughout Atlanta Political junkie? Legal eagle? Lover of the arts? Business owner? LGBTQ youth?

There’s an organization in Atlanta for that, and for just about anyone else in the LGBTQ community.

Advocacy/Political Georgia Equality GeorgiaEquality.org

Georgia Log Cabin Republicans LCRGa.com Georgia Stonewall Democrats GeorgiaStonewall.org

Business

Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce AtlantaGayChamber.org

In the Life Atlanta Sponsors Black Gay Pride over Labor Day weekend.

InTheLifeAtl.org

Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals MaapAtl.org

OurSong Mixed gay and lesbian chorus.

OurSongAtlanta.org

Out & Equal Atlanta OutAndEqual.org/atlanta

Out On Film Plans our annual fall LGBTQ film festival.

OutOnFilm.org

Georgia Unites Against Discrimination GeorgiaUnites.org

Culture/Arts

GLAAD Atlanta Glaad.org/tags/atlanta

Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus & Atlanta Women’s Chorus VoicesOfNote.org

Human Rights Campaign Atlanta Steering Committee HRCAtlanta.com

Atlanta Freedom Bands AtlantaFreedomBands.com

Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra AtlantaPhilharmonic.org

Lambda Legal Southern Regional Office LambdaLegal.org/sro

Atlanta Pride Committee Plans our Stonewall Week in June and annual October festival.

AtlantaPride.org

Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia StonewallBar.org

Charis Circle Hosts feminist events and education.

CharisCircle.org

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Family/Youth

Georgia Safe Schools Coalition GeorgiaSafeSchoolsCoalition.org JustUsATL Youth-led organization serving young people 13–28 with a safe space and discussion groups.

Facebook.com/JustUsATL Lost-n-Found Youth Provides emergency housing 24/7 for homeless LGBTQ youth.

Hotline 678-8-LOST-25.

Lost-n-Found.org

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LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS Continued from page 114 PFLAG Atlanta Support for parents, families, and friends of LGBTQ people.

PFLAGAtl.org Pride School Provides a safe, fun learning environment for LGBTQ students, families, and educators.

PrideSchoolAtlanta.org Real Youth An organization for young LGBTQ people.

RealYouthAtl.org Health AID Atlanta HIV testing with same-day results, education, and support groups targeting gay men and gay men of color.

AIDAtlanta.org AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta Free HIV and STD testing, HIV research trials.

ArcAtlanta.org The Galano Club Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous plus other 12-step groups.

GalanoAtlanta.org Grady Health Ponce de Leon Center One of largest, most comprehensive HIV/AIDS facilities.

GradyHealth.org/Specialty/ Ponce-de-Leon-Center The Health Initiative LGBTQ support groups, Weight Watchers, events, health fund, and physician directory.

TheHealthInitiative.org Emory Hope Clinic HIV vaccine trials.

HopeClinic.Emory.edu Feminist Women’s Health Center Supportive and affordable gynecological health services.

FeministCenter.org

FEMINIST WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER COURTESY PHOTO

LivingRoomAtl.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for HIV/AIDS nonprofit.

The Names Project/ AIDS Memorial Quilt Atlanta is the headquarters for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

AIDSQuilt.org National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities, Inc. Focuses on HIV in communities of color.

Naesm.org Project Open Hand Meals for homebound people with HIV and other critical illnesses.

ProjectOpenHand.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for HIV/ AIDS nonprofit.

Pets Are Loving Support Help with pet care for people with HIV. PalsAtlanta.org Positive Impact Health Centers/ MISTER Project HIV and STD testing, primary care, discussion groups, education, and mental health services.

PositiveImpact-Atl.org

Support/Social/Service

American Veterans for Equal Rights Facebook.com/American-Veterans-ForEqual-Rights-Georgia-Chapter765553926860822/ Asians & Friends Atlanta, LYC Meetup.com/Asians-and-Friends-Atlanta

Jerusalem House Housing for homeless and people living with HIV and low income.

JerusalemHouse.org

Atlanta Prime Timers Social, educational, and recreational activities for mature gay and bisexual men and their friends.

PrimeTimersww.com/Atlantapt

Living Room Housing placement and financial assistance for people living with HIV and low income.

Fourth Tuesday Lesbian networking and social events Groups.Yahoo.com/neo/groups/ FourthTuesdayAtlanta/info

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Panther L/L Inc. Leather club Pantherll.org SAGE Georgia Serves to enrich lives of LGBTQ senior community.

SAGEAtl.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence – The Order of the Flaming Sugarbakers Drag nuns who conduct community outreach and fundraisers.

AtlSisters.org SOJOURN Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

SojournGSD.org Southern Bears AtlantaBearFest.com Southerners on New Ground (SONG) Focuses on working class, people of color, immigrants, and rural LGBTQ people.

SouthernersOnNewGround.org Trikone For LGBTQ South Asians.

TrikOneAtlanta.org Zami NOBLA Focuses on black lesbians 40 and older.

ZamiNOBLA.org Transgender Atlanta FTM Groups.Yahoo.com/group/Atlanta_FTM Atlanta Gender Explorations AtlantaGender.org Juxtaposed Center for Transformation BudahGraphics.com/jct-site/the-jct-org Transgender Health & Education Alliance Thea-Plus.org Head to TheGeorgiaVoice.com to learn more.

LGBTQ WORSHIP

Want to Restore Some Faith?

Check out Atlanta’s spiritual offerings. For an extensive list, visit TheGAvoice.com and click “Organizations” on the top menu bar and choose “Religious.”

All Saints Episcopal Church 634 W. Peachtree St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-881-0835 AllSaintsAtlanta.org

Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road N.W. Atlanta, GA 30305 404-365-1000 StPhilipsCathedral.org

Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 404-521-1866 CatholicShrineAtlanta.org

Central Congregational United Church of Christ 2676 Clairmont Road N.E. Atlanta, GA 30329 404-633-4505 Central-UCC.org

Central Presbyterian Church 201 Washington St. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 404-659-0274 CPCAtlanta.org

City of Light

3125 Presidential Parkway Atlanta, GA 30340 470-545 2821 CityOfLightatlanta.com

Congregation Bet Haverim

2074 LaVista Road Atlanta, GA 30329 404-315-6446 CongregationBetHaverim.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for house of worship.

Decatur United Church of Christ

6552 James B. Rivers Memorial Drive Stone Mountain, GA 678-744-8822 Facebook.com/DecaturUCC

First Existentialist

Congregation of Atlanta 470 Candler Park Drive N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-378-5570 FirstExistentialist.org

118 Destination Travel Guide

The Gathering Place Worship Center

2700 Northeast Expressway N.E., Suite B-100 Atlanta, GA 30345 404-815-0007 GLBTChurch.com

Gentle Spirit Christian Church Worships in Candler Park at Pavilion 2 Mailing address: 601 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 404-604-8124 GentleSpirit.org

Just As You Are

6566 James B. Rivers Memorial Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083 678-368-7679 JustAsYouAre.org

METRON Community

Worships at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Dr. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-879-0160 MetronCommunity.blogspot.com

Oakhurst Baptist Church 222 East Lake Drive Decatur, GA 30030 404-378-3677 OakHurstBaptist.org

New Covenant Church of Atlanta

2091 Faulkner Road Atlanta, GA 30324 404-929-1400 NewCovenantAtlanta.com * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for house of worship.

Saint Mark United Methodist Church

404-634-3336 Facebook.com/St.BartsAtlanta

St. John’s Lutheran Church 1410 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 404-378-4243 StJohnsAtlanta.org

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 435 Peachtree St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-873-7600 StLukesAtlanta.org

Tabernacle Baptist Church 1041 Moreland Drive Atlanta, GA 30315 404-876-3777 TBCAtlanta.net

Trinity Center for Spiritual Living

1095 Zonolite Road, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30306 404-296-6064 TrinityCenterAtlanta.org

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta 1911 Cliff Valley Way N.E. Atlanta, GA 30329 404-634-5134 Uuca.org

Unity Fellowship Church, Greater Atlanta 601 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 404-599-8243 UnityWideOpen.com

Victory for the World Church 1170 N. Hairston Road Stone Mountain, GA 30083 678-476-6000 VictoryForTheWorld.org

781 Peachtree St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-873-2636 StMarkUMC.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for house of worship.

Virginia-Highland Church

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church

704 Ormewood Drive Atlanta, GA 30312 404-622-9470 TheVisionChurch.org

1790 LaVista Road N.E. Atlanta, GA 30329

743 Virginia Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-348-4830 VHChurch.org

Vision Church of Atlanta

FITNESS

Work It Out

In the ATL and want to stay fit? No problem. From fresh farmers markets across the city to health restaurants on almost every corner, staying in shape is part of almost every Atlantan’s daily routine. The city is loaded with gyms of all types no matter what experience you want or fitness goals you have. Bonus: You’ll likely run into members of the LGBTQ community, while you’re there especially in Midtown!

Anytime Fitness AnytimeFitness.com

Midtown 1375 Peachtree St. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309 404-963-5739 Buckhead 550 Pharr Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-549-3523

FitWit

FitWit.com Old Fourth Ward 828 Ralph McGill Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30306 844-400-2454 Decatur/Kirkwood 2191 College Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30317 888-534-8648

GRAVITY FITNESS FILE PHOTO

LA Fitness

LAFitness.com Ansley Mall 1544 Piedmont Ave. N.E. Ste. 115 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-249-6463

Gravity Fitness

Atlantic Station 261 19th St., Ste. 1140 Atlanta, GA 30363 404-810-9015

* Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for best gym.

Midtown 75 Fifth St. N.W., Ste. E Atlanta, GA 30308 404-212-1065

2201 Faulkner Road N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-486-0506 GraviteeAtl.com

Iron Tribe Fitness

IronTribeFitness.com On Ponce 699 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 404-858-9945 West Midtown 1409 Howell Mill Road Atlanta, GA 30318 678-576-4766

120 Destination Travel Guide

Brookhaven 755 Brookhaven Ave Atlanta, GA 30319 678-280-8844 Buckhead 3232 Peachtree Rd Atlanta, GA 30305 404-233-8311 Lenox 3535 Peachtree Rd NE #300 Atlanta, GA 30326

* Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for best gym.

Lion’s Den Fitness

900 Peachtree St. N.E., Ste. 105 Atlanta, GA 30309 404-834-0517 LionsDenAtlanta.com

The Training Room ATL 742 Ponce de Leon Place N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-333-3677 Thetrainingroomatl.com

Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 404-885-1499 UrbanBodyFitness.com

The Forum Athletic Club Theforumathleticclub.com

On Ponce 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE Suite E179 Atlanta, GA 30308 678-904-1940 Lenox Mall 3393 Peachtree Road #2010 Atlanta, GA 30326 678-904-1940

SPORTS

BRAVES LGBTQ NIGHT FILE PHOTO

ATL LGBTQ sports leagues and welcoming pro teams Got the urge to get active? There are tons of LGBTQ sports teams across the city to quench that thirst, no matter your skill level or activity of choice. Prefer to be a spectator only? Hit one of the links below to check out a schedule and take in a game! There’s something for everyone.

Local Sports

Atlanta Bucks Rugby Club AtlantaBucksRugby.org Atlanta Roller Girls AtlantaRollerDerby.com * Best of Atlanta 2018 winner for sports team/league.

Atlanta LGBTQ Bowling League Check online for the various local leagues listed IGBOSouthernRegion.com/leagues Atlanta Rainbow Trout AtlantaRainbowTrout.com Atlanta Team Tennis Association Atta.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for sports team/league.

122 Destination Travel Guide

Front Runners Atlanta frontrunnersatlanta.org/ Georgia Dyno’Mos Queer rock-climbing Dynomos.org

Wilderness Network of Georgia Meetup.com/WildNetGa Women’s Outdoor Network Meetup.com/WonAtlanta

Hotlanta Softball League HotlantaSoftball.org

Professional Sports

Hotlanta Volleyball HotlantaVolleyball.org * Best of Atlanta 2018 finalist for sports team/league.

Atlanta Dream Dream.wnba.com

National Flag Football League of Atlanta Nffla.com Southern Softpaw League SouthernSoftpaw.com

Atlanta Braves Mlb.com/Braves

Atlanta Falcons AtlantaFalcons.com Atlanta Hawks NBA.com/hawks Atlanta United AtlUtd.com

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