We’re just two days away from kicking off Grand Prix Atlanta! Yesterday Ken Crocker gave the rundown on
all the great side events happening from Friday to Sunday. Today I’ll talk about the food options at the Grand Prix venue, the Georgia World Congress Center, and things to see and do in the immediate neighborhood and a little beyond.
Bites
Most Magic players have a horror story or two about a tournament held in a remote area with one ridiculously expensive food option in walking distance…or,
even worse, no food at all.
That won’t happen at GP Atlanta. Within GWCC Building C (where the Grand Prix will be) alone, there’s a wide range of food options, most open from 10 AM to
10 PM on all three days, including:
-
Grab 2 Go
(quick food, closes at 6 PM) -
Georgia Dawgs
(hot dogs) -
Papa John’s
(pizza) -
Pita Hut
(Mediterranean and more) -
Jim N’ Nick’s
(barbecue, closes at 6 PM) -
Chick-fil-A
(chicken sandwiches, closed Sunday) -
Snack Attack
(snacks) -
Eclectic Foodies
(variety)
Not enough grub for you? Need something early in the morning? The CNN Center is just down
Marietta Street and its food court
has American morning favorites such as Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.
About seven miles away is the obligatory Fogo de Chao
.
The area also offers a chance to experience the breadth of Atlanta food, from Georgia barbecue (Jim N’ Nick’s, above) to the world’s largest drive-in ( The Varsity, Downtown location) and “traditional Southern” institutions
such as the much-hyped Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Soul food is a tremendous influence, immigrants who settled in Atlanta
have established numerous restaurants reflecting their cultures of origin, and upscale cuisine is on the rise.
Sights
For a city that’s existed less than two centuries (Atlanta got its start as the literal “end
of the line” for a railroad), Atlanta is rich in history and culture. Here are a few of the monuments and attractions in the immediate area of the GP venue
as well as beyond.
Atlanta was one of the focal points of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and several places are
dedicated to its events and people. The recently opened National Center for Civil and Human Rights, located near the GP
venue in downtown Atlanta, reflects on past struggles and their relevance in today’s world. More to the east but still easily accessible via the Atlanta Streetcar is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, dedicated to the Nobel Prize-winning minister and
campaigner.
The Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the USA and one of the few places to see sharks and whales inland.Centennial Olympic Park, a legacy of the Olympic Games held in Atlanta almost twenty years ago, offers green space and an
interactive fountain among other relaxing points of interest. CNN is one of the most influential media creations of the 20th century, andtours are available. Atlanta’s most famous global export, Coca-Cola, has its own museum.
Atlanta’s main sporting venues are virtually next door to the Georgia World Congress Center. While the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League
(that’s “American football,” not association football) have their bye that week, the National Basketball Association season is in full swing, and on Sunday
at 6 PM there will be an Atlanta Hawks home game at Philips Arena in Downtown Atlanta near the Grand Prix
venue. The good: all the restaurants will be open and it’s a chance to take in a major sporting event. The bad: traffic and lots of it, so plan accordingly
if you’re flying out Sunday night.
The wider Atlanta area has a number of attractions worth a trip. Zoo Atlanta is
one of just four places in the U.S. to see giant pandas. Film buffs will want to make a detour to the Margaret Mitchell House, where the author wrote her award-winning bestseller
turned high-grossing and controversial film, Gone with the Wind.
The Swan House is an icon of Southern architecture, seen in such media asThe Amazing Race and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The Georgia Capitol Museum, housed in Georgia’s legislative building, offers a good
introduction to the state in general. A personal recommendation, all the way upGeorgia State Route 400 (a 55-mile drive) from Atlanta, is theDahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site, dedicated to the Georgia Gold Rush, which predated the more famous California Gold Rush by about two decades.
Tomorrow:
Nick Miller talks about GP Atlanta coverage and SCGLive! Don’t miss it!
Previous Grand Prix Atlanta blogs:
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 3 Days Out – Side Event Schedule
!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 4 Days Out – Artists!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 7 Days Out – Commander 101!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 8 Days Out – Special Guests and Events!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 9 Days Out – Upgrading Your Experience!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 10 Days Out – Choosing Your Experience!
Countdown to Grand Prix Atlanta: 11 Days Out – Grand Prix Atlanta Overview!