Hotlanta: home of sassy Southern Belles like Scarlett O"Hara, Suzanne Sugarbaker and Elton John. And like those divas, Atlanta has its own multi-faceted personality. It has a vibrant gay-friendly night life residing in conservative, stodgy Cobb County. The landscape includes spicy action-packed neighborhoods between sprawling highways adorned by lone Waffle Houses. Its often bizarre zoning rules place hip night clubs in the middle of strip malls. But it is this surprising versatility that makes Atlanta a favorite among business and pleasure travelers alike.


Gay Friendly Hotels in Atlanta:

While many US cities boast trendy, urban-chic boutique hotels, Atlanta is still a shy Southern Belle. With its 3 million+ annual business travelers, the city has plenty of hotels, but they tend to be more traditional atmosphere - more fitting for a debutante ball than a circuit party.

For a more personal touch, you might prefer a cozy B&B conveniently located between the main attractions of Midtown & Buckhead or a more upscale, amenity-rich hotel that offers masseurs, well-appointed lounges and a top-flight concierge. Alternatives include trendy boutiques, an all-suite hotel or a national chain so you can boost those airline miles or points.

No matter what hotel type, or what location you choose, all of our gay friendly hotels in Atlanta are rich in Southern hospitality. Each hotel on our list has been specially chosen for its gay-friendliness and we encourage you to share your experience with other PCG site visitors by posting your feedback below. Whatever type of hotel you prefer, you'll find it on our list of gay friendly hotels in Atlanta.


Getting Around Town:

Atlanta is a city best seen by car as the center of gay life begins in Midtown and heads north through Piedmont Park & Cheshire Bridge Road. The city itself is encircled by The Perimeter a "ring road" or "beltway" which gets clogged fast during rush hour. Keep an eye on the overhead signs that will direct you to faster routes and detours.

There are plenty of cabs in the city, but they aren't as easily flagged down as they are in larger cities like New York or Washington, DC. Therefore keep your cell on hand to call Yellow cab (770) 455-4412 or any of a dozen taxi services in Atlanta. If you plan on cabbing it a lot, pick a hotel close to the area that you need to be in for your business travel then take a taxi from the hotel's readily accessible cab stand and if possible, stay in a hotel that is centrally located so the fares aren't too high.

Of course, you can always take the MARTA rail system. It is clean and reliable, and runs all the way to the airport and back. It's $1.50 per ride ($2.25 outside Fulton or DeKalb counties). An unlimited weekly TransCard costs $12, an unlimited monthly card is $45.

Weatherwise, Atlanta serves up everything from the occasional winter snow to hot sticky summers, so pack accordingly.



What to Do? Where to Go?

Atlanta offers something for everyone: a smorgasbord of cuisine ranging from Cajun to traditional Americana to international flavors, a large arts and cultural scene boasting world-class museums and exhibits, theatre, symphony and opera, and plenty of galleries and boutiques. And don't forget a wide array of tourist attractions like the Atlanta Zoo, Botanical Garden and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site. If you feel low-key, how about taking a nostalgic guided trolley tour? But before settling in for the night, everyone must visit the Peach state in the summertime to experience Hotlanta in all its glory.

Generally the more cosmopolitan areas of Atlanta welcome gay travelers and Midtown is as sophisticated as it gets: it is not uncommon to see gay and lesbian couples strolling hand-in-hand along Midtown's park paths, or groups of friends gathering for a game of Frisbee, volleyball or a relaxed picnic. The Midtown area radiates from Piedmont Park (home base for the 300,000+ gay and lesbians who descend on A.T.L. for a southern style Gay Pride) to Peachtree Street.

In addition to the hub of 10th Street & Piedmont Avenue, Midtown boasts a "way gay" mall and adjacent mini mall further down Piedmont Avenue. Atlanta has several other gay-friendly sections including a hip bohemian area called Little Five Points which is lined with music shops, gay friendly coffee houses and shopping galore. Buckhead is the shopping mecca of the Southeast, with more than 1,400 retail units and in excess of $1 billion a year in sales. Forty percent of Buckhead's shoppers come from more than 100 miles away. The easiest way to get to the shopping sites is via the Buc, a free Buckhead shuttle bus service that connects the Lenox and Buckhead MARTA stations to all sorts of hotels, office buildings, shops, restaurants including Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square.

With boutiques and antiques, shops and stores, Atlanta's shopping options are endless. Besides the well-known tourist shopping destinations like Lenox Square in Bukhead, Phipps Plaza and Underground Atlanta, the city offers many unique shopping destinations:

* Historic Virginia Highland is Atlanta's most popular neighborhood for shopping, dining and nightlife. Developed in the early 1900's, it consists of six distinct commercial "villages" alternating with short, walkable blocks of charming bungalow homes. The neighborhood's name derives from the intersection of Virginia and Highland Avenues.

* Originally a small group of antique shops, Miami Circle has blossomed into a top resource for both the interior designer and retail customer alike. It is only here that you can find an incredible selection of complementary shops to suit all of your decor needs. From antique to contemporary, old to new, Miami Circle offers you a world of opportunities.

After a full day of shopping and walking around the city in the heat - you'll need a full body massage. Let one of these southern boys get his hands on you - and you'll just melt! Atlanta has a number of gay friendly masseurs - be sure to visit the massage section under our City Directory.

Though Atlanta is a popular vacation destination, many of the gay travelers visiting the city are in Atlanta on business travel. Should your time permit you to explore the city beyond the confines of your hotel room and office, here are a few places you might want to visit:

* The newly opened Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium with 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water, and more than 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe. Buy tickets at www.georgiaaquarium.com.

* If you are in the mood for some relaxation and exercise, stop by Centennial Olympic Park (www.centennialpark.com) which was dedicated for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Located in downtown Atlanta, the park features the "Gateway of Dreams," a sculpture that pays homage to the founder of the Modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The 21 acres of wooded landscape boasts a series of landscaped water fountains that weave through the Water Gardens.

* Take a behind the scenes tour of the CNN cable news channel (www.cnn.com/studiotour). If you�re lucky you might catch a glimpse of sexy silver fox Anderson Cooper!

* Take a tour of the World of Coca-Cola (www.woccatlanta.com) and learn about the history of this great American company, and the bottling process (Gay men watching their figures will prefer Diet Coke of course!).

* Visit a 16th Century-style French Chateau at Chateau Ela Winery (www.chateauelan.com) that boasts championship golf courses, luxurious spas, vineyard and winery.

* Atlanta's ballet corps is the oldest is the longest continuously running dance company in the country. (www.atlantaballet.com)

* Catch a Broadway-style play like Spamalot or Aladdin thanks to Broadway Across America (www.broadwayacrossamerica.com) or for more locally theater flavor, stop by the 14th Street Playhouse: www.woodruffarts.org, 7 Stages: www.7stages.org or Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus: www.agmchorus.org. If you're in town in November - be sure to check out the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival: "Out on Film Festival".


Restaurants and Gay Nightlife in Atlanta:

Did you know that when it comes to great restaurants, Atlanta is ranked #4 in the USA? And with a local population of 4.5 million who eat out frequently, coupled with all the visitors from the rest of the world, finding a restaurant that is right for you can be confusing. But don't fret - PCG can help you find the place that's right for you. For a list of our favorite gay friendly restaurants in Atlanta, visit the restaurant section under the city directory on this page.

While great cuisine may not come to mind when you hear of Atlanta, the city does have an ample selection of great food, including traditional Southern fare. Whether it's barbeque, Chick-Fil-A (which was founded near Atlanta) fried chicken, grits, soul food, or even non-Southern cuisine that you want, you can find it in Atlanta.

When it comes to ambience, Atlanta offers all sorts of options including the world's largest drive-in restaurant to affordable Italian and traditional Tex-Mex fare. If you are willing to pay a little extra for more gourmet fare and classy atmosphere, Atlanta has several options in that department as well. If it's seafood you want, there are plenty of seafood restaurants on the Chattahoochee River in Vinings with the freshest and best fares.

Known for having more bars than houses of worship -- somewhat of a rarity in the Old South -- Atlanta packs a wallop when the sun goes down. Rockers from assorted generations have either grown up in Atlanta or adopted it as home, often livening up the club scene. Elton John lives part-time in Buckhead, and groups like the Atlanta Rhythm Section are also warmly welcomed. Atlanta nightlife embraces coffeehouses to sports bars and high-energy dance clubs with electrifying rhythms for gays, lesbians and straights.

Most of the gay bars are found in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta which is perfect for the out of town visitor simply looking to escape the confines of his hotel room, as several bars are within an easy walk of one another. Though the concentration of bars is in Midtown, not all are confined to this area. For those a bit further away, an inexpensive taxi ride will do the trick.



Atlanta is a cool city with a hot scene and a laid back style, so let yourself go and step into the heat. After all, people don't call it "Hotlanta" for nothing! For a full listing of gay bars and clubs in Atlanta, be sure to click on the "Bars and Nightlife" section in the City Directory on the left margin of the page.

Gay Bars and Night Clubs in Atlanta

Atlanta is the south's most metropolitan city where over half of residents come from somewhere else. Like the city itself, Gay Atlanta attracts men and women from around the south who come here to celebrate being gay. The gay bars and clubs here are a bit spread out, but most cluster around the Midtown area. If you can afford it, rent a car or take taxis. Atlanta is a sprawling city and you will probably find your self having dinner in one area, driving 15 minutes to a club then another 20 minutes for a night cap or coffee. And be sure to assign a designated driver as you make the most of the Peach State's vibrant gay scene.

All over town, Atlanta night clubs gleam with upbeat dancing and electrifying entertainment. Whether you feel like partying in Buckhead, lounging in Midtown or pubbing in Virginia-Highland, Atlanta's nightlife appeals to every taste. Gay-friendly options include energetic dance clubs, hip lounges for catching up with friends, two-step bars with weekly lessons, video bars, and even a place to see close up swinging "richards."

Other options include live bluegrass music or check out black Atlanta's urban poetry. Midtown's thriving gay scene includes laidback bars with tropical patios, as well as a sleek Hollywood-themed hotspot. And even Atlanta's only gay sports bar. Others offer an eclectic mix of house, hip hop, Brit pop, drum and bass, reggae and garage. If you'd like to view the full list of gay bars and clubs in Atlanta, including our PCG Featured Bars, we invite you to click on the "Bars and Nightlife" icon under the City Directory on the left of this page.

If you're visiting Atlanta in the coming months, be sure to visit our City Directory on the left margin of this page. There you'll find a list of gay friendly hotels, retail shops you may want to visit, and even gay friendly real estate agents if you're considering a move to the Peachtree state.

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