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"Atlanta" redirects here. For other uses, see Atlanta (disambiguation).
| City of Atlanta | |||
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| Nickname: Hotlanta,Shelton, Stacy (2007-09-23). \'Hotlanta\' not steamiest in Georgia this summer. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. The A-T-L | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| Counties | Fulton, DeKalb | ||
| Terminus | 1837 | ||
| Marthasville | 1843 | ||
| City of Atlanta | 1847 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Shirley Franklin (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 132.4 sq mi (343.0 km²) | ||
| - Land | 131.8 sq mi (341.2 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²) | ||
| - Urban | 1,962.9 sq mi (5,083.9 km²) | ||
| - Metro | 8,376 sq mi (21,693.7 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 738-1,050 ft (225-320 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 486,411 | ||
| - Density | 3,690.5/sq mi (1,220.5/km²) | ||
| - Urban | 3,499,840 | ||
| - Metro | 5,138,233 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 404, 678, 770 | ||
| FIPS code | 13-04000American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0351615US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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| Major Airport | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport- ATL (Major/International) | ||
| Website: http://www.atlantaga.gov/ | |||
Atlanta (pronounced /ætˈlæntə/) is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia, and the core city of the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. It is the county seat of Fulton County, although portions of the city extend into DeKalb County. As of July 2006, the city of Atlanta had a population of 486,411 and a metropolitan population of 5,138,223, making it the nation\'s ninth-largest metro area. Residents of the city are known as Atlantans.
Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence.Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (2006-10). "Atlanta\'s International Influence". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. Between 2000 and 2006, the Atlanta metropolitan area grew 20.5%, making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation.Demographia United States Metropolitan Areas 2000-2006 (County Based). Demographia (2007-03-23). Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Atlanta is often considered a poster child for cities worldwide experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl.Koolhaas, Rem; Bruce Mau (1996). S,M,L,XL. New York City: Monacelli Press. ISBN 1-885254-86-5. Apple, Jr., R.W.. "ON THE ROAD: A City in Full: Venerable, Impatient Atlanta", The New York Times, February 25 2000. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta claimed to stand apart from southern cities that supported segregation, touting itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate." That characterization was sharply disputed by many Atlanta blacks, particularly student activists at Atlanta\'s black colleges and universities who from 1960 to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 waged a determined effort to desegregate public facilities through nonviolent direct action such as sit-ins and marches.History & Timeline ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans Eventually, the city\'s progressive civil rights record and existing population of blacks made it increasingly popular as a relocation destination for black Americans. Blacks soon became the dominant social and political force in the city, though today some measure of demographic diversification has taken place.Dewan, Shaila. "Gentrification Changing Face of New Atlanta", The New York Times, March 11 2006. Along with St. Louis and Los Angeles, Atlanta is one of three cities in the United States to have hosted the Summer Olympic Games.
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A map showing roads and Indian trails circa 1815, with late 19th century Fulton County and City of Atlanta outlines overlaid.
On December 21, 1836 the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic Railroad to provide a trade route to the Midwest.Creation of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. About North Georgia. Golden Ink. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Following the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation between 1838 and 1839 the newly depopulated area was opened for the construction of a railroad. The area around the eastern terminus to the line began to develop first. By 1842, the settlement had six buildings and 30 residents and the town was renamed "Marthasville".A Short History of Atlanta: 1782-1859. CITY-DIRECTORY, Inc. (2007-09-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-01. After a few renames, the Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, J. Edgar Thomson, suggested that the area be renamed "Atlantica-Pacifica", which was quickly shortened to "Atlanta". The residents approved, and the town was incorporated as "Atlanta" on December 29, 1847.Georgia History Timeline Chronology for December 29. Our Georgia History. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
A slave auction house on Whitehall Street
As more railroads were constructed, the town experienced a small boom, reaching 2,500 in population. In 1848, the first mayor was elected, the first homicide occurred and the first jail was built. Sidewalks were constructed and a town marshal appointed. By 1854 another railroad connected Atlanta to LaGrange, and the town grew to 7,741 by 1860.Storey, Steve. Atlanta & West Point Railroad. Georgia\'s Railroad History & Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.Atlanta Old and New: 1848 to 1868. Roadside Georgia. Golden Ink. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
During the American Civil War, Atlanta served as an important railroad and military supply hub. In 1864, the city became the target of a major Union invasion. The area now covered by Atlanta was the scene of several battles, including the Battle of Peachtree Creek, the Battle of Atlanta, and the Battle of Ezra Church. On September 1, 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood evacuated Atlanta after a four-month siege mounted by Union General William T. Sherman and ordered all public buildings and possible Confederate assets destroyed. The next day, Mayor James Calhoun surrendered the city, and on September 7 Sherman ordered the civilian population to evacuate. He then ordered Atlanta burned to the ground on November 11 in preparation for his punitive march south, though spared the city\'s churches and hospitals.A Short History of Atlanta: 1860-1864. CITY-DIRECTORY, Inc. (2007-09-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
The rebuilding of the city—immortalized in the city\'s symbol, the phoenix—was gradual. From 1867 until 1888, U.S. Army soldiers occupied McPherson Barracks in southwest Atlanta to ensure Reconstruction era reforms. To help the newly freed slaves, the Federal Government set up a Freedmen\'s Bureau, which helped establish what is now Clark Atlanta University, one of several historically black colleges in Atlanta.
In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth city to serve as the state capital.Jackson, Edwin L.. The Story of Georgia\'s Capitols and Capital Cities. Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. Henry W. Grady, the editor of the Atlanta Constitution, promoted the city to investors as a city of the "New South", one built on a modern economy, less reliant on agriculture. In the 1880s Georgia School of Technology and Atlanta Hospital were founded.Saint Joseph\'s: Atlanta\'s first hospital. Saint Joseph’s Hospital. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
As Atlanta grew, ethnic and racial tensions mounted. The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 left at least 27 deadAtlanta Race Riot. The Coalition to Remember the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot. Retrieved on 2006-09-06. and over seventy injured. In 1913, Leo Frank, a Jewish supervisor at a factory in Atlanta was put on trial for raping and murdering a thirteen-year old white employee from a suburb of Atlanta, ultimately resulting in Frank\'s lynching.
With the entry of the United States into World War II, soldiers from around the Southeastern United States went through Atlanta to train and later be discharged at Fort McPherson. War-related manufacturing such as the Bell Aircraft factory in the suburb of Marietta helped boost the city\'s population and economy. Shortly after the war, the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) was founded in Atlanta.
In the wake of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which helped usher in the Civil Rights Movement, racial tensions in Atlanta began to express themselves in acts of violence. On October 12, 1958, a Reform Jewish temple on Peachtree Street was bombed; the synagogue\'s rabbi, Jacob Rothschild, was an outspoken advocate of integration.Greene, Melissa Faye (2006). The Temple Bombing. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306815188. A group of anti-Semitic white supremacists calling themselves the "Confederate Underground" claimed responsibility.
Atlanta\'s Inman Park neighborhood was the city\'s first planned suburb. Today, it features several mansions and many colorful restored bungalows.
In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the US Civil Rights Movement, with Dr. Martin Luther King and students from Atlanta\'s historically black colleges and universities playing major roles in the movement\'s leadership. Two of the most important civil rights organizations -- SCLC and SNCC -- had their national headquarters in Atlanta. In April of 1960 black students published "AN APPEAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS" condemning segregation and laying the justification for direct action against it. A wave of sit-ins followed resulting in almost 100 arrests.Atlanta Sit-ins ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans On October 19, 1960, sit-ins at the lunch counters of several Atlanta department stores led to the arrest of Dr. King and more than 50 students, drawing attention from the national media and from presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.King, Jr., Martin Luther. e Biography of Martin Luther Ling, Jr. - Chapter 15. Martin Luther King\'s Autobiography online. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. Sit-ins and other forms of student-led protests against various forms of segregation at both commercial and public venues such as the City Hall cafeteria and Atlanta airport continued until passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Despite these incidents, Atlanta\'s political and business leaders labored to foster Atlanta\'s image as "the city too busy to hate". In 1961, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. became one of the few Southern white mayors to support desegregation of Atlanta\'s public schools.Hornsby, Alton (Winter - Autumn, 1991). "Black Public Education in Atlanta, Georgia, 1954-1973: From Segregation to Segregation". The Journal of Negro History 76 (1): 21-47. Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, Inc.. ISSN 00222992.
In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the Centennial Olympic Games 1996 Summer Olympics. Following the announcement, Atlanta undertook several major construction projects to improve the city\'s parks, sports facilities, and transportation. Atlanta became the third American city to host the Summer Olympics, after St. Louis and Los Angeles. The games themselves were marred by numerous organizational inefficiencies as well as the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-249564/Olympic-Games Olympic Games Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., 1996]. Encyclopædia Britannica online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 343.0 km² (132 sq mi). 341.2 km² (132 sq mi) of it is land and 1.8 km² (1 sq mi) of it is water. The total area is 0.51% water. At about 1,050 feet (320 m) above mean sea level (the airport is 1,010 feet (308 m)), Atlanta sits atop a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta has the highest elevation of any major city east of Denver.
The Eastern Continental Divide line enters Atlanta from the south, proceeding to downtown. From downtown, the divide line runs eastward along DeKalb Avenue and the CSX rail lines through Decatur.Yeazel, Jack (2007-03-23). Eastern Continental Divide in Georgia. Retrieved on 2007-07-05. Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into the Atlantic Ocean while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide runs into the Gulf of Mexico.
The latter is via the Chattahoochee River, part of the ACF River Basin, and from which Atlanta and many of its neighbors draw most of their water. Being at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river\'s natural habitat is still preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Downstream however, excessive water use during droughts and pollution during floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states Alabama and Florida.Florida, Alabama, Georgia water sharing (news archive). WaterWebster. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.Fact Sheet – Interstate Water Conflicts: Georgia - Alabama - Florida (PDF). Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters by the standards of the United States. July highs average 90 °F (32 °C) or above, and low average 67 °F (19 °C). Infrequently, temperatures can even exceed 100 °F (38 °C). The highest temperature recorded in the city is 105 °F (41 °C), reached in July, 1980. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 50 °F (10 °C), and low of 29 °F (−2 °C). Warm fronts can bring springlike temperatures in the 60s and 70s in winter, and Arctic air masses can drop temperatures into the teens as well. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −9 °F (−23 °C) in February, 1899. A close second was −8 °F (−22 °C), reached in January, 1985.
Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 50.2 inches (1,275 mm).Monthly Averages for Atlanta, GA. Weather.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-02. An average year sees frost on 36 days; snowfall averages about 2 inches (5 cm) annually. The heaviest single storm brought 10 inches (25 cm) on January 23, 1940.Atlanta, Georgia (1900-2000). Our Georgia History. Retrieved on 2006-04-02. Frequent ice storms can cause more problems than snow; the most severe such storm may have occurred on January 7, 1973.Ice Storms. Storm Encyclopedia. Weather.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-02.
In 2007, the American Lung Association ranked Atlanta as having the 13th highest level of particle pollution in the United StatesCity Mayors: The most polluted US cities. citymayors.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. The combination of pollution and pollen levels, and uninsured citizens caused the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to name Atlanta as the worst American city for asthma sufferers to live in.Atlanta Named 2007 "Asthma Capital". 2007 WebMD Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
| Weather averages for Atlanta, Georgia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 80 (27) | 89 (32) | 93 (34) | 97 (36) | 102 (39) | 105 (41) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 95 (35) | 84 (29) | 79 (26) | |
| Average high °F (°C) | 52 (11) | 57 (14) | 65 (18) | 73 (23) | 80 (27) | 87 (31) | 89 (32) | 88 (31) | 82 (28) | 73 (23) | 63 (17) | 55 (13) | |
| Average low °F (°C) | 33 (1) | 37 (3) | 44 (7) | 50 (10) | 59 (15) | 67 (19) | 71 (22) | 70 (21) | 64 (18) | 53 (12) | 44 (7) | 36 (2) | |
| Record low °F (°C) | -8 (-22) | -9 (-23) | 10 (-12) | 25 (-4) | 37 (3) | 39 (4) | 53 (12) | 55 (13) | 36 (2) | 28 (-2) | 3 (-16) | 0 (-18) | |
| Precipitation inch (mm) | 5.03 (127.8) | 4.68 (118.9) | 5.38 (136.7) | 3.62 (91.9) | 3.95 (100.3) | 3.63 (92.2) | 5.12 (130) | 3.67 (93.2) | 4.09 (103.9) | 3.11 (79) | 4.10 (104.1) | 3.82 (97) | |
| Source: The Weather ChannelMonthly Averages for Atlanta, GA (30334) (Table). The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. Retrieved on 2008-02-03. 2008-02-03 | |||||||||||||
Panoramic view of the central Atlanta skyline, spanning Midtown (left) and Downtown (right).
Atlanta\'s skyline is punctuated with highrise and midrise buildings of modern and postmodern vintage. Its tallest landmark – the Bank of America Plaza – is the 29th-tallest building in the world at 1,023 feet (312 m). It is also the tallest building in the United States outside of Chicago and New York City.World\'s Tallest Buildings. Infoplease. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
The city\'s highrises are clustered in three districts in the city—Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead.Districts and Zones of Atlanta. Emporis.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-26. (there are two more major suburban clusters, Perimeter Center to the north and Cumberland/Vinings to the northwest). The central business district, clustered around the Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel – the tallest building in Atlanta at the time of its completion in 1967 – also includes the newer 191 Peachtree Tower, Westin Peachtree Plaza, SunTrust Plaza, Georgia-Pacific Tower, and the buildings of Peachtree Center. Midtown Atlanta, farther north, developed rapidly after the completion of One Atlantic Center in 1987.
The influx of business to Midtown has continuedSoutherland, Randy (November 19, 2004). What do Atlanta\'s big law firms see in Midtown?. Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-12-01. – the district\'s newest tower, 1180 Peachtree, opened in 2006 at a height of 645 feet (197 m), and won a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Award that year from the U.S. Green Building Council. Atlanta has been in the midst of a construction and retail boom, with over 60 new highrise or midrise buildings either proposed or under construction as of April 19, 2006.Growth in the A-T-L. UrbanPlanet Institute LLC. Retrieved on 2007-06-26. October 2005 marked the opening of Atlantic Station, a former brownfield steel plant site redeveloped into a mixed-use urban district. In early 2006, Mayor Franklin set in motion a plan to make the 14-block stretch of Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta (nicknamed "Midtown Mile") a street-level shopping destination envisioned to rival Beverly Hills\' Rodeo Drive or Chicago\'s Magnificent Mile.Expert: Peachtree Poised to Be Next Great Shopping Street. Midtown Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.Mayor to Retailers: Peachtree Is Open for Business. Midtown Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
In spite of civic efforts such as the opening of Centennial Olympic Park in downtown in 1996, Atlanta ranks near last in area of park land per capita among cities of similar population density, with 8.9 acres per thousand residents (36 m²/resident) in 2005.Total Parkland per 1,000 Residents, by City (PDF). Center For City Park Excellence (2006-06-19). Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. The city has a reputation, however, as a "city of trees" or a "city in a forest";Introduction to Atlanta. Frommer\'s. Wiley Publishing, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.Warhop, Bill. City Observed: Power Plants. Atlanta. Atlanta Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. beyond the central Atlanta and Buckhead business districts, the skyline gives way to a sometimes dense canopy of woods that spreads into the suburbs. Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted and distributed over 68,000 shade trees.About Us. Trees Atlanta. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
The city\'s northern section, Buckhead, is consistently ranked as one of the most affluent communities in the United States.Guerrero, Lucio (March 13, 2001). Lake Forest No. 3 on list of best homes for rich. Chicago Sun-Times online edition. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2008-12-01. Since the opening of the intown segment of the Georgia 400 tollway, which linked the district to the city superhighway system in the early 1990s, Buckhead has developed a dense commercial district, clustered around the high-end retail centers at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza and including a growing number of office buildings and residential highrises, some in the 40+ story range. The Mansion on Peachtree, a 42 Story Luxury Hotel and Condominium tower will open in Early 2008 and the 50 story 3344 Peachtree/Sovereign, planned to reach 660 feet (201 m), is due for completion in late 2007.Sovereign. Emporis. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
The edge cities clustered around Perimeter Mall and Cumberland Mall have distinct skylines of their own. The Concourse at Landmark Center, located near Perimeter Mall in Sandy Springs, includes a pair of buildings called the King and Queen that each measure 570 feet (174 m) in total height.
The Architecture of Atlanta has seen works by most major U.S. firms and some of the more prominent architects of the 20th century, including Michael Graves, Richard Meier, Renzo Piano, and soon, Santiago Calatrava and David Chipperfield. Atlanta\'s most notable hometown architect may be John Portman whose creation of the atrium hotel beginning with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta (1967) made a significant mark on the hospitality sector. A graduate of Georgia Tech\'s College of Architecture, Portman\'s work reshaped downtown Atlanta with his designs for the Atlanta Merchandise Mart, Peachtree Center, the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and SunTrust Plaza.
Atlanta\'s Piedmont Park is the city\'s largest park. A portion of the park is seen here with the Midtown Atlanta Skyline.
Atlanta hosts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Prominent among them are sites honoring Atlanta\'s participation in the civil rights movement, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Other history museums and attractions include the Atlanta History Center; the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum (a huge painting and diorama in-the-round, with a rotating central audience platform, that depicts the Battle of Atlanta in the Civil War); the Carter Center and Presidential Library; historic house museum Rhodes Hall; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.
The arts are represented by several theaters and museums, including the Fox Theatre. The Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony, and High Museum of Art. The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center is the city\'s home for challenging contemporary art and education geared toward working artists and collectors of art. Museums geared specifically towards children include the Fernbank Science Center and Imagine It! Atlanta\'s Children\'s Museum. The Atlanta Opera, which was founded in 1979 by members of two struggling local companies, is now one of the fastest growing opera companies in the nation and garners attention from audiences around the world.Cason, Caroline (2005-09-30). Atlanta Opera. Internet Encyclopedia. The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
Atlanta features the world\'s largest aquarium,Big window to the sea. CNN. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. the Georgia Aquarium, which officially opened to the public on November 23, 2005. Adjacent is the new World of Coca-Cola which opened in May 2007, featuring the history of the world famous soft drink brand. Underground Atlanta, a historic shopping and entertainment complex is situated under the streets of downtown Atlanta. Atlantic Station, a huge new urban renewal project on the northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta, officially opened in October 2005. The Varsity, featured as the world\'s largest drive-in restaurant,The Varsity: What\'ll Ya Have. The Varsity. Retrieved on 2007-07-07. is located in Midtown Atlanta.
Piedmont Park hosts many of Atlanta\'s festivals and cultural events.Park History. Piedmont Park Conservancy. Retrieved on 2007-07-07. Next to the park is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Zoo Atlanta, with a panda exhibit, is in Grant Park. Just east of the city, Stone Mountain is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world.Stewart, Bruce E. (2004-05-14). Stone Mountain. The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. A few miles west of Atlanta on I-20 is the Six Flags Over Georgia Theme Park.
The High Museum of Art, a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta.
Atlanta\'s classical music scene includes well-renowned ensembles such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, period-instrument ensemble New Trinity Baroque, Atlanta Boy Choir, and many others. Classical musicians include renowned conductors such as the late Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony\'s Robert Spano.
The city has a well-known and active live music scene, though recently rapid gentrification and early venue closing times have hurt small clubs and other music venues. In the early 1980s, Atlanta was the home of a thriving new wave music scene featuring such bands as The Brains and The Producers, closely linked to the new wave scenes in Athens, Georgia and other college towns in the southeast.
Historically there have been a variety of live music traditions going back to Cabbagetown country music pioneer Fiddlin\' John Carson, also including a thriving scene in the 90\'s, also in Cabbagetown, centered around a bar called Dotties, now known as Lenny\'s and relocated a few blocks away. Video Concert Hall, precursor to MTV, was founded in Atlanta.
Atlanta has a rich sports history, including the oldest on-campus Division I football stadium, Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students of Georgia Tech. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between the A&M College of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Piedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called the Deep South\'s Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football\'s annual Chick-fil-A Bowl (Formerly known as The Peach Bowl) and the Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10 km race.Peachtree race director deflects praise to others. Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics. Centennial Olympic Park, built for 1996 Summer Olympics, sits adjacent to CNN Center and Philips Arena. It is now operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Atlanta hosted the NCAA Final Four Men\'s Basketball Championship most recently in April 2007.
The city is also host to four different major league sports, The Atlanta Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Thrashers.
The Atlanta Braves baseball team has been the Major League Baseball franchise of Atlanta since 1966. The team was founded in 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts as a National Association club, making it the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North American sports. The Braves won the World Series in 1995 and had a recently ended unprecedented run of 14 straight divisional championships from 1991 to 2005.
Grady Memorial Hospital is one of Atlanta\'s major Hospitals.
The Atlanta Falcons American football team plays at the Georgia Dome. They have been Atlanta\'s National Football League franchise since 1966. They have won the division title three times, and a conference championship once, going on to lose to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. Super Bowl XXVIII and XXXIV were held in the city.
The Atlanta Hawks basketball team has been the National Basketball Association franchise of Atlanta since 1969. The team\'s sole NBA championship was in 1958, when they were the St. Louis Hawks.
In 1999 the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team became Atlanta\'s National Hockey League franchise. They replaced the Atlanta Flames which had departed for Calgary, Alberta in 1980, becoming the Calgary Flames. The Thrashers made it to their first playoffs in 2007.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | American Football | National Football League | Georgia Dome |
| Atlanta Braves | Baseball | Major League Baseball, NL | Turner Field |
| Atlanta Hawks | Basketball | National Basketball Association | Philips Arena |
| Atlanta Thrashers | Ice Hockey | National Hockey League | Philips Arena |
| Atlanta Dream | Basketball | Women\'s National Basketball Association | Philips Arena |
| Atlanta Rollergirlshttp://www.atlantarollergirls.com | Roller Derby | Women\'s Flat Track Derby Association | All American Skating Center |
| Atlanta Silverbacks | Soccer (Football) | USL First Division | Silverbacks Park |
| Georgia Force | Arena Football | Arena Football League | Arena at Gwinnett Center |
| Gwinnett Gladiators | Ice Hockey | ECHL | Arena at Gwinnett Center |
| Atlanta Vision | Basketball | ABA:Blue Conference | The Sampson\'s Center |
| Atlanta Xplosion | Women\'s Football | Independent Women\'s Football League | Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell High School |
In October of 2007 the WNBA announced Atlanta would receive an expansion franchise to begin league play in May 2008. Named the Atlanta Dream, they will play in Philips Arena but will not be affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks.http://aol.wnba.com/atlanta/
Atlanta is the home of the Atlanta Silverbacks of the United Soccer Leagues First Division (Men) and W-League (Women).
In golf, the final event of the PGA Tour season, THE TOUR Championship, is played annually at East Lake Golf Club. This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, an Atlanta native.
Atlanta is on the short list for a potential expansion team in MLS Soccer.Commissioner outlines league goals
Atlanta\'s only major daily paper is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Weekly papers include Creative Loafing, The Sunday Paper and Atlanta Nation. A monthly newsprint publication Stomp And Stammer features local music news, indie rock record reviews, and cultural commentary. International medical, law, and business publisher NewsRx is headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Vinings. The Atlanta Arts community is connected through the ARTNEWS (list serve).
The Atlanta metro area is served by a wide variety of local television stations, and is the eighth largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 2,310,490 households, which is just over 2% of the national total.[www.tvb.org/rcentral/markettrack/US_HH_by_DMA.asp MarketTrack U.S. Households by Market]. TVD.org. TVD Research Central. Retrieved on 2007-12-20. All of the major networks have stations in the market, along with two PBS stations and some independent ones. Several cable television networks also operate from Atlanta, including TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Court TV, Boomerang, and TNT. These stations are owned by Turner Broadcasting System (now a subsidiary of Time Warner). The Weather Channel (owned by Landmark Communications) also broadcasts from the Atlanta area. According to Billboard, the first nationwide music video programming on cable television, Video Concert Hall was created in Atlanta.
There are also numerous local radio stations serving every genre of music, sports, and talk. The nationally syndicated Neal Boortz and Clark Howard shows are broadcast from Atlanta radio station AM 750 WSB.
Cox Enterprises, which owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV, and WSB-AM-FM, is headquartered in Atlanta. Cumulus Media, Inc. engages in the acquisition, operation, and development of commercial radio stations in mid-size radio markets in the United States and is also headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As of December 31, 2005, it owned and operated 307 radio stations in 61 mid-sized U.S. media markets; and a multimarket network of 5 radio stations in the English-speaking Caribbean; as well as provided sales and marketing services for 2 radio stations under local marketing agreement. Nintendo\'s American Division has its distribution center based in Atlanta, the primary location from where imported games and products arrive to United States and are often inspected and shipped to stores nationwide.
North Avenue Presbyterian Church, on the southeast corner of North Avenue and Peachtree Street
There are over 1,000 places of worship within the city of Atlanta.Atlanta, Ga.. Information Please® Database. Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved on 2006-05-17. A majority of Atlantans profess to following a Protestant Christian faith, the city historically being a major center for traditional Southern denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, and the Presbyterian Church (USA). There are a large number of "mega churches" in the area, especially in suburban areas, with congregations numbering in the thousands; Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead is the largest congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
As the see of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, Atlanta serves as the metropolitan see for the Province of Atlanta. The archdiocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King and the current archbishop is the Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory. The Catholic population of metropolitan Atlanta and northern Georgia grew to 650,000 in 2006, boosted in recent years by Hispanic immigrants (especially in smaller Georgia communities) and migration from elsewhere in the U.S.Nelson, Andrew (September 6, 2007). Catholic Population Officially Leaps To 650,000. The Georgia Bulletin. Retrieved on 2007-12-19. As of 2007 the Archdiocese of Atlanta included 84 parishes.Nelson, Andrew (September 6, 2007). Catholic Population Officially Leaps To 650,000. The Georgia Bulletin. Retrieved on 2007-12-19. Atlanta is also the see of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which includes all of northern Georgia, much of middle Georgia and the Chattahoochee River valley of western Georgia. This Diocese is headquartered at the Cathedral of St Philip in Buckhead and is led by the Right Reverend J. Neil Alexander.The Episcopal Church in Georgia. The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Atlanta serves as headquarters for several regional church bodies also. The Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, consisting of churches in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, maintains offices in downtown Atlanta; ELCA parishes are numerous throughout the metro area. A smaller but influential group is the Southeast Conference, United Church of Christ, headquartered in Midtown and serving churches in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and central and eastern Tennessee. There are eight United Church of Christ congregations in the Atlanta metro area, one of which, First Congregational in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, is noted for being the church which former mayor Andrew Young is affiliated with.
Traditionally African-American denominations such as the National Baptist Convention and the African Methodist Episcopal Church are strongly represented in the area. These churches have several seminaries that form the Interdenominational Theological Center complex in the Atlanta University Center.
The city also hosts the Greek Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral, the see of Metropolis of Atlanta and its bishop, Alexios. There are at least eleven Orthodox parishes in Atlanta, including Greek, Russian, Carpatho-Russian, Orthodox Church in America, Antiochian, Serbian, Ukrainian and Romanian. Also located in the metropolitan area are several Eastern Catholic parishes.These include St. John Chrysostom Melkite Catholic Church; St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church; and Epiphany Byzantine Catholic Church
Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a vibrant Jewish community estimated to include 120,000 individuals in 61,300 households.Jewish Community Centennial Study 2006. Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. This study places Atlanta\'s Jewish population as the 11th largest in the United States, up from 17th largest in 1996.
The headquarters for The Salvation Army\'s United States Southern Territory is located in Atlanta.About The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army. Retrieved on 2007-09-21. There are eight churches, numerous social service centers, and youth clubs located throughout the Atlanta area.
The World of Coca-Cola museum reopened at a new location near the Georgia Aquarium on May 26, 2007.
