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McDonald, Janice. "How Atlanta Works: Atlanta City Guide." 05 September 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://travel.howstuffworks.com/atlanta-city-guide.htm> 13 May 2008.
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Atlanta Architecture & Landmarks
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Atlanta Architecture & Landmarks
People like to say Atlanta has risen from the ashes twice. Much of what General Sherman didn't burn during the Civil War was lost in a great fire in the early 1900s. A building boom in the 1980s sparked the current array of ultra-modern buildings that now give Atlanta a distinct skyline.
 ©2006 Atlanta CVB Thanks to a spate of new construction, Atlanta has a striking skyline. |
While internationally noted architects such as Michael Graves, Richard Meier, and Frederick Law Olmstead have made their marks here, Atlanta gives bragging rights to locally born and educated John Portman. Portman has been credited with shaping much of the area by designing the Famous Glass Cylinder of the Westin Peachtree Plaza, The Merchandise Mart, Peachtree Center, and the Sun Trust Building.
Insider's Guide: The Best of Archicture & Landmarks in Atlanta
The best view of Midtown Atlanta is from Piedmont Park. Sit in the Park Tavern (500 10th St at the corner of 10th and Monroe) and enjoy watching the evening unfold as skyscraper lights turn on.
The Grand Dame of Atlanta architecture continues to be the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Built in 1976, the shining round glass structure was for years the tallest building in the Southeast, at 73 stories. While other buildings are now taller, the shimmering glass cylinder still stands out among the crowd.
As for neighborhoods, a teardown trend has resulted in what locals ruefully call "McMansions." These oversized single-family homes are sprinkled among 1,900 smaller, quaint bungalows for which the area is known. The Victorian neighborhoods of Inman Park and Grant Park survived both of Atlanta's major fires, so visiting these areas is like stepping back in time.
These days, many people come to Atlanta simply to shop. In the next section, we'll detail the shopping options in Atlanta.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
McDonald, Janice. "How Atlanta Works: Atlanta City Guide." 05 September 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://travel.howstuffworks.com/atlanta-city-guide.htm> 13 May 2008.
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