Atlanta, GA + Add a trip

Good Places To Eat In Downtown Atlanta on a budget.

Sushi: Rise Sushi Lounge on Marietta Street right by Coca Cola & Georgia Aquarium Cypress Bar on Cypress & Spring Street. Noodle in Midtown.

Excellent place if you like a great steak. Probably the best steak I have ever had.

Located in the CNN tower, this is the place for fish lovers. Great fish dishes and great atmosphere.

People are very accommodating

Best cheap local pizza in Atlanta. Many locations too!

This is still me favorite steak place, although there are a few others in Atlanta. The food is consistently excellent and a good spot for lunch or dinner. My customers from all over the world enjoy Bones. I've heard it called the old men's club, but women like it just as much.

Nan Thai is an incredible restaurant. Food, Service, Atmosphere are all top of the line. If you live in Atlanta or visit you owe it to yourself to have a meal at Nan Thai.

The food's good and unusual. Always a twist, even on the basics. The environment is definitely eclectic. Go with an open mind and you'll be quite happy

Atlanta has some corners that really shine. If you know where to go, this place is rich and has a lovely cast of characters.

They have delicious menu items, like a pork belly sandwich, banana-bread pudding, sweet potatoe fries and crispy chicken wings. Add a full bar with large variety of beers and this place rocks for business meetings, parties, celebrations and intimate, long conversations.

Very wonderful historic cemetery in Atlanta. Best seen during a warm, sunny afternoon. I believe it's the biggest cemetery in Atlanta, including the burial place of Margaret Mitchell. Easily accessible via car (free parking) or MARTA (MLK Station).

Easily accessible via Lindbergh Station on the MARTA rail, SIP is a great spot for a leisure coffee, wifi use, studying, or just to chill.

They have small sandwich items, french press coffee, lovely little cakes and pastries, and also some alcoholic selections.

The atmosphere is wonderful. It's as if you stepped into a well-designed (and slightly more upscale) IKEA demo. I highly recommend it.

Originally built to commemorate Atlanta's hosting of the 1996 Olympics, Centennial Olympic Park is still a wonderful place to visit in the morning, afternoon, or evening. The park is only a couple blocks west of two and north of one MARTA rail stations, thus, easily walkable.

Every so often there are free concerts, children's events, Screen on the Green (a free evening movie on the grassy lawn), and other events. In the winter there is also an ice skating rink.

One of the icons of the park, is the 5 ring fountain that is usually spouting water. For the locals, it's commonly used as a quick way to cool off during a hot summer day. Definitely worth a visit. At night the fountain is lit up and all colorful.

Piedmont Park is the Central Park of Atlanta. It has dazzling views of the Midtown high rises, wonderful rolling hills of grassy green, and somewhat algal infested pond.

Great place for reading, relaxing, skating, biking, or just to stroll

Easily accessible via the Midtown MARTA station, the 10th street park entrance is about 4 blocks East.

Great vintage restored theater. They only play a couple movies every week, but the selections are usually good - if you are into less-known varieties. The tickets are reasonable.

I personally love the lower auditorium, it has wonderful curtains and the seats recline! I usually take one of my friends here for a good night out at the theater. I also enjoy the vintage arcade games they have (only 25 cents a play!). Right next to the theater is an old diner that is also worth checking out.

I don't recommend taking MARTA to this theater because you will have to board a bus or walk a good 30 minutes.

If you find yourself in Atlanta on a Tuesday… Actually, if you’re going to Atlanta, make sure you’re there on a Tuesday, because once a week in this converted gas station, starting at 5:30 p.m., chef Scott Peacock serves up his famous (for good reason) fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits. The lunch here, served daily, is essential, too; try the stone-ground shrimp grits, followed by either the pimiento-cheese sandwich (only octogenarian southern ladies do it better) or the white-truffle chicken salad sandwich. And don’t be put off by the fact that Emily from the Indigo Girls co-owns the place; the band is an Atlanta institution, and the restaurant has become one, too.

The Rooftop Bar at the Glenn Hotel One of Atlanta's newer lounges is also its best. The view alone seals the deal, with sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline. If the Braves are in town, you can catch fireworks from nearby Turner Field. The DJs are solid, the drinks do the trick and the laid-back atmosphere is perfect for unwinding after the workday.

Great hotel. Stayed here for a wedding reception. The staff was excellent and accommodating. The rooms were spectacular. More like a small apartment than a hotel room. Spacious, with balcony, a kitchen, and huge bathrooms. The food in the restaurant downstairs was superb and reasonably priced. The pool was fun and relaxed. There's convenient access to the Civic Center MARTA station right outside, for subway travel. Perfect access if you're flying in, since MARTA goes straight to the airport. The price for the stay was surprisingly low. I would have expected much higher for a place of this quality.

The only downside is the parking. It's expensive for the valet parking ($24 a day), and the self-parking is relatively cheap ($9 a day), but difficult to find and very limited in spaces. Tip: The self-parking entrance is around the block, just behind the Magic Mushroom pizza place.