The Top Things to Do and See in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia

Your legs, arms and credit card will be exhausted by the time you’ve shopped at more than 250 stores at Lenox Square Mall. Spruce up your closet with a little reinvented self-expression at the Psycho Bunny menswear shop, or swing into Tory Burch for a new designer handbag. Don’t worry, it’s not all shop-til-you-drop at Lenox Square Mall. The Peachtree Pint has a range of Georgian pints on tap. Fair warning: two or three will convince you to order a box of gourmet treats from Da Vinci’s Donuts.

If you think the folks in Atlanta know how to make a mighty good meal, just wait until you taste their brews. You’ll be wise to bar hop around Buckhead with Southern Beer Tours who offer up three rounds of brewery visits. The SweetWater Brewing is your first stop for a 420 Extra Pale Ale, followed by Blind Pirate or Lay Low IPA at Monday Night Brewing. Atlanta Brewing Company, the oldest in the state, will give you a taste of Hoplanta and the Soul of the City, both which pair fantastically with a plate of Fox Brother Bar-B-Q that you can order right to either bar.

Although it’s famous for the Cadence Bank Amphitheatre, you should also know that Atlanta’s third largest park is a draw for more than just music lovers. Walk across all 268 acres (108ha) and you’ll see how happily the community gobbles up the green space in the warmer months. You’ll spot kids on the playgrounds and in the swimming pool; friends battling it out on the golf course and softball diamond; and even a few horses trotting beside joggers.

Touted as the oldest outdoor music venue in the city, Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park brings out the best acts covering the full spectrum of genres. Deftones, Barenaked Ladies, Steely Dan and Jethro Tull have all graced the same stage that’s been shared by Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Alice Cooper and Josh Groban. Whether you’re hoping to catch a performance from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra or jam out to more contemporary hits from Billie Eilish, a ticket to any performance under the Georgia night sky is sure to be a hit.

The Atlanta History Center showcases fascinating exhibits that have had just as much impact on the country as they have on the city. Civil War relics including banjos and marching drums sit alongside golfer Bobby Jones’s four Grand Slam championship trophies. You’ll see sports and world history collide in the Atlanta ’96 exhibit, where a collection of medals, athletic equipment and the torch from the Olympic and Paralympic Games celebrate Atlanta’s time as the host city for this monumental competition.

ATL is full of A-R-T and a gallery full of emerging contemporary artists have their fine art on display at Buckhead Art & Company. Though all pieces are independently created, each artwork seems to complement the others. Carrie Penley’s neutral-colored wildlife collages sit in contrast to Crystal Paris’s avant-garde wearable art. All pieces in the gallery are for sale, so you’re welcome to take home a vibrant Caryn Crawford, or the textile work of Elise Lyon for your own home.

Hope you packed your appetite, bib and best manners – because South City Kitchen will leave you salivating. Classic Southern staples, like collard greens and fried green tomatoes, stack up beside inventive yet close to home dishes, such as pan-fried chicken livers with caramelized onion jus. You’d better believe that an order of Mississippi mud and banana pudding trifle are making their way to your table for dessert.

Psst…can you keep a secret? An assuming black door behind Chido & Padre’s is your gateway to Prohibition – inspired cocktails and Roaring ’20s fun. The Blind Pig Parlor is a covert club where you can order up a blessed negroni, a bubbly paper swan or an all cider dram. Sip a beer or wine under the starry lights of this speakeasy and order up a round of pot liqueur for good luck.

There’s no way you can visit Atlanta and not indulge in some fresh fruit from the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Come hungry every Saturday from March through December and load up on produce that is all locally sourced, certified organic or naturally grown. You’ll find be sure to pick up a PRFM reusable bag to hull your bounty home.

The Chattahoochee River may swim through the state, but the best place to Shoot the Hooch is in Atlanta. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has a number of places to dip in and wade out, if you want to raft without looking at the clock. Quick trips from Powers Island to Paces Mill (or Morgan Falls Dam to Johnson Ferry) will only take you between one and three hours to ride. Don’t let us keep you docked, though; spend the full day cruising on a ride from Jones Bridge to Chattahoochee River Park, which takes between nine and 12 hours.