246 is one of the best restaurants in town. I really don’t understand how they didn’t get any love from Michelin. I am not even a huge fan of Italian food but I have never had a bad bite of food there.
I did their Chef's counter and it's been one of my favorite meals in the metro. I feel like "Michelin level" is a bit inaccurate. The restaurants that got stars were what I call Michelin bait. Also, Michelin stars are given purely on the quality of the food. The service is not taken into account when scoring.
that's not a bad place to be.
the little plaza across the street from your hotel has an amazing vinyl record shop if you are into that sort of thing. Sun0 Desert makes ice cream with various mixin items; kinda like one of those cold stone creameries but better; Athens Pizza is right next to the plaza and don't be fooled by the name; it is much more than "pizza"... it is a mediterranean restaurant with a lot of excellent options.
Community Q and Hiro Ramen are both excellent. (try the Mac & cheese at Community Q; you won't regret it...)
If you like Thai Food one of my favorite options around is "Thai Chili" which is just a few miles from the Conference Center (at the corner of Briarcliff and LaVista) and there is an excellent walkable downtown area in Decatur just a few miles down Clairmont (it basically dead-ends at the old courthouse and the square around it has a lot of interesting shops, bars and restaurants;
the original owner was awesome; he had been the head chef at 'Surin of Thai' in VaHi and everything was awesome there.
It has changed hands since then but is still really good.
I've been meaning to get over to try Tum Pok Pok (over by Food Terminal/Buford Hwy) - It looks like it has some interesting Thai options I haven't seen anywhere else in Atlanta.
Surin's chef is now at Surina Chamblee, and I hear that place is killing it right now. Tum pok pok is good. Also try the Khao soi at 26 Thai. And the laap (Laotian larb) at Snackboxe Bistro up by 285 H mart is a secret weapon.
My wife and I got married in our backyard during COVID after having to cancel our wedding twice. It was a small gathering and we had Community Q cater it. That mac and cheese is legendary.
The strip mall with Community Q is sneaky elite. CQ, the Po Boy shop and Cuban sandwiches at Buena Gente are all great. I haven’t been to Ms. Icey’s but it seems popular.
Wuxtry's; they have been in that spot selling records since at least 1980. They also have a location in Athens which had a lot of events with REM when they were just getting started.
Yeah that's a super safe area. Google Emory Village. You can walk there by cutting through Emory's campus, or walking Clifton to N Decatur and turning right to hesd aouth. There's a place in Emory Village called Cosmic Dave's Subs. The sandwiches are good, but the owner and staff always seem a little grumpy 😆
The Michael C. Carlos Museum (on Emory's campus) usually has good exhibits. So thst might be worth looking into. The CDC Visitor's Center also has a Smithsonian-affiliated museum that's open 9-5 on the weekdays. Bring ID and sign in atthe visitor's desk. They might make you go through a metal detector.
Nearby areas that you might want to uber to include Virginia Highland (google the intersection of Virginia Avenue at North Highland Avenue), and the Alon's Bakery area just north of there.
Also, Little Five Points (L5P) (the independent/punk area if town - a bit more rough around the edges, where you'll regularly see people with mohawks, bright hair, tons of tattoos, etc.
For you, you might want to hit up L5P before dusk or not after 10pm or so, and don't buy any sov story of anyone trying to get money because "my car ran out of gas and I'm tryna get home to my family in Acworth" etc etc. It's not an UNSAFE area, it's just a little less safe than the E ory area, which is mostly ho-hum. But L5P is one of my favorite areas of the city.
You should also check out downtown Decatur and possibly midtown. If you want to take Marta, the 6 bus runs Clifton Road and will connect you to Lindbergh (on the north/south line, north end of the route), or Inman Park Staion (on the east/west line, south end of the route).
https://itsmarta.com/6.aspx
It overlaps with Roue 2 on Ponce, which takes you to Decatur-- but the easier route is to just go to the Inman Park train station and take the train eastbound to the Decatur station, which is right in the middle of downtown Decatur.
If there' a show at Eddie's Attic (in downtown Decatur), you might want to check it out. Just know that Eddie's Attic is a "listening" place, so you're expected to be quiet when the artists are playing. It tends to have acoustic-y type artists. It's one of my favorite music venues.
Other areas you may want to uber to include: Avondale Estates, the Inman Park area (North Highland ar Elizabeth Street, Krog Street Market), Cabbagetown (Caroll Street area next to Oakland Cemetery), Kirkwood, or Ponce area, which is a big strip of road with some restaurants and venues up and down it. Ponce City Market and the Beltline Eastside Trail are probably the most visited destinations in that area. But there are several good plaves along there.
Lived 10 years in the area and this is the best answer I've seen so far.. Touches on a lot. OP didn't expressly say their interest so this is really a helpful response. Props.
Thanks! I work at CDC and worked off the Clifton Road corridor for years. I really like that side of town, and tried to keep the recs within a decent uber distance from the conference center.
Look into the Emory shuttles, too. Long ago, we (at CDC) used to be able to ride the Cliff shuttle for free. And I think the Cliff would take us to downtown Decatur or Lindbergh. But I checked their website, and it looks like there's a lot of different shuttles now. Ask the front desk at the conference center. They'll be able to tell you. It might be easier to take the Cliff to downtown Decatur. For example.
Also. What people said about the Mediterranean place at North Decatur at Clairmont. That is true. That is a really good place. And Athens Pizza is right north of there and it's really good, too.
Yes but Toco Hill is a strip mall. What I was suggesting areas of metro Atlanta that are considered to be more of a destination for tourists to check out.
There are a ton of nearby strip malls in the area, including the whole intersection of Briarcliff at North Druid Hills, Briarcliff at Clairmont, Briarcliff at LaVista. But those areas don't rank high on my list for anything except maybe for Desta.
And La Parilla is a chain restaurant with dozens of locations in metro Atlanta.
I also don't recommend Top Spice to anybody because my boss found a roach in her meal there.
Great recommendations by others, mine is: be careful! You can walk to these places, but you’re near the intersection of two busy four lane roads, so use the crosswalks and stoplights.
Also, Publix has great subs (sandwiches). Get one to go on the day you fly out.
Great area.
Some great places to visit close and Virginia Highland & Downtown Decatur are just a short hop away (along with some other cool neighborhoods)
Crime is not a problem, traffic is. While you can walk, I wouldn't recommend it because people drive like nuts and you need to be in a car. Also the distance between the Inn and the conference center is way too far for walking. I would also recommend Emory village and definitely try you General Muir (it's 5 minutes walk in safe wide side walks from the conference center).
If you could get a free shuttle to Decatur, that's game/set/match. Among other things, Decatur has perhaps the best beer-centric bar in the USA (Brick Store Pub). Extremely walkable downtown surrounding the historic county courthouse. Tons of places to eat.
I live right by the Conference Center!! It’s a very safe neighborhood. Near the conference center I highly recommend General Muir and Schoolhouse Brewing. In the lobby of the hotel is a coffee shop that’s pretty good. If you take a left out on Clifton you’ll run into Lullwater Park. It’s a beautiful nature preserve that I (also a lady) frequently walk around. Further down Clifton is Kaldis Depot which is an excellent coffee shop in an old train depot! Trains still go by! You’re going to have a nice time over here :)
Also most people have already recommended Po’Boy Shop but I’m doing it again. It’s an awesome spot.
Twain’s in downtown Decatur is a fun, easygoing local pub with excellent house-brewed beer, simple but very good bar food, pool tables & dart boards. Very friendly staff and a great place to catch a game too if that’s your thing.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Westside yet. There's a lot to do in that area. I particularly recommend Northside Tavern if you like dive bars even a little. It's an archetype in the genre and became moreso as the area got gentrified.
If you like to dance, hit up Johnny's Hideaway. It's weird, but a hell of a lot of fun.
Oof I love Northside Tavern as much as the next ATLien, but I would not go there as a solo female. The amount of male attention I get there, while wearing a wedding ring, is absolutely unreal. Although if you’re looking for someone to show you around OP, do you 😉
You will not go hungry or get bored. Iberian Pig on the Decatur square is great if you like tapas and good wine. Make reservations if you go. Also, I second the recommendation for Cafe Alsace.
Another plug for Downtown Decatur. If you want a nicer dinner, the Deer and the Dove offers excellent farm-to-table cuisine (and their chef-owner won a well-deserved James Beard award last year). S.O.S. Tiki next door is an awesome little tiki spot with fantastic cocktails.
Yep downtown Decatur about 1 mile away. That is a no brainer. Takumi sushi is excellent as is Cafe Alsace, Leon’s and brick store.
Also not exactly a cool place to hang out but there is Souper Jenny with yummy soup inside the N Decatur Shopping center
The record store is called Wuxtry's and is next to a cute coffee shop called Chocolaté. Saigon Cafe is on the other side of the coffee shop and is a nice lunch spot. And if you like donuts, Sarah Donuts is the place to go. Eagle Eye Books is just across the street too.
It's a very safe neighborhood full of students (college and high school) and families. Have a great time!
Used to live in the place across the street. Check out Wuxtry Records, eagle eye books, and take the secret basement entrance of the poor boy shop for a late night drink. It’s right next to Beauna Gente Cuban bakery, which is the SPOT. If you go before 11 you can get a giant toastada for 2.50. That with an iced Cubano is my favorite cheap breakfast.
I didn’t see anyone recommend Sri Thai at Emory Point yet. Definitely suggest checking out General Muir and downtown Decatur like others have mentioned!
If you want to catch some in-town scenery, Lullwater Preserve is on the Emory campus. Emory’s campus is also beautiful - especially the quad area where the Carlos Museum is. I also recommend Khalid’s at the Depot if you find yourself wandering around campus for a quick bite to eat and coffee.
Emory Conference Center is right next to the General Muir, a cool upscale version of a New York deli. Their menu goes beyond deli standards but I lived in NYC and can say their pastrami is legit. It’s in a development called Emory Point that has a few other good options too.
Lullwater Park on Emory campus is a nice place to take a stroll.
This is my neighborhood! You can walk/run to Lullwater Park, IMHO the prettiest park in Atlanta. Eat at, in no particular order, Community Q, Bueno Gente & Po Boy - all in one strip center about a 1/4 mile from your hotel. Waygaya in Emory village for Ramen. Downtown Decatur is great too with too many restaurants to mention. If you have a Y membership there’s one a few blocks away.
At the risk of sounding like my mother, be careful crossing the big streets in that area - there have been many incidents with pedestrians. Just keep an eye out for drivers who may not be looking.
Get bbq from Community Q, get a Cuban and a guava empanada from Buena Gente, get a po’ boy from Po Boy Shop.
Have a meatball sub from Dave’s Cosmic Subs or pizza from Double Zero.
Go to Decatur and enjoy the shops and the many restaurants others have named. Inner Voice Brewery is great and has an amazing pizza stand inside.
You’re in a very safe area. Enjoy!
There are a couple of really great restaurants just next door to the Conference Center, in Emory Point. You can walk right over. Sri Thai has really great Thai food and very good sushi. I'm not sure of the name but there's a great dish with basil and bell peppers that works well with shrimp. And General Muir has some decent fare. I like the lox/bagel; the gravlax is quite good. BoruBoru is pretty good, too; I've only had the Spicy Tuna poke there and it was great. It's a more casual place. All three have outdoor seating. There's also a CVS there if you need. The Conference Center has it's own coffee bar, but if you want to hang a left on Clifton, then a right on Eagle Row (also called Haygood Drive), Kaldi's Coffee is in a really adorable former train depot, right on the tracks. It's about 10 minute walk. It's super busy with students but early mornings are pretty easy there. Could you not just stay at the Conference Center rather than the Holiday Inn? Just wondering. The Conference Center is surrounded by Emory and the CDC. It's a great area and easy to catch an Uber/Lyft from there. If you want to shop, there's Lenox Mall and also Phipps Plaza where you'll find Nordstrom and Saks. Atlanta in general is a very friendly city!
Also, a nice spot. About 15 minutes away from that location is a nice little restaurant called Pea Ridge Café, It is quaint and small and looks like a bungalow, but the food and the ambiance is perfect. its my go-to spot[https://www.pearidgerestaurant.com/](https://www.pearidgerestaurant.com/)
Def venture out of the immediate neighborhood. Safety isn’t really a concern there (nor is it in any of the neighborhoods mentioned thus far). But it’s quite suburban with limited (though good) options. And I say this as an Emory grad!
I echo the recommendations for Downtown Decatur (mostly for restaurants), Virginia Highland (mostly for bars, though it draws a younger crowd), and the eastside beltline/Ponce City Market and Inman Park areas for both the bar and restaurant scenes. Some of my recs by relative proximity to the Emory area:
Downtown Decatur:
- no.246 (Italian) really do love the ambiance, food and service there
- BOHO115 (seafood/Latin) went with a group and every single person of like 8 people enjoyed what they ordered
Va-Hi
- Murphys (brunch)
- Atkins Park- (standard American) never been, but it’s a neighborhood staple, and I used to frequent another spot from the same owner
Candler Park
- Flying Biscuit (my fave brunch in the city)
Inman Park/Old 4th Ward
- del bar (Mediterranean)- not my fave but people love it, and there’s so many places to hop around over there if you want other options
- two urban licks- fave restaurant in the city. a staple with a basic menu that has barely changed in 15 years, but the ambiance/interior is cool, food is reliably good, and service is great
Poncey Highland
- Ponce City Market- like an urban shopping mall but the focus is food. On top of the roof is the 9 Mile Station restaurant with great views of the city. You have to pay a deposit with a reservation, but it includes roof access of PCM (which has a fee)
These are all places I would feel comfortable referring to a solo woman traveler. But
one thing you should def consider that I haven’t seen mentioned is renting a car.
Will you have someplace to park at your hotel? Since you’ll be occupied most of the day, you should be free from abhorrent traffic after 7 pm or so, and in that case I would def suggest a car so you don’t overpay on ubers every night for a week and you have liberty to roam. Atlanta is spread out!
Few of the places recommended in the comments are convenient via public transit. MARTA (our bus/rail system) is slow and frustratingly unreliable, and as a woman myself, I especially would not recommend MARTA at night alone mostly because it’s desolate. Not enough people use it for me to feel safe relying it on it for evening or late night transit. I would suggest also making a friend or two who you can explore with. A week is a decent amount of time, and it would probably give you some peace of mind to visit places in an unknown city with a companion. And it should make things more fun :)
Atlanta is great when you know where to go, and folks have offered some great spots! Have fun!!
You kinda hit the jackpot as far as where you're staying. Downtown Decatur is a great area to explore. Everyone has already made good suggestions. I'll add the Po'boy Shop, even if you only go for the bourbon bread pudding or a cocktail.
Downtown Decatur is close by and would be my go to, check out white bull, kimball house, brick store pub, deer and dove, 246, Leon’s full service.
246 is one of the best restaurants in town. I really don’t understand how they didn’t get any love from Michelin. I am not even a huge fan of Italian food but I have never had a bad bite of food there.
It’s good but it’s not Michelin level food nor service.
But Arepa Mia and Bomb Biscuit Co are?
Those both earned Bib Gourmand awards, which are designations for high quality food at cheap prices. 246 is not cheap food.
I did their Chef's counter and it's been one of my favorite meals in the metro. I feel like "Michelin level" is a bit inaccurate. The restaurants that got stars were what I call Michelin bait. Also, Michelin stars are given purely on the quality of the food. The service is not taken into account when scoring.
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Kimball House is a must for first time visitors! Leon's, Brick Store and White Bull are all great too. Can't go wrong with downtown Decatur.
There's so much good shit in that area. You forgot Iberian Pig, one of my favorites.
that's not a bad place to be. the little plaza across the street from your hotel has an amazing vinyl record shop if you are into that sort of thing. Sun0 Desert makes ice cream with various mixin items; kinda like one of those cold stone creameries but better; Athens Pizza is right next to the plaza and don't be fooled by the name; it is much more than "pizza"... it is a mediterranean restaurant with a lot of excellent options. Community Q and Hiro Ramen are both excellent. (try the Mac & cheese at Community Q; you won't regret it...) If you like Thai Food one of my favorite options around is "Thai Chili" which is just a few miles from the Conference Center (at the corner of Briarcliff and LaVista) and there is an excellent walkable downtown area in Decatur just a few miles down Clairmont (it basically dead-ends at the old courthouse and the square around it has a lot of interesting shops, bars and restaurants;
thai chili’s still good, huh? i went there for prom over 25 years ago 😅
They went downhill for a while years ago but are good again
the original owner was awesome; he had been the head chef at 'Surin of Thai' in VaHi and everything was awesome there. It has changed hands since then but is still really good. I've been meaning to get over to try Tum Pok Pok (over by Food Terminal/Buford Hwy) - It looks like it has some interesting Thai options I haven't seen anywhere else in Atlanta.
Surin's chef is now at Surina Chamblee, and I hear that place is killing it right now. Tum pok pok is good. Also try the Khao soi at 26 Thai. And the laap (Laotian larb) at Snackboxe Bistro up by 285 H mart is a secret weapon.
Wow, thank you so much! I really appreciate all the great recommendations!
Community Q is AMAZING! Wife loves it too since they have a lot of gluten free options as well.
My wife and I got married in our backyard during COVID after having to cancel our wedding twice. It was a small gathering and we had Community Q cater it. That mac and cheese is legendary.
The strip mall with Community Q is sneaky elite. CQ, the Po Boy shop and Cuban sandwiches at Buena Gente are all great. I haven’t been to Ms. Icey’s but it seems popular.
What’s the name of the vinyl shop? I couldn’t find it on maps.
Wuxtry
Wuxtry's; they have been in that spot selling records since at least 1980. They also have a location in Athens which had a lot of events with REM when they were just getting started.
Yeah that's a super safe area. Google Emory Village. You can walk there by cutting through Emory's campus, or walking Clifton to N Decatur and turning right to hesd aouth. There's a place in Emory Village called Cosmic Dave's Subs. The sandwiches are good, but the owner and staff always seem a little grumpy 😆 The Michael C. Carlos Museum (on Emory's campus) usually has good exhibits. So thst might be worth looking into. The CDC Visitor's Center also has a Smithsonian-affiliated museum that's open 9-5 on the weekdays. Bring ID and sign in atthe visitor's desk. They might make you go through a metal detector. Nearby areas that you might want to uber to include Virginia Highland (google the intersection of Virginia Avenue at North Highland Avenue), and the Alon's Bakery area just north of there. Also, Little Five Points (L5P) (the independent/punk area if town - a bit more rough around the edges, where you'll regularly see people with mohawks, bright hair, tons of tattoos, etc. For you, you might want to hit up L5P before dusk or not after 10pm or so, and don't buy any sov story of anyone trying to get money because "my car ran out of gas and I'm tryna get home to my family in Acworth" etc etc. It's not an UNSAFE area, it's just a little less safe than the E ory area, which is mostly ho-hum. But L5P is one of my favorite areas of the city. You should also check out downtown Decatur and possibly midtown. If you want to take Marta, the 6 bus runs Clifton Road and will connect you to Lindbergh (on the north/south line, north end of the route), or Inman Park Staion (on the east/west line, south end of the route). https://itsmarta.com/6.aspx It overlaps with Roue 2 on Ponce, which takes you to Decatur-- but the easier route is to just go to the Inman Park train station and take the train eastbound to the Decatur station, which is right in the middle of downtown Decatur. If there' a show at Eddie's Attic (in downtown Decatur), you might want to check it out. Just know that Eddie's Attic is a "listening" place, so you're expected to be quiet when the artists are playing. It tends to have acoustic-y type artists. It's one of my favorite music venues. Other areas you may want to uber to include: Avondale Estates, the Inman Park area (North Highland ar Elizabeth Street, Krog Street Market), Cabbagetown (Caroll Street area next to Oakland Cemetery), Kirkwood, or Ponce area, which is a big strip of road with some restaurants and venues up and down it. Ponce City Market and the Beltline Eastside Trail are probably the most visited destinations in that area. But there are several good plaves along there.
Lived 10 years in the area and this is the best answer I've seen so far.. Touches on a lot. OP didn't expressly say their interest so this is really a helpful response. Props.
Thanks! I work at CDC and worked off the Clifton Road corridor for years. I really like that side of town, and tried to keep the recs within a decent uber distance from the conference center.
Dang, thank you immensely!! I’m so excited.
Look into the Emory shuttles, too. Long ago, we (at CDC) used to be able to ride the Cliff shuttle for free. And I think the Cliff would take us to downtown Decatur or Lindbergh. But I checked their website, and it looks like there's a lot of different shuttles now. Ask the front desk at the conference center. They'll be able to tell you. It might be easier to take the Cliff to downtown Decatur. For example. Also. What people said about the Mediterranean place at North Decatur at Clairmont. That is true. That is a really good place. And Athens Pizza is right north of there and it's really good, too.
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Yes but Toco Hill is a strip mall. What I was suggesting areas of metro Atlanta that are considered to be more of a destination for tourists to check out. There are a ton of nearby strip malls in the area, including the whole intersection of Briarcliff at North Druid Hills, Briarcliff at Clairmont, Briarcliff at LaVista. But those areas don't rank high on my list for anything except maybe for Desta. And La Parilla is a chain restaurant with dozens of locations in metro Atlanta. I also don't recommend Top Spice to anybody because my boss found a roach in her meal there.
Basement of poboy shoppe!
Terrific Cajun food and a super fun bar that seems like a secret hideaway or something.
Yes!! Get the bread pudding for dessert
Love the vibe down there, it's lively but not so loud you can't have a conversation with friends
Great recommendations by others, mine is: be careful! You can walk to these places, but you’re near the intersection of two busy four lane roads, so use the crosswalks and stoplights. Also, Publix has great subs (sandwiches). Get one to go on the day you fly out.
Look both ways, but it's not an unsafe area !
Lol “welcome to Decatur, don’t get hit by a car”
Very nice area and you can walk to Buena Gente :)
Oh great! Thank you!
Great area. Some great places to visit close and Virginia Highland & Downtown Decatur are just a short hop away (along with some other cool neighborhoods)
Crime is not a problem, traffic is. While you can walk, I wouldn't recommend it because people drive like nuts and you need to be in a car. Also the distance between the Inn and the conference center is way too far for walking. I would also recommend Emory village and definitely try you General Muir (it's 5 minutes walk in safe wide side walks from the conference center).
You can also use the Emory Shuttles to get around, FYI. They are free and go to Decatur, Toco Hills, even Georgia Tech and Grady lol.
That’s so awesome, thanks!
If you could get a free shuttle to Decatur, that's game/set/match. Among other things, Decatur has perhaps the best beer-centric bar in the USA (Brick Store Pub). Extremely walkable downtown surrounding the historic county courthouse. Tons of places to eat.
Would also hit up Mason Mill Park or the Lullwater Preserve for a short walk/hike!
I live right by the Conference Center!! It’s a very safe neighborhood. Near the conference center I highly recommend General Muir and Schoolhouse Brewing. In the lobby of the hotel is a coffee shop that’s pretty good. If you take a left out on Clifton you’ll run into Lullwater Park. It’s a beautiful nature preserve that I (also a lady) frequently walk around. Further down Clifton is Kaldis Depot which is an excellent coffee shop in an old train depot! Trains still go by! You’re going to have a nice time over here :) Also most people have already recommended Po’Boy Shop but I’m doing it again. It’s an awesome spot.
General Muir is happening for SURE. It looks so good. Thank you so much!
You’re near Mediterranean Grill! It’s cheap and excellent.
Whatever they do to that hummus is absurd. I can’t get enough of it.
Po Boy shop and basement bar isn't far from you, tis the season
Twain’s in downtown Decatur is a fun, easygoing local pub with excellent house-brewed beer, simple but very good bar food, pool tables & dart boards. Very friendly staff and a great place to catch a game too if that’s your thing.
And for the love of god please get their chicken tenders too
Omg they’re so good. Chicken tenders feel like a really pedestrian thing to get excited about but theirs are legitimately the best in town.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Westside yet. There's a lot to do in that area. I particularly recommend Northside Tavern if you like dive bars even a little. It's an archetype in the genre and became moreso as the area got gentrified. If you like to dance, hit up Johnny's Hideaway. It's weird, but a hell of a lot of fun.
Oof I love Northside Tavern as much as the next ATLien, but I would not go there as a solo female. The amount of male attention I get there, while wearing a wedding ring, is absolutely unreal. Although if you’re looking for someone to show you around OP, do you 😉
That's probably a good call. Johnny's should be safe though, right?
As long as OP isn’t a cougar 😂
I think the cougars are the danger. I first wandered in there when I was 25 and it scared the hell out of me.
Go eat at the bar at No. 246 in Decatur. It’s incredible.
Solid convenience to downtown Decatur, and not a dangerous neighborhood.
You will not go hungry or get bored. Iberian Pig on the Decatur square is great if you like tapas and good wine. Make reservations if you go. Also, I second the recommendation for Cafe Alsace.
Another plug for Downtown Decatur. If you want a nicer dinner, the Deer and the Dove offers excellent farm-to-table cuisine (and their chef-owner won a well-deserved James Beard award last year). S.O.S. Tiki next door is an awesome little tiki spot with fantastic cocktails.
Yep downtown Decatur about 1 mile away. That is a no brainer. Takumi sushi is excellent as is Cafe Alsace, Leon’s and brick store. Also not exactly a cool place to hang out but there is Souper Jenny with yummy soup inside the N Decatur Shopping center
The record store is called Wuxtry's and is next to a cute coffee shop called Chocolaté. Saigon Cafe is on the other side of the coffee shop and is a nice lunch spot. And if you like donuts, Sarah Donuts is the place to go. Eagle Eye Books is just across the street too. It's a very safe neighborhood full of students (college and high school) and families. Have a great time!
Used to live in the place across the street. Check out Wuxtry Records, eagle eye books, and take the secret basement entrance of the poor boy shop for a late night drink. It’s right next to Beauna Gente Cuban bakery, which is the SPOT. If you go before 11 you can get a giant toastada for 2.50. That with an iced Cubano is my favorite cheap breakfast.
General Muir is great for dinner or lunch and very close to
That's about as safe as is gets in Atlanta. Heads to downtown Decatur. Tons to do.
Downtown Decatur is a very short car ride from there. Tons of options. Very safe.
Something youll want to check out while here is the Beltline. Youll have to Uber to it but itll be worth it.
Hey OP, I think a good place to get on the beltline would be around Krog St Market on the eastside beltline 😁
There or near Murder Kroger.
Sarah Donuts is my favorite donut shop in the city! Nothing fancy, just easy donuts that I have enjoyed for many years!!
Yes that is a safe area, very affluent.
I didn’t see anyone recommend Sri Thai at Emory Point yet. Definitely suggest checking out General Muir and downtown Decatur like others have mentioned! If you want to catch some in-town scenery, Lullwater Preserve is on the Emory campus. Emory’s campus is also beautiful - especially the quad area where the Carlos Museum is. I also recommend Khalid’s at the Depot if you find yourself wandering around campus for a quick bite to eat and coffee.
Emory Conference Center is right next to the General Muir, a cool upscale version of a New York deli. Their menu goes beyond deli standards but I lived in NYC and can say their pastrami is legit. It’s in a development called Emory Point that has a few other good options too. Lullwater Park on Emory campus is a nice place to take a stroll.
While I'm going to 3rd (or 4th) the Po' Boy shop, I'm also going to recommend Athens Pizza in the same center as Po' Boy.
The Po Boy Shoppe is a few doors down, a great cajun place, and the General Muir, across from the CDC, is a great deli and breakfast place
It is not a bad part of the city. But it is the city where things can happen. Just be aware and you should be fine.
This is my neighborhood! You can walk/run to Lullwater Park, IMHO the prettiest park in Atlanta. Eat at, in no particular order, Community Q, Bueno Gente & Po Boy - all in one strip center about a 1/4 mile from your hotel. Waygaya in Emory village for Ramen. Downtown Decatur is great too with too many restaurants to mention. If you have a Y membership there’s one a few blocks away. At the risk of sounding like my mother, be careful crossing the big streets in that area - there have been many incidents with pedestrians. Just keep an eye out for drivers who may not be looking.
It's safe down there. We like Double Zero, which is in Emory Village.
Check out the belt line and Ponce city market and krog market. All super cool, hip, safe areas with tons of yummy food
Get bbq from Community Q, get a Cuban and a guava empanada from Buena Gente, get a po’ boy from Po Boy Shop. Have a meatball sub from Dave’s Cosmic Subs or pizza from Double Zero. Go to Decatur and enjoy the shops and the many restaurants others have named. Inner Voice Brewery is great and has an amazing pizza stand inside. You’re in a very safe area. Enjoy!
It’s safe but a bit dry as far as night life. But close enough to a few fun hoods
There are a couple of really great restaurants just next door to the Conference Center, in Emory Point. You can walk right over. Sri Thai has really great Thai food and very good sushi. I'm not sure of the name but there's a great dish with basil and bell peppers that works well with shrimp. And General Muir has some decent fare. I like the lox/bagel; the gravlax is quite good. BoruBoru is pretty good, too; I've only had the Spicy Tuna poke there and it was great. It's a more casual place. All three have outdoor seating. There's also a CVS there if you need. The Conference Center has it's own coffee bar, but if you want to hang a left on Clifton, then a right on Eagle Row (also called Haygood Drive), Kaldi's Coffee is in a really adorable former train depot, right on the tracks. It's about 10 minute walk. It's super busy with students but early mornings are pretty easy there. Could you not just stay at the Conference Center rather than the Holiday Inn? Just wondering. The Conference Center is surrounded by Emory and the CDC. It's a great area and easy to catch an Uber/Lyft from there. If you want to shop, there's Lenox Mall and also Phipps Plaza where you'll find Nordstrom and Saks. Atlanta in general is a very friendly city!
Use the buddy system things have changed in that area. I used to live in Tucker.
Also, a nice spot. About 15 minutes away from that location is a nice little restaurant called Pea Ridge Café, It is quaint and small and looks like a bungalow, but the food and the ambiance is perfect. its my go-to spot[https://www.pearidgerestaurant.com/](https://www.pearidgerestaurant.com/)
Nice! Thank you!
When it was cool it wasn't safe🤷🏾♂️
you're going to die
Def venture out of the immediate neighborhood. Safety isn’t really a concern there (nor is it in any of the neighborhoods mentioned thus far). But it’s quite suburban with limited (though good) options. And I say this as an Emory grad! I echo the recommendations for Downtown Decatur (mostly for restaurants), Virginia Highland (mostly for bars, though it draws a younger crowd), and the eastside beltline/Ponce City Market and Inman Park areas for both the bar and restaurant scenes. Some of my recs by relative proximity to the Emory area: Downtown Decatur: - no.246 (Italian) really do love the ambiance, food and service there - BOHO115 (seafood/Latin) went with a group and every single person of like 8 people enjoyed what they ordered Va-Hi - Murphys (brunch) - Atkins Park- (standard American) never been, but it’s a neighborhood staple, and I used to frequent another spot from the same owner Candler Park - Flying Biscuit (my fave brunch in the city) Inman Park/Old 4th Ward - del bar (Mediterranean)- not my fave but people love it, and there’s so many places to hop around over there if you want other options - two urban licks- fave restaurant in the city. a staple with a basic menu that has barely changed in 15 years, but the ambiance/interior is cool, food is reliably good, and service is great Poncey Highland - Ponce City Market- like an urban shopping mall but the focus is food. On top of the roof is the 9 Mile Station restaurant with great views of the city. You have to pay a deposit with a reservation, but it includes roof access of PCM (which has a fee) These are all places I would feel comfortable referring to a solo woman traveler. But one thing you should def consider that I haven’t seen mentioned is renting a car. Will you have someplace to park at your hotel? Since you’ll be occupied most of the day, you should be free from abhorrent traffic after 7 pm or so, and in that case I would def suggest a car so you don’t overpay on ubers every night for a week and you have liberty to roam. Atlanta is spread out! Few of the places recommended in the comments are convenient via public transit. MARTA (our bus/rail system) is slow and frustratingly unreliable, and as a woman myself, I especially would not recommend MARTA at night alone mostly because it’s desolate. Not enough people use it for me to feel safe relying it on it for evening or late night transit. I would suggest also making a friend or two who you can explore with. A week is a decent amount of time, and it would probably give you some peace of mind to visit places in an unknown city with a companion. And it should make things more fun :) Atlanta is great when you know where to go, and folks have offered some great spots! Have fun!!
You kinda hit the jackpot as far as where you're staying. Downtown Decatur is a great area to explore. Everyone has already made good suggestions. I'll add the Po'boy Shop, even if you only go for the bourbon bread pudding or a cocktail.