Introducing Atlanta
With five million residents and counting, the so-called ‘capital of the South’ continues to experience explosive growth thanks to southbound Yankees and international immigrants alike. It’s also booming as a tourist destination thanks to two glitzy 21st-century attractions – the Georgia Aquarium and the new World of Coca-Cola – plus the arrival of Mei Lan, a giant panda cub at the Atlanta Zoo. Beyond the attractions you’ll find a constellation of superlative restaurants, two luxury megamalls, ample Civil War lore, miles of hiking trails and a plethora of African American history.
Without natural boundaries to control development, Atlanta keeps growing – sometimes up, but mostly out. Suburban sprawl has turned Atlanta into an almost endless city. Increased car dependence creates horrendous traffic, traffic creates smog, smog pollutes water and so on.
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Rock carving at Stone Mountain.
- Donald C. & Priscilla Alexander Eastman
- Lonely Planet photographer
