FIRST TIME to Atlanta

[DannyCruz]

Hey Guys!

 

I'm off to Atlanta from November 1st thru 5th. I'm in need of your advice on hotel accomodations, which neighborhood you'd reccomend I stay, and if you think I'd need a car. Of course, I could use some words on the gay scene too...

 

Any bits of advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Danny Cruz, NYC

[buckguy]

Kinda depends what you're planning to do. First, avoid downtown--it's dead at night, it's dead in mid-day, the restaurants are generally mediocre and the hotels are expensive. The gay nightlife is mostly in Midtown, which is accessible via rapid transit from the airport. Much of Midtown is accessible from the hotels and B&Bs in the area. People who mostly expect to get a meal and go out at night can manage in midtown w/o a car. Piedmont Park in Midtown is the Atlanta equivalent of Central Park--good for people watching & cruising.

 

Atlanta is a terrible place for taxis--not many of them and the drivers often don't seem to know how to get to basic places. Atlanta drivers suck---I'd rather drive in the Northeast than drive here; more selfish and flaky than aggressive, although there are plenty of people who like to speed. Also, traffic is truly bad here---poorly designed roads, no synchronization of lights. Traffic gets tied up in rush hour and near clubs on weekend evenings.

 

Buckhead is the other area that has a lot of night restaurants and things, although it's for a young straight crowd. If you like going to bars, you'll be happy in Atlanta, otherwise it's a rousing disappointment for city its size. The art museum is weak, unless they have a traveling show. The natural history museum has a great dino, but is otherwise not worth the excessive price. You can get good Indian food and BBQ in Atlanta if you have a car and good steak if you have a lot of money. There are lots of Thai & Chinese restaurants--mostly terrible. Midtown has some hidden treasures like the Cuban restaurant (I think it's called La Perla) on 5th Street, but much of it is forgettable middle of the road stuff.

 

Atlanta gay guys constantly complain that other Atlanta gay guys are tweakers or circuit boys; there's some truth to that. There's also not much ethnic diversity here, which can make you standout in good ways & bad. The one upcoming "community event" is the gay/lesbian film festival which is the weekend of Nov 17th--this year looks better than what they've had in the past.

[BewareofNick]

Buck, SHAME on you!!! Why didn't you tell the boy that BLOOMINGDALES is now open at the premier gay mall, Lenox Square? It's FABULOUS!!! If you want to know something about gay atlanta nightlife, pick up David Atlanta magazine or go online to http://www.davidatlanta.com Good place to advertise too if you are planning on a working vacation

[atlnightnurse]

Man, I checked out your rentboy web site, I would be happy to put you up for a night, no charge (, might even pay you, I live in Midtown Atlanta so let me know, have a great trip to and time in Atlanta. :9 :9 :9 :9

[buckguy]

BoN is, of course, being ironic. That a mall, even glitzy Lenox Square, is a center of culture in Atlanta is a sign of how pathetic the place is. And David magazine and the ads for generic looking bars will only add to that impression. On top of everything, our daily paper has given to more ink to Bloomie's opening than the cruel joke sitting in the White House. I'm from Cleveland, of all places, and I think Atlanta's a joke. And, yes, I'm happily leaving in a few months to live overseas. Have some fun with our local boys and then get your ass to a real city.

[DannyCruz]

Buckguy and Bewareofnick,

 

THANKS VERY MUCH for your info...

 

Buckguy, I appreciate your candidness and honestly. I will truly take your opinions into consideration. In fact, I'm strongly considering the area of Buckhead for my hotel accomodations. In any event, good luck overseas!!!

 

Bewareofnick, thanks for the tidbit on Bloomies. However, I live in NYC, the home of boutique shopping and high fashion. Needless to say, we also have a Bloomies. Rest assured, I will check out the mall...

 

Regards,

 

Danny Cruz, NYC

[Traveler North]

Hey Danny,

 

In Atlanta, I usually stay at the Marriott Suites on 14th Street or the Hampton Inn nearby on Spring. Near gay area and Piedmont Park Great accommodations. Easy access to I-75 and route to such strip bars as Swinging Richards. Near nice shopping area. Hope this Helps.:7 :7 :7

[DannyCruz]

Thanks for the tips Traveler...

 

I'm leaning towards staying in an area called Perimeter. Another escort highly recommends I do this. Work first, then boys...

 

Chat with you soon!

 

Danny Cruz, NYC

[Luv2play]

I'm not familiar with Perimeter area but know mid-town quite well, as I always stay there when passing through Atlanta (twice a year usually). I have hired a variety of escorts and always do in-calls at my hotel since I hate the traffic mess that is Atlanta if you have to go very far. The gay life is centered in mid-town and since I like walking, I don't use my car to get around. Feel perfectly safe day and night. I once did an overnight with an Atlanta-based escort who lived in the eastern part of the city, which was an interesting departure for me as I saw another charming aspect to the city (people living in converted lofts) and funky restaurants/bars but more straight. I like the gay bars around mid-town and the gay-friendly restaurants. No bad experiences here.

[buckguy]

The Perimeter area will put you in the midst of office parks, conference hotels, and malls. In rush hour, the traffic is horrible. I've often had to go to all day meetings out there and I usually try to duck out early. On the weekend, it's more accessible, but the area itself is pretty dead. It's also generic upscale suburbia with no sidewalks, so it's not a great area for exploring or killing time. Theoretically, some of the hotels out there can be reached by MARTA (the local rapid transit) which can take you into Midtown, etc. but most aren't that convenient to MARTA, so you'll really need a car. Because it's near alot of office complexes & hotels, the Perimeter may be good for business, although the traffic will be a negating factor.

 

Midtown would be more fun for you personally and accessible to clients. The hotels there tend to be situated near the freeway and not far from througofares that aren't too bad during rush hour (the freeway will be a parking lot, but this will be true in Perimeter). Buckhead is traffic hell during rush hour and I'd advise against it, even though it does have a big concentration of hotels and is a slightly more interesting than the Perimeter area. Midtown puts you between the downtown and Buckhead--if it's a big conference time, it will be a prime location for business and clients can use MARTA or, to some extent, make do with cabs. In Perimeter, you'll be more dependent on a local trade or people staying in the 'burbs, becuz it's "car land".

[DannyCruz]

Buckguy and Luv2play,

 

Your advice is invaluable... Thanks!

 

OK, so I'm leaning more towards Buckhead, then. I was told that I'd fare better with the local clients if I stayed in Buckhead versus Midtown. And I suppose if businessmen from Midtown want to see me, they could easily take public trasportation, or I could hop in my car and see them.

 

Regards,

 

Danny Cruz, NYC

[DannyCruz]

Just arrived, and am in Buckhead! I'm staying at a GREAT hotel with a view of downtown Atlanta.

 

Thanks again to EVERYONE who gave me pointers!

 

Regards,

 

Danny Cruz, NYC