Joy Johnston is a News SEO Strategist for Trisolute News Dashboard. She worked as a digital journalist for over a dozen years, including stints at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Cox Media Group. She’s lived in Atlanta since 1997, where she enjoys attending festivals at Piedmont Park and supporting local animal rescue organizations. Follow her on X @joyjohnston and on LinkedIn.
Welcome to Atlanta! This guide for ONA24 attendees highlights what you need to know to enjoy the city’s diverse attractions, beautiful greenspaces and world-class dining and nightlife.
Seeing the sights
If you need to get some fresh air and exercise, Centennial Olympic Park is a short .3 mile walk from ONA24 headquarters at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. There are numerous tourist attractions in the immediate area: the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, the College Football Hall of Fame, the SkyView ferris wheel and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Just under a mile from the ONA24 hotel, the historic Sweet Auburn District offers visitors multiple attractions. View the iconic John Lewis mural to pay tribute to the legendary statesman and civil rights activist. Visit the APEX Museum, the oldest Black history museum in Atlanta. The Municipal Market in Sweet Auburn (known to locals as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market) is an indoor farmer’s market offering fresh produce, eateries, and shops.
For a deeper dive into Atlanta’s civil rights history, hop on the Atlanta Streetcar to The King Center.
If you’d like to explore Atlanta’s lauded green spaces, head to Midtown, where you can stroll around Piedmont Park and the adjacent Atlanta Botanical Garden. Next to the park is the Eastside Trail entrance to the Beltline, a multi-use trail and parks system that has revitalized areas around former railroad corridors.
For museum fans, check out the High Museum for fine art, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History for dinosaur fossils and the Trap Music Museum for an interactive take on hip hop music history.
Special thanks to our ONA24 sponsors.
Dining and nightlife
Atlanta’s dining scene offers something for everyone.
- Head to the top of the Hyatt Regency, the official ONA24 hotel, for a bird’s eye view of the Atlanta skyline at Polaris. The restaurant and lounge offers breathtaking panoramic views. If you can’t get enough of Atlanta’s skyline, check out the Sun Dial restaurant and bar atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Downtown Atlanta. For more fantastic city views, head to Midtown to check out 9 Mile Station at Ponce City Market and The Rooftop at the Hotel Clermont in Poncey-Highlands.
- The Waffle House was founded in metro Atlanta in 1955, and now has a legion of dedicated diners who swear by the hashbrowns “scattered, smothered, and covered.” There’s a location adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park.
- Rosa’s Pizza in Downtown Atlanta is another local legend, serving up New York style pizza since 1990.
- The Varsity, an Atlanta icon billed as the “World’s Largest Drive-In Restaurant” is a tourist destination including visits from former presidents. Review the lingo to respond to the traditional greeting: “What’ll ya have… What’ll ya have?” A F.O. (Frosted Orange shake) hits the spot on a hot day.
Need to get your meat-and-three fix? Head to Midtown and grab a table at the legendary Mary Mac’s Tea Room.
- Looking for healthier fare? No problem! Check out Black-owned Slutty Vegan, serving up tasty plant-based burgers. Soul Vegetarian in the West End neighborhood has been serving up delicious vegan cuisine since 1979. MetroFresh, located near Piedmont Park in Midtown, is the brainchild of “Party of Five” star Mitchell Anderson. It offers a menu that changes daily, featuring multiple vegan and gluten-free options.
- Indecisive? The Hub at Peachtree Center in Downtown Atlanta has an array of restaurant options, from the tasty indulgence of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken to the healthy Mediterranean fare at Aviva by Kameel. Nearby in Midtown, Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall has you covered. Be prepared to wait in a long line for Hop’s Chicken, but it’s worth it.
Nightlife in Atlanta offers everything from high energy clubbing to cozy pubs.
- Journalists are welcomed with open arms at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta’s Poncey- Highland district. The beloved bar attracts a diverse range of patrons, along with politicians and other notable community figures.
- If you want to stay closer to the ONA24 hotel, the nearby Castleberry Hill district offers an array of bars and restaurants, including many Black-owned establishments.
- For the LGBTQ community, My Sister’s Room in Midtown is one of the few remaining lesbian-owned bars in the U.S. Also in Midtown, Blake’s on the Park is a fun neighborhood queer bar. Mary’s in East Atlanta is another popular gay nightlife destination.
- For a unique karaoke experience, head to Sister Louisa’s Church in Atlanta’s eclectic Edgewood neighborhood, which hosts Church Organ Karaoke on Wednesday nights, with a live church organist and choir robes that participants can don to get in the mood. While you’re in the neighborhood, arcade game lovers will want to check out Joystick Gamebar.
Getting around
If you’ll be using MARTA, the city’s mass transit service, you’ll need to be aware of a massive renovation project scheduled to begin at the downtown hub, Five Points. The project was to begin in July but has been postponed. We’ll update this page if there are any developments that will impact ONA24 attendees.
The good news is that there is a MARTA rail station conveniently located within Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and the Peachtree Center Station is within easy walking distance of the ONA24 hotel. At just $2.50 for a one-way trip, this is a cost-effective airport transportation option.
The Atlanta Streetcar serves an area of Downtown Atlanta, stopping at area tourist attractions.
