Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is laidback, friendly and a perfect spot for shopping, dining and hearing some fine blues. Why bother with New York?

The spring sunshine is dripping lazily through the trees of the fair and pleasant neighbourhood of Atlanta’s tree-lined Virginia Highlands. Dotted with chic bars, smart Victorian houses, pretty boutiques, art galleries and upmarket diners, this is one chilled-out ’hood to hang out in, even with a hangover. My head is gently pounding from a hard night’s dancing with strangers at the nearby Blind Willie’s blues bar (828 North Highland Avenue, NE/www.blindwilliesblues.com) and the need for a pair of sunglasses is urgent. A nearby boutique saves the day with some jumbo shades for $8, and normally is restored with a Mimosa (champagne and luscious fresh orange juice) and a special version of eggs Benedict at Murphy’s (97 Virginia Avenue NE/www.murphysvh.com), possibly the nicest brunch gaff in North America (think ‘Friends’s’ Central Perk without the annoying soap stars). There’s something instantly calming about this city and its pretty network of ‘villages’.

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Set in the heart of Georgia, on the southern stretch of America’s East Coast, Atlanta takes the same time to get to as New York (roughly eight hours) and is cleaner, friendlier and about a hundred times more relaxed than the Big Apple. Home to Coca-Cola, CNN and the 1996 Olympics, it’s now also one of the USA’s prime shopping destinations with more retail space per capita than almost any other US city, a thriving gay scene (the second largest gay US city after New Orleans) and vibrant music talent – all reasons why Sir Elton has a home here, no doubt.

Carnival, Atlanta style

For those who want to take advantage of the still excellent exchange rate, the Buckhead region, known as the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Atlanta, makes a good base. Many of the hotels, including the JW Marriott (3300 Lenox Road, NE/ www.jwmarriottbuckhead.com) have handy passageways directly into the malls – Buckhead Village, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza – for the ultra-lazy. Here you’ll find all the major US brands like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue and bargain-filled branches of Adidas and Nike, where you can stock up on the latest trainers months before they make their way over the Atlantic, and for about a third of the price. To my delight I find all my favourite jeans brands like Seven and Blue Cult here for less than half the UK price, ditto Calvin Klein knickers and C&C California vests.

 

While Atlanta’s commercial charms are easily accessed, I soon discover there’s a far richer and more intriguing side to this sprawling southern city. Over on Atlanta’s West Side where old warehouses have been converted into hip clothing outlets, artists’ studios and trendy restaurants, you can feel the city’s eclectic, artistic vibe. For more of that and a large dose of American quirkiness there’s the historical Cabbagetown district, east of downtown. Originally built in the late 1800s to house cotton-mill workers, it’s now home to a string of artists’ studios, restaurants and kooky bar-restaurants like Six Feet Under (415 Memorial Drive, SE), inspired by the nearby Oakland Cemetery where ‘Gone with the Wind’ author Margaret Mitchell is buried.