ATLANTA

Atlanta, the capital of Georgia since 1877 is the business capital of the southeastern United States. The city, located on the Piedmont Plateau in the northern part of the state on the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Mountains, can match its economic expansion with the rapid growth of its metropolitan area which has an estimated population of 3,4000,000. The city itself is not that big, ranking only 39th in population according to the 2000 census; however it is headquarters to some of the nation’s best-known companies: Coca-Cola, UPS, Georgia-Pacific, Turner Broadcasting, and Delta Airlines. In addition, eighty percent of the nation’s largest companies maintain branch offices in Atlanta’s metro area. A leader in air transport and commerce, Atlanta is served by a major international airport called Atlanta Hartsfield, three interstate highway systems, and a modern passenger transit system named MARTA.

Atlanta, also called “Hotlanta” is due to both its weather and interesting nightlife and is Home to the National Football Leagues’ Atlanta Falcons and the major league Baseball’s Atlanta Braves.

According to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Beating top 10 cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, Atlanta has experienced a 46 percent increase (between 1990 and 2000) in the number of young people transferring to the city, and the numbers continue to grow.   According to the President of the organization, "Atlanta is winning the war for talent."  He goes on to say, "Atlanta is attractive for many reasons, specifically that we are diverse, affordable and brimming with professional and social opportunities."

 
However, Atlanta is not necessarily the easiest city to get around in. The streets are narrow and it is a difficult city to drive in, especially in the downtown area, where there is no grid system and street names change every few blocks. Although the transit system, MARTA, is very good, the downtown core is at Five Points, where 5 different streets meet at one intersection. Its main thoroughfare is called Peachtree Street which is always a good point to look for if you get lost.

Overall, Atlanta is a city of contrasts. The old style charm merges with the new style of business. World headquarters stand on narrow streets that are the same as they were years ago. The city is home to Martin Luther King, Jr., the home of the father of the African-American civil rights movement who would be proud that his city is living up to it's new nickname: the Next Great International City.  And, according to Kiplinger/Personal Finance, June 2006, it ranks 4 our of the 50 Smart Places to Live!