Atlanta is not only the capital of Georgia, it is also a modern city with a past that epitomizes the conflict of the Civil War and speaks to the best of the Civil Rights Movement. Newer residential Atlanta real estate in the downtown area has sparked a rebirth of the urban core, while a single-fare bus and rail system known as MARTA connects the hub with its sprawling suburbs.

Have it your way in most of Atlanta. This is a big city characterized by its “small town character” and its friendly southern soul. You’ll want to spend some time afoot in your own neighborhood and perhaps bike through nature trails and local parks. Ride a bus or take the train to get downtown or to escape to the suburbs, but look to the airport and the highways to get out of town when you need to. A car definitely comes in handy, although it helps if you have a safe place to park for long periods.

Atlanta is known as an “Alpha City,” with all the connotations that term calls up. It is a world-class place to live, work and play, with all the culture, shopping, entertainment and sports you could want. It has rivers and rails, commerce and peach trees, and the “party never ends.”

Atlanta, while never forsaking its Southern roots, has joined the world’s roster of great cities, embracing the opportunity to reinvent itself as it hosted the 1996 Olympics and ushered in a gold-medal future. The 21-acre downtown Centennial Olympic Park now hosts more than a million visitors a year.