ATL - Like Riding a Bike

It has been 14 months since I have seen the streets of HOTLANTA!  I remember driving away from my beautiful Decatur apartment, with tears in my eyes, thinking, "I'll be right back!"  But, I wasn't.  Now, going back for less than 48 hours, I knew I had to make the most of it and was nervous I would forget what I was doing.

Stepping off the plane, it felt like home.  The scents of the Popeye's Chicken and Dunkin' Donuts of the Airtran C terminal made me smile.  (Why does Airtran get that when Delta terminals have Lacoste, Starbucks, and Cafe Intermezzo)?

The New:

• Atlanta airport built a SKY TRAIN to the rental car facility!  It was like future world and felt like we were on a roller coaster!  Much more awesome than riding MARTA, but it did lack the classic ATL gems like this girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQWc3MWQxtU  We picked up our Toyota Camry (only $9.70 in gas for the whole weekend), and drove off.

• The second "new" thing in Atlanta was Piedmont park!  Piedmont park was always awesome, but since I left it DOUBLED in size!  I still don't understand how this was possible because it is a giant park in the middle of urban Atlanta.  That's like me getting back to New York and someone telling me they expanded central park. Where did this land come from that I am standing on?  I'll never know, but it was beautiful.

I even got to play in the new fountain!!

• The third new thing was they finally built a TRAFFIC CIRCLE in place of a 5 way stop light.  This was a brilliant idea that really took much too long to put in place.  Florida gets traffic circles - and those people are all old and can barely figure out common traffic laws to begin with like signaling, not swerving into other lanes, and obeying minimum speed signs.  I think if they can handle a traffic circle, a bunch of students from a top university can handle it.  Finally, good move, Emory.

• The final new thing that I got to try was the Decatur Diner.  This place taunted me for months when a giant "Coming Soon - 24 hour diner" sign was put up across the street from my old apartment nearly 4 months before I moved away.  I was so excited to try it but day after day, the sign remained but the diner did not open.  A 24 hour diner next door would change anyone's life... I don't even have that in New York.  

Happily, I tried the late night gyros.  I stayed away from the Greek potatoes, though.  Ick.

The Old

• What was the first thing we decided to do when we arrived at 10pm?  Have a heavy Italian dinner.  Many advised against this plan, but I think it was necessary.  Especially since it came with a glass of wine to cure my headache.  After Capozzi's, we went to Virginia Highlands for some drinks at Fontaine's.  It was crowded, smokey, and filled with drunks... just like good old times!

• Dragged myself out of bed for a boxing class at the old gym.  Putting on the gloves, I was so excited that I barely noticed the crusted sweat and blood of the stinky old gym gloves I was forced to borrow. I was nervous as I got in the ring to do a combo with my trainer, Terri.  Jab. Step. Right. Low hook. Duck. Hook. Right. Step. Jab.  It came back quickly.  As I punched and ducked I heard Lynsey cheer, "it's like riding a bicycle!"  I could have done it all day.

• A bowling alley - something New York doesn't have.  But Shaina, your firm had a bowling event in times square, and there are many bowling alleys in Manhattan.  No, there are not.  There are clubs where people are allowed to throw a ball down a lane and hit pins.  These places are for drinking and schmoozing.  They are not bowling alleys.  Midtown bowl is a real bowling alley.  It's a place where we ate tater tots and sweet potato fries.  It's a place where they show football games on TV screens.  It's a place where no one dresses up.  It's a place where I got XXXX - 4 strikes in a row!  A Turkey +!  

• The haircut.  Oh yeah, it was worth the wait.  If you're confused, you don't read my blog enough.  See http://shainainnewyork.blogspot.com/2011/09/stalker.html

• My home.  The Ponce.  I have the best tenant ever living there.  When he told me he would use the second bedroom as a music studio, I pictured a few guitars, maybe a keyboard.  Instead, the room is filled with two full sized orchestral xylophones, a string instrument I've never heard of, an electric drum set, and a cello.  I know my place is in good hands.  :)

• Juddy Wuddy Puddy Pie.  The best - as always!

The Merry

So, let's not forget why we came to ATL this weekend... Danielle's wedding!  She was a beautiful bride and looked like she was having the time of her life all night.  Congratulations, Danielle and Kevin!!

We enjoyed the lovely Peachtree club with a pre-reception libation at the Empire State South restaurant.  Yep.  Empire State SOUTH.  I've been informed that people call Georgia that.  Why?  Perhaps it's like people at any number of Georgia's small universities that joke about being the Harvard of the south.  This just doesn't make any sense.

 

This place was absolutely nothing like New York.  We purchased drinks that took 15 minutes to carefully craft and prepare.  We watched the bartender light an orange on fire, just to rub it around the side of the glass.  We watched him carefully crack a brown-egg white into the glass.  We watched him meticulously stir the cocktail 100 times exactly.  This process was worth about $30 in labor cost alone (not to mention the price of the pumpkin gastrique and mexi coke reduction).  What was the total cost of one of these drinks?  $8.  Middle. Of. Atlanta.  That's what I'm talking about!

 

The view from the top of the club was amazing!  We saw stone mountain in the background!  I miss you, ATL!