Side Saddle Wine Saloon

Amazing wine selection, great service, amazing vibes! Coffee shop by day, wine bar by night. Grab a spot outside, bring (or make!) friends and relax by the Beltline.

Georgia Aquarium

225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

A landlocked city isn't where you'd expect to experience a live whale shark, but here we are! Honestly one of the best aquariums in the country, designed for all ages to dive into marine life, connect with conservation and witness animals and ecosystems you'd never see otherwise. Parking can be a beast, but the reward is worth it.

Big Softie

66 Georgia Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Independent, locally owned soft serve shop with multiple locations. Order a classic vanilla-chocolate swirl or get a bit more experimental with matcha topped with strawberry shortcake crumble. One of the only shops where sprinkles add flavor and not just color!

Portrait Coffee

1065 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW # A, Atlanta, GA 30310

Locally owned with a cafe in the historic West End neighborhood. Grab an Aunt Viv Latte (if you know you know), enjoy the curated decor and community vibes, and buy a bag of house-roasted beans to take with you!

Waffle House

1700 Howell Ml Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318

It's not a trip to Atlanta if you don't stop at a Waffle House. Bonus points for a late night visit and the inevitable stories you'll leave with.

Bizarre Coffee (ROSWELL)

1090 Alpharetta St, Roswell, GA 30075

When you're out in the 'burbs but don't want to feel like it, Bizarre has your back. Incredible staff, great drinks, and the right level of buzzy atmosphere to get some work done or have a catch-up with a friend.

Fabric Joint - Fabric + Upholstery

3372 Memorial Dr, Decatur, GA 30032

No frills stop for fabric and upholstery. Parking is tight but it's worth it for rows and rows of textile goodness.

Center For Puppetry Arts

1404 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309

Give an afternoon to this art form, including historic collections and an epic exhibit dedicated to Jim Henson's work across projects, mediums and decades. Don't sleep on their live performances. From a live retelling of the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer each winter to new productions for the preschool set to experimental shows for the grown-up audience, it's a rare chance to experience some of the best performers out there.

Atlanta Beltline

619 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Explore the city on foot, bike or skates with miles and miles of urban trails connecting the diverse neighborhoods of Atlanta.

Chai Pani Decatur

406 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030

Every bite is delicious, whether you're well versed in Indian food or only familiar with butter chicken. Colorful decor makes the meal feel like a celebration, and do not sleep on the lunch buffet!

Binders Art Supplies and Frames - Buckhead

3330 Piedmont Rd NE #18, Atlanta, GA 30305

A haven for artists, this locally owned shop has been in the same family for decades and offers a huge selection, expert staff, good prices and zero pretension.

Criminal Records

1154 Euclid Ave NE A, Atlanta, GA 30307

The platonic ideal of a local record store, located in the creative, independent and slightly gritty Little 5 Points neighborhood.

Your DeKalb Farmers Market

3000 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030

Skip the supermarket and head here for local produce, bakery items, meat and seafood from an assortment of purveyors. Expect weekend crowds, but worth it to get what's local, in season and strikes your fancy.

MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta)

1315 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Located in the Woodruff Arts Center across from Alliance Theater and the High Museum of Art, this smaller institution is a love letter to design in all forms as a part of the human experience.

Space Queen

1404 McLendon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

A vintage shop with a clear POV where you're almost guaranteed to find something perfectly special. No sorting through bins in hopes of finding a gem, but a wonderfully curated, creative and non-judgmental boutique experience.

Doll's Head Trail

1305 S River Industrial Blvd SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

Quirky trail-turned-art exhibit for a light hike/walk you'll remember!

The Lola

621 North Avenue NE D-100, Atlanta, GA 30308

Community where you can work feels very different than coworking! An intentionally inclusive membership space serving ambitious women of Atlanta.

Tiny Doors ATL

indie!

small art, big impact. skip the instagram murals and explore the city through these lil guys.

Bookish Atlanta

1188 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316

It's a wonder what intention, curation and imagination can do in a small square footage. Sure, it's the expectation that an indie bookstore has a great selection of fiction and non-fiction for adults, YA and kids but not every shop has silk-screened merch, hand printed posters/prints, a section of zines(!!!), a mutual aid pantry, free Narcan/Plan B and community pitch-ins monthly. Proudly queer, woman and family owned. None like it.

the beehive

475 Bill Kennedy Wy SE Ste C, Atlanta, GA 30316

I dare you to enter this local, independent gift shop and leave without finding something you love AND without a smile on your face! Everything is made locally and by hand in this Boutique Collective. Don't sleep on their events and maker workshops to try a new medium, learn a skill and have a blast.

The Westwood

1529 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Everyone needs a perfect dive. A place where you're welcome just as you are, where you could hear Shania Twain, Outkast and Noah Kahan all play seamlessly on the speakers over a pint (or a Spaghettio — tiny beer + Aperol!). Where you can catch up with a friend in a booth or pop your bums at the bar and take a load off from the horrors of the world outside these doors. That's the Westwood.

Plaza Theatre

1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

The best local independent cinema in a world full of AMCs. Trade your blockbuster surround sound recliner experience for an 85-year-old theater with film and digital projection, vintage charm and small screening rooms perfect for that indie film, genre flick or cult classic. Weekly Rocky Horror screenings too!!