Get the app

Georgia, United States

Downtown & Midtown Atlanta

Two nights downtown for the skyline countdown, Southern dinners and a rooftop drink. We have mapped 2 sights, 1 activity and 3 places to eat here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Downtown & Midtown Atlanta with friendsBrowse 8 places
Downtown & Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Places
8

2 See · 1 Do · 3 Eat · 1 Drink · 1 Stay

Curated routes
1

Atlanta New Year's Eve

Best season
Dec 30 – Jan 1

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

32°C / 90°F avg high

Coolest month
January

10°C / 50°F avg high

Wettest month
December

about 133 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta

8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

2 sights worth building a day around across Downtown and Old Fourth Ward. All 2 are free to visit.

  • See

    Centennial Olympic Park

    The 1996 Olympics park at the heart of downtown, ringed by the skyline and the main open space for watching the midnight show.

    Tip Enter from Centennial Olympic Park Drive; security lines build after 10 p.m.

    • Downtown
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • 11 p.m. to midnight
  • Jackson Street Bridge in Downtown & Midtown AtlantaPhoto: Joey Kyber jtkyber1 · CC0
    See

    Jackson Street Bridge

    Overpass above Freedom Parkway with the most photographed view of the downtown skyline, a short walk from Old Fourth Ward.

    Tip Bring a layer; it is exposed and breezy at midnight.

    • Old Fourth Ward
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Midnight

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Downtown.

  • Do

    SkyView Atlanta

    Ferris wheel with enclosed, heated gondolas next to Centennial Olympic Park, about 200 feet up over downtown.

    Tip Ride on Dec 30 or early on Dec 31 to see the skyline before the crowds.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 30 min
    • Dusk

Eat

Where we would book a table in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta across Midtown and Westside.

  • Eat

    Mary Mac's Tea Room

    Midtown Southern dining room open since 1945, known for fried chicken, collards, pot likker and cinnamon rolls.

    Tip Go for an early dinner on Dec 31; it often closes earlier than usual on holidays.

    • Midtown
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Early evening
  • Eat

    South City Kitchen Midtown

    Contemporary Southern restaurant in a Midtown house since 1993: buttermilk fried chicken, shrimp and grits, she-crab soup.

    Tip Its New Year's Eve menu books out; reserve in early December.

    • Midtown
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner
  • Eat

    Bacchanalia

    Anne Quatrano's Westside tasting-menu restaurant, open since 1993 and long counted among Atlanta's best.

    Tip A long dinner here ends in time for a 15-minute ride back downtown before midnight.

    • Westside
    • $$$$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta in Downtown.

  • Polaris in Downtown & Midtown AtlantaPhoto: Connor.carey at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Drink

    Polaris

    Revolving lounge under the blue dome on top of the Hyatt Regency, open since 1967 and back in business since 2014.

    Tip Reserve ahead for Dec 31; a full turn takes about 45 minutes.

    • Downtown
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Evening

Stay

1 place to stay we would book in Downtown.

  • Stay

    Westin Peachtree Plaza

    The 73-story glass cylinder on Peachtree Street; upper-floor rooms look straight across the skyline.

    Tip Ask for a high floor facing north toward Midtown.

    • Downtown
    • $$$

How to fit Downtown & Midtown Atlanta into a trip

Downtown & Midtown Atlanta is stop 1 of 2 on our Atlanta New Year's Eve route. Follow it as-is or lift Downtown & Midtown Atlanta into your own plan.

Downtown & Midtown Atlanta month by month

Average daily highs run from 10°C / 50°F in January to 32°C / 90°F in July. December is the wettest month, with about 133 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Downtown & Midtown Atlanta weather and the best time to visit →

Near Downtown & Midtown Atlanta

8 other destinations from our guides within about 350 km (217 mi), measured in a straight line.

Downtown & Midtown Atlanta questions, answered

How many days do you need in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta?

Our route notes suggest 2 nights in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta. On our Atlanta New Year's Eve route it is stop 1 of 2 in a 3-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 10 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Downtown & Midtown Atlanta best known for?

Two nights downtown for the skyline countdown, Southern dinners and a rooftop drink. Standouts on our list: Centennial Olympic Park (The 1996 Olympics park at the heart of downtown, ringed by the skyline and the main open space for watching the midnight show); Jackson Street Bridge (Overpass above Freedom Parkway with the most photographed view of the downtown skyline, a short walk from Old Fourth Ward); SkyView Atlanta (Ferris wheel with enclosed, heated gondolas next to Centennial Olympic Park, about 200 feet up over downtown).

When is the best time to visit Downtown & Midtown Atlanta?

Our Atlanta New Year's Eve route is best Dec 30 – Jan 1. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (32°C / 90°F), the coolest in January (10°C / 50°F) and the most rain in December (about 133 mm).

What are the best things to do in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta?

Start with Centennial Olympic Park, Jackson Street Bridge and SkyView Atlanta. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 2 sights, 1 activity, 3 places to eat, 1 bar or café and 1 place to stay.

Where should a group eat in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta?

Our picks: Mary Mac's Tea Room (Midtown); South City Kitchen Midtown; Bacchanalia (Westside). Go for an early dinner on Dec 31; it often closes earlier than usual on holidays (Mary Mac's Tea Room).

What is near Downtown & Midtown Atlanta?

The closest destinations in our guides are Old Fourth Ward & the BeltLine (about 2 km / 1 mi), Cherokee (about 214 km / 133 mi) and Townsend (about 222 km / 138 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Downtown & Midtown Atlanta with your crew

Open the Atlanta New Year's Eve route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

Get TripsCircle

Plan around Downtown & Midtown Atlanta

More in Georgia

More in United States

Plan it together

Plan Downtown & Midtown Atlanta