By Almas Badani, MPH’24 in Global Health
Grad school is an exciting and nerve-racking time for everyone, but part of the experience that makes it so much fun is knowing the city you live in has so much to offer. From food and drinks to museums and staying active, Atlanta has it all. Between classes, studying, and working there is an endless list of things to do in Atlanta and it’s hard to fit it all in two short years. You’ll meet incredible people at Rollins to do all these activities with as well. Here is a beginner’s guide to all that Atlanta has to offer!
Full Stomach, Full Hearts!
Atlanta is known for its food scene. Starting at Buford Highway there is endless options of Asian, Latin American, Middle eastern foods to choose from. Many of these places are family owned, incredibly authentic, and so delicious it is literally mind blowing. My recent favorite was a hand pulled Chinese Ramen place called LanZhou. If you’re craving Indian food, Decatur is only 10 minutes from Emory and there is a plethora of options there as well. Atlanta also has so many breweries to choose from if you are looking for food like burgers, wings, and French fries. New Realm is a brewery on the Beltline, next to Ponce City Market with a beautiful view of the city skyline.
Attractive Attractions!
Atlanta is home to the largest Aquarium in the Western Hemisphere and is a must see. You can see manta rays and whale sharks. Because it is so big, you can easily spend 2-4 hours here. The World of Coca Cola Museum is also a huge attraction in Georgia. You will never be able to find Pepsi here. Here you can learn about the last 130 years of history, the bottling process, and even the vault where the secret formula is kept. Lastly, my favorite place I’ve been to is the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Coming from Arizona there is so much greenery to see that makes Atlanta so beautiful. Depending on the time of year as well there are different exhibits to see. The most popular is seeing the Garden Lights around the holidays.
We don’t sweat, we sparkle!
Just 30 minutes from Rollins and located in the city is the Chattahoochee River and a great place to hike. There are many different paths to choose from and it is beautiful any time of the year. Green during the spring and summer and the oranges and reds from the changing colors of the leaves for Autumn. In addition to being able to walk along the river, the East Palisades Trail main sight to see is a bamboo forest that you can hike through. If you love puzzles, indoor rock climbing is a great option to stay active. Stone Summit has many locations around Atlanta including Midtown and Doraville. You can get a day pass, punch cards, or a monthly membership. This is a great activity to do with friends or by yourself.
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