Atlanta's Christmas Tree..... (Lenox, Buckhead: homes, live, stores)

[coolyfett]

....where do they put it? You know how every major city has one of those big 40 foot tall xmas trees, This is my first Xmas in the A! Where can I go to see the tree?

[gt6974a]

Lenox Mall

[dlh891]

They also put a Christmas tree and have a big lighting ceremony at Atlantic Station. They also had fake snow the first year we moved here from Florida.

[johnatl]

^They will be doing it again this year. The new Atlanta Magazine has an ad with the snow times listed.

But yeah, the main tree is the one at Macy's at Lenox, coolyfett. It is a HUGE deal here, upwards of 150,000 people show up. There is live entertainment, it's televised around the region, etc.

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

Lenox Mall

In the Mall? Ahh that kinda sux, I was hoping it was outside like Centennial Park or Peachtree Center...Why so close to Buckhead? And how long has it been there. I may be wrong but I figured the tree would be outside.

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by dlh891

They also put a Christmas tree and have a big lighting ceremony at Atlantic Station. They also had fake snow the first year we moved here from Florida.

That an outside tree right? How tall is the one at Atlantic Station?

Fake snow sounds really fun, I want to check that out.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by coolyfett

In the Mall? Ahh that kinda sux, I was hoping it was outside like Centennial Park or Peachtree Center...Why so close to Buckhead? And how long has it been there. I may be wrong but I figured the tree would be outside.

It is outside. It is on the roof of the Macy's Mens Store.

Years ago before Federated wiped out most of the wonderful independent Department Stores, we had an amazing local store here called Rich's. Rich's was beloved by just about everyone in the South, and they had a massive store downtown that took up two city blocks. The two blocks were connected by a 6 level bridge called the Crystal Bridge. The "Lighting of the Great Tree" was a huge Holiday event here that was attended by hundreds of thousands every Thanksgiving. There would be a wonderful choir arranged on the different levels of the bridge to look like a tree, and they would sing carols. When they would hit a praticularly high note, the beautiful tree on top of the bridge would light up.

We also had a rather odd but beloved custom that sort of lives on to this day. It was a monorail on the roof of Rich's called the Pink Pig! It has been sort of revived and now runs on a track inside of a tent - also at Macy's Lenox. Just so you'll know when you start seeing ads for it - any day now!

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by coolyfett

In the Mall? Ahh that kinda sux, I was hoping it was outside like Centennial Park or Peachtree Center...Why so close to Buckhead? And how long has it been there. I may be wrong but I figured the tree would be outside.

It's outside, on the roof.

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by johnatl

It is outside. It is on the roof of the Macy's Mens Store.

Years ago before Federated wiped out most of the wonderful independent Department Stores, we had an amazing local store here called Rich's. Rich's was beloved by just about everyone in the South, and they had a massive store downtown that took up two city blocks. The two blocks were connected by a 6 level bridge called the Crystal Bridge. The "Lighting of the Great Tree" was a huge Holiday event here that was attended by hundreds of thousands every Thanksgiving. There would be a wonderful choir arranged on the different levels of the bridge to look like a tree, and they would sing carols. When they would hit a praticularly high note, the beautiful tree on top of the bridge would light up.

We also had a rather odd but beloved custom that sort of lives on to this day. It was a monorail on the roof of Rich's called the Pink Pig! It has been sort of revived and now runs on a track inside of a tent - also at Macy's Lenox. Just so you'll know when you start seeing ads for it - any day now!

Oh ok!! How close to the tree can one get? Is the roof open to the public? Is the Rich's building still around? That pig thing sounds funny....Im assuming it a level track, nothing like a roller coaster?

[johnatl]

The tree should be going up anytime now - you'll see news coverage about it. It is on the very corner of the Macy's Mens Store roof (near the Lenox/Peachtree corner of the mall). There is no roof access, but you really can't miss it.

The old original Rich's Store for Fashion as it was called still stands. It was gutted and incorporated into the new Atlanta Federal Center downtown at the corner of Old Alabama and Broad Streets. Rich's had a huge clock on the corner that was a popular meeting spot for decades, and it is still there. The other square block of Rich's that housed the Store for Homes was demolished a few years ago. This store was massive - over a million square feet! Sadly, most large cities had these stores back in the day. There are only a handful of American cities that did not lose their downtown department stores.......

LOL at the Pink Pig questions, it sounds so absurd to even be describing it! It runs on a level track in a circular route. It is primarily for kids, but wistful adults ride it too!