Safe hotel areas for family in atlanta. (Dunwoody, Buckhead: hotels, restaurants)

[mom2gurls]

I am hoping that the local residents can help. We are family with three small children comming to atlanta next week. What area in the metro area should we as a family avoid in the evening hours? We would prefer some nice chain hotels..inter-continental, marriot.hilton...etc etc etc. But being that this is our first visit..would like to stay in the safer part of town, while enjoying a stroll to go out and explore the city.

Then we will be staying in suwanee for a couple of days..that seems more suburb like and I can get a hotel there.

But what areas should a family avoid atlanta (north side, south side, east, west?).

I will research then hotels in those areas. WE are thinking of seeing the zoo and really want to take in the city.

Is the weather good right now...summer like..or is it better to bring jeans and a sweatshirt.

Thank you.

[netdragon]

I'd stay in Buckhead. You can take MARTA to midtown and downtown. There's also hotels in Dunwoody and you can catch MARTA from there. If you want a place that's more affordable for hotels (as long as there's no convention) but still close by, you can stay in Cumberland/Galleria however you'll need to either drive to Peachtree Street (which will cost you money for parking) or take the midtown bus from the Cumberland mall. It's probably easier to pick a place on MARTA, walk, and not have to deal with parking.

[lastminutemom]

The embassy suites in Buckhead is nice. And you can take MARTA very easily from there.

[sweettea1]

Great suggestion on Embassy Suites Buckhead. You'll enjoy the shopping nearby...can take MARTA lots of places and there are some good restaurants in the vicinity as well. Have fun!

[mom2gurls]

Thanks guys..you are the best! We are just taggin along with dh on a business trip! LOL..so I need to do something to keep the kids busy..but I dont want to turn the corner and end up in the wrong part of town. Is buckhead a section of the city itself? We are comming from NY...so the traffic I am going to guess will be comparable.

Thanks so much! I am really excited as I have always wanted to visit ATL.

[sweettea1]

High Musuem is great! Take MARTA to Arts Center Station. If kids are young, Children's Musuem is great too. Driving is better for this. Take 75 South to Williams Street. Of course aquarium is not to be missed either but I suggest driving here, too. And, it's across from Coca Cola Museum so you could, technically do both in one day. I wouldn't spend too much more time downtown, especially in light of the recent damage by the tornado.

If you don't want to 'do downtown' at all, drive to Virginia Highland and shop/stroll along North Highland. Murphy's is a fun place to eat. If kids are young, there's a fantastic park/playground on Virginia Avenue. Just ask anyone and they'll point you in the direction of John Howell Park.

[CityFan]

Embassy Suites in downtown next to Olympic park. You don't need to ride Marta to get to the places like Children's museum, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coco Cola, and CNN center. Everything is in walking distance. Zoo is not far from the hotel. It's clean and safe. The view toward the park is fabulous.

[mom2gurls]

thanks guys..you are the best! We are staying at the inter-continental in buckhead..thank you so much...we are looking forward to our trip..I am not a native New Yorker..so any chance I can go to a warmer climate I RUN!

[netdragon]

Buckhead is a part of the city directly North of midtown. Think of it as Manhatten's upper East side, since it's mostly highrise residential. It is an affluential area along MARTA rail, and you can take MARTA to get to everything (zoo, coke museum, art museum, etc). If you can get a more reasonable room in midtown, I'd stay there. Otherwise, I'd stay in Buckhead.