As Georgia’s capital city, Atlanta conjures up images of Southern charm, hot nights, great food, hip hop, history, and more. The nickname “Hotlanta” doesn’t just refer to sweltering summer days and nights; it also reflects the cutting-edge restaurants, acclaimed bars, and hotspots that keep people coming back (and staying permanently). With all the things to do in this city, it’s no wonder Atlanta is one of the best cities in America to visit.
Luckily, travel nursing benefits include seeing this great city in all its glory! If your travel nurse contract brings you to Atlanta, here’s our travel nurse’s guide to Alanta, GA to help you find your way around.
Tasty Bites
You can’t help your patients on an empty stomach.
Yao Atlanta
Yao was created to pay culinary homage to the vibrant Yaowarat neighborhood in Bangkok, an ancient Thai-Chinese community. Yao incorporates the community’s look, feel, and taste, known as a “paradise for food lovers.” At nearly 4,000 square feet and spanning two levels, this restaurant seats up to 120 people inside its multiple dining areas and bar, and the partially covered patio seats up to 40 people.
Fade + Facet
Pulling inspiration from the Caribbean, New York City, and Los Angeles, owners Damian and Kelly Roberts were inspired to create a design they refer to as a “night garden” that offers an out-of-this-world experience for every guest. The menu blends the regional flavors of the owner’s Caribbean roots with local soul food favorites, creating bites you can’t get anywhere else. The ambiance alone is enough to melt all of your travel nursing troubles away.
The Boiler Seafood
As Buckhead’s 1st Black-owned seafood boil restaurant, the menu offers a wide range of seafood items, from snow crab legs and blue crabs to mussels and crawfish. The seafood is placed in a bag with potatoes, corn, and the restaurant’s special sauce. Customers interested in options outside of their famous seafood boil bags can enjoy seafood egg rolls and fried options such as shrimp, cracked crab, fried salmon, and more. This stop is a must-see before your travel nurse contract is over.
Must-See Locations
Travel nursing takes you to the best places, and here are a few in Atlanta, GA.
Centennial Olympic Park
Created for the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in this city, Olympic Park continues to be a tourist draw every year. This sprawling urban space is surrounded on all sides by shops, restaurants, malls, museums, amusement parks, and everything else that travelers could want for an exciting and fun-filled travel nursing assignment. One of the park’s most well-known elements is the Fountain of Rings, made up of 251 water jets, which hosts four water shows choreographed to various songs daily. The park also hosts several special events each year.
World of Coca-Cola
Travel nurses are in for a treat with one of Atlanta’s more unique places to visit. You’ll get to watch a short film about one of the world’s most popular sodas, explore the exhibitions on display, and even take a picture with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear mascot. Explore different artifacts of the brand and information relating to the drink’s history and “accidental” creation, the secret formula vault, and even art made by or inspired by the famous cola. At the end of your trip, enjoy many free samples of Coca-Cola products, including many that are typically exclusive to other parts of the world!
Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site
The Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site is a great immersive experience of Dr. King’s legacy for travel nurses interested in history. The site includes several buildings, including the boyhood home of this civil rights leader and the church where his father, and later King himself, first came to preach. Fire Station No. 6 offers insights into the desegregation of Atlanta’s Fire Department. At the Visitor Center, you’ll find engaging exhibits on the civil rights movement and the D.R.E.A.M. Gallery. Opposite the visitor center, a large mural depicts scenes of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life.
Enjoy Like A Local
A travel nurse assignment wouldn’t be complete without exploring the local favorites.
Sweet Auburn Curb Market
Referred to as the Curb Market by locals or simply Sweet Auburn, Municipal Market is Atlanta’s original food hall and farmer’s market. It houses 30 local businesses, including produce, butchers, seafood, a full-service bakery, a cooking school, and 10 of the most popular eateries in the city. Founded in 1918 as an open-air market, Sweet Auburn has helped feed the surrounding community for over 100 years, providing economic opportunities for local business owners. You’ll never know what you’ll discover next with so many options!
Stone Mountain Park
Located a few miles north of Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park offers breathtaking views of lakes, mountains, forests, cliffs, and canyons. Spread across 3,200 acres, this park boasts a variety of attractions, including a huge monolith called Stone Mountain. The bas-relief on the mountain’s north face is the biggest in the world.
Visitors can hike the trails, climb the summits, boat on the waters, and camp under the stars. There are also golf courses, movie theaters, fishing holes, biking paths, and even a cable car if you want to ride to the top of the mountain without getting sweaty! Atlanta isn’t usually known for its natural landscapes, but when birds and pines surround you, you might forget about travel nursing for a while.
Little Five Points
Known as the “bohemian center of the south,” this area is an offbeat neighborhood where you can find trendy fashion boutiques, used bookstores, and quirky coffee shops—most are locally owned. Even the streets are bursting with color and creativity with painted murals and funky signage for local stores.
The shops sell everything from old-school vinyl to new-age crystals you can carry during your next travel nurse assignment. Eateries range from classic American burger joints to exotic fusion restaurants with foods from Japan, France, Senegal, etc. If you want to travel off the beaten path for some exploring, Little Five Points is your destination.
In travel nursing, work and play always go hand in hand, and you’ll find no shortage of that in Atlanta, Georgia. These Atlanta attractions are worth revisiting again and again, and they’re just a taste of what the city has to offer. If you can’t wait to start your journey, visit our travel nurse agency and view our travel nursing jobs for available travel nurse assignments.
