Lifestyle

Atlanta is not only a great city for doing business; it is also a great place to live. The quality of life in Atlanta that attracts businesses and individuals includes a pleasant climate, world-class shopping and dining, and incomparable recreation, sports and cultural opportunities. Metropolitan Atlanta has been called the "Sports Capital of the World." There are year-round professional sports with the Hawks, Braves, Thrashers and Falcons.

Atlanta is frequently the site of major national sporting events. Annual college events include NCAA basketball playoffs and football championships such as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Gridiron Classic and SEC Championship. Professional events include major golf tournaments such as the BellSouth Classic, PGA Golf Tournament, the Sarazen World Open, and the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, the Fourth of July Peachtree Road Race, and major competitions in auto racing such as the NAPA 500.

The new Georgia Aquarium opened its doors in Downtown Atlanta in November 2005 and has brought in 3.6 million visitors the first year. Expected to open in early 2007, the new World of Coca-Cola will be nearly double the size of the present World of Coca-Cola and attract as many as 1.2 to 1.5 million a year. The current museum, which opened in 1990, draws 750,000 to 800,000 people annually. Atlantic Station, Midtown’s highly anticipated mixed-use project, officially opened in October of 2005, adding another 1 million square feet of retail space to the city. These multi-million dollar investments will attract domestic and foreign tourists for longer stays. In addition, the Imagine IT! Children’s Museum of Atlanta opened in 2003, providing a place for children and families to visit and experience the world of imagination and interactive learning.

The architectural designs for the $200 million Atlanta Symphony Hall on 14th Street in Midtown, adjacent to the proposed Symphony Tower, have been unveiled, and fundraising is under way. Construction is expected to begin in 2012.