Imagine yourself surrounded by the lush beauty of the South, the citrus smell of magnolias still in bloom, and the sound of the chorus of cicadas…..You have just experienced Atlanta in the early summer. Here in the South we take hospitality very seriously and hope you will come to the 97th Annual Meeting and plan to spend some extra time and immerse yourself in some of what Atlanta has to offer.
In June, Atlanta's temperatures are much more moderate than in the late summer, with typical highs in the mid-80s. This time of year we can also expect the occasional late afternoon thunderstorm, so don't forget to bring an umbrella.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel is located in the heart of downtown, on Peachtree Street, adjacent to Peachtree Center and the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) station. Since there are dozens of “Peachtree” streets, pay careful attention when asking for or receiving directions. If you are comfortable with pulling your luggage, it is an easy, 20-minute ride on MARTA from the airport to Peachtree Center. Taxis and shuttle buses are easily found at the west end of the terminal.
The city has a reputation, of being a “city in a forest.” Some of our oldest neighborhoods, Grant Park, Inman Park, Decatur, and Druid Hills, are former suburbs now considered in-town. The Preservation Society sponsors walking tours through these areas in which you can see rambling Victorian era mansions. Guided tours of sites of Civil War battles and other historical places are available. The Atlanta History Center in Buckhead, Kennesaw Mountain, and the Cyclorama at Grant Park are also interesting places to visit if you are interested in Civil War history.
Established in 1850, Oakland Cemetery is a beautiful sculpture garden of Victorian cemetery art and a serene park with huge old oak trees. Among the 40,000 interred at Oakland are 7,000 Confederate and Union soldiers. Reminiscent of the period, there is a beautiful Jewish section and an African-American section. You will find the headstones of 24 former Atlanta mayors, six former governors, and prominent Atlantans, including Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell Marsh and great amateur golfer Bobby Jones. You can wander on your own, or take one of the scheduled guided tours. After a walking tour you may want to go across Memorial Drive to Six Feet Under, a funky little casual restaurant for lunch.
Atlanta is known as the home of the civil rights movement and is the ancestral home of Martin Luther King, Jr. City leaders successfully integrated schools, social institutions, and businesses more calmly than other places throughout the South. The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site is a must on your sightseeing itinerary. It is in a section of the city affectionately known as Sweet Auburn, a few blocks from your hotel. The old Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King served as co-pastor with his father from 1960 until 1968, is open to visitors. I find it a very moving experience to sit in the old sanctuary and listen to recordings of King's speeches and sermons. You can also visit his birthplace and family home, the Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and his final resting place, a marble crypt surrounded by a reflecting pool.
A short drive or taxi ride away is the Carter Center. Founded in 1982 by former President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the Center is more than a presidential library. Led by the Carters, an independent board of trustees and in partnership with Emory University, the Center is committed to “waging peace by resolving conflicts, strengthening democracy, advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering by fighting disease throughout the world.”
M. Jane Yates, Ph.D., is president of the Atlanta Psychoanalytic Society, graduate of and faculty at Emory Psychoanalytic Institute, and in private practice. She is on the Local Arrangements Committee for APsaA's June meeting.
On your way to Decatur, Emory University, Druid Hills, or Fernbank Museum you can drive along Ponce de Leon through a winding green corridor, known as Linear Park in Druid Hills, a beautiful legacy of the creative genius of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. The term “landscape architect” was coined to describe his work in creating Central Park in New York City.
A visit to the Fernbank Natural History Museum is a perfect way to spend a couple of hours with children. Even the limestone floor is part of the experience as it is the home of scores of fossils which lived from 150 to 180 million years ago. In addition to the dinosaur exhibits, the museum is associated with its popular “Martinis and IMAX” event on Friday nights.
The Michael C. Carlos Museum is a small gem of a museum located on the Emory University campus. You will find a permanent collection of 15,000 objects, including art from Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The museum's architecture, designed by internationally renowned architect Michael Graves, is not only beautiful but lends a feel for the geographical areas being highlighted by the art. For several years, the museum was the home of the mummy believed to be Ramses I before it was given to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Egypt. It now rests at the Luxor Museum.
Atlanta has a thriving Jewish community and culture. The Temple is Atlanta's oldest synagogue and one of many in the Atlanta area. Perhaps some of you remember Driving Miss Daisy, which depicts Jewish culture in Atlanta in the 1940s. The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum provides a remarkable look into Jewish history and culture, with permanent and traveling exhibits and lectures.
In the downtown area you are within walking distance of several sites surrounding the Olympic Centennial Park with its Fountain of Rings. These will be a delight to visit as a family outing. A gift to the city from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and his wife Billi, our new Georgia Aquarium is the
world's largest aquarium. There, you will marvel at hammerhead and zebra sharks, beluga whales, and giant grouper, to name a few. Integral parts of its mission are aquatic animal conservation, aquatic animal pathology research, and veterinary teaching in its hospital program. Across the street, CNN Studios offers tours. Make reservations in advance as this is a very popular attraction. The World of Coca-Cola and Imagine It, a children's museum, are here too.
Located in Midtown, Piedmont Park is the site of most of Atlanta's annual festivals and events. It will be the hub of the Gay Pride Festival while you are here. Throughout the month of June there is also Screen on the Green, in which classic movies are shown. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens at the park offer woodlands, a magnificent large orchid display, and special exhibits. Every Thursday night during the summer there are Cocktails in the Garden.
Also in Midtown, Woodruff Arts Center comprises Atlanta Symphony Hall, the Alliance Theatre, the High Museum of Art, and the 14th Street Playhouse. A visit to the High Museum is worth the trip, if only to see our beautiful contemporary building designed by Richard Meier. The High was named one of the 10 best works of American architecture of the 1980s by the American Institute of Architects. In June, in addition to its permanent collection, the museum will be featuring “Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Ancient World,” a collection of 70 works from the Louvre's Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Greco-Roman antiquities collection.
Look forward to more information featuring the “new South,” dining, entertainment, and shopping in the next “Y'all Come…to Atlanta” article in the Winter/Spring 2008 TAP.
Thanks are extended to Nora Dougherty, D.S.W., president of the Atlanta Foundation for Psychoanalysis, for her assistance in preparing this article.