The Atlanta neighborhoods light up at dusk. — Photo by Jumper

Look beyond the gleaming high rises to discover the soul of the South. Atlanta’s dozen or so inside-the-beltway neighborhoods build an attractive quality of life that keeps people moving and visiting here. These communities blend residential streets with gotta-find-it boutiques and the best chef-owned eateries. Shady oaks, mounds of blooming azaleas and snowy hydrangeas paint a verdant backdrop. If all you do is drive by Atlanta, you may think the city is all glass, steel and traffic, but its heart is green, where locals are more likely to walk and bicycle for a gelato or coffee than add to traffic.

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In the middle of it all, Downtown’s core pulses energy into the rest of Atlanta. It’s a livable center, populated with city dwellers, businesses and world-class attractions such as the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and a centerpiece urban park with roots in the Olympic Games. Sure, Downtown may be Atlanta’s tourist hub, but it’s the ideal place to start an exploration.

Style and substance take center stage in Midtown along Peachtree Street. The famed boulevard maintains a friendly feel while it cuts a swath of culture that connects the marquee events at the Fox Theatre at one end, to the High Museum of Art, the Woodruff Arts Center and the Grammy-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the middle, on to the Savannah College of Art and Design at the other end. Locals thrive on the tree-lined lanes and they congregate to play at Piedmont Park, home to the Dogwood and Atlanta jazz festivals.

Next: Bold and brazen Buckhead. »