Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

by Jonah McDonald

Overview

What’s really inside Atlanta’s sealed Crypt of Civilization? Where can you experience a midnight costume party or get your hair cut at a museum? And is there really an elephant graveyard in the city? Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and Secret Atlanta is the right book to prove this over and over again. Beyond the standard Atlanta tourist attractions, visitors and natives alike will find a city full of secrets—in the history, art, culture, nature, and places that are just plain weird. Tour the most hidden spots in the metro area, or see the famous sites through a new lens. You’ll find the answers to common questions, like why there are so many streets named “Peachtree.” Don’t miss Atlanta’s more uncommon quirks too, such as the story behind the clergy parking spaces at one local bar. Whether you’re a lifelong Atlantan or a first-time visitor, local writer Jonah McDonald will help you marvel at Atlanta’s most obscure oddities. His adventures through the city might sound too interesting to be true—but you couldn’t even make this stuff up if you tried.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681062587
Publisher:	Reedy press, LLC.
Publication date:	03/15/2020
Series:	Secret
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,008,687
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jonah McDonald is an Atlanta writer, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. He is the author of the popular guidebook Hiking Atlanta’s Hidden Forests: Intown and Out and serves as a Park Naturalist for DeKalb County. Jonah loves exploring his city on bicycle, canoe, or on foot, and believes that there is a new story to learn and tell around every bend. When he’s not already on an adventure, Jonah loves finding a new adventure. Connect with Jonah at jonahmcdonald.com

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Atlanta: The Birthplace of the Time Capsule? 2

The Original Peachtree Street 4

The Atlanta Berlin Wall 6

Jurassic Georgia 8

Atlanta's Cultural Welcome Mat 10

Where the Heck is Kcymaerxthaere? 12

Dueling Eternal Neighbors 14

Open Door Policy 16

360-Degree Political Propoganda 18

1880s Virtual Reality 20

The City on the Hill 22

What Would Jesus Drink? 24

A Garden in the Clouds 26

The Most Fortified City in the World 28

Before Buckhead Was Buckhead 30

Atlanta's Biggest Theft 32

Everything Except Grenades, Lint, and Adult Toys 34

75% Presidential 36

Flint or Steel 38

Heavy Metal on Druid Hill 40

Don't Dream It, Be It 42

Atlanta's Most Interesting Parking Lot 44

It's Not Yet Gone with the Wind 46

Two Sides of Brer Rabbit 48

War and Peace 50

Fool on the Hill 52

Everything Here Is Symbolic 54

Just Another Brick in the … Ground? 56

Levity about Gravity 58

Drink from the Water Tower 60

Lilburn's Hindu Skyscraper 62

The Monadnock Less Traveled 64

Such a Gneiss Place 66

Literally Underground Art 68

The Romance of Ruins 70

An Elephant Never Forgets 72

Luckie Wasn't So Lucky 74

Almost Paradise 76

We Are the World 78

It's a Jungle Out There 80

Micropolitan Beach 82

Tomb Radar 84

No Pain, No Gaines 86

Not a Movie Scene 106

The Big A 108

Not for Sitting 110

All Night Parrots 112

Bees, Trees, and Worms 114

Not Horsing Around 116

The State of Farming 118

Old Poncey 120

No Brakes, No Problem 122

Full Belly 124

The Jewel of Diamond Hill 126

Scotland in Atlanta 128

Airport Ghosts 130

Solitary Confinement in the Park 132

Integrating the Shower Room 134

Bigger than a Whale Shark 136

Amazing Invasives 138

The City's Largest Secret 140

Walking Miss Daisy 142

Bonsai or Death! 144

The Farmers Market without the Farmers 146

The Grave of the Unknown Shopper 148

Cliff Diving, Southern-Style 150

The Historic Community in a Park 152

Atlanta's Nude Beach 154

A Car Full of Cabbage 156

The King's Vault 158

It Does Grow on Trees 160

The Secret Gardens 162

Everybody's Market 164

Trust the Community 166

A River of Tears 168

Want to Drink Swamp Water? 170

International Red Clay 172

Atlanta's Secret Beltline 174

In Memory of Those Forgotten 176

The Origin of Stankonia 178

Clear Creek Is Finally Becoming Clearer 180

Two Domes 182

Fiddlin' John & Moonshine Kate 184

If You Give a Ghost a Snickers Bar… 186

It's a Trap! 188

No, You Don't Hear Banjo Music 190

Birthday Party at the Airport 192

Underground Eats 194

Fiesta in the U.S.A. 196

When Zero Is Not Zero Anymore 198

Sources 200

Index 211