Atlanta is sometimes described as a "horizontal city." With few natural barriers to contain or restrict its growth, the city has developed in a sprawling, dispersed fashion. Atlanta’s low population density levels contrast sharply with those of older, more densely packed northern cities such as New York, Boston, or Chicago. The tallest and most closely grouped buildings are found in downtown Atlanta around an intersection called Five Points. This is the business and historic heart of the Atlanta. Further north of this area are Midtown and Buckhead, the location of many of the city’s cultural institutions, Piedmont Park (Atlanta’s largest public park), and a number of older, traditionally white residential communities. To the immediate east of downtown is the Auburn Avenue community, the historic center of the city’s black business, religious, and entertainment life. Also in the east are Inman Park (Atlanta’s first planned suburb), and Georgia’s Stone Mountain Park, featuring the largest granite outcropping in the world and a massive relief carving of Confederate leaders from the American Civil War (1861-1865); the park also contains historic houses, a museum, recreational facilities, and a campground.

The Atlanta region’s recent growth in population has been matched by rapid economic growth. The undisputed business capital of the Southeast, Atlanta houses the headquarters of some of the largest and best-known companies in the United States, including Coca-Cola, United Parcel Service, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Turner Broadcasting System, and Delta Air Lines, Inc. In addition, more than four-fifths of the nation’s largest businesses maintain branch offices in the metropolitan area. The city is also gaining a reputation as an international business center.

Other important components of Atlanta’s economic mix are government agencies and activities, transportation facilities and industries, and the convention trade. Municipal, county, state, and federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, employ a large number of Atlanta area residents. Atlanta’s William B. Hartsfield International Airport, one of the largest and busiest air terminals in the United States, has established the city as a leader in air transport and commerce. The city is also served by three interstate highways, as well as freight and passenger railroads. The hospitality and convention industries also contribute to Atlanta’s economy, with three large trade facilities within the downtown area: the World Congress Center, the Merchandise Mart, and the Apparel Mart. The two largest newspapers in the city are the Atlanta Constitution and the Atlanta Journal.

Real Estate: United States - Georgia

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Official Website of the City of Atlanta, Georgia
City Hall
55 Trinity Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Atlanta Journal-Constitution