When the weather is cool, gay travelers love a stroll through Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s largest, where it is not uncommon to see gay and lesbian couples holding hands. In terms of weather, Atlanta’s elevation at 1,000 feet above sea level makes it more temperate than other cities in the South, where sweltering temperatures can be overwhelming in the summer. Even if you’ve visited Atlanta in the last decade, you might not recognize it when you come back. All this change makes for an urban retreat that’s transforming by the minute. The result is a diverse city that’s bursting at the seams - in fact, Atlanta has one of the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas. These days, Atlanta is a melting pot of cultures, with new transplants from around the country and the world arriving every day. But gay travelers also revel the chance to unapologetically be themselves in a region of America that hasn’t always been accepting and welcoming. Dubbed the unofficial gay capital of the South, Atlanta draws LGBT travelers looking for world-class museums, shopping, and nightlife, as well as other celebrated trappings of urban life.
