10 Memories Of Growing Up In Atlanta, Georgia

The memories are endless but to pick a top 10, these are the first that come to mind. Read on to reminisce on 10 memories of growing up in Atlanta, Georgia.

1. “Snowmageddon” AKA the ice storms

In 2011, Atlanta experienced a massive snow/ice storm, which my dad was quick to name “Snowmageddon.” Many other families have different names for each snow/ice storm that come through Atlanta. Anybody that has ever visited Atlanta, let alone lived there, knows that our dear city is home to some of the worst drivers ever.  All it takes is rain for the highways to become dangerous, filled with crazy drivers that will randomly brake. For any of you that were not use to growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I am so sorry if you visit during a snowstorm or ice storm.

2. Turner Field

Ahhh, Turner Field. Home to the Atlanta Braves for almost 20 years. It’s an iconic location in Atlanta. Though I’ve lived in Atlanta almost my entire life, I only went to one baseball game at Turner Field. Shocking, right?! Baseball was not a big sport in my family. In fact, my siblings and I never played it. My family revolved around soccer, tennis, and gymnastics. I’ve actually only been to a total of two Braves games, one in each stadium. Back to Turner Field, it was originally constructed to be the 1996 Olympics Stadium! Following the end of the 1996 Olympics and Paralympics, the stadium was converted into the baseball field it is today. Turner Field now belongs to Georgia State University and is home to the Panther’s football games.

3. The Georgia Dome (RIP)

If you were growing up in Atlanta, Georgia and your high school made it to the state championship, this was the highlight of the season. They played on the very same field where many football legends had played before. My freshman year of high school, we made it to the state championship for the 2A division and went on to win the game! What I’m trying to say is the Georgia Dome was home to many. This includes football games (NFL and College), soccer games, basketball games, as well as a few Olympic events way back in 1996. The Georgia Dome held wonderful memories for many people. Rest in peace, or should I say pieces?

4. Turner Broadcasting System.

Okay so this may not actually be a memory, but how often does one get to brag about living in the same city as Turner Broadcasting System.  If you don’t already know, Turner Broadcasting System, aka TBS (ring a bell?), owns the following channels: TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, TNT, TruTV, Turner Classic Movies, and Turner Sports.  I love passing this building because a lot of the shows I watched growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, were on these channels.

5. Steak ‘n Shake

For this one, I had to be greedy. Steak ‘n Shake is hands down my favorite restaurant! I have so many memories of eating there. I can even remember what the location by my house looked like before they renovated! Over my spring break, I went to Steak ‘n Shake twice in one day. No shame. I’ve also made many late night drives from Clemson to Greenville in order to get Steak ‘n Shake and it’s always worth it. If you’ve never had Steak ‘n Shake, please do yourself a favor and visit. It’s a wonderful experience and the food is amazing!

6. Chick-fil-A

You’re reading an article about growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, which coincidentally is the birthplace of Chick-fil-A. Therefore, you can’t be surprised that one of my memories involves Chick-fil-A. I mean come on, it’s Chick-fil-A.

My best memory about Chick-fil-A is actually from May 20th, 2017. It was the day of the Atlanta United vs Houston Dynamo soccer game and I was able to go to the game with my dad. After eating our Chick-fil-A sandwiches outside of Bobby Dodd Stadium, it quite literally started pouring out of nowhere. It was a full on torrential downpour thunderstorm. Obviously, neither of us had a raincoat or an umbrella, so we ran as fast as we could to the AT&T tent. 

It was under that tent that I met the representatives from Chick-fil-A who were running the “#CFASeatUpgrade” contest for the game.  Being the person I am, aka the person who’s never actually won a contest when entered, I told the representatives that they should pick me since my 18th birthday was the next day. So to make this long story short, they agreed saying that if I entered the contest, they’d pick me. And guess what?

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7. The OK Café

The OK Café is an iconic restaurant growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s in Buckhead which is located at the very busy intersection of West Paces Ferry Road and Northside Parkway, near I-75. Famous for its retro vibes, the waitresses wear the all white sneakers and socks combo along with retro dresses. Flashback to late 2014, when the restaurant caught fire. In all honesty, I don’t know how it caught fire and the AJC article I found doesn’t say either. Though through the article, I learned that the OK Café opened in 1987! I had no idea how old it was. Anyway, the restaurant was closed for just under a year, before it reopened in October 2015. While this may not sound very exciting, it’s probably the most exciting thing to happen in the West Paces area.

8. Music Midtown

Every fall, Piedmont Park fills with people eager to hear their favorite musicians. Music Midtown seemed to be a rite of passage, though I never attended because I wasn’t a fan of the artists or the prices for that matter. Still, I find myself wondering what it’s like to actually experience Music Midtown and if it’s worth it. If you’ve been, let me know. 

9. Living in Atlanta, instead of visiting Atlanta

What I mean is living in Atlanta is quite different from visiting it. When visiting, you do all of the touristy stuff. For example, you go to the World of Coke, the Aquarium, etc. When you live in Atlanta, you don’t really jump up at the opportunity to go see something that’s been there for years. I’ve been to the aquarium a couple times, but only because of school field trips. One summer, my family decided to spend a week doing all the touristy stuff. We went to the aquarium, the World of Coke, etc. That’s the only time we’ve done the tourist stuff because when you live in Atlanta, those places aren’t as exciting. I think it’s because you’re used to it being there, but who knows?

10. Learning to differentiate where people are really from

Anyone who has experienced growing up in Atlanta, Georgia knows what this is like. I met a girl through my best friend and was told she was from Atlanta, when I asked the girl where in Atlanta she was from, she said, “Stone Mountain!”  When you live in Georgia, it’s always easier to say you’re from Atlanta instead of your actual city, because there’s a higher chance people know Atlanta over Johns Creek or Alpharetta. Except, don’t say Atlanta if your city is nowhere near Atlanta.

What are some other memories of growing up in Atlanta, Georgia? Share with us in the comments below!

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