It’s April, which means Major League baseball swings into high gear this month. In a perfect year, that is. At press time the baseball gods seemed to smiling down upon the nation’s less-than-active baseball stadiums. Despite the ongoing threat of COVID-19, this year fans may be watching 162 games for the 2021 season.
But, if 2020 taught us anything, it’s to be prepared for the unpredictable.
One good bet remains the Atlanta Braves, housed in a new stadium in one of the hottest entertainment districts in Atlanta, The Battery. Best of all, the city’s only a moderate drive away.
EXPLORE
Take a stroll through Truist Park and check out its amenities outside the action happening on the field. There’s the statue honoring former Braves player Hank Aaron in the
Monument Garden on the lower level. Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin captures Aaron as he hits the record-breaking 715th home run. The stadium also includes the Braves Hall of Fame, the 11 retired jerseys and other honors and awards bestowed upon the team over the years.
Venture out into the Battery for a host of dining options, from sports bars to white tablecloth restaurants. Entertainment venues run the gamut as well, from the The Coca-Cola Roxy, LIVE! at the Battery to escape rooms and virtual golf. For a list of establishments, visit Batteryatl.com.
STAY
Not far from baseball action in Buckhead, the new boutique Kimpton Sylvan Hotel opened in February in a former 1950s residential/apartment building. Sporting a mid-century design scheme, the hotel offers 217 guest rooms, pool, lobby with plenty of hip seating areas and three indoor and outdoor dining and drinking concepts, including a rooftop lounge and the garden-inspired Willow Bar. Sylvan comes from the Latin “silva,” meaning forest, echoing the arboreal flavor of Atlanta. Guests will enjoy themes of trees throughout the property.
EAT
Truist Park is officially an Atlanta address, but it lies just south of the town of Marietta, which sports museums, theaters, a historic square and the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. For a variety of dining options in a cool restored warehouse, visit the Marietta Square Market and take your pick from 18 food venues, from Asian and Cuban to barbecue and Southern. Dining is available on-site or take yours to go and enjoy a picnic on the square, then stroll through downtown and visit its quaint boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops.
For something totally unique, a trip to the Marietta landmark “Big Chicken” is in order. Owners back in 1956 opened a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at the corner of Cobb Parkway and Roswell Road but took the design to a whole new level. The franchise features a 56-foot-tall chicken rising from the top, its beak opening and closing and its eyes rolling around in its head. It’s the place for fast food in Marietta, but don’t be surprised if folks there use it for imparting directions.
DO
Take in a Braves game at Truist Park, one of the newest stadiums in the Major Leagues. Any day is a great day for baseball, but special events happen throughout the year. For instance, Braves Alumni Sundays begin at 11:30 a.m. where former Braves players sign autographs for an hour, and kids can run the bases at every Sunday home game. Fireworks conclude every Friday night home game and certain games offers giveaways, like posters and baseball caps. Best of all, the Braves host the 2021 MLB All-Star Game on July 13! For information and to purchase tickets, visit Mlb.com/braves.
