DID YOU KNOW?

• Atlanta was originally named Terminus and Marthasville (the latter for Governor Wilson Lumpkin’s daughter.) The city got its current name from railroad engineer J. Edgar Thompson. It’s thought to be a shortened version of “Atlantica-Pacifica.”

• Atlanta leads the nation with the title of “City in a Forest”, with over 100,000 shade trees planted and distributed through the non-profit ‘Trees Atlanta’. The National Forest Service has recognized Atlanta as “the most heavily forested urban area in the country,” covering 47.9% of the city.
• Atlanta is home to 71 streets with a variation of the word “Peachtree” in their names: Peachtree Avenue, Peachtree Plaza, etc… however, there are no peach trees in Atlanta, nor are peach trees native to the area! The name “peachtree” evolved from “pitch tree,” which is what the native pine trees were called because of their sticky sap. So take note for next time you listen to Sinatra’s “Peachtree Street” duet with Rosemary Clooney or the album Peachtree Road by Sir Elton John.
• The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has held the title of “world’s busiest airport” for 18 years now. Lots of airports claim to be the world’s busiest, however, its 101 million passengers trumps any “passenger movements” in other airports around the world. It’s just a three-hour flight from most major American cities and its terminal is as big as 45 football fields!
• Atlanta is the only city in North America to have been destroyed as an act of war when General Sherman burnt it to the ground in November of 1864. Only 400 buildings survived the razing, but the city rebuilt itself from the ashes — which is why the city symbol is the phoenix.
• The Varsity is the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, serving more Coca-Cola (another Atlanta creation) by volume than anywhere else in the world. Find it downtown, alongside I-85 at the corner of North Ave and Spring St.