Hi there! I’ve changed jobs since the last post, and my new job has me running all over town doing computer work!
I was at one of my company’s clients in 900 Circle 75 Parkway one day this past week, and the office I was working in overlooked the pedestrian bridge between the Cobb Galleria Centre and the Battery Atlanta. Within view as well was the Hampton Inn and Suites Atlanta-Galleria, one of the hotels listed on the convention’s “Hotels” page.
During last year’s convention, I walked over to the Battery with a friend one day for lunch, and I reflected on that while I was looking at the bridge. Because AWA is a local con for me, I pick my friends up at the airport, and we drive to the site, making stops along the way for supplies for the weekend usually. Having a vehicle during the con weekend is certainly convenient, of course, but what if you’re attending the con via aircraft and don’t want to rent a car?
It all depends on where you end up staying: if you’re in one of the four closest hotels, the Renaissance Waverly, Embassy Suites, Sheraton Suites, and the aforementioned Hampton Inn, then walking to the convention is quite doable. I’ve only ever stayed in the Waverly and the Embassy, both of which have on-site restaurants, and I’d imagine the other two have at the very least breakfast. However, if one wishes to walk, the choices for food in the area around the convention are many: restaurants in the Cobb Galleria Centre itself, restaurants across 41 at Cumberland Mall, and the ones at the Battery. Further out are a movie theatre and Taco Mac, and with Uber the range is extended.
The conclusion is that yes, despite Metro Atlanta being a heavily car-centric area, it’s possible to attend AWA without renting a vehicle.