Atlanta
Atlanta Regional Engagement
Atlanta, and the surrounding area, is home to over 1200 alums. Use the links below to connect with your local ‘Cats!
Regional Leaders
Have an idea for a program or event? Looking for a way to get involved? Want to get an update on what’s happening in the region? Contact your leaders below!
President
Gerard Dash '12
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Young Alumni & Communications Chair
Alexia Baker Bufkin '23
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Vice President
John Bell '99
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Events/Service Chair
Madeleine Henner '19
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Learn about upcoming events to reconnect and network with members of the Davidson community.
A Crowd-Sourced Guide to Atlanta
Atlanta is buzzing with music, art, shopping, and of course, movie stars all over town! Enjoy amazing cultural foods on Buford Highway, cheer on the Braves at Truist Park, and enjoy exploring the city on the BeltLine. Get to know the "Hollywood of the South" thanks to suggestions from Davidson alumni and parents.
- Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the world.
- Atlanta is one of two cities in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners.
- The Varsity serves more Coca-Cola by volume than anywhere else in the world.
- Georgia is the largest state for production of feature films by number of films produced.
- Meet people, make it your home, and get involved in our city. Try many restaurants and go to lots of festivals. The city has a great deal to offer. Don't forget that the mountains are a great day trip.
- Be open-minded; don't believe stereotypes of Atlanta. Be open to meeting people outside of your circles. The city is huge and diverse—so explore beyond Buckhead, Midtown, and the Highlands!
- Check out several neighborhoods before deciding where to live. Each has its own personality.
- Learn traffic patterns & explore all pockets of the city (while researching happy hours/specials).
- Have or get a car with good gas mileage.
- Pinpoint helpful back roads.
- I-285 (aka The Perimeter) directional designations change depending on where you are and which direction you're going. Be sure you're pointed the right way or your trip will be MUCH longer than you expected. (But it's a circle so you'll get there eventually!)
- Interstate speed limits are simply a guideline of the absolute minimum speed allowed.
- Consider the driving, or lack thereof. If you can't live near work and play, go for one. Atlanta neighborhoods are very diverse—if you live in the city you may find an area where you'd really like to hang out, and it's definitely possible to live within walking or biking distance of awesome places.
- SEC Football is a religion (Go Dawgs!).
- Get outside: Walk, run, skate or bike the Atlanta Beltline. Run in, or spectate at, the Peachtree Road Race. Shoot the Hooch. Tube, canoe, raft, kayak or paddleboard down the Chattahoochee River. And hike the Chattahoochee East Palisades trails off Whitewater Creek Road NW. Go to neighborhood/park art, music, and food festivals.
- Learn about Atlanta history: Take a twilight tour of Oakland Cemetery. Ride the SkyView ferris wheel towering over Centennial Olympic Park. While you're there, get a city pass to visit the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Zoo Atlanta, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
- Cheer on Atlanta sports: The Braves at Truist Park. The Hawks and Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena. The Falcons and Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz.
- Explore the culture: Check out The Varsity—the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, and have breakfast at a Waffle House. Eat everything you can on Buford Highway.
- Soak up the art: Enjoy all of the performing arts spaces across the city. Visit the High Museum of Art, and so many other museums and cultural centers.