14. Embrace Atlanta’s 
easy-going style

Atlanta has a laid-back style; it’s a lot less pretentious than New York or other large cities. One place that really exemplifies that is Morgan Kylee boutique in Buckhead. It’s small, friendly, personal.

7. Feel the blues at Blind Willie’s

Atlanta’s venerable blues joint is named for one legend (Blind Willie McTell) and is the best place to see another: Francine Reed, whose soulful voice, feisty wisecracks, and dance-inducing songs mesh perfectly with the intimate dive bar’s New Orleans–inspired atmosphere.

All Hail Terminal West

After three years of drawing ravers to grind in the gallery spaces of the King Plow Arts Center, Robert Shaw and Alan Sher have set up the permanent venue Terminal West in Studio C of the refurbished farm-equipment foundry. With high-grade sound and light systems built around a twenty-by-thirty-three-foot stage, wide concrete floors, three bars loaded with twenty-nine different canned craft beers, and a back patio facing the railroad tracks, the unce-unce dance party will be beating strong in Westside. But starting this summer, Shaw and Sher say music lovers of all ages and metronomic temperaments will find a reason to stop in. “The first few months have been electronic music; that was our network,” says Shaw. “But we’ve got reggae and bluegrass acts coming to use this amazing performance space. The goal is to diversify the audience.”

Johnny’s Hideaway

Nothing much has changed at Johnny’s Hideaway, the cougar bar buried in the strip mall homogeneity of Roswell Road. Not the disco ball or the parquet floor or the glamour shots of dead and dying celebrities. Divorcées in tight jeans and halter tops still troll the perimeter. The oldies soundtrack is the same, though founder Johnny Esposito, “Mr. Nightlife,” passed away in April at age seventy-nine. Chris Dauria, the son of Esposito’s partner Mike Dana, has run the place for years—still guarding the door with his entourage of big, bald bouncers, as if something valuable were inside. And maybe, in this age of disposable bars, there is.

Greg Heagerty

Coming of age in the era of Stonewall gave Knoxville native Greg Heagerty a certain vantage point on the notion of gay pride. The sixty-five-year-old part-time doorman at Blake’s has watched the ups and downs of Atlanta’s gay nightlife scene through the seventies’ liberation era and into the present day.   ONLINE EXTRA  

The Gay Scene

Named the gayest city in the nation earlier this year by the Advocate, Atlanta will celebrate its fortieth Pride on October 9 and 10. The festivities will include a headlining performance by Idol finalist Kimberley Locke on the main stage in Piedmont Park, plus a kickoff party at the Georgia Aquarium the Friday before. For the uninitiated, explore the world of disco balls and drag queens by perusing these superlative nightlife destinations.  

Fred Crudder

As beverage director for Taco Mac’s parent company, Tappan Street Restaurant Group, Fred Crudder is responsible for what goes into the 1,900-plus beer taps at the chain’s twenty-four locations. He’s also the inspiration behind the Fred, an underground bar at the Prado location open to frequent drinkers in the

Havana Club, Ormsby’s, Gold Room, and more

1. The Havana Club Gold Room: David Walter Banks Hip-swive

Flip Flops

It’s a slice of spring break in Midtown. With a nine-flavor daiquiri bar, live music downstairs, a DJ upstairs, a sprawling patio with real palm trees, and deliberately tacky decor, it couldn’t be more different from posh Opera across the street.

Whiskey Blue, the Wine Loft, and the Bookhouse Pub

1. Whiskey Blue The Bookhouse Pub: Benjamin Rhoades Leather c

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