Nightlife

There’s something undeniably magnetic about Miami after the sun goes down, when the balmy air and neon lights create an atmosphere removed from reality. Whether it’s the clave pulsating from salsa clubs or the crowds strolling down Ocean Drive, the nighttime energy in Miami is palpable. Come along as we meander through Miami at its quintessential best, from tropical sunset to happy hour sunrise.

If you’ve got small kids, we don’t need to sell you on the marvels of Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Aquarium.

Fortify yourself with a basket of chicken at Harold’s Chicken & Ice Bar—and don’t forget the hot sauce.

Near the end of Maynard Jackson’s second term, a few of us from his office used to get together after work to hoist a few and gossip and bitch. Manuel’s Tavern became one of our gathering places.

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

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.”

Start easy with a sherry cobbler—the subtly sweet, low-octane cocktail of the moment—at H. Harper Station, housed in a former train depot in Reynoldstown. Head over to Poncey-Highland to eavesdrop on the journalists and politicos at Manuel’s Tavern and sip a SweetWater 420.

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.

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.