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Downtown Atlanta bars during Dragon*Con
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The Hilton bar before the crowds got there.
Last weekend, I and 34,000 of my closest friends attended Dragon*Con in downtown Atlanta. Only now am I recovering from five days of gaming, costumes, sci fi/fantasy and… drinking!
Dragon*Con is an annual event which takes place in four downtown Atlanta hotels during Labor Day weekend. Those hotels are: The Hyatt Regency, the Marriott Marquis, the downtown Hilton and more recently, the downtown Sheraton. The Con encompasses almost every aspect of science fiction and fantasy fandom, including comics, games, movies, anime, television, music, books, and Internet phenomena like The Guild and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog.
Should you come to the Con next year, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about the bars at the various hotels. Well, that’s my job, ain’t it? To give you some enlightenment regarding the downtown bars during Dragon*Con.
1. The Marriott Marquis. Last year, the Marriott completed renovations, which essentially created three new establishments in the hotel for your enjoyment. Most immediately noticeable is Pulse, which is nothing more than a bar smack dab in the middle of one level of the hotel lobby. You can’t miss it when you walk in, with its 50-foot colored “sail” that rises from the floor. To your right as you walk in is the sports bar High Velocity, with its array of plasma TVs and its highly varied beer and drink selection. Most notable about High Velocity to me is that I bought Aaron Douglas a beer there two years ago, before I found out he was a Cylon. Finally, there’s Sear, a relatively high end steak and seafood joint – which, during Dragon*Con, often plays host to the various actors and writers who attend.
2. The Hilton Atlanta. This classically-styled hotel finished its renovations this year. The old stand-bys, Nikolai’s Roof and Trader Vic’s, are still there, one on top of the hotel and one below it, but the hotel did away with the old Casablanca bar which once graced its lobby. Instead, up front and to your left as you come into the lobby is Southern Elements, a classic hotel bar with elegant, dark furniture and one of the friendliest staffs in downtown. I like this bar because it’s relatively quiet, and because of the beer selection available there – pretty varied and eclectic for a hotel bar. One special note about the Hilton: the renovations include a new hotel “Marketplace” where you can get delicious sandwiches, gourmet coffee, and again – a great selection of really good beers, including Dale’s Pale Ale and Stone’s Arrogant Bastard. And although the prices are inflated a little (it IS a hotel store, after all), they’re not that outrageous. Pretty good, and very convenient.
3. The Hyatt Regency. Because it’s located off of Peachtree Street, up front and center, the Hyatt’s Parasol Bar probably gets the most traffic of any of the bars during the Con. Most times of day (yes, even three in the morning), you can go to the Parasol and see people dressed up as Klingons, Stormtroopers, superheroes and anime characters. And a lot of times, they’re drinking. I love the idea of Superman having a beer.
4. The Sheraton. The Sheraton is a relatively new presence in the Dragon*Con scene - it has long housed attendees, but has had little to do with the actual Con until recently. I have yet to visit its upscale martini bar called Fandangles. But next year, who's to say? I like martinis.
So there you have it. A quick overview of the bars you can hit in the hotels during Dragon*Con. Of course, there are tons of room parties, too, which are less expensive and more exclusive.
But they aren’t bars.
For more info: Visit the web sites of these cool hotel bars. They're linked above. Also, visit the Dragon*Con web site. I'll see you there next year!
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