Atlanta's Best Nightlife Is Outside the Tourist Core

Buckhead was the nightlife story of the '90s; it's not now. The real Atlanta night has moved to Old Fourth Ward, Edgewood, and East Atlanta Village. Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall on the BeltLine is the party patio. Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium is exactly what the name suggests.

For hip-hop and R&B — the city's actual sound — Compound and Gold Room in the Westside book the nights that matter. Cheetah and Magic City anchor the strip-club-as-nightlife tradition Atlanta made famous (and that's a real cultural category here).

The last call at 2:30 AM is real. The post-bar food rotation includes Buford Highway for late Korean BBQ and the waffle houses that run 24/7.