Ed Bean
Editor in chief, the Fulton County Daily Report
Indulge your sweet tooth …
“Over the railroad tracks and tucked inside a little industrial area is a gem of a bakery called Southern Sweets. It’s not cheap at five bucks a slice, but you’ll find a couple of dozen cakes and other desserts that are as good as those served at any gourmet restaurant. Amaretto Butter Cake, Kahlua cheesecake, Bourbon bread pudding -- and some of the desserts are even vegan.”

Michele Rhea Caplinger
Senior executive director, Atlanta chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences/the Grammy Awards
Get a serious workout …
Like Caplinger, many locals know about the Silver Comet Trail, a 61-mile, paved former rail line that runs from Atlanta to the Alabama border and winds through some of the prettiest countryside in the state. Depending on how serious you are, she says, you can keep going another 33 miles once you hit the border. “Just remember,” she laughs, “you have to come back.” With just a two percent grade, it’s a favorite of hikers, bikers, walkers, and Rollerbladers.

Chip Cole, MD
Founder, Atlanta Ocuplastic & Cosmetic Surgery
Head for the mountains …
“My favorite place to escape to is the North Georgia mountains, specifically Lake Burton. [The area is] easy to get to but almost impossible to leave! So much to experience -- hiking trails like Minnehaha Falls or Hemlock Falls, and water activities like wakeboarding and sunset, waterfront dining at LaPrade’s [Marina].”

Van Council
Owner, Van Michael Salon
A restaurant to shout about …
Council was an early advocate of the in-town Italian restaurant Sotto Sotto (“Hush Hush” in Italian), which had been named one of the city’s best restaurants six years in a row since opening in 1999. Its location in Atlanta’s historic Inman Park (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) plays a major part in the ambience of dining here, Council says, adding, “Everything is good. … I never get tired of [Sotto Sotto].”

Alison Wise
Assistant executive director, Screen Actor’s Guild, Georgia branch
Get yourself outdoors …
“I love hiking at Sweetwater Creek. This scenic spot is just minutes away from Atlanta, but it feels like you are far in the mountains. Beautiful and peaceful, Sweetwater has easy paths as well as harder, more challenging hikes, all by an [old] historic mill.”