Atlanta At Home

Neat Video About The City Of Lawrenceville, GA

I came across the neatest video about the city of Lawrenceville, GA.  If you want to know more about the history of the area or the future I recommend this quick watch.

Click here to view the video of Lawrenceville, GA brought to you by GBC

Georgia County School Calendars

With the 2008-2009 school year starting shortly I thought parents may appriciate having the school calendar handy.   Click on the links below for a full list of events, holidays, and early release days.

Gwinnett County

Cobb County

Dekalb County

Douglas County

Forsyth County

Fulton County

Hall County

Walton County

Have a safe and happy 2008-2009 school year!

Metro-Atlanta area Hospitals

Whether it’s a broken arm or pneumonia, you can expect that inevitably you will end up at a hospital at some point in your life (especially when you have active children!). Fortunately, Atlanta has several outstanding medical centers. No matter where you live, there is sure to be an excellent hospital nearby. Below is a list of Atlanta area healthcare centers for your reference!

Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Atlanta, 404-686-4411 www.emoryhealtcare.org
Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, 404-712-2000   www.emoryhealthcare.org
Emory – Dunwoody Medical Center, Atlanta, 770-454-2000 www.hcahealthcare.com
Emory – Eastside Medical Center, Snellville, 770-979-0200 www.hcahealthcare.com
Dekalb Medical Center, Atlanta, 404-501-5200 www.drhs.org
Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, 404-616-4307 www.gradyhealthsystem.org
Gwinnett Medical Center, Duluth, 678-312-6800 www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org
Henry Medical Center, Stockbridge, 770-389-2200 www.henrymedical.com
Northside Hospital, Atlanta, 404-851-8000 www.northside.com
Northside Hospital, Forsyth, 770-844-3200 www.northside.com
Northside Hospital, Cherokee, 770-720-5100 www.northside.com
Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta, 404-605-5000 www.piedmonthospital.org
Piedmont Hospital, Fayette, 770-719-7000 www.fayettehospital.org
Piedmont Hospital, Newnan, 770-253-1912 www.newnanhospital.org
Rockdale Hospital, Conyers, 770-918-3000 www.rockdalemedicalcenter.org
Shepherd Center, Atlanta, 404-352-2020 www.shepherd.org

Children’s Hospitals:
Egleston Children’s Hospital, Atlanta, 404-785-6000 www.choa.org
Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital, Atlanta, 404-616-5778 www.choa.org
Scottish Rite Medical Center, Atlanta, 404-785-5252 www.choa.org

Written by Renee Fouquet

Atlanta Lingo

Are you new to the Atlanta area, perhaps just visiting for the weekend, or planning to relocate here?  Be sure to learn the local lingo before visiting!

Y’all: This word is used to mean “You all” or “you guys”.

The Big Chicken: This large steel chicken (56 feet tall!) is located at the corner of Highway 120 and U.S. 41 in Marietta, Georgia.  This is used as a landmark for giving directions.

The Connector: The interstate that runs through downtown Atlanta.  This is created by the merging of I-85 and I-75.

The Hooch: The Chattahoochee River.  The Hooch provides power and water to North Georgia.  It is also used for recreation and you may also hear, “Shoot The Hooch” meaning to raft down the Chattahoochee River.

The Dome: The Dome is located in downtown Atlanta and is host to multiple sports events including the Atlanta Falcons and The Atlanta Force.

The Ted: This is the nickname for Turner Field, home to the Atlanta Braves. The stadium is named after Ted Turner the previous owner.

King and Queen Buildings: These two office towers are located in the Perimeter area and are aptly named for their architectural crowns.

Perimeter: Interstate 285.

Spaghetti Junction: These are the bridges that connect I-85 and I-285.  They are named this because of the layers of loops and bridges that cross.

Underground Atlanta: A shopping area located in and below downtown Atlanta.  Known for shopping and restaurants.

The Varsity: A restaurant serves world famous hot dogs. The Varsity was built in 1928 and is known for it’s saying, “Whadda Have?” You don’t want to miss their Orange Dream drink!

You can visit our webpage, www.AtlantaAtHome.com and visit the “Community Links” page to see many of the attractions mentioned in this post! 

Atlanta Utility Provider Guide

Natural Gas

Georgia Natural Gas

            888-442-7489

            GeorgiaNaturalGas.com

SCANA Energy

            877-467-2262

            Goscana.com

Electricity

Cobb EMC

            770-429-2100

            Cobbemc.com

Georgia EMC

            800-544-4362

            Georgiaemc.com

Greystone Power Co.

            770-942-6576

            Greystonepower.com

Jackson EMC

            706-367-5281

            Jacksonemc.com

Suwanee EMC

            770-887-2363

            Suwanee.com

Phone Service

ACN Energy

            800-348-6496

            Acnenergy.com

AT&T

            800-222-0300

            Att.com

Birch Telecom

            866-347-3843

            Birch.com/athome

Comcast

            404-COMCAST

            Comcast.com

MCI/Verizon

            877-777-6271

            Consumer.mci.com

Vonage

            800-980-1455

            Vonage.com

Cellular Phones

AT&T

            866-816-5873

            Att.com/wireless

MetroPCS

            888-863-8768

            Metropcs.com

Nextel

            800-639-8359

            Nextel.com

Sprint PCS

            800-480-4727

            Sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile

            800-866-2453

            Tmobile.com

Verizon Wireless

            800-256-4646

            Verizonwireless.com

Television

Adelphia

            888-683-1000

            Adelphia.net

Charter Communications

            800-955-7766

            Charter.com

Comcast

            404-COMCAST

            Comcast.com

Dish Network

            800-333-3474

            Dishnetwork.com

Tips To Make Your Move Smooth and Efficient

Eight Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Plan your move between Thursday and Sunday.  Moving companies rates are generally lower and they have greater availability
• Get estimates from different moving companies and compare prices
• When requesting pricing quotes base them on weight rather than volume
• Read the fine print in your contract with a moving company.  There may be additional charges if you exceed certain limits like volume or box count

Six to Four Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Obtain more boxes than you feel you need.  Boxes are available through moving companies such as U-Haul or at office supply stores.
• Ensure you have packing tape, bubble wrap, unprinted newspaper or packing paper, thick black markers for labeling boxes, and scissors.

Three Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Ensure all boxes are packed by the room and labeled appropriately.
• You can use your linens and bath towels to help you pack your fragile items
• Fill any empty spaces in boxes with packing paper to ensure nothing will be broken
• Ensure that you leave out items like toiletries, medications, and important documents and checkbooks when packing

Two to One Week Prior To Move Date:

• Make arrangements for care of pets and children on move date
• Defrost your refrigerator
• Keep an inventory of each box.  It helps to number each box per room
• Ensure that your utilities are scheduled to be canceled on your closing date and the utilities at your new home are scheduled to be on
• Ensure that the moving company has your correct delivery address, your cell phone number, and you have the moving company's phone number

Moving Day

• Ensure that both yourself and the moving company has your inventory list
• Once the moving company has placed all belongings check the inventory list once more to ensure all items were delivered.
• Unpack one room at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed

Atlanta’s Must-See Attractions

I have a few relatives that are coming down to visit from out of the area and will have the opportunity to spend a few days in our wonderful city next week.  I wanted to put together a list of fun attractions for them and their family to take a look at while they are here.  It suddenly occurred to me that this is the perfect list for those who are visiting our city, or even those native Atlanta residents to just haven’t gotten around to visiting a few of these attractions!

The Georgia Aquarium

            225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

            GeorgiaAquarium.org

Why do we love the Georgia Aquarium?  It is the world’s largest fish tank!  Located in Atlanta, over 100,000 animals call the aquarium home including the giant whale shark!  There is plenty to see and do for the whole family!

The CNN Center

            One CNN Center, Centennial Park Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303

            

Why do we love the CNN Center?  Have you ever wanted to see how the weather is broadcast or see how the news anchors know just what to say?  The CNN center tour allows visitors to play the role of the weatherman, see the news anchors in action, and much more!

The New World of Coca-Cola

            121 Baker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313

            Woccatlanta.com

Why do we love The New World Of Coca-Cola?  You can sample what Coke tastes like in Japan, or all over the world for that matter!  Come explore the past, present, and future of the nationally known brand of soda.  See advertisements and other Coca Cola memorabilia!  It’s adjacent to The Georgia Aquarium so come thirsty after looking at all those fish!

Underground Atlanta

            Peachtree Street

            Underground-atlanta.com

Why do we love Underground Atlanta?  It is a shopping, dining, and entertainment paradise!  Don’t worry guys, it is also a wealth of history, too! This historic area was originally built under concrete overpasses of the 1920s.

Georgia’s Stone Mountain Park

            Highway 78, Exit 8—Gwinnett County

            Stonemountainpark.com

Why do we love Stone Mountain Park?  Aside from being the world’s largest exposed mass of granite, Stone Mountain Park is a super fun filled park for even the pickiest family member.  Where else can you hike, fish, boat, play, ride a train, shop, eat, and even catch one of the most unique laser shows on earth? Come out for the day or just a few hours…you will have a great time!  Check out Stone Mountain Park in the winter for a day on the slopes with artificial snow!

Fernbank Museum Of Natural History

            767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

            Fernbank.edu/museum

Why do we love Fernbank?  Fernbank is one of the nation’s foremost museums of natural history.  Come visit the dinosaur fossils (a huge T-Rex lives here!) or one of their many exhibits.

The Fox Theatre

            660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

            Foxtheatre.org

Why do we love The Fox? Aside from catching some neat concerts and musical plays here we have to marvel at the architecture of this building. The theatre was built in 1929 to simulate a Moorish palace.  Don’t forget to look up at the night sky painted on this beautiful theatre—you feel like you are sitting under a night’s sky waiting for a magic carpet ride.

High Museum Of Art

            1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

            High.org

Why do we love The High?  This museum highlights European and American art.  Be sure to look for the special exhibits being hosted periodically. The High also hosts a jazz music night one Friday per month where you can walk through the museum and listen to the soulful sounds of Jazz music.

Zoo Atlanta

            800 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

            Zooatlanta.org

Why do we love Zoo Atlanta?  We love it because you can ride Zoo Express train, see the baby panda- Mei Lan, a baby joey in his mother’s pouch, and all of the lions, tigers, and bears—oh my!  Get down to the zoo today!

Yellow River Wildlife Game Ranch

            4525 Highway 78, Lilburn, Ga 30047—Gwinnett County

            Yellowrivergameranch.com

Why do we love The Yellow River Game Ranch?  Who doesn’t love this 24 acre natural habitat petting zoo?  It’s like getting to see a deer in its home and actually touch and feed it.  Sounds a little “outdoorsy” to you?  Don’t worry—if Tonia loves it, you will too!

Light-Hearted Atlanta Humor

This email came across my desk this morning.  It is perfect for all of those who will be relocating to the area or just the good old native Atlantans out there.

Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina .

All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the phrase, "When you see the Waffle House. " Except that in Cobb County, where all directions begin with, "Go to the Big Chicken."

Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be confused with:

    > Peachtree Circle

    > Peachtree Place

    > Peachtree Lane

    > Peachtree Road

    > Peachtree Parkway

    > Peachtree Run

    > Peachtree Terrace

    > Peachtree Avenue

    > Peachtree Commons

    > Peachtree Battle

    > Peachtree Corners

    > New Peachtree

    > Old Peachtree

    > West Peachtree

    > Peachtree-Dunwoody

    > Peachtree-Chamblee

    > Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions, they will always send you down Peachtree.

Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. Coke's all they drink there so don't ask for any other soft drink unless it's made by Coca-Cola. Even if you want something other than a Coca-Cola, it's still called Coke.

The gates at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport are about 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.

The 8 am rush hour is from 6:30 to 10:30 AM.
The 5 pm rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:30 PM. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2 am Saturday.

Only a native of Atlanta can pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue, so do not attempt the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. The Atlanta pronunciation is "pawntz duh LEE-awn."  And yes, they have a street named simply, "Boulevard."

The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules. If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days and it's on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a week. Overnight, all grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper and beer.

I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta, which has a posted speed limit of 55 mph (but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from getting run over), is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500."

Don't believe the directional markers on highways: I-285 is marked East and West but you may be going North or South.

The locals identify the direction by referring to the "Inner Loop" and the "Outer Loop."

If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually be going southeast.

Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta. Just go to one of the interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.

Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Georgia.

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Georgia, plus a couple no one has seen before. 

If you notice a vine trying to wrap itself around your leg, you have about 20 seconds to escape, before you are completely captured and covered with Kudzu,another ill-advised "import," like the Carp, Starling, English Sparrow, and other 'exotic wonders'.

It's not a shopping cart, it's a buggy.

"Fixinto" is one word (I'm fixinto go to the store).

Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're 2 years old.

"Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"

"Momma-nem" means: How's Mother and all of the other children and other members of the family doing.

Lordy, I love ATLANTA !

Georgia Voter Registration

Are you new to the state of Georgia and don't know where to register to vote? 

Georgia citizens at least 18 years of age can register to vote.  You must register 30 days prior to an election to be eligible to vote. 

Register at your local Voter Registration Office and most public libraries.  You can also download your registration form from www.sos.state.ga.us.

Registering For School In Georgia

By law, children must be five years old on or before September 1 to enter into kindergarten and six years old on or before September 1 to enter the first grade.

To enroll your child in either kindergarten or first grade, you will need to provide the child's social security number; a vision, hearing, and dental screening from a family practitioner or local health clinic; and immunization records on Georgia State Form 3231.