Downtown Atlanta

Founded as a rail terminus (and thus named Terminus), Atlanta was originally a small, rugged railroad crossing.

A few years later, the city was renamed Marthasville and began to grow. To match its aspirations, the city was given a more dramatic name: Atlanta.

After General Sherman burned the city in September 1864, Atlantans returned to rebuild their neighborhoods from the smoking ruins. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes (the Phoenix is also the city's symbol), Atlanta came back stronger than ever.

Today Downtown is home to attractions like Underground Atlanta, the World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Center. Downtown is also the headquarters of many large corporations such as Coca-Cola, CNN, Delta Air Lines, Equifax, CDC (National Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and TBS (Turner Broadcasting System). It's also the home of Georgia State University.