Sunday, September 14, 2008 | News, Sports, A+E, Food, Life, In this Issue..., Style, Nightlife
The SP 100

Presenting the fourth annual SP 100: The Sunday Paper staff’s thoroughly researched, hotly debated and extremely opinionated list of Atlanta’s finest entertainers, restaurants, philanthropists, nightspots and more.

Courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden
Two Cocktails in the Garden attendees


Courtesy of Whiskey Park
Whiskey Park

WHISKEY PARK

WHY: Celebrities and young professionals in suits make this happy hour and late-night spot the newest and most popular see-and-be-seen bar and lounge around. Sleek, stylish, modern and spacious, Whiskey Park features a scenic patio, expansive bar and leather couches, making for a sexy, energetic vibe that has attracted the likes of Tommy Lee, Dallas Austin, Cee-Lo and more.
WHERE: W Atlanta–Midtown, 188 14th St., Atlanta. 404-724-2559. www.gerbersbars.com.

COCKTAILS IN THE GARDEN AT THE ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN

WHY: Stop and smell the flowers, and have a cocktail while you’re at it. At the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Cocktails in the Garden every Thursday from May through September, guests enjoy nibbles from fine restaurants, music by the Garden DJs and a featured flower/plant-and-drink pairing. Ah, the beauty.
WHERE: 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. 404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

PARIS DECATUR

WHY: This relatively new-on-the-scene gay bar has had folks talking since it opened. A healthy mix of special events is offered most every night: karaoke-style Paris Idol on Tuesdays, more boys than girls on Wednesdays, and a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays. With a variety of tunes spinning—from jazzy house to disco—gourmet appetizers and creative martinis, this small nook is a hot lounge for the tight-knit lesbian community.
WHERE: 308 W. Ponce de Leon Place, Decatur. 404-687-1965. www.parisdecatur.com.

MARTINIS & IMAX

WHY: We like cool movies, and we like martinis; therefore, we like Friday nights at Martinis & IMAX at the Fernbank Museum. Chillin’ under the dinosaurs, attendees mix and mingle, listen to live music, nosh on creative cuisine and sip specialty martinis before the featured presentation. Spiked cucumber lemonade, anyone?
WHERE: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta. 
404-929-6300. www.fernbankmuseum.org.

THE LOCAL

WHY: A warm, welcoming hangout for hipsters and fans of the dive-bar scene, the Local offers foosball, trivia and good ol’ barbecue fare. A down-to-earth venue known for cheap PBR tall boys and Belgian fries, the Local boasts an understated décor that includes a tin ceiling, wooden everything else and old pictures of the neighborhood.
WHERE: 758 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta. 404-873-5002. www.myspace.com/thelocalonponce.

MJQ

WHY: An “underground” dance club (literally), MJQ can be seen as two nightspot sin one. With MJQ DJs spinning tunes and the adjacent Drunken Unicorn boasting fringe live acts, you’ll be on the dance floor all night long.
WHERE: 736 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta.

EAST ATLANTA

WHY: Long known as one of Atlanta’s most happening neighborhoods, this hipster enclave offers a plethora of nightlife options. From the EARL’s roster of local and indie-rock bands to Mary’s upscale crowd of dance-friendly gays and lesbians, from the more traditional nightclub environs of East Side Lounge to amiable restaurant-bar hybrids such as the Flatiron and the Glenwood, East Atlanta’s got a hangout to suit your night-on-the-town needs.
WHERE: Near the intersection of Flat Shoals and Glenwood avenues, about one mile south of Little 5 Points on Moreland Avenue, or about three miles east of downtown on I-20.