<p>hi all,</p>
<p>i am going to be in Atlanta from 9/7 to 9/17. i got couple questions:</p>
<li><p>how’s the weather usually in Sept? is it humid and hot? normally, how often/bad is atlanta affected by hurricanes/tropical storms? </p></li>
<li><p>how necessarily is car? i heard two different versions; it seems to me the locals tend to think that marta is kinda useless while many travellers said it took them to many places they wanted to go. my hotel is like 50 yards from the midtown station.</p></li>
<li><p>are there any areas/streets in midtown or atlanta that are “compact” with many shops, restaurants, and pedestrians…etc?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>1.hot....not very often
2.car in atlanta is necessary, eh midtown is good though. you can always take MARTA public tranzy but thats never fun.
3. Yes many small neighborhoods and places with bars and shops; virginia highlands, little 5 points, east atlanta, and midtown is becoming the place to go out since buckhead has closed most of its bar strip</p>
<p>thanks for your help! :)</p>
<p>1) September in Atlanta is hotter than July in New York City. That means you should pack shorts. Don't worry about it getting chilly.</p>
<p>Tropical storms or hurricanes are nothing to worry about. Even when they do affect the weather, they don't affect it severely because Atlanta is located so far from any Coasts.</p>
<p>2) It depends on where you plan on going. If you plan to visit downtown, the airport, midtown, Decatur, or Buckhead, then it is not necessary to have a car because MARTA trains run efficiently in those areas. The train gridlock is very simple, one line runs north-south straight throgh downtown, the other east-west straight through dowtown which means the grid looks like two lines perpendicular to eachother. However, if you plan to visit suburbs such as Marietta or even Druid Hills where Emory is located, then a car is helpful. In general, the MARTA trains are efficient, but the MARTA buses run on intervals that may leave you waiting at a stop for a half an hour or longer.</p>
<p>3) Where you are staying (Midtown) is pretty compact. If you're looking for compactness, it seems like your hotel is in the best area possible.</p>