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Shopping

Native Atlantans' passion is their home and the suburbs abound with ways of spending money on it. From huge DIY emporia where anything from a complete jacuzzi to a water garden might catch the eye - and break the pocket - to food marts, all are full of gadgets, decorations and embellishments for the home. For those living in mock colonial houses in the wooded northern suburbs, antiques are an essential part of the decor and these districts have a selection of lovely antique and mock-antique shops. To live in these superbly adorned palaces, one must look the part, and clothes shopping, beauty salons and hairdressers rank second. The suburbs of Virginia-Highlands and Little Five Points have shopping districts of individual stores; Buckhead's east and west villages have an array of art galleries and boutiques, Bennett Street is filled with antiques and reproductions at almost feasible prices.

Malls are by far the most convenient place to spend time and money shopping; most have generous parking, a cinema and restaurants. The larger and more varied are Lenox Square, Peachtree Street and Lenox Road, with a MARTA train station. It has Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Rich's and over 170 other stores. Phipps Plaza (opposite Lenox) has another 100 stores including Lord & Taylor, Atlanta's largest Parisian and Saks Fifth Avenue. It also has Nike, Gianni Versace, Tiffany & Co, Gucci and A/X Armani Exchange exhibiting in marble-fronted shops. Peachtree Center, 231 Peachtree Street, is the only mall within easy reach of the hotel district; it offers a good variety of shops and food outlets. Underground Atlanta, bordered by Martin Luther King Jr Drive and South Peachtree Street, has an array of more unusual shops, plenty of food and entertainment.
For the visitor, by far the best take-home items are electronic and high-tech goods. Here, it may be preferable to do the browsing by internet in advance and just collect the items in the States. In this field, internet prices will beat shop prices by at least 10% and it is likely that your exact requirements can be met. Only in fields where goods are being made rapidly obsolete (such as optical vs digital cameras) are sale bargains guaranteed. Visitors should check guarantees, compatibility and availability of customer service in the home country when comparing items and prices. Books are another bargain; several bookstores have in-house coffee bars and encourage browsers to consume the entire stock before buying.
Joe Muggs Newsstand
, 3275 Peachtree Street, is worth a mention in its own right, as it is the place in Atlanta to find reading matter, stocking hundreds of newspapers and magazines.
Shopping malls stay open until around 2000, Monday-Saturday; and some shops open on Sunday. Sales tax in Georgia is currently 7%; in theory, it is possible to redeem this amount when goods over US$300 value are exported but Hartsfield Airport customs currently do not have the facilities to handle this. Visitors departing from another airport should obtain a detailed sales receipt with the name of the buyer (matching th.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
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