Metro Atlanta is home to some 5.7 million people and more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies. Yet when was the last time you heard a friend or coworker planning a vacation there? (Weddings and business conferences don't count.) Despite its abundant museums and tourist attractions, booming restaurant scene, ample green space, and relative affordability, would-be travelers often pass over Atlanta in favor of Nashville or Charleston. Here's a breakdown of the best the city has to offer:

CHECKING IN

There are no shortage of marquee hotels in Atlanta: the St. Regis, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton. The one thing those high-end properties lack? Goats. At The Social Goat Bed and Breakfast, you get sterling Southern hospitality, plus a menagerie of goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, goldfish, and rescue cats. The rambling Queen Anne Victorian homestead/urban barnyard is set on three-quarters of an acre near sprawling Grant Park, and offers a charming selection of master suites and cottages outfitted with pine floors and French antiques. When the host tells you breakfast is prepared using farm-fresh eggs, you’ll know exactly where they came from.

InterContinental has three Hotel Indigos in Atlanta, but the newest location opened downtown in January. It takes up nine floors in one of the city’s earliest office buildings: a 1960s glass-and-steel edifice designed by architect John Portman, who was actually brought back in to spearhead the structure’s $60 million revamp. The gleaming 206-room hotel is walking distance to the city's most popular attractions, including the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Aquarium, and 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park.

FRIDAY: WALK THE EASTSIDE BELTLINE

The BeltLine, a historic railway corridor turned multi-use trail and green space, is one of the South's most ambitious revitalization projects. Portions of it are still under development, but once completed, it will link 45 neighborhoods in Atlanta across 22 miles. Because it's so popular with bikers, joggers, dog walkers, and tourists, you’ll want to get an early start (preferably on a weekday). But first—a Stumptown fix at Chrome Yellow Coffee + Dry Goods. Soak up some sunshine and cold brew on the outdoor patio, then take a peek at the boutique in back. Owners Kyle and Kelly Taylor have stocked their hip space with brands like Ace & Jig and Rogue Territory, plus a peppering of ceramics, candles, and indie coffee magazines.

Next stop: the paid gravel parking lot across from the Krog Street Market, a food hall housed in a 1920s warehouse. Lunch is in order, but not before you tick off two shops just outside: The Collective and The Merchant. The former has a terrific selection of French pastoral furnishings and desert plants from Southeast Succulents; the latter sells stationery from Rifle Paper Co. and One Canoe Two. For lunch, you can’t beat the ribeye cheesesteak from Fred’s Meat & Bread, a local draft from Hop City, and a salted caramel nut tart from The Little Tart Bakeshop. Walk it off by picking up the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail just outside the Krog Street Market and headed north toward Inman Park. Look out for towering art sculptures, like William Massey III’s “The Art of Reconciliation,” and murals of street art underneath the overpass near the Old Fourth Ward skate park.

It’s about 30 minutes to your next stop: Ponce City Market, another mixed-use retail/food space from the developers behind New York City's Chelsea Market. Here’s where you house a second lunch (fried catfish tacos at Sean Brock’s Minero, Indian street food at Meherwan Irani’s Botiwalla, or just settle in for a latte at Hugh Acheson’s Spiller Park Coffee. PCM is home to numerous well-heeled brands (West Elm, Anthropologie, Williams-Sonoma), which makes Citizen Supply stand out all the more. The sprawling multi-vendor marketplace sells small-batch merchandise from dozens of artisan makers, including Teysha, an ethical boot company from Austin, TX, and Billiam Jeans, a selvedge specialist from Greenville, South Carolina. Back on the BeltLine, continue north toward Paris On Ponce, an antiques emporium with 30-plus vendors under one roof. Highlights include limited-edition art prints and esoteric magazines from Still Life, modern taxidermy from Absinthe, and Coachella-ready Southwestern vintage from Gunstreet Goods.