When I first heard about SkyView opening in Atlanta, I was very excited. I had the pleasure of riding the London Eye on a trip to England a few years back, and it was such a great experience; I was looking forward to something similar in my own city. Once it finally opened and word got out, it seemed like nobody was interested. When I asked friends/family if they wanted to go, they were either afraid of heights, "not into" ferris wheels or just disinterested all together. It killed my buzz. Each time the idea was shot down I started to care less and less about taking a ride, until I hardly thought about it at all.

This past weekend, I finally took the plunge (with a little help from Groupon and even more help from a bet I won). In my opinion, nighttime is the right time for something like this. A great way to rekindle the fire for your city is to see it all nice and lit up, and while you can't see the entire skyline from the top, the views of downtown Atlanta are still photo-worthy. I tried not to take very many pictures though and opted to just enjoy the moment instead. Also, it's difficult to hold a steady hand when it's below freezing outside, so getting a clear shot took more effort than I had the patience for at the time.


The wheel does a full four rotations, which helps makes sure you see and enjoy the sights from different vantage points. The gondolas are spacious, enclosed and climate-controlled, and they hold about six people (comfortably - there's probably room to squeeze a couple children in, too). 

Sights include but are not limited to:
  • The Westin
  • Centennial Olympic Park
  • Philips Areana
  • The CNN Center
  • The Georgia Aquarium
  • The World of Coke
The line wasn't very long, and it moved quickly. They're open every day of the year, so I look forward to going back during the daytime, when it's warmer outside. All in all, however, I enjoyed my visit!