Welcome to Creative Loafing's Urban Explorer's Handbook

The Urban Explorer's Handbook is a new project for Creative Loafing - our first stab at what some people call an "annual manual" to metro Atlanta. It's a year-round resource to getting the most out of living in Atlanta, culled from the best information gathered by our award-winning critics, columnists and reporters.

The handbook starts with separate feature stories on 10 "Great Neighborhoods" in the city and the surrounding area. They aren't necessarily the best neighborhoods - most are relatively unknown gems that we discovered by asking folks where really cool things were happening and where there might be interesting stories to tell.

"Great Neighborhoods" is followed by five shorter sections whose names may sound familiar to those who read Creative Loafing's annual Best of Atlanta issue: "Cityscape" is an assemblage of listings and short features on civic life and major attractions. "Poets, Artists and Madmen" does the same for the arts, including music. "Consumer Culture" focuses on shops, "Oral Pleasures" on restaurants, and "After Dark" on nightlife.

The handbook's intended to empower you in your exploration of Atlanta's civic and cultural life. It will serve as a year-round resource to the best activities in town - whether you want to get involved with a great nonprofit, dine at a great restaurant or take in an awesome concert. And we hope it will give you a broader look at where other "urban explorers" live.

Fact Box Key Information on nearby cultural amenities and restaurants in the fact boxes that appear with the ¨Great Neighborhoods¨ features is self-explanatory.

Average home sale prices for 2002 and 2004 are based on the First Multiple Listing Service, a database used by real estate agents. Rental prices are based on averaging advertised units in Creative Loafing, Craig´s List and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

School stars are based on relative rankings in the student body´s performance on standardized tests.

Assessments of elementary and middle schools are based on the state-administered Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests. For elementary schools, the following scale was used to show what percentage of the schools´ students received an ¨exceeding¨ grade in the GCRCT: One star, 9.3 percent to 23.1 percent; two stars, 23.1 to 36.9; three stars, 36.9 to 50.7; four stars, 50.7 to 64.6. For middle schools: One star, 4.4 percent to 17.1 percent; two stars, 17.1 to 29.8; three stars, 29.8 to 42.5; four stars, 42.5 to 55.

For high schools, the following scale was used to show what percent of the schools´ students exceeded the Georgia High School Graduation Tests: One star, 22.3 percent to 33.1 percent; two stars, 33.1 to 43.9; three stars, 43.9 to 54.7; four stars, 54.7 to 65.3.